2025-11-15: Processional
- Log: Processional
- Cast: Ichika Kawase, Ren Amamiya, Ryuji Sakamoto, Haru Okumura, Makoto Niijima, Ann Takamaki
- Where: The Kamiya Wedding (Eiji's Palace), Metaverse in Iwatodai City
- OOC Date: November 15, 2025
- IC Date: Sat, August 11, 2012
- Summary: The Phantom Thieves organize to hear out one Ichika Kawase--and venture into the Palace of the one whose heart she wants to change. It's rough. (Content warnings: human trafficking, rape, pregnancy loss, intimate partner abuse and violence)
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
The Akiyoshi Building is an imposing structure, full of various businesses and offices, concrete and gray stone and glass. It's bustling, with lots of people here; the daytime is peak business time, after all. But that's not the important part of Iwatodai City today. The trip out here from Tokyo for those coming was uneventful, and the building itself looks normal... until one uses the Meta-Nav.
Ichika provided the keywords to Yusuke after they agreed to let her attend. They are: Eiji Kamiya, Akiyoshi Building, Wedding Venue.
And so, when the Palace comes into view...
A steady stream of faceless yet well-dressed people goes in and out of the huge building ahead. Streetlights 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
EARLIER:
"This way," Ogre says. Ogre is a tall girl of 5'7", in riot armor wound with thorny vines and emblazoned with spray-painted roses. She looks soemthing like a modern samurai, save that she lacks a sword. She leads the group over to a shadowed area, near a clean dumpster. An arm sticks out of the dumpster. Don't worry about that.
"...This is Eiji's Palace, and... as Fox told you..."
She removes her horned Oni mask. "I'm Ichika Kawase," she says. "I'm sure he told you everything, but I need to say a few things, too."
"This is personal for me. I didn't ask you because I wasn't involved; I asked you becuase I tried, and I couldn't do it myself. My best friend is at risk... and so am I."
"I was going to get married to Eiji, see. ...Last year. At Seven Sisters High."
"...And now he's trafficking people, and threatening to do it to Tsubasa Seki, too."
"...He..."
"He's a rapist and a murderer. I know you already agreed to help, but... I just want to reiterate, even I don't know how bad he's become."
"But if anybody's got questions or concerns, now's the time."
NOW
The group has climbed up the dumpster and up onto the fencing, making their way into the side entrance of the Palace. Through a service door...
Screams echo. Some sound human; some are more... generic.
BGM: Johnny Hollow - Worse Things https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLPypo2DXho
It's dark back here, without any but red lighting.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Eiji's Palace warbles into view once all the keywords are input into the Meta-Nav. Joker takes in the sight of it, and the signboard that announces the wedding between Eiji Kamiya and Ichika Kawase. Their immediate impression is how Kamiya is repeated three times.
"Let's meet up with Ogre," they say.
She isn't hard to find. She guides them to the side of the Palace, near a dumpster. Joker gives a long look at the arm before looking back at her. They didn't expect her to immediately unmask--but it makes sense. She already did for Fox; she would naturally expect him to have shared. This only makes it official.
They don't remove their own mask, at first. "Fox mentioned a lot of this already. It's good to hear it from you directly, though," Joker says. After all, Fox was rather more delicate about the rapist part--and they keep a calm mien on even upon considering how Ichika could know that for sure. "I want to make one thing clear with you first. Some of us may know you already in real life. Some of us might know Tsubasa Seki already. Knowing that, do you still want us to see whatever awful and deeply personal things are in this Palace? Whether you do or not... we'll need a moment to make sure of who's going in."
...Some of them might not want to essay the Palace of a rapist and a murderer, after all. Especially one who's only the tender age of eighteen--who might've gotten even worse since whenever Ogre was here last. Even without that, it's a good idea to have a second group that follows in after to make sure they've got escape options secure.
Once Ichika confirms she's okay with it, though, Joker climbs up after her onto the dumpster and over the fence towards a service door. Red lighting makes the scene eerie; the screams that echo there only more so.
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Skull has been on edge since the other day. This was going to be one hell of a dungeon. It was one that he had a stake in and was unsure of how to approach telling Ichika eventually. He has to, right? If he knows all this without telling her, he is kind of a dick. Even then, there is a chance she screams at him for 'lying'. I mean he with held the truth as opposed to lying. She doesn't seem like the type but Ryuji is now heading deep into her past without permission like some kind of creep. He shudders as the thoughts overwhelm him for a moment.
After a beat to take a deep breath, the blonde takes a beat and looks up at the sign. His jaw drops. Then he's also a rapist? "OH WHAT THE FUCK?! Who does this asshole think he is?!" He shouts without thinking about it. When he gets a look, he holds up his hand and smiles nervously. "Sorry!" He tries to look 'professional' but the more he learns, the more Skull wants to break this jerk.
Still...Ichika was engaged? Ryuji had no idea. He feels kind of in the dark as he continues to move along. What else would he learn? What other secrets does this place have about Ichika's past? Skull forces his face into a neutral expression as Ren begins to talk.
For now, he is going to just be Skull and if Ichika tells him to step back, then he'll handle the back end...
Could Skull really let this one go? He balls his fists behind his back, wondering how this was going to go.
<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.
It would be putting it lightly to say the word they received from Fox about a potential target for the Phantom Thieves was troubling. Other words that come to mind are disturbing, disgusting, and revolting. These thoughts and more race through Haru's head as she takes in the situation, especially when not only can she draw comparisons to her own situation, she also has personally met the victim in question before.
Despite Haru's feelings, and the revolting subject matter of what they're about to encounter, Noir's mask remains like iron over her face... even if it feels like she's lying to Ichika's face. "This is just horrible...But whatever we may face, I'm ready." Haru nods to Joker, after working up the resolve.
"Even more so than punishing him for his crimes, I feel we can't just leave Kawase-san and Seki-san in danger. If a change of heart is what it takes... we're the only ones who can do it, right?" She wasn't in the team when the Phantom Thieves changed Kamoshida's heart, but the stakes are quite similar here. It's the right decision, she feels.
Haru grips her axe tight and follows Ichika into the hell of Eiji's own making.
<Pose Tracker> Makoto Niijima has posed.
Makoto has never been out to Tatsumi Port Island before. It's not far from Tokyo, sure, but no reason ever occurred.
And today, Makoto technically doesn't have a reason, but Queen does.
It would have been nice to visit under better circumstances.
