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Scowling, crossing her arms, Ichinose turned around and gave Zenkichi the firmest disappointed, annoyed look.

"You really couldn't help yourself, could you?"

"Of course, that's how you see it," he rolls his eyes at the idea of him being grumpy. He's got plenty of things to worry about, then try to rectify his image before Ichinose (oh the sheer horror of it) as he pauses for a moment to look at this place.

The signs at the top, directing someone to different areas like the Food Court and the Kitchen just ahead..

And so he earns another loud and angry comment from Kuon the moment he follows up behind her, eyes closed as he thinks deeply over the layout of the palace and how much he's covered. "What the hell's your problem now? I didn't even- Oh.

He stops, noticing the mess. The spilt soup, scratched refrigerator doors, and the one cognitively mopping it with no complaint.

He raises a brow, a wry awkward smile which feels too unbecoming of the Wolf from before- "Uh...probably why I was thinking that this place looked too familiar. Ahaha. "

"All of this and for what? To kill a few shadows? Are you too proud to be asked to be invited in? Aren't you older than I am?" Ichinose scolded, her stance even more like that of a disappointed teacher.

Zenkichi's face twists into a befuddled expression.

"The hell do you mean by that? I didn't even have to enter a name or type of distortion on the metanav to get in- why would I ask for an invite into an open cognitive space-?" he shakes his head. "That's textbook definition of getting killed even if I just shared my location."

"Besides, what else do you do when a shadow lunges at you if not try to protect yourself or in my case- hit them with a megidolaon. Hug them? Honestly, maybe I don't want to know; given your weird goddamn answers."

Edited 2025-06-22 00:30 (UTC)

"You getting escorted directly inside by Takuto himself? Of course the shadows wouldn't get violent. I've never been attacked once."

Disappointment.

"You could have messaged him and he'd lead you right inside! Do you even use that brain of yours?"

"Oh, shut up!" Seriously. She's really asking him that?

"As if he would just let me walk around his palace freely and go into other rooms, authorized by personnel. Why the hell would he take me around and give a free tour of his place? Or need I remind you that our collaboration has nothing to do with the fact that half of this realm wants to infiltrate this place and get rid of it?"

"And I am no fucking different."

"It's Takuto. He absolutely would have given you a tour of the whole place."

"Uh huh."

Zenkichi folds his arms to his chest. "Do you know where his treasure is then?"

"Why would I need to ask where his Treasure is?"

"His treasure is the reason behind everything that he's doing right now, after all," he explains- remembering what Drake had told him about Masayoshi Shido. He was compelled to believe that most palaces worked this way.

"From what I can tell he wasn’t as transparent with you then." He chuckles. "Not that I am surprised."

Given he himself had no clue that a Takuto Maruki could...show this kind of face.

Edited 2025-06-22 09:17 (UTC)

"Hah. Hasegawa... did you want to go peek at Takuto's heart? That'd be like snooping into someone's bedroom, don't you think? Uncouth."

Zenkichi bends down slightly, if only to find the remnants of the shadow he had thrown at this machine almost about an hour ago. Or less but really- what Ichinose says is enough to make him. Pause.

"Nope." He throws his hands and decides he's not even going to try and apologize for the property damage. If Maruki wants to collaborate with this weirdo that's not on him. "I am going to pretend that I didn't just hear that from you. You're the one who's uncouth, if anything."

He instead decides to grab one of the mugs where one would usually be able to drink their coffee from- only slightly cracked off at the rim. He sets the cup down on the not-disintegrated part of the counter and pulls out his usual decanter.

"Drinking in the middle of the day. Good grief," Ichinose rolled her eyes, turning to the shadow that was dutifully setting up the wet floor sign. "Say, do we have replacement coffee machines? Sorry this reckless bull of a man caused such a mess for you."

The shadow nodded, casual with Ichinose, and shuffled off - presumably to some other spot where it made 'sense' to retrieve a new coffee machine. In the meantime, Ichinose opened the fridge, plucking one of the fruit parfait cups out of the shelves on the door and popping off the plastic top.

