::No-Love Hotel:: [Hideout]

[Arena Emperor]

~::No-Love Hotel::~
[Love Hotel Hill - Shibuya's Red Light District]

On the large hill in the back end of Shibuya there is a little district, certainly of no comparison to the Red Light District you would find in infamous Shinjuku, but a famous and well-stocked Red Light District all the same. It is the hub of the Shibuya night life, filled with clubs both above and underground, shops of all varieties, karaoke parlors, bars, and of course, the locations for which the hill itself has since been named, many of Tokyo's most famous Love Hotels. All of these things are packed together in a rather small space upon the hill, compared to the much larger Shibuya Station and Shibuya Crossing areas, at least, and so you find that many of these locations almost seem to blend together, packed so tightly on top of one another as they are. And it is in this environment of seductive, adult entertainment and repose all packed in together that you may find...if you are so inclined or perhaps simply unlucky...a place that is now known as the 'one little spot in all of Love Hotel Hill that exempts itself from the Shibuya night life altogether. It is a hotel that is decidedly not a love hotel, a sleepy, normal little three-floor hotel sandwiched between seedier places but that is, itself, quite clean. Quiet in the rowdiest of Shibuya's many corners, classical in a sea of neon, modernity.

This is the No-Love Hotel, one of...if not the very...oldest hotels on Love Hotel Hill, often mistaken for being an outlier in a district in which it does not fit...it was actually here long before the area became known for its current, colorful nature. Pressured heavily in the last several years by the yakuza and the likes of Junya Kaneshiro to sell, they remain steadfast amidst the changing nature of Shibuya as a place where good people can go to rest so long as they be have themselves and they have the money. Due to the pressures and the bad press, however, the hotel has become somewhat...desolate in recent years, following the death of its well-respected owner. And now under the direction of his somewhat frustrated young daughter, it soldiers on in spite of itself...but has, for all its anonymity, discovered a new purpose in recent days.

Owing to an acquaintance between a certain street-faring artist and the owner of the No-Love Hotel and the beginnings of a certain project in need of a discreet base of operations, business of a different kind has begun to pick up in the lobby and on the third floor of this otherwise-empty hotel building. It has become the meeting place of a certain band of wayward youths...

This hole-in-the-wall hotel in the heart of Shibuya's most adult-oriented district, known for its clean rooms and morning breakfast service...is now the base of the rebellious teenage vigilantes, the second (and current) 'Phantom Thieves'.

 

[Arena Emperor]

Mariko Matsudaira, Owner of the 'No Love Hotel'
"...This isn't that kind of place, and I'm not that kind of woman. Try it and I'll break your leg..."

Some nights were the worst. That is to say, some weren't all that bad as well, but some nights you just dreaded because you knew that it would be one bad thing after another. Tonight seemed to be one of those nights, and it was enough to make the poor woman feel like she was going to have to hurt someone before the end of the night. Or call the police. But given the reliability of the police in this neck of the woods...it was probably the former. Mariko Matsudaira, the owner of a little hole-in-the-wall hotel in the heart of Love Hotel Hill that was anything but its namesake, closed the small fashion magazine she had been reading at her front desk when the doorbell jingled to signal the entry of another potential patron. But raising her eyes from the book to the door, she let out a deep sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers. Already, she could smell the alcohol on the middle-aged businessman and his much younger conquest, a girl whose laughter was so fake you could practically see the words 'Gold Digger' written on her forehead. Neither seemed to take any notice of her, or the front desk, as they stumbled in from the streets outside. Yeah...this was definitely one of those nights.

"Hey! Buddy, this isn't the place you're looking for," she bit out for not the first time tonight, catching the attention of the inebriated duo barely before they stumbled into her couch. Raising a confused eyebrow, the man garbled something akin to 'This is a Hotel, ain't it?' Her hand felt magnetically drawn to her forehead, "It's a Hotel, not one of your cheap-a** Love Hotels. If you want to get drunk and fool around with your little mistress, go somewhere else. This is...though sometimes I wonder about that...a respectable establishment." Her eyes were tired and yet hard, unwavering and difficult to contend with. But the man was emboldened by his beer and decided to give it a shot. Raising his voice, he began to run down the motel, shouting something about whether or not she thought they 'weren't good enough for this shithole'. Standing slowly from behind the desk, she felt her hand ball into a tight fist.