The thieves still group up to enter a Palace, it's safer that way. It does mean if Ogre wanted to keep an eye out for Yusuke and then enter the palace, she could suss them all out. But from what she saw of Ogre at the Park, they don't seem the sort.
And, as usual, Queen- in her post apocalyptic biker set up (don't say it looks like a certain old seinen manga character she'll hurt you)- is right with Joker, her place as advisor and second in command.
Queen always looks 'angry', but right now, her fists are clenched tight, the white gloves on her hands hiding the fact that her knuckles will be matching it.
"He sounds like the sort of scum we'd want to deal with." Her voice is cold, but Ichika's mentioning of trafficking people and threatening Tsubasa-kun as well...
Well. Ogre was there when Makoto despairingly called out Tsubasa's name when she thought they were dead. She doesn't even cast a glare at Skull when he swears- she's far too on board with his own anger.
"...I agree with Noir." He's too much like Kaneshiro. Makoto almost wants to know if the two worked together. Hell, a part of her wants to see if she can find a way to get a lead to her sister without giving the game away, just in case. But... Sis's methods won't solve things.
Once they're on the move, she's assuming Joker will take the lead with ogre, so... "Skull, you and Panther stick with Ogre and Joker, Noir and I will take the rear and watch our backs. Someone like this, I would expect traps and ambushes."
Makoto might still struggle to understand people, but as tactician, she knows Ryuji will want to jump in on this fight. No point stopping him right now.
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
Iwatodai. Ann Takamaki can't really say she's been out this way before. She knows about Gekkoukan, of course, largely because Yusuke is a student there; she also knows those other Persona-Users, SEES, operate out of here.
And there was some terrible accident ten years ago where a lot of students got hurt...
It doesn't change the fact that Iwatodai itself is a pretty scenic place, and Tatsumi is some kind of crazy marvel of humankind's ingenuity or -- whatever, she doesn't know, but it seems super impressive. Man-made island! Whoa!
But she doesn't really have opportunity to absorb the scenic wonders of Tatsumi and Iwatodai, or even their shopping scene. After all...
"It always looks so... harmless from the outside, y'know?"
... they're on a mission.
This is Ann's first and only salient thought on the matter of the Akiyoshi Building. Monolithic, but not anything she's not used to. Mundane. Just like Shujin was just a school, and Madarame's way just a ramshackle house.
The outside's always so... plain. Like a rotting wolf wearing pristine sheep's skin.
It's a thought that stays with her as reality shifts in rippling reds and blacks to reveal that lovely, pristine white convention center.
And she instantly feels her skin crawl at the sight of it.
~ <3 Before <3 ~
Wow. It really is her.
"Hey-- Ogre." Ann had caught herself from using Ichika's real name before her introduction; even if Ichika could rightly assume Yusuke told the rest of them, well -- it still feels right, not to broach that dividing line until Ichika chooses to.
It's an awkward position, even if she's only known Ichika for a brief time; bonds forged through shopping, after all, are as battle-tested as any band of brothers forged in the trenches.
She wonders, briefly, in that imaginative heart of hers -- is this how superheroes feel like when their alter-egos start to cross the streams with the lives of their secret identities--?
Ultimately it doesn't change anything that's at stake. And it doesn't change the way Panther's eyes narrow, or how her gloved hands clench towards fists, as she shakes her head once, emphatically.
"Joker's right," she insists firmly. "You get to choose how you want to do this, what you're comfortable with. I know these places have a lot of... awful things in them." Awful, especially, when you are directly affected by the Palace Ruler. "But you don't have to tell us anything you're not comfortable with, and you can decide whether you're okay with us seeing what's inside. That trash in there can't take that choice from you."
She frowns all the more deeply. She's already frustrated and angry about how things ultimately went with Kobayakawa, even though she understands in her heart why they did. But this?
"Not as long as we're here."
This hits extremely close to home for her.
~ <3 Now <3 ~
The screaming.
It really does remind her too much of Kamoshida's Castle.
Skull, you and Panther stick with Ogre and Joker, Noir and I will take the rear and watch our backs.
"... R-right. I'm on it."
Panther blocks it out as she hops up the dumpster and does a nimble, cognitively-enabled flip over the fence, landing in a crouching three-point stance before prowling through that service door.
But that skin-crawling feeling hasn't gotten any better.
It never does, once they get past that mundane surface to the rot within.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
AT THE ENTRANCE
Ren looks at the arm. Ogre shakes her head. "...I guess he throws people away when he's done with them. Unless he wants them back."
She doesn't seem to expect the others to remove their masks too. But Ren mentions something important. "...Hm," Ichika answers. "Well..."
They might know Ichika and Tsubasa. Ichika has to stop and think about it a moment, before she nods. "I'm fine with that," she says. "If you're going to help me, you deserve to know what you're getting into. And honestly, I can't afford to turn people away just because it might be awkward to share with them."
"...And it will be. If you know me already, you know I don't... talk about Eiji, much. Because he still scares me."
She looks to Skull. "...I don't know," she admits. "He was always a little forceful... But I thought that was normal. Until he put me in the hospital, anyway."
Horrible, Haru comments, and Ichika nods. "...Thank you," she says quietly when Haru makes her resolve clear. "I tried the direct approach--just rolling in and kicking the Shadow's ass. ...But even with strong friends, it didn't work. So... You're the only ones I can turn to."
Scum, Queen calls him. Ogre nods. "Yeah," she says. "I remember the others you've gone for that have made the news, anyway. ...If it were just me... I don't know what I'd do. But I can't stand by while he hurts more people, either."
And Ann... Ann tells her it's still her choice, Ichika opens her mouth and closes it. "...Panther... It's Panther, right?"
"...He took a lot of choices from me already," she says quietly. "But in the end, I guess I'm just..."
"I'm just tired of keeping it quiet for his sake."
"OK. Let's go."
WITHIN THE PALACE: More screams rip periodically out of grates and rooms here in the back. It's dingy, dreary, and dark here, full of doors to apparently nowhere and pitfalls to the depths. Falling through one requires a laborious trek back up the stairs. Every time. But the finery and glitz of the front areas, while nowhere to be seen here, depend upon these back rooms and the Shadows in them.
Ichika looks around, narrowly avoiding a pitfall. "...Ugh," she says, as she opens the door--and on the other side is a beautiful hotel room, just like the ones in the front, except for one thing:
The bars along the windows, the chain attached to the foot of the bed. And the occupant, of course. The Cognition's body language is bored, or tired, or maybe despairing; it's hard to tell because she doesn't have a face. Instead she has a flower where her face should be, with golden petals, turned up towards the ceiling where the light must be. Where the groom's suites must be. Her ankle is shackled to the chain, and she's otherwise undressed.
