Quintus would be standing a little away from the buildings entrance. He wasn't sure what compelled him to attend as he had a dislike for large crowds. He would hesitate before deciding to enter the building. "What am I even doing here...I should be at home sleeping or maybe at least preparing to enter that weird forest or to fight another parasite." Quintus would sigh before reluctantly inching close to the buildings entrance.

............... Definitely not suspicious in the slightest.... Shinji watches the hotel from the rooftop of a nearby building Wonder if I should get involved?

Hmm... this is the third time I've been invited to some fancy gathering since I got here. *Haruko said as she stood in front of the fancy hotel, staring up at the neon lighting.* This place looks more like a casino than a hotel, though. And knowing how the last gala and that concert went, the person putting this on probably wants it to be that visible... *She sighs, her weapons were tough to hide, but at least if things went wrong she'd have her Persona still. No way to take that away. She takes her standing around as a chance to see who else might gather....*

"Well, Misane-chan wanted me to get out more anyways, still a bit mad that I haven't made any friends." A young, white-haired boy walks to the hotel in question. He doesn't seem to have put any effort into looking formal, instead checking in with a simple white hoodie, his school uniform, and an odd pair of rabbit-ear like accessories. He walks up to the gentleman and introduces himself "I take it this is where that big, hotel event thing is supposed to be, right? I got an invitation a little bit ago, couldn't disappoint Misane-chan after all" The boy chuckles a little and smiles at the gentleman out front

Maya approached the building wearing a long black dress, very gothic lolita like. She felt a little awkward, usually she doesn't dress so feminine and formal. What she does for a scoop... She hoped she didn't stick out too much atleast. Shaking off her awkwardness like a pro, she approached what she assumed to be a bouncer of sorts. Hello! I'm Maya Amano, Tokyo Today. You invited me? She presents her invitation with composure.

*Sayori gazes up at the hotel's name and nervously tugs down on her red cocktail dress. She mentally hopes that no one notices the theater tag on it or the fact that she is kind of underage. Normally she would be doing homework but stumbling upon the envelope earlier she just knew something interesting would happen. And Monika would probably forgive her ... she hopes* Do I really have to step on this nice rug? *She gazes down at the red carpet laid before her with a contemplative look* Someone probably worked hard to clean this ... *In consideration for the cleaner of the rug she steps to the side of it and approaches the doors*

[To appear formal is not a issue. The masquarade he always wore while walking around, twitchy and profound, was a simple suit of color black, white shirt and black tie. A rose was gracefully placed on the left side of his chest, where his heart could have been. His hands are covered with some elegant white gloves, and his head without a mouth was adorned with a flat cap, covering his long and curly hair, as well as casting a shadow over his sharp eyes, to the point it made it look as if he was wearing makeup.] "This is indeed a great opportunity, one of a kind as one would say or interpret it." [Ignoring the unimportant scenery and hotel name, the man walks forward and down the red carpet. He simply waves at the gentleman in white as he approaches him. His entire body twitches a bit as he moves and then stands still.] "Allow me entry."

*Urumi stood in front of the hotel wonder why she got this invitation in the first place, to her this feels like a start of a story were everything is fine before everything goes downhill...* *Urumi wonders why is even awake current but she does not really care that much, what she cares about is not begin shy around people which she knows she will fail on that part without her mask on*

Tatsuya sighs to himself and glares down at the fucking suit and bow tie he's wearing, tch. Some Bond impression it might as well be, but this place is too fucking suscept to just leave alone. He casually walks up the carpet and begins walking towards the doorman, before waiting for the person in front to leave, however, he'd note that it is, in fact, Maya and look towards her with a grin on his face. "Geez, you're here too Maya? heh, shoulda told each other we were coming. But oh well, it's good to see you here anyways! We can do some catching up or something, should be fun right?" With a wink towards Maya... And a suscept glance at Melbourne, Tatsu pulls out his invitation and shows it to the doorman. No sense dragging this out after all.