"The door's over there," she told the man flatly, a chill running down his spine as even he began to sense the mistake he had been making, "You've got five seconds before you're either walking out of it or crashing through it. And I will charge you damages if it's the latter. Five..."

...The man was gone at two.

Mariko sighed, leaning back in her chair and glancing at the clock, idly wondering if this was going to be her entire night. Would the kid even come back today? If not maybe she should just close up for the night and say screw it. If this was the only type of customer she was apt to receive tonight then she didn't need them.

"I need a drink..."

 

[Arena Emperor]

[12/14 - After School]

Usaji Azai, aka "Soma", Kaede Kuzuyama aka "Zen", and Mariko Matsudaira
"...I will take everything! My friends, my family, my future...we'll take all of them together!..."

It wasn't as long a drive (or a walk) as it might have seemed, from Kosei High School near the far side of Shibuya to the No Love Hotel tucked nearly away in a corner of the infamous Love Hotel Hill in the Western edge of the same district. There wasn't even a real need to take the train, only cut through the heart of Shibuya on-foot or catch a cab if you were in a real hurry and you could get there within an hour, even if the world-famous Shibuya Crossing was especially full of traffic. Luckily, today had been a slow day, and there hadn't been any need for a cab...what with Kaede's car already parked and waiting to pick them up a couple blocks from Kosei (just to keep things from looking too suspicious). It was useful to have an adult on the team after all, he had offered in a rare moment of levity as they climbed into the back before swinging near Shujin (for Chell) and finishing their trip within a reasonable time. Parking in a small lot near to the Hotel, Saji was the first one out of the car and the first one into the door of their destination, the business that filled in so many roles in his life now...a home away from home and a Hideout for their group not the least among them. The bell above the door jingled and sharp eyes immediately shifted to spy the lanky teen entering from the front desk, her tired expression softening immediately as she locked with his blue eyes and smiled faintly, only to have that expression fade just a little when she noticed the serious look upon his usually-gentle features. Glancing over his shoulder to see more forms filing in behind him, she recognized this gathering from the last time they had been here a month or so ago...the 'Phantom Study Group', Saji had jokingly called them. She wanted to be suspicious, but no matter how she looked at it, she couldn't imagine this kid being wrapped up in something untoward...

...And so against her better judgment, she didn't press him for more information than that. Or maybe it was just that in her heart she was happy to see him surrounded by friends. The boy had a mouth on him from what she had seen, but he seemed loyal. The girl was attractive but didn't talk much. She imagined that girl had dealt with more than her fair share of perverts and unwanted advances in her time; at least she knew Usaji well enough to know that he would treat the girl like a person instead of a piece of meat. A rare enough luxury in this part of town, to be sure. The ones who really made her raise her eyes, though, were the adults in the group...the tall one with the multi-colored hair was severe and pompous enough looking that she had made an attempt to avoid speaking with him when possible. His type really tended to rub her the wrong way, which was quite the opposite when compared with the other adult in the room that day...the orange-haired young man, Kaede Kuzuyama. He seemed...calm, a voice of reason, and pleasantly polite when she had spoken with him before. It wasn't a stretch to say that she liked him from the off...someone who could look at a band of misfits like the one around Saji and treat them all with respect and decency, and polite enough to ask independently if it was truly all right for them to spend time in her Hotel (as opposed to taking the boy's word for it). It was nice to see him again, filing in behind Saji and offering his reserved smile in greeting as he did.