"Scoot," she ordered, pushing against Zenkichi's arm to get him out of the way of the spoon drawer.

"Better drunk then listening to your bullshit," he counters as he pours the whiskey into the cup. Maybe he likes the change of scenery with an actual cup rather than his usual vintage decanter.

Staking his claim on the spot, he ignored Ichinose as she went about apologizing to a shadow. The whiskey as always, tasted horrible but with no coffee in sight and dealing with this woman for any longer than necessary was a punishment. This Maruki has to be some sort of masochist or something.

While lost in thought and savoring the adult beverage like any responsible man should, Ichinose suddenly comes close.

"...!"

The Unhuman grabs the coming wrist and hauls it up- away- picking up Kuon in the process.

Zenkichi draws in a snarl, alert as he is and wait it out for her to do something when-

A faint whoosh cuts through the silence. A siren.

"Don't. You. Ever-"

With a slosh and then clambering of footsteps, shadows manifest around them. Looking similar to the rest of the recipients, they wear white clothes and masks holding spirals within, holding their clipboards in hand as if ready to round up the disobedient intruder to a corner.

The Wolf, one hand holding a mug with whiskey and the other with Kuon's wrist and her meeting him eye-to-eye by holding her up like this, stalls. Eyes widened. Anger imminent.

Edited 2025-06-25 16:54 (UTC)

Though there'd been a shocked inhale, a gasp, and a grimace from the unexpected ache of being held up entirely by her arm - Ichinose's mask fell as she held her breath.

The tightness in her brow relaxed, a little, from seeing the shadows surrounding Zenkichi after that abrupt, violent movement. Despite her own heart pounding and her shoulder muscles stretching more than she had ever stretched them, she tried to pull her wrist free, using her other hand after having long dropped the parfait to push at his hand to feebly resist his grip.

But, she was just a person. And he was a cybernetic soldier.

"Put me down," she said flatly, legs kicking a bit as she tried to get some kind of traction to free her wrist, "put me down right now."

He called it. He knew it- this is how she always looks. With that cold look in her eyes that trigger his urge to pull the trigger and get away.

But he can't run. Any sudden movements and he might be in range of attack. This many shadows at once would be...difficult, especially with Ichinose and her void-like stare, the type similar to the mad goddess in his world.
Eventhough as of now, all he's seeing is her again. Surrounded by her shadows.

CLASH!!

He stretches out his hand to keep that firm distance between them, lips quivering as his cup shatters next to the collapsed parfait.

"I would've if they didn't show up," he counters. "Tell them to step back."

"That hurts-- I'm not controlling them, you're the one being a violent freak right now...!" she hissed, the commotion summoning even more staff dressed as orderlies to surround the two.

The shadows seemed only hesitant because they weren't meant to harm Kuon, herself. One moved forward and attempted to gently grab the woman, while one from behind moved and grabbed at Zenkichi's collar far more roughly than Ichinose had been handled.

Not controlling them.

She's not controlling them.

He heaves a deep breath, eyes bloodshot behind his mask as he's unsure himself. What if he gets attacked the moment he lets go. Is she lying? Why would she be lying, he attacked first-

She pushed him.

Pushed his arm to get to the fucking drawer.

Akane. Akane won't be happy. Let go. Let go, now.

"You're right, I can't be losing my shit like- DON'T TOUCH ME-!" He cuts himself off which might have been comedic in some other universe but in this he only releases Kuon and grabs the shadow by the neck to bash it against the wall. It shrieks as he swings his arm and practically tosses the shadow to the floor.

White labcoats. White zones. The lab. The doll's white hair.

"Don't touch me. Ever again." He heaves slowly, breath heavy as he clambered up and fell back against the wall.

Chaos-- it all erupted into chaos, and Kuon is just glad that he'd let go to attack another shadow. The one that had grabbed a hold of her scooted back, setting her on the ground and gingerly offering a hand to make sure she was okay. Which... she was. Shaky, still trembling, still backing the hell away from Zenkichi - but okay.