Ogre's lips press together, hard enough that they turn a little white. "...Yeah," she says. "He'd put people in positions like this."
The next room is much the same, but the next has a maid instead, even if she's likewise chained into the room. But another room...
It's just a rack with someone on it, being tortured. Ogre goes pale.
"But there's no point in..."
"...wait," Ogre says suddenly, looking up, finding something to distract herself. She looks towards a grate in the hall. "Ugh, I wish I could get up there. I can hear voices..."
If someone can, then they could listen in on where they are--find a way into the main hotel, learn what it is the others are waiting on.
But there's something she hasn't pointed out, if anyone looks in the rooms. There are photographs on the walls, paintings too, of Eiji smiling--of Ichika smiling, too, next to him. But the figures who look like her--if anyone can guess it's her family--all have their faces crossed out. A boy, a girl, and a man and a woman. Their faces are only barely visible, though.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Joker of course knows how Skull feels about this; they think he's right to worry about it. That's why they asked Ogre if she's really okay with them all seeing what's inside here. Panther, fortunately, backs that up too--she always is the most in tune with how others feel. And Queen and Noir have their own experiences with scumbags of this particular variety... to say nothing of Panther.
Ogre confirms she's okay with them knowing once she's given it some thought. Joker nods in return. They'd never even heard of Eiji before, but they and Ichika were--are--only acquaintances at best. "We're on your side," they reassure her. They have to keep the safety of the team in mind, but they really don't think Ichika would lie about... all this.
However, they do look Skull's way. She said it was all right, but they can tell he's still bothered--and for good reason. Making an executive decision, they whisper to him, "If you want to tell her about you..." She already knows about Fox. Knowing about Skull isn't going to make a huge difference, in Joker's view--and it will make a huge difference to Skull.
They don't say anything about the rape. They'd read between the lines when Yusuke mentioned Ichika's ex had done things to hertoo vile to repeat, but not everyone would. They glance again at the others--at Skull in particular--and give them a slight nod. "This is going to be a rough one. Everyone, steel yourself," they caution. "If you need a moment, or to bow out, just say so."
Exploring in waves is another good idea--and contentious of Queen, too, to suggest Skull join the front line, at least once Ogre makes it clear she's okay with the possibility of being Known. "Then it's Ogre, Skull, Panther and me, with Noir and Queen at the rear, and Fox, Mona and Belle in reserve outside," they reiterate. A nod to Queen in gratitude for taking point on team formation.
Tired of keeping quiet... Yeah. They can all understand how that feels. Their lip curls briefly at Ogre's description of Eiji throwing people out, but they soon reassert their cool poker face. They've got to keep a level head for the sake of the others; they're sure they're the least affected by this of all of them.
Once inside, it's... really not any better. Still dark, still disgusting, still echoing with screams. The first pitfall is a surprise, but they manage to just barely avoid it; after that, it's a matter of sneaking and sticking to shadows as they cautiously open doors.
One leads to a would-be beautiful room with a naked flower-headed woman chained to a bed. Joker takes this in in a brief moment, then looks away.
The next room is only slightly better. At least the maid is dressed.
The third has a grate just out of reach. Joker has their grappling wire, but that's for longer distances that this one is away. They slip down the hallway to under the grate and look up; then they interlock their fingers to form a foothold and nod to the rest of the group. They'll serve as a boost for someone else, whoever ends up deciding to go for it.
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
"Right I'll keep up with the front. Thanks Queen. Come on, Panther..." Skull nods seriously. He was never serious. Uh oh.
"HE WHAT?!" Skull's eyes bug out when he hears that Eiji put her in the hospital. He shakes, almost dropping his pipe. He just stares at Ichika with his mouth clenched tightly, grinding his teeth together. Ryuji was going to fuck this guy up... She was scared of him? How could someone do this to her? How could anyone? Skull is red as the thoughts cycle through his mind. He can even picture this asshole.
After a moment, Skull manages to force himself to bottle it for now. They couldn't afford to have him lose it in a place this dangerous. He looks back toward Ichika and frowns for a moment until Ren tells him its ok. He moves to whisper to Ren. "Thanks man. I don't know how long I could keep this from her under the circumstances."
There was no way around doing what he had to. But later when they hit a safe room. Still Skull walks over to Ichika and makes eye contact. "Listen, Ogre...I need to tell you something when we hit a safe room."
IN THE PALACE
This palace was worse than Skull could've imagined. The screaming made this place feel like a torture movie. Bars on the windows and chained up people?! A nude picture of a woman? This was Ichika's life before he knew her?! The punk snorts in frustration, stopping in front of the photos...There she was. Ichika looked happy with this asshole. How did someone so vile hide all of this? How did he get someone like her?
Ryuji narrows his eyes and spits at the picture, letting a thick wad of spit hit Eiji's smiling face. He finally smiles. "Tick tock, asshole. We're coming."
<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.
"We're here for you." Haru nods, when Ichika explains the lengths she tried to go through to stop Eiji. "I don't want to say I understand exactly how you feel, but I've felt that powerless before, too. So if there's anything we can do... I want to do it." She reiterates. Like Skull, she's considering confiding with Ichika once they make it to a safe room... though the relationship there is much less intimate.
For now, her focus is sharp on the mission at hand. The imagery they see as they pass their way through the Palace is nothing short of vile, the suffering of these women unimaginable, cognitions though they be. "The depths one must sink to, to have desires this distorted..." Haru closes her eyes, and shakes her head, her axe all but screaming for some action once they get their hands on the Ruler of this place.
"I'm right next to you, Queen." She affirms. "Milady's at the ready... for when the situation gets unpleasantly violent." Knowing what they know about Eiji, it's a matter of 'when' and not 'if'. Until the moment comes to unleash it, all she can do is glance at the horrid scene around them in quiet anger.
<Pose Tracker> Makoto Niijima has posed.
The screams were bad enough. Kaneshiro's broken ATM humans begged, and that was bad enough. But they didn't scream.
"...I know how that feels," Queen murmurs back, as Ogre says she wasn't sure what she'd do if it was just her.
If it had just been Makoto, entrapped by Kaneshiro...