For his own part, the Principal felt entirely fortunate that they had a clandestine place like this to take their meetings; it would have been a hassle to try to squeeze them in at work, and he wasn't sure that it was a good idea for students to come back to his home. Really, it was better if they all came into the hotel separate, but being that they hadn't done this so often and time was currently a factor in their decision-making, he had accepted the risk with the rationalization that nobody here would know him or the others and think anything of it. And those that knew of the hotel and of Saji would know that this wasn't the sort of place one would go to do anything illicit. That, at least, was a small comfort. As was the kind reception of the woman behind the desk, one who shared a look of tired maturity that he also saw in the mirror every morning. Mariko Matsudaira and her No Love Hotel were a godsend to their team, and to the Principal himself, she was a welcome Confidant that they desperately needed. She was kind, discreet, and ran a very tight ship. It was fair to say that he had rather liked her from the off...

"Miss Mariko, we're going upstairs to study for a bit," the teen offered as he came to the front desk, grateful when she offered him little more than a tired, questioning look and the keys to their 'Meeting Room' on the top floor. She could have pressed him...maybe she should have...but she knew that whatever had him this solemn was likely important and that he would come to her when he was ready. For now, it was her turn to wait and trust in him...and even if it was all very strange to her, she was willing to do just that. He smiled faintly and thanked her, that honest goodness inside of him shining through as he did. She couldn't help but sigh and return the smile faintly in relief. "Best of luck, Saji," she told him with a small smile, before adding as he started to pass towards the stairs, "Just keep it down up there, yeah? I have guests on the floor below you tonight. And if you need anything to eat, just call the front desk and I'll set something out for you." He smiled and nodded, and disappeared into the staircase. Behind him, the Principal offered a grateful smile as well.

"Miss Mariko..." he nodded in gratitude, and she smirked just a little...a pretty smile that he couldn't help but notice was a little bit new, "Thank you. I'll be going up as well, then."

He stepped over to the door...and hesitated, just a moment. And then he heard her voice.

"Don't be a stranger, Kaede-sensei," she teased. Was she...flirting with him? He almost laughed...but instead...

"I won't."

...

And together with her young pseudo-ward, he was gone to the room upstairs with his friends and 'study group' to plan for...whatever it was they were planning together. Meanwhile, as the door to their 'Hideout Room' closed behind them, the blue-eyed young man turned to face the group and opened up his phone again, browsing to the post from earlier before speaking at last to all of them.

"Ready to get to work?"

 

[Rednal]

[12/14 - After School]

Shiori Niko, aka "Marvel"

"Seems so." Shiori answered more cheerfully than she really felt at the moment. That had nothing to do with the job they were planning, though. She was still... 'hesitant' was probably too mild of a word to adequately describe her feelings about this area, even if the hotel they were actually in was a perfectly normal, upstanding sort of place. She couldn't blame it for what its neighbors were like, although the love hotel district in general mostly made her skin crawl. She'd gotten more than a few invitations in the past (most of which she'd given a five-finger response to), although riding in Kuzuyama-sensei's vehicle had made it... more bearable, at least, even if she had hunkered down as best she could to try and avoid being noticed.

"So... Why don't we go over the basics of the situation here, just to make sure we're all on the same page?" she suggested. She wasn't very good at leading meetings, but if nothing else, she felt it was important for everyone to have as much information as possible about not just what the plan was, but why they were doing it.  

[Arena Emperor]

[12/14 - After School]

Usaji Azai, aka "Soma", Kaede Kuzuyama aka "Zen"
"...I will take everything! My friends, my family, my future...we'll take all of them together!..."

If there was a usual pattern to the way that they did things, it was still somewhat coming together. They had been a team for two months, but with no real hearts to change since Ogasawara's Palace, this was the first major opportunity that they had to get together and discuss a new target in some time. They could be forgiven for not remembering who was supposed to lead the meetings, who spoke first, and how they decided on exactly what they were going to do together...fortunately, the first adult in the room stepped forward at Shiori's reasonable suggestion and took at seat on a comfortable-looking chair near the middle of the room, motioning for the others to settle onto the sofa or some of the lighter, desk chairs around the table. They might as well get comfortable while they were planning, after all.