The rest of the shadows... they formed a barrier between the two, orderlies especially blocking off Kuon but... no further lunging. They stood still, anticipatory, ready to react.

Kuon looked up at the ceiling and scanned for a camera, spotting a lens that looked so much like one of Azathoth's eyes, and gave it a slow shake of her head - wordlessly, she's fine. She'll be fine.

"Maybe," Ichinose started, voice a bit dry in her throat as she peered suspiciously through the gap between the orderlies at the traumatized, violent soldier, "next time, you don't glue yourself to my hip if you can't contain your violence."

She turned, walking away at a brisk pace to hide how shaken she was, ignoring the shadows that were gently and kindly patting her back or touching her shoulder to check on her. Ignoring that a few followed along, making sure their 'coworker' was safe going through the halls.

His medication must have burned off with the use of rage earlier in the palace. There was no other explanation. Nothing else that could explain why did he feel such visceral anger at the blank gaze and the shadows that surrounded her. So much fucking white. He hates it. He hates it so much, every inch within him wanting to claw at his brain and turn off that senseless screeching threatening to make him erupt.

The shadow melts into the ground, not really even giving him the chance to shoot that damn scientist down.

"Just fucking leave already," he grunts in anger as he pushes himself off the wall and walks the other way. "I have no interest in seeing that doll-like face of yours."

Once he's sure no one's watching, aside from Doc, probably- there's Akane's text, asking him how long it is going to take him and Kuon to make it to the lab again. Or how long their break is supposed to be...if it even felt like one. He was on so much edge and then that woman just had to get close-

Safe room. There's this distortion which feels lighter here. He shuffles inside and waits, thankful for none of the cameras in this section of the palace as he falls back onto the plush sofa and removes his jacket. The decanter is there- hovering in the inner pocket as he picks it up and leans back, chugging the whiskey as he shakes his head.

What the hell is happening to him? His life never had this much...noise before. There was silence and the utterance of orders. What is he doing here, drinking about the fact that he was violent against Kuon Ichinose of all people?

Akane's calling.

He hangs up the call.

He grabs the medicine strapped to his waist- procuring the syringe as he refills it carefully. Fingers shaking, he rolls up his sleeves and finds the port attached to the area just above his elbow. Slipping the needle in, he injects it directly into his system. The one on his neck always hurt like a bitch even when he injected himself during emergencies.

The high leaves, error messages coming and collapsing before his eyes as he relaxes on the sofa. Honestly? He wouldn't even mind sleeping here.

Just...needs to collect his thoughts a little...about everything.

Meanwhile somewhere in whatever part of the palace, Ichinose lingered, her phone rang.

Ichinose had gone up the elevator and through a few halls, distancing herself from the cafeteria. Sure, Zenkichi could probably track her down, but the distance gave her time if she needed to react.

A little staff room was a helpful enough reprieve, especially with the shadows still lumbering around after her. She didn't bother talking to them or smiling for them, and settled on a little plastic chair at a table, trying to will her hands to stop shaking from adrenaline. One of the shadows placed a cup of water out for her, and she gave it a little nod.

Ringing. Phone ringing. Both of them, actually - maybe it was Takuto. That'd be nice, hearing his voice-- but once she fished out the phone with the working mic, her chest clenched.

Akane.

She answered, turning it on speaker.

"What?"

Akane had their signal. Thankfully- even if the map itself was a bit uncertain. However while she could easily locate Kuon, Zenkichi's signal was slightly faint. Navigating between different realms was difficult as is.

"Can you confirm Wolf's location?"

"I left him in the cafeteria. He didn't follow me," she answered flatly, plainly.

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counterfeitphantom - 2025-06-26 10:41 (UTC) - Expand

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dollmaxing - 2025-06-26 15:38 (UTC) - Expand

Inbox & In-person meetups

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1/3

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tw: syringes, drug...injection?

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