No. She knows what she would have done, if Ren and the others hadn't dragged her with them. "We're doing something about it. This isn't just your problem to solve alone. I know I can't leave someone like this be." Maybe she's just repeating what her allies told her, but... It seems things that Ichika might need to hear herself.
The mentions of Eiji's violence... They match some of the horror stories she'd heard growing up and things her dad probably didn't want her to here against the ones he did. But it's different when the survivor is there in front of you. It's not a story or warning.
Tired of keeping quiet, huh? In some ways, Ichika is braver than Makoto was.
On entering that first room, though, Queen absolutely has to steady herself. The woman, chained to a bed. Trapped, and resigned to it, as far as she can tell from body language.
Queen can all too easily see this is where she would have been if they hadn't stopped Kaneshiro. Maybe Sis would have ended up here too. Where he'll put Tsubasa-kun. After all, he doesn't seem to really give a shit that Tsubasa isn't a woman if they have the parts.
Anger surges through her, but it's hard not to notice the blood draining from her face. Having the fate she avoided thrust in front of her. "...He's just like Kaneshiro." Makoto murmurs, it escaping her lips even though she didn't intend it to. "But why the flowers...?"
The palace is a wedding center. Does he see his other victims as... decorations for the wedding? It's disgusting, but... is that all it is?
She knows, logically, that helping the cognitions doesn't do anything. They aren't 'real'. And causing a mess will just draw attention.
But she longs to reach for her revolver and shoot the chains, and break them free-
But will Eiji's cognitions even run from him if their chains are broken?
Noir's reminder of her presence is helpful and grounding. The situation will get violent, but it's more a reminder that she's not alone herself. A reminder that they're all here together. "...thanks, Noir." She says, breathing a little easier now that her fellow thief has asserted her presence. "I'm counting on you."
When Joker offers the opportunity for a boost, Queen is one of the first. She doesn't want to be down here a second longer, being reminded of what she avoided. If she can listen in, maybe it gives her a momentary reprieve. She nods to Joker, and steps onto that foothold to get to the grate, and places her ear to it to listen.
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
~ <3 Before <3 ~
"Oh! U-um. Yeah! Panther, aheh, that's me. The mysterious and dangerous... beauty... err."
This is Panther, awkwardly scratching her cheek. It's not really a shady gesture even if it can be construed as such. ... this is just how she is.
It doesn't change how serious she is as Ichika speaks, though; how any awkwardness fades into a look of cold, simmering fury ready to blow like the warning rumble of a volcano as Ichika talks about all the choices he took from her already.
"They always think like that," she says, her voice a thin line of tension. "That they can just -- use you however they please. Like you're just an object for their convenience."
She shakes her head with the bounce of her pigtails, expression adamantine in its resolve.
"But we're taking those choices back, starting now."
~ <3 Now <3 ~
Ann can only imagine how Ryuji is feeling right now.
She knows how she's feeling. And she can perfectly picture how Ichika must be, wading through all this obsessive obscenity directed at her, because she lived something that came dangerously close to it herself... because Shiho lived it too.
But Ryuji...
"Hey," she offers to him quietly, as they push their silent infiltration through the Palace. She has a good idea of what he wants to tell Ogre. She could try to warn him against it; it'd be prudent, probably. She could try to tell him to stay calm. That Ichika is depending on them to do so. But she thinks he knows that. So instead, she just says:
"We've got your back. You know?"
By way of silent support. Because regardless of anything else--
"No matter what happens -- we're gonna get this guy."
It's a tinder of an idea that ignites into an inferno when she sees that flower-faced woman, chained to the bed.
"Wh-what--"
Ann's mind instantly races to the Castle, the statues of all those faceless, limbless, objectified women.
She seizes up for a moment, cerulean fire flicking at her mask as her stare goes briefly livid.
Scum. Trash. No. He's not any of those--
"He's a monster," she hisses, like a correction to those earlier insults. Because she's past belittling him.
She sees exactly what he is.
She pushes past it; she suppresses a shiver as she sees those portraits and all their implications. She moves forward, pausing only when Queen moves to take care of the grate; she glances Ogre's way with a small, concerned stare.
"You know, Ogre, any time you want to take a moment..."
She'll keep moving. But only at Ogre's pace.
As far as she's concerned, how far they go, even her anger fueling her right now, is wholly at Ichika's discretion.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Panther seems awkward for a moment, but Ogre manages a smile. "That's cool," she says. "I like the outfit."
Joker says they're on her side, too. Ogre has to hold onto that idea; if they weren't... she'd be alone in here.
"You guys are really organized," Ogre comments, looking between Joker and Queen as they issue orders and directions. "Like a solid team..."
They're right, though. It is a rough one, and not just for Ichika. She feels a little guilty for subjecting them all to her own dirty laundry, as she'd put it. But she's surprised at how Skull wears his emotions on his sleeve like that. "...Yeah," she says, "It is fucked up, isn't it?" She seems a little heartened, rather than bothered by the outburst. "It was wrong. You shouldn't do that to someone you're supposed to love."
Ann continues though--that cold fury. "...Mm-hm," Ogre answers. "I didn't understand until later, but... he was just using me. To be what he wanted. To make his friends happy, to make him happy..."
Taking them back? Ogre looks startled. ...But she's into it.
She doesn't hear all the whispering--but she does take eye contact well. "When we hit a Safe Room? OK."
Haru explains, too. "...Yeah," Ichika says. "It's... I don't want anyone else to have to feel that way. I never want to feel that way again." She looks at Noir. "I don't know," she admits, "Was he doing this all along? or did he start later? ...Was I helping, without knowing it? Did I make it worse?"
"I don't know," she says again.
The good news for Noir and Queen's anger is that there is violence; a Shadow spots them as they congregate near the grate, and when unmasked, it shows itself to be Mithras, a terrible demon on a strange stone. It's powerful, but beatable with the group assembled. They get to see that Ogre's primary capability is healing, as she wields shield and Persona to defend the group. Her Persona is Momiji--an ogre, too.
Then, with Ren's help, the boosted Makoto gets to hear a few things.
"Well I brought him gold!"
"I brought him diamonds!"
"He already has diamonds, you nitwit. That's what he's giving his bride!"
"Then... then how am I to get to the upper floors!?"
"You have to find something more valuable than diamonds to persuade the gatekeepers!"
Makoto can also identify a path, from this vantage point--judging by the way the sound goes, if they crawl through the vent and go down a little ways' further, they can make it out into the main chambers.
And then...