Aincrad looks up at the building, eyes growing wide, as he smirks and tucks away the invitation. "Well can't say I've gotten weirder invitations, or any for that matter, but this place just screams class." Smiling he leans on his cane and looks at the red carpet. Looking at the man at the end of the red carpet, he starts moving towards the door, tipping his cap at the gentlemen and the other guests, none of which he recognizes at first, he presents his invite. "I do believe I am on the list."

*Seeing literally everyone else entering, Haruko sighs and trudges in as well.* Gee, so much for a strategy session. This many people in one place and something has to be up.

The man at the door lets out a small yawn as the guests make their way to the door. "Welcome one and all to the grand opening of Château Nexite! The finest luxury hotel in the Nexus. Allow me to check you against our records, wouldn't want any dangerous people getting in the way of Mister Williams big day!" The man takes out a small tablet from his pocket. With a press of a button, it lights up. The man would run the soft blue light over each approaching guest and nodding. "Quintus, good. Haruko, good. Nanase, well the ears are cute, good. Maya and Tatsuya, ah, thank you for the invites but we prefer our new system." The man smiles at the woman and takes her invitation but brushes his hand against her own. She'd be able to feel how cold his skin was. The man would just carry on to grab Tatsuya's a lot more quickly. "Good nonetheless, Miss Amano and Mister Suou. Sayori, wow the boss invites anyone. And...oh?" The man is caught off guard by the audacity of the next man, but he just grins. "Absolutely, sir." Finally taking Aincrad's invite, the guests are allowed to enter the building. The foyer itself could've been the grand hall with all the space it had. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, beautiful vases wherein delicate roses stayed, a beautiful tile floor with ivory stone and ebony markings. However the gentleman at the reception to the left would urge everyone to move forward through a large pair of french doors and into an auditorium down the left hall. Several seats were already occupied, but there were plenty more for the guests to sit in.

Quintus would take the seat farthest from everyone else. He didn't really want to sit next to anyone as was hi natural reaction and he wanted to be in the back in case he decided to leave early in case the event disinterest him in some way. "Guess I should find a way to entertain myself...Didn't think we'd have to sit around for this. Uh...wonder what this is about anyway?"

*Cowed by the sheer luxury around her, Sayori quickly takes a seat towards the back as not to draw suspicion. The entire trip though the hotel was like a dream to her and even now she can barely process what just happened. Her eyes blink rapidly as if attempting to dispel the fantasy around her.* I-I should have just stayed at home ...

Nanashi giggles a little at the compliment "Thanks, I got these a while ago, they're both cool and functional" The white-haired kid proceeds into the main hall and hurries ahead, waving at the rest of the group to follow along. Soon, he hurries through the auditorium and sits down next to one of the already occupied seats. "Hello there, I take it you got the invite too? I hope we get to see something cool. Oh, and would we be able to talk a bit more after the presentation? You seem pretty cool."

Hmm... fancy place this is. Trying to bait thieves with all this stuff? *Haruko would laugh a bit at that, but ultimately just move to the nearest seat and sit....*

Eito would hurry through the street,arriving at the hotel's doors,we would stop for a minute to compose himself and wonder why he of all people would be invited. "At least I look stylish..." He certainly FELT stylish.His wore a suit jacket over a waist coat which itself was over a white shirt and red tie. "Let's do this." Eito approached the man confidently.

Shinji enters the room, but opts to lean on the back wall rather than sit Alright..... let's see how this goes down.

Maya was pleasantly surprised by Tatsuya's appearance. She's glad he didn't mention how weird she looked in formal attire. Oh, hey Ta-chan! I'm glad I won't walk in not knowing anyone for once. We can definitely catch up! Perhaps you'll join me for a dance too? Maya smiled teasingly at Tatsuya. She felt an odd sensation as the attendant touched her hand. There wasn't any heat in their body. It sent a chill up her spine. Something was definitely odd about this already. Maya entered the foyer, impressed by the atmosphere. She felt like she was in an English novel. She took in the atmosphere quickly, though she couldn't forget the odd feeling she felt earlier. She leaned towards Tatsuya, whispering. Keep your guard up, Ta-chan. Something is off here.