"Usaji, you were the one who called us together today saying that we had a job to do. Why don't you tell us your request, first? It will be easier for us to decide how to proceed...and if we will at all...once we know what's going on," the Principal suggested evenly, eyes focusing on the ashen-haired young man in anticipation and expectation. The lanky artist didn't need more prodding than that. Stepping forward, he sat back on the couch and crossed his arms uncomfortably over his chest, leg idly folding over the other as he looked down into his lap and collected his words. Whatever his request was, it was apparent that it had affected him significantly. And that the possibility of not taking the job was something he hadn't considered and wasn't considering, personally, at all.

"You read the request on the PhanSite that I sent you, right?" Saji asked as he raised his blue eyes to meet their mentor's, before shifting them to Shiori, to the others, and letting out an uneasy breath before continuing, "I know the person who left this message...and I know that she wouldn't have posted something like this if she wasn't completely backed into a corner and desperate. She's...Tama-chan, my best friend all through childhood...that screen name was a name she would use when we played together as kids. And when I saw her last night...I could see that something wasn't right. I just couldn't..." He trailed off, a guilt biting at his stomach causing him to wince for just a moment as he tried to shake it off and return once again to the more confident, more charismatic persona that he embodied when he made the transition from just Saji to Soma. He needed his team to understand this. And he needed them to know what it meant to him. And that this was a request that was important not just for his sake, not just for her sake, but for enough people to make it worth the risk for all of them. "Tama-chan never wanted to be a model, but her mother pushed her into the work in spite of what she wanted. I hadn't seen her for a while until recently, but I can tell...she's lost too much weight, she's exhausted...and now, her mother..." the teen's desperate need for them to agree faded for a moment, and an uncharacteristic anger began to shine in his eyes as he continued, "Her mother wants to force her into a surgery...despite being young, despite her lack of consent...for enhancements. And that physician, Dr. Rokuro Mogami, is willing to perform the surgery even against her wishes...even if it's not healthy for her right now. He doesn't care about her well being or her desires...she may as well be the living dead to him! I can't stand for it...I won't stand by and watch someone I care about be forced into doing something so twisted against her will. That's why...! That's why..."

As he trailed off, that was when Kaede finally stood again from the chair and flipped open his phone, setting his other hand on the young man's shoulder with a comforting nod. He could take it from here...

"When I read the request, I took the liberty of doing a little research on the good doctor. His name is Rokuro Mogami, age 40, though he looks closer to 30 than 50. He's the Head of Research and Chief of Staff for the Tokyo Metro Hospital in Shibuya, the youngest CoS in the hospital's history. He spent his formative years working on a thesis for extending the lifespan of human beings through medical science, but his research has gone mostly quiet in the last decade since he started working at Tokyo Metro. He was something of a golden boy in the medical field while studying for his doctorate, and his name carries weight at any hospital in in the city. Though you won't find anything but praise for his sterling reputation on the official media channels, there have been a surprisingly large number of complaints and stories online about people who can testify to his neglect as a physician," the Principal explained, flipping through a forum and reading just a few of the messages that he had found, "They say that Doctor Mogami will take any case, any surgery, no matter how experimental, and that quite a few of his patients have filed malpractice suits against him only to have them crushed by pressure from someone with real pull in the courts. One nurse who claims to have worked under him before says that he treats patients like 'The Living Dead'. There isn't a lot of concrete evidence apart from testimonials, but there's plenty of proverbial smoke to arouse suspicion. But more importantly to me...Usaji, our teammate and friend, is asking for our help. For that alone, I think we should be willing to at least look into the matter. Ultimately, though, the risk will mostly be on all of your shoulders if this turns out to be a real case. The choice is yours. ...Shiori? Narumi?"

 

[Rednal]

[12/14 - After School]

Shiori Niko, aka "Marvel"

"I didn't join up just to abandon a friend when they asked for help." Shiori answered promptly. That was... something of a sticking point, actually. She despised the society that gave up when members it demanded obedience from were suffering from violations of its rules... and she didn't want to be the sort of person who was like that. If one of her friends truly needed her help, then she would do whatever she could to be there for them.  