Back in the front areas, the group has made it up some ten floors, but there's a nice party of Cognitions next to the stairway up. Nice? No. Nicely-dressed, maybe. A fancy suit, a pretty dress, and all sorts of audible conversation about the prime seats they're going to get on the day of the wedding. But all of them remain faceless, as all the rest are. The white walls and red carpet are perfectly clean around them. There are few Shadows here... But there's a ton in one of the rooms nearby, and making a ton of noise is sure to bring them running.
A monster, Ann has called him. But Ogre is flagging, just to look at her. She looks at another picture on the wall; this one is of Ichika, but she's about one trimester's worth of pregnant, and tears start to gather at her eyes as she sees it. "He--he--"
They're cut off by a noise. a Shadow bursts into being, a hotel worker holding a club. It looks threatening, to say the least--but does have almost a face, the twin red eyes of a masked Shadow.
...And behind it, there's a flickering door. The Safe Room.
"I can't," Ogre starts, a note of panic in her voice.
When the Shadow comes close, it explodes into two Lilim, and delivers a Bufula for Ogre, who is knocked down with a grunt of pain, obviously hit in her weakness by the way she crumples.
The white-clad Lilim use Exhaustion and Water (Ice) attacks, and fly around on their bat wings.
She's a powerful enemy, but a rest awaits if they can be defeated. The next set of bursting icicles from the ground goes for Noir, with claws for Joker as she flies by! But everyone will be attacked in short order.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Joker quirks a smile at Ogre when she comments on how organized they all are. "We make it work," they reply. "But mostly Queen."
A Shadow spots them at the grate and attacks. Joker and Queen are caught up in boosting/getting boosted, so it's up to Ogre, Panther, Noir and Skull to fight. Joker keeps their hands steady.
It's an emotionally excruciating Palace so far. So far they're holding out, thanks to how they're supporting each other, but as Joker suspected, they're the one least affected by things so far--and they wholly agree with Panther calling Eiji a monster, Skull spitting on his face in those sketchy paintings. They heard Queen say it's just like Kaneshiro... and Noir has her own rotten fiancé she's dealing with.
When the rest of them have taken out the Shadow and regrouped, Joker asks, "How's everyone doing? Can you all keep going?" Anyone who's still good gets an encouraging smile; anyone who's not gets shuffled to the back row, so to speak. Queen finds a passage, along with overhearing that conversation, and they can make it further in...
There are hiding spots a plenty in here; lots of chairs and other furniture to hide behind, letting them spy on the faceless cognitions and thematic Shadows as they walk around the front area. There's another picture of Ichika, this time recognizably pregnant. Ogre starts to cry...
Joker moves to rest a comforting hand on her shoulder, but another Shadow has spotted them--transforming and attacking before they can reach the Safe Room.
"Hold out just a little longer, Ogre! We're close to a Safe Room--you can rest once we deal with this," they tell Ogre as they draw their dagger from the ether. "Skull, watch out for her!"
The Lilim swoop in, lashing claws at Joker. Joker responds by calling up Cait Sith in blue fire just in time for the Puss-in-Boots-esque spirit to take the brunt of the attack, then lash back with his saber while yowling as only an angry cat can. Joker staggers back, the claw attack registering as mental damage, but they'll keep Cait Sith in play to call up a boost of attack strength to the group by way of a Matarukaja.
Joker's got a feeling everyone's in a mood to rip these Shadows a new one. The least they can do is enable that.
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Ryuji smiles very slightly at Ann when reassures him. He does know all of that in fact. "Thanks, Panther. I'll be ok..." He sighs and the smile is gone just as quickly as it appeared. For the moment, he is focused....He just wants to release the pressure that he feels building in himself.
"Yeah.." Skull agrees with Ann, looking back to Ichika. He watches the others support her and suddenly feels some guilt leak in. This wasn't about him and his feelings but--god damn if he didn't feel these thoughts kicking him in the face right now.
Ryuji is usually more composed than this? Maybe....He's an emotional guy, ok?!
Skull sees Ichika and the picture she's looking at. He takes a deep breath and shakily puts a hand on her shoulder. Was this true? How horrible..."It's ok, Ichika. It's ok.." He tries giving her a reassuring smile but it feels awkward with her not knowing just yet.
Skull turns his head, narrowing his eyes at the Shadow. "You..." He is about to see red and kill the hell out of the Shadowa but Ichika is hit, prompting Skull to move back toward her in panic. "Hey! Ich--Ogre. Hang in there!"
"Right, I got her! You guys keep those things back or they'll deal with -me-!" Ryuji spits out, standing in front of Ichika with his pipe raised. A skeleton pirate riding a galleon appears rocking behind him. He leans his head back, effectively looking down on the shadows. He looks pissed. He is.
Seeing one of the Lilim get to close, Ryuji stares, blurting out. "Zio." The Skeleton roars silently as it blasts lightning toward the Shadows.
<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.
"It's... hard to say, isn't it?" Noir shakes her head, when Ogre expresses her doubts. "None of this was your fault... not at all. But... it must be hard when you've been trapped in the middle of it for so long." Her tone here is gentle - part of Haru's personality slipping into the Noir persona.
When Queen moves to get boosted up by Joker, Noir gives her a wordless nod. She knows that her best use is on the ground, as the vanguard in case any Shadows try to ambush them, so she doesn't terribly mind. As long as they can endure this Palace, Ichika, Tsubasa, and the other victims of Eiji won't have to suffer any longer, and that makes it worth it.
"I... can keep going, Joker." Haru affirms, thinking the faster they get moving the faster they'll get it over with. There's a bit of a grimace at the pregnant portrait of Ichika. "Let's be sure to find a safe room as quickly as we can." It's likely they'll need to visit this place more than once, so having an area they know they can take a breather in is important.
<Pose Tracker> Makoto Niijima has posed.
"We're working at it now, at least," Queen comments to Ichika's compliment for their teamwork, even as Joker mentions her part in it.
Still, being under attack at the grate isn't great- both leader and advisor occupied with trying to hear something while the fight breaks out- and is dealt with- around them.
So when she gets the information, she drops down next to Joker. "According to the shadows, we need to find something worth more than diamonds to get to the upper floors." Makoto frowns as she says it. It sounds like it's meant to be a wedding gift. "I think we can get moving, there should be a vent around here."
The front of house feels like a weak facade, covering the horrible acts behind it. Are all Palaces like that?
The wedding vibes are... oppressive, to say the least. Especially as they get closer- but Ogre hits her limit, and hits it hard, just as they're attacked.
Queen spares only a moment to see what set her off, and seeing it...
Oh.
If Ogre is down, that means Ogre needs the rest of them to focus.
"Don't bother with ice, they'll brush it off! We need guns or wind here!" Queen shouts, as Joker drops into providing support- and catches an attack for it.
"Noir, I need you on full offense! Panther, you and I are splitting healing between us! Skull-" He's already where he's needed to be. Good. "Keep them away from Ogre! Blast them if they get too close!"
Queen is in action atop Johanna, sending a Dia towards Joker- even as she catches a freezing blast of ice herself as she starts trying to speed out of range, and is sent sprawling. Johanna's arsenal isn't suited to Lilim, but she has something else suitable.
Makoto quickdraws her pistol and fans the hammer, going less for precision shooting and more aiming to wing and corral the Lilim into- hopefully- Noir and Milady's path of destruction. She is, after all, the effective gunnery expert of the group.
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
Ann will have to take a moment much later to enthuse that her outfit is a hit.
She's one step closer to realizing her Catwoman dreams...!
For now, though? For now, she can't afford to focus on anything but the Palace -- no, it's more that she has no space to, as everything in this place conflates with Kamoshida's Castle, and the wealth of ugly memories that still leave their ugly marks with her.
She's managed to push past it - that spirit of hers refuses to give Kamoshida the satisfaction of having anything over her - but things like the woman on the bed, the maid, the sound of all those voices clamoring just to fawn over the Palace Ruler...
... it'd be a lie to say, for as controlled as she's keeping herself, Panther isn't taking this all on a very personal level.
She vents a little of it with that clash with the Mithras. But as Joker checks in with the others, Ann just nods her head, marching forward with purpose.
"Uh-huh," she says, her typical flare for words lost in her simmering anger.
... it's anger that only really grows as they push further through the pathways Queen spots. As they reach that reception area, where all those faceless cognitions hold their nice, quaint little party before the wedding proper.
As she sees that portrait of Ichika.
Her eyes widen.
"Wait -- Ichika--?"
The tears say it all.
For a moment, Ann stalls out there, hanging on a frozen precipice. But even as that Shadow manifests into a pair of Lilim, ready to inflict violence on their uninvited party guests... even as it wields that element that Panther is so dangerously weak to...
The red-clad Thief's shoulders shake. Her head bows. Her hands tremble.
And then one clenches into a fist, as the other?
Lifts towards her mask in an ignition of blazing blue.
"... Carmen."
It's to Panther's luck - if it can be considered as such - that the Lilim focuses on Noir and Joker first. But even if they had tried to turn their offensive on her first?
It wouldn't change what happens next, the moment she's sure Ichika is out of the path of fire and safely under Skull's protection:
Carmen's manifestation, her skirts billowing, her Servitors clenched violently in their thorned-vine leashes, tossing her cigar directly between those two Lilim--
"DANCE ON THEIR ASHES."
Whereupon it just EXPLODES into a massive, gobbling tower of gluttonous flame.
Sorry, Makoto.
She'll handle healing after, she'll even feel bad that she couldn't hear those orders.
But right now?
She's kept things pent up for entirely too long now.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Oh, is that how it is?" Mostly Queen. Ogre looks over Queen for a moment and then nods, seemingly satisfied with this answer and Queen's followup. But she has her own doubts--which Noir at least tries to address. Maybe she's more Haru than Noir in the moment, but it helps. "Thanks," she says. "I just... wonder, sometimes. Even though I know how he really thinks of me."
The Palace is difficult for Ichika, too, but she stays in the front for her part--at least, after the vent, intot he main passage. The hiding spots help, but Ogre has to take a moment to copy the others to use them effectively. She's a brute, but she hasn't previously been a true thief. She's learning.
She's had to learn some terminology from the others, too; 'Safe Room', among them.
Skull calls her 'Ichika', and not in a way that suggests he's just using her name because he just learned it. Ogre in the moment turns to look at Skull--but there's no time for her to say anything befor the battle starts and she's hit.
Now, she gets to see the Phantom Thieves in action in a terrible battle. And they do quite well despite having to protect Ogre. Queen's directions indicate where to fight and how; Joker's support makes sure that that support hits hard. Skull keeps guard over Ichika, blasting one with a Zio, and Haru's devastating impacts slam in where Queen guides the Shadows.
...But Ann's rage steps over all of it, that massive tower of flame burning what remains of the Shadows to ash.
Silence reigns in the chamber for a few moments, as even the Cognitions turn to stare at the Thieves.
..but they go back to what they were talking about a moment later.
The Safe Room is just ahead.
"...Thanks," Ogre says, as she pulls herself up--or more likely, takes Skull's hand if he offers it. "I'm sorry... I meant to help, but it... It was too much, for a minute there." She doesn't sound like the rough Ogre right this moment; she sounds more like the girl in the pictures, without the smile. 'Normal'.
"Let's... Let's go into that Safe Room."
This Safe Room is a space of relatively normal Cognition, insulated from the Distortion of the rest of the Palace. It's a nice hotel room with nobody in it; there's a bed to relax on, a restroom if you want to risk it in here, a mini-fridge... Who gets charged for the minibar, anyway? (No underage drinking, kids!)
It has air conditioning, plush carpet, and some chairs in the corner. There are no chains, no shackles. It's just an ordinary room.
Ogre looks at herself in the mirror to the right of the entrance, and she thinks she looks tired.
"...Seems OK," Ogre says, walking inside and striding to the window, looking out the full-glass to the balcony beyond. The city lurks out there. It's just a city.
"...Thanks," she says again. "...So what you saw... It's what i meant to tell you, you know...?"
"We..."
"We were going to get married," she reiterates. "...August 23rd. That was the date. It was because..."
"It was because I was pregnant," Ichika explains. "...We weren't... careful, you know? i never thought about it. ...We were happy. At least, I thought we were. He just wanted to spend more and more time together, and I..."
"I was afraid," she admits. "I was happy, too, but I wasn't sure about everything moving so fast..."
Back still to the Phantom Thieves, Ogre bows her head. "He got so mad. I'd never seen him like that before. And then... Then he killed my little girl."
She breathes raggedly, and starts to turn. There are tears on her mask, but she shakes her head.
"That's why..."
"That's why no matter what, I can't forgive him. But I don't want him to die. ...I want to change his heart. And all of you know how. So..."
"Help me."