[Great Ryoman!]

Mado Kusamigaseki
"You think I'm talking to you like this because I hate you?"

"Wonderful, you all accept. It's heart warming to see children your age taking a vested interest in the future." Before Chell and the others could even affirm their desire to help, their 'advisor' cut them off from his lazy position sprawled across a couch that easily could have seated several members of the team. His interruption, of course, made it clear what his words meant for them...they were accepting, and he'd decided that; if their feelings upon hearing the information were unresolved, then it would only be a matter of time before they realized they were beating their heads against a wall trying to refuse, and simply accepted the next move for themselves. A loud slurping sound followed as professor Kusamigaseki held an icy milkshake near and slowly drained the cup, the noise juuuust loud enough to bother people in the backs of their minds without him being overtly annoying. As he finished however, he smirked, and folded his fingers together in a manner that screamed 'evil mastermind' to even the most trusting of teammates in the room. "For an unscrupulous speck of dirt even lower than a worm to parade around as a doctor...what a fascinatingly misguided being. Perhaps we should hold their Shadow's toes over a fire and see if they beg for water in real life?" Something in his tone told those around him that Mado had skipped right past the 'If this person is as bad as the rumors say' bit, and was already considering what sort of judgment they may pass when the Shadow was left defenseless. It was probably important they confirm the doctor's guilt however, and it seemed like he began to realize his own excitement was getting a little out of hand when his eyes widened a bit, he mouthed an 'Oh' at the glares he was getting from around the room, and he kicked forward with enough force to help him sit up from his spot of malaise on the couch. "Mm? Please, speak your mind if you have your own opinions. If your information is accurate however, I think we shouldn't forget the mother either. She's the Queen who's sending her little Pawn to the slaughter after all...your friend probably doesn't even realize she's about to fall beneath the knife, and what that truly means for her. What a silly girl to simply obey her mother's wishes...no matter how much this Pawn sacrifices, she'll never become the Bishop or Queen her mother envisions." As he spoke, callous but matter of factly, Mado produced a Queen's piece from a chess board from his vest and placed it on the table...the symbolism of course obvious enough that, if he'd knocked his little students on the head with it they all would have received concussions by now. Still, if what Usaji said was true, then their friend's mother was likely treating this all as a game, and her daughter as a disposable piece...a despicable crime.

"Please, there'd be more friction if you rubbed what few, pathetic brain cells you have together. I simply do as I please..."

 

[Arena Emperor]

[12/14 - After School]

Usaji Azai, aka "Soma", Kaede Kuzuyama aka "Zen"
"...I will take everything! My friends, my family, my future...we'll take all of them together!..."

Despite the lazy-looking way that the teacher was sprawled out across the couch and the fact that within the school of Kosei, he was outranked by his former assistant, there was a definite authority in the air when Mado's voice broke through their discussion and all eyes inevitably turned in his direction. When they had fumbled through the very first Palace they entered and escaped with their lives and no clue, it had been him who found them, got them out of that holding cell, and lead them to Kaede where the two of them were able to explain with what meager knowledge they had the gist of what might have been going on in that world. Ever since then, despite there being two 'authority' figures in the group, there was still one main driving engine that pushed them forward...that constantly reminded them to be on the lookout for new potential targets, treasures, and who checked in on them (the Kosei troupe especially) often to make sure that they weren't letting their powers go to waste. If Kaede was, as he wanted to consider himself, a teammate and adviser to the rest of the students who were involved, then it was Mado who filled into the role of 'coach' or 'boss' more so than anyone. And the things that they had already accomplished were attributed, at least in their origins, to his guidance. Knowing that well, both Saji and Kaede let themselves fall silent when he spoke, and though he did address them with that casually flippant way of his that seemed to expect cooperation without resistance, the former didn't seem to mind.