...As to the Palace; the group's resources are taxed, but they're more than halfway up according to every indication they've had. Maybe they could push ahead. ...But maybe it's better to come back another day.
If it would be easier to talk out by the entrance, too--Ogre will be willing to follow the group back down.
It's easier, going through the glitzy common areas, because from up here there's an elevator key that can take them right back up again when they return.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Worth more than diamonds... Though Queen doesn't say it out loud, it makes sense to Joker that this is meant to be a wedding gift. They hold a hand to their chin in thought, then nod. "Let's keep our eyes peeled for something like that."
Joker nods to Noir. She seems hesitant--uncomfortable--but they'll respect her assertion that she can keep going. "All right. Let us know if that changes." They lean in a little to murmur, "We're all having a tough time with this." As in, they find this sickening too, even if they're taking care not to show much if any of it.
They look at Panther and her curt little nod with concerned eyes, but... they know her better than they do Noir. Getting to vent her stress with destruction might be just the ticket--and they trust that Panther will speak her mind if it gets to be too much.
Case in point: when they get to the fight with the Lilim, Panther pretty much doesn't hear Queen's directions at all. Fortunately, Joker's the only one who really needed any healing; with that boost to their strength, everyone's attacks take the Lilim out in short order. In the silence that follows, Joker looks over the team--shares a nod with Queen--and then turns to Ogre.
"No need to apologize," they say quietly. "Let's go."
The Safe Room is right there. There's time and space for them all to get a breather. When they're all in, Joker turns to her and explains, "The distortion here is weaker than in other parts of the Palace. That's why it's safer here than other parts." Indeed, Ogre will be able to see the view of the room shift back and forth between the distortion and the real-world location. "You can take the time you need to mentally regroup."
When Ogre explains what happened to her--why this Palace looks the way it does--Joker falls silent to listen. Some parts aren't surprising--they saw that portrait of Ichika pregnant--but other parts... They cover their mouth with one hand. They can't help it; they're sick to their stomach just hearing this. So then, the time that Eiji hospitalized Ichika, it was...
They take a moment to compose themself anew. Then, tucking their hands in their pockets, they nod once. "We understand. Personally, I've seen enough to be convinced. Assuming everyone else is too, we'll take on your request and steal his heart together, Ogre--no. Ichika Kawase-san."
They shoot Skull a glance. If he's going to unmask, this is the time--but they'll let him make that call.
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Skull does offer his hand, helping Ichika up. He listens to her talk and sighs, attempting to pull her into a hug. "No. You're doing fine. These things get to you...especially ones like this. You're fine." He is trying to remain strong but the safe room seems like a good idea right now.
% With Ichika back up, the deliquent grabs his pipe and drags it as he follows people into the Safe room. He settles in, crossing his arms as he realizes the time is here. Now how do you actually do this without coming off like a creep. Ryuji has seen enough of those for today.
For the moment, as he thinks of his strategy, he listens to Ichika's story. The bombshell drops and Ryuji's arms drop. She was going to marry this guy?! She had his kid?! Part of him feels like a kid in comparison. Most of him is just angry.
Then Ren confirms they are taking this mission and gives him the look. Skull grows a little pale, nervous of how this will go. Finally he walks toward Ichika and stands in front of her. "So...This is..I found out about you from Fox a day ago...I didn't know about this until now. Are you sure you can handle something that you might not like right now?" Ryuji lets her answer and assuming she says she can....Skull reaches for his mask.
There is a pause before Ryuji pulls it off and stares at Ichika. "...This is my gang. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you before but I had to tell you when you brought us here. It wouldn't be fair if I knew this about you in secret..."
"This is who I am." Ryuji Sakamoto tries to smile but looks rather nervous of what is about to happen.
<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.
Joker's thoughts are correct - it is uncomfortable. "I can imagine..." She nods, when they say they're all having a hard time. "We just have to do what we can as a team, right?" Knowing that they all share the same feelings about this makes it easier, even if it's horrible that they have to see it in the first place.
It's also that camaraderie that helps them handle even Shadows as powerful as these - Queen's directions and Joker's attack boost letting her smash through the Lilium all the more easier. As Ann lets out that powerful blast of fire, she can tell she wasn't the only one letting off some steam in that fight. "Phew... I'm sure that won't be the only ambush." Haru sighs, as they continue on. "But we're safe for now." Haru takes a seat to adjust her hat, as they make it to the Safe Room.
Ichika, then, explains her whole story... and ultimately pleads with them to help her change Eiji's heart. When she hears it, it's not hard to understand why Ichika had so many doubts about what she was feeling -- perhaps they really were close and truly in love, once, but it's clear how everything went wrong.
"I'm so sorry..." She shakes her head. "You don't have to forgive him, even if he changes." Haru starts. "But I'm with Joker. Desires as distorted as his need to be stolen away... and we can help you take them, if that's what you want." She smiles, reaching a hand for Ichika, before glancing to Skull. "You... knew each other?" Haru's eyes widen as she glances between the two.
And then she glances back out the door of the Safe Room. "How are we holding up? Perhaps it would be prudent to regroup now that we've mapped out a good half of the Palace." Haru could keep pressing on if she really had to, but... "I imagine the trials we've yet to face will demand our full strength. Physically and mentally."
<Pose Tracker> Makoto Niijima has posed.
Ann may have gone off plan, but the shadows are dead. Makoto can save any lectures on teamwork for after they've made sure Ogre is okay.
...That's going to take more than right now though, if Makoto can take a single guess. Joker gives her a nod, and Queen looks back to check everyone before gesturing for everyone to follow suit. Joker gives Ogre the information on the safe rooms, and Queen nods. "There are usually several within a palace, and once we find one it's easy to navigate back there without drawing attention. As far as we know, Shadows can't enter them. I wouldn't try luring one in, but they're reliable so far."
And then Ichika shares all the details, and Queen's expression softens. "That's horrible..." The words seem too weak for something like that, and it's all something more than Ichika probably should have been forced to share.
Makoto can't imagine the pain of losing a child, of having someone you thought loved you be their killer. And to have them still having cruel expectations like this...
She looks to Noir as she speaks up- some of this might be hitting close to home for her, worried about both her friend and Ogre- but if anything, Haru seems to put her all into offering emotional support to Ogre.
"I'm in agreement. We can't ignore someone like this." Her harder front falters for a second, as she looks to Joker, Ryuji and Ann. "...And I couldn't live with myself if we didn't help Ogre after you all saved me from Kaneshiro. I'm in."
She's pretty sure she knows how Panther is feeling, so it just means waiting for Mona, Belle and Fox to make their opinions known. But Makoto is pretty sure they'll do the right thing. They also have their own justice.
Noir raises the point about whether they should keep going, and Queen shakes her head. "...I think we'd be better off retreating right now. Those shadows were stronger than I'd anticipate based on what we encountered so far. We need the chance to rest up and consider our approach."
Like finding out how long they have before Eiji acts.
Skull reaches for his mask though, and then she looks to Joker suddenly. She's... not sure what the call is here.
'Should we give them a moment?' She mouths, completely unaware if Joker reads lips.
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
In the aftermath of her attack, as the Shadows dissolve away into so much cognitive ash and detritus, Panther huffs out a little breath, and tips up her chin, looking down on the remains with a slightly imperious stare.
"And tell your boss," she proclaims, "that isn't even a half of what's coming for him!"
Does it matter that the Shadows have already been obliterated?
Not to Panther, no.
She might not know much about the cognitive world, but she does know the power of sentiments here, and she's sure her message will carry through.
One way or the other.
With that, Panther finally realizes that she was given ~combat orders~. She blinks behind her mask in a staccato flurry of surprise, before proclaiming, "--Ack! Joker! Hang on a sec!"
Whatever remaining healing Ren needs, Ann provides, even though it might come in the form of some mildly disconcerting thrall-strangulation courtesy of Carmen. After that -- Ann, looking visibly relieved, helps lead the charge towards the Safe Room, making sure to keep any of the more injured or exhausted members of the party in her peripherals as she goes.
And once they've arrived...
I'm sorry--
"Uh-uh," Panther says on the heels of Joker's own words. Seated on a convenient tabletop, legs curled up against her chest, the Phantom Thief shakes her head, twintails bobbing with the sheer commitment of the denial. It's a motion not that dissimilar to when she demanded Ichika not let her off the hook so lightly. "Listen. Joker's right -- you're not the one who has to make amends. For any of this. Okay? There's only one person here who needs to feel sorry." Sky blue eyes narrow.
"And it definitely isn't you."
But as Ichika explains - as she confirms what Ann's intuition suspected the second she saw that picture - the red-clad Phantom's jaw sets. It's awful. Atrocious. That someone could be so cruel and callous and still be able to live a normal life free of consequence while the people he's harmed are just left stranded and scarred in his wake? ...
Ann isn't the type to stew. Not for long. And so, that half-bent perch on the table soon becomes a smooth kip-up as she hops off the tabletop. Ichika's got at least two inches of height on her--
But that doesn't stop Ann from looking to lean in and take her by the shoulders with a firm, supportive grip, as she struggles through that request.
"Hey," she begins, and she offers up a smile warm like a ray of sunlight on a dismal day. A smile etched in unflagging, unbending, rebellious optimism.
"It's like I said: we're taking those choices back, Kawase-san."
She knows they can't undo the past. She knows they can't give Ichika back her baby. But she also knows...
"He won't have any power over you. Not anymore. We're giving every bit of it back to you."
She looks Joker's way as they agree to what she feels is already a foregone conclusion; to Noir and Queen as they offer their own support. She knows in her heart everyone will feel the same, here or not; and so that smile just grows all the more beaming, the spark of fire in that blue stare as she looks back Ichika's way and promises one last thing:
"And we're gonna bring this pretty little lie of a life this monster's made crashing down all around his head."
All of them.
Including Ichika.
It's only when Ryuji approaches that Ann leaves Ichika with that firm, absolute promise, hopping back one step and then two and -three- whole backwards rabbit-hops to give the two of them their (relative) privacy. She knows what's coming, hands clasped behind her back as she rocks forward precariously and more than a bit nervously on her high heels, trying to look literally anywhere but at Ryuji and Ichika (private moments should be private*!! even if she can hear literally everything!!!).
*IT MUST BE NOTED THAT ANN SLYLY AND COYLY (read: obviously and aggressively) GESTURES AT THE OTHER THIEVES TO ALSO LOOK THE OTHER WAY HERE
She thinks she knows she can't keep who she is secret from Ichika either -- not at this point -- but for right now?
For right now, Ann keeps it to herself. After all, she knows...
This is who I am.
This moment is for Ryuji and Ichika.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Indeed, Joker has the right instinct--finding that thing will be the key to progressing further in the Palace.
No need to apologize, let's go, says Ren, and Ogre appreciates that. 'You're doing fine.' Skull even hugs her, which surprises Ogre but isn't cause for her to pull away for a few moments. "...Thanks."
'Even if he changes'. That stands out to Ogre. To Ichika. Because she did love him, even if she's not sure if he ever really felt the same. Does 'yes' make it better, or worse? "Thank you," Ichika says to Noir and Joker both. "It... it is what I want." They use her whole name, and Ichika is appreciative of both of her identities being known, here. But she doesn't answer immediately. ...Mostly because Ann is there, taking up most of her field of view. Ogre blinks. No, it's not that dissimilar, but Ichika can't connect the two looks just yet. Instead, she hears what Ann has to say. Shes' not the one who need to make amends.
"Panther..."
That supportive grip on her shoulders, that warm smile, seem to Ichika for a moment to be very much like the sun. "I--"
She cries harder, not less, after that. But she's grateful. That idea, of taking it all back...
It feels good. It's just overwhelming.
But... Something she might not like? "...Yeah," Ichika says, sniffling once and straightening her shoulders. "I'm OK."
Ryuji's revelation is a shock, to say the least; Ogre's eyes widen. "Ryuji-kun?" she confirms. Haru sounds surprised, but Ichika nods shallowly. "Y-yeah," she says. "He's... my boyfriend," she explains. "Well, if he still wants to be. I know we only just started going out, and all this happened. ...Can we..." She pulls off her mask again, too. Her makeup is thoroughly ruined from crying.
He's sorry he didn't tell her. But...
"Can we talk? ...It doesn't have to be now, we can... .get out of here first." Pause. "Since if you still want to be, I..."
"I want that, too."
Noir asks how they're holding up, and Ogre nods. "I'm... totally wrecked," she admits. "I think you're right, Queen. We got so much farther than we were able to go before."
Haru's probably right, too.
"...Thank you, everyone. Really. I'll do my best. ...And my best is pretty damned good, if I say so myself," she says, trying to puff herself up a little.
"...Let's get out of here."