The teen nodded and even let his lips curl into a small smile as he confirmed (on his own) that they were taking this mission; at his side, Kaede let out a small sigh and tried to bite back the urge to shoot down the aggressive pace that his colleague seemed intent on pushing. Alas, there were kids involved this time, unlike those days back in the lab together, and he couldn't resist the need to speak.

"We do need to actually confirm that Dr. Mogami has a palace, before we go passing judgment," the young scientist-turned-principal responded smoothly, with more patience than he usually seemed to have for his vitriolic best bud this time, "As for the mother, I'd say that he who chases two hares catches neither. Besides...if the girl who made this request is someone important to Azai, then simply going after her mother is a sensitive issue. The choice should belong to them first, and the children here who will risk themselves after that. ...Usaji?" He glanced towards the artist who watched Mado and Kaede speak their minds with that small smile still lingering on his face. There was something almost...wistful and innocent in his expression as he watched them. Like he was seeing something that was missing that made him feel nostalgic...happy. But it was gone in a moment, replaced with an uneasy smile. The onus was back on him again. And he had given the thought on the table plenty of consideration since lunchtime.

"Mado-sensei, Shiori, everyone...thank you," he nodded firmly, confirming in his own mind that each of the people who stood (or lazed about, as it might have been) in this room right now were truly his precious friends now, "Tama-chan made this request...so I want to get to work on it right away. But...I don't think that we should target her mother yet. It is her mom...and maybe..." He hesitated. Dealing with parents was a touchy issue, especially considering how many of his had gone missing or that he had never even gotten to know. "Changing her mother's heart is something that I've thought about before. But it has to be her decision. Just like myself, Shiori, and Chell chose to fight back...I want her to be able to do the same. Even without a persona..." He let his voice drift a little, but he did not sink into the couch or back down. Instead, he stood tall from the couch and clenched his fist, letting determination flow through him again.

Once, Tama-chan had all but asked him to save her from the life that she was a part of now, and though he tried to save her...he couldn't. But this time was different. This time, he had friends...he had Kaede-sensei and he had Mado pushing them all forward together! This time...he would do what he couldn't back then.

"Looks like you're decided," Kaede noted with a small smirk, starting to feel a little adrenaline himself now that they seemed to be on the same page. Saji smiled, nodding firmly.

"I'm ready," he said simply, letting his quieter self fade, replaced at once with the more confident 'Soma' persona within him, "Let's save Tama-chan together."

 

[Rednal]

[12/14 - After School]

Shiori Niko, aka "Marvel"

"Darn right we will."

They had the point that the doctor might not have been the only one at fault in this situation... and for that matter, Usaji's friend probably wasn't totally blameless herself. Saying that aloud would probably sound harsher than Shiori really meant it to be, though - the truth was, when authority figures pressured you into doing something, you usually went ahead and did it. That was true even here in Japan... and it was why she regarded Kusamigaseki-sensei with a slightly wary eye whenever he spoke. Still, she tended to feel pretty forgiving towards victims in situations like this... it had taken her quite a bit of time and frustration to finally snap and start resisting when people troubled her, so she could understand when other people found it difficult to start standing up for themselves in rough situations. Their actions may not have been right... but that didn't mean they were evil criminals who only deserved suffering and punishment. There was a lot of gray there.

"Okay, so... how do we spell the doctor's name, exactly?" Shiori asked. Japanese could be a funny language sometimes, and without hearing what kanji were being used, what you entered could be wildly off from what you were trying to say. The team had pretty much decided on moving forward with this, and she wasn't the kind of girl who wanted to simply stand idly by when a friend needed help. The sooner they got started on this, the better.  

[Arena Emperor]

[12/14 - After School]

Usaji Azai, aka "Soma", Kaede Kuzuyama aka "Zen"
"...I will take everything! My friends, my family, my future...we'll take all of them together!..."

There was a real moment after Saji had stated the intention to safe his childhood friend together with the others, just then, that he had almost been self-conscious about taking charge even if it was his friend whose request was on the line here and that taking the lead had been something he had done on occasion after awakening during their first Palace. Nonetheless, his self-conscious moment was thankfully cut short and made entirely natural thanks to Shiori's enthusiastic response; honest warmth crept into the ashen-haired teen's eyes as he locked gazes with the girl and nodded his thanks in return, any trace of hesitation to get out in front gone. And...it was in that moment of everything coming together in his head and reassuring himself that they were really doing this that his pink-haired companion asked the question about the spelling of the name, which only vaguely registered in the young man's head at first...like a haze that he had to sift through before he could get to the actual meaning of the request. Fortunately, Kaede Kuzuyama was as quick as ever on the uptake and flipped his phone open, not because he needed to check the spelling of the name, but because he had taken the inferred meaning of the request and was already running with it. His mind hadn't been considered prodigal not so very long ago for nothing, and this was the simplest of the simple when it came to...whatever they were doing now. It wasn't really something that had a scientific name, thinking about it like that. Getting ready to change a heart? Phantom Thiefing? That sounded ridiculous...

"Dr. Rokuro Mogami...that's R-o-k-u-r-o M-o-g-a-m-i. Rokuro is like the character from that 'Liveman Fantasyworld' manga that was popular a few years back, and Mogami like the Daimyo Yoshiaki Mogami," the former researcher explained, breaking it down and referencing similarly-spelled names to make the input of their keywords simple when they got the App up and running. Using keywords to find your way into Palaces in the Metaverse hadn't been something that either he or Mado had discovered, or even any of the members of the team, much to his own chagrin. It was actually how the team had managed to accidentally find their way into the Metaverse the first time, as Saji looked at the strange app in the Cell on a phone he'd kept tucked away inside of his scarf ("Nobody searches a scarf," he had joked at the time, though that he had put it there only moments before he was grabbed and rather thoughtlessly at that was something he kept to himself to allow him to seem a little more clever than he really was at the time.) and the rest of the team lamented the cop as some a*****e 'vigilante hunter' following a 'twisted instinct' and ended up inside of his Palace as a result. It was only later when Mado had thoroughly examined the Apps on their phones that they pieced together that it was the keywords that allowed them access to the that other world. Now the question lingered in the air between them...would Dr. Mogami's name be the first keyword of their next Palace target? And if so, what would the other keywords be that would take them there to find it?

"His name...? Why would you...oh!" Saji blinked for a moment, before everything hit him all at once...and in a moment that must have seemed quite comical to his friends there was a dawning realization from his cool persona to genuine, silly-looking surprise and then on to excitement and finally a return to that confidence again...all in the span of a few seconds on his pretty face, "Oh, we're starting already? Checking his name here will save us a trip to Tokyo Metro..."

...And no sooner had Kaede said the doctor's name than did Shiori's (and by extension, everyone else's) phone blink red with the positive light of activation! As Saji's phone opened he could already hear the monotonous voice starting to react to each of their words.

"...Target found...Dr. Rokuro Mogami..." the voice intoned impassively, and Saji's eyes lit up in excitement as their suspicions had been quickly confirmed! The doctor wasn't just another random a*****e, but a twisted, distorted man with his own palace as well! They could really do this! ...But that wasn't all... "...Target found...Tokyo Metro Hospital..." And now they had a location, to boot! Sure, it was probably not the least obvious location they could have selected, but to know that they were already acting with this much information on their hands gave them a leg-up on getting inside of that Palace today and getting their investigation started! The sooner the better...right? Tamao's face flashed in Saji's mind, and he smiled.

"I'd say that's a hit."

"Shall we head straight over to Tokyo Metro now?" Saji smirked, every bit the Phantom Thief ready to embark on his next big score. And across the table, their younger 'adviser' couldn't help but nod in agreement.

"We're on a roll right now," he confirmed, stepping away from the chair he'd chosen and around the table, towards the door as he spoke, "It's not far, so let's walk from here. I'd rather not have my car in the lot at the hospital...just in case."

Quote:

Illa Phasmas have made a big decision together and confirmed both their friendship and partnership with one another!

Everyone present may raise their Confidant Link with the other present members of Illa Phasmas, if they like, by 1 Level!