Aincrad walks in after everyone a smile plastered on his face. "Oh man I've always wanted to say that!" He walks around, cutting across the room every second to stare in aw at something that caught his attention, slowly but surely making his way forward and finally through the door into the auditorium. When they enter Shadow appears beside Ain, dressed in simple black and white garb, shaking his head smiling a little. "I get you're excited but please calm down. This is a Gala. Not a school trip." With that he looks around at the available seats, absentmindedly wiping away some ash from his shoulder. Aincrad turns to Shadow rolling his eyes. "Says the person who freaks out with weapons. Need I remind you about the blacksmiths?" He smirks and stands against the back wall, nodding towards the stage. "Odd that there is a presentation though, I thought a Gala was just a dance? I was starting to get thirsty." Shadow groans and holds his head in his hand. "Fine you take this round. But you are right about the Gala. This is intriguing." He rubs his chin and leans against the wall. Shaking his head he nods towards the seats and goes to sit down, Ain following behind him. "Well not everything is dangerous. Maybe it's just a special announcement?" Aincrad nods and relaxes. "Yeah I hope so."

Tatsuya mutters inside his own mind, the whole damm smells like some trap and that cold ass hand doesn't exactly help matters any either. In spite of that, he grabs hold of Maya's right hand and begins walking through the place, whispering a few things to her and glancing around the place as they move. "No need to remind me, Maya, I came here cause I'm expecting something terrible to happen... Well, at least I can count on you." With that he'd find a pair of seats and gesture for Maya to sit down, a cheesy grin crossing his face as he glances around to see if anything seems odd. "Ladies first right?" After Maya took a seat, he'd quickly take his place next to her and glance up towards the stage. Wonder what kinda angle of attack they'll take this time?

[He did not mind it at all. It was to be expected his entry was guaranteed at this point. The man was polite, and so, he places his hand on the guard's shoulder as he moved forward, not showing interest in anyone in particular.] "However, Tatsuya Suou's presence could make things problematic, annoying perhaps. Fire is not interesting in the slightest." [He said outloud, as his thoughts were occupied in the room's decoration. Beautiful. However, he had other places to be, more to see. And so, he moves into the auditorium and takes a sit the closest he could to the stage itself. One must pay close attention to detail for one to understand.] "It is interesting and curious to see, but to hear and understand is valuable, as much and even more." [The man says outloud once more, perhaps to the annoyance of others? He did not mind. It was not his problem.]

The large man in the suit smiles as he takes off the hat that was hiding his eyes. A familiar face would look at Eito. The man in question is none other than Kalib, who lets out a sharp cough as though his throat was worn. "Yo! Eito, what have you been up to? Sorry I haven't been around GYM lately. You got a ticket too? Awesome! Go ahead inside!" He smiles warmly as he waves for Eito to enter the building. He'd then nod at Melbourne's words with a grin. "Oh typically that would be the case. Worry not sir and do enjoy yourself." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As the guests all begin to trickle in and find their seats, the lights would begin to go dark. One by one the bulbs would dim to nothingness. The last few lights above the stage would finally turn off as silence falls over the crowd of esteemed guests. "Ladies and Gentlemen." A voice echoes through the darkness of the auditorium. "We would like to thank you all for coming to the grand opening of our fine establishment. And before we get into our main events of the night, we have a very special announcement from a very important person. So please, put your hands together for the one, the only.... The voice fades as the spotlights come to life in a brilliant flash. They all illuminate a solitary man on the stage. He looks to be in his fifties, with white hair standing on end as though he were just zapped. His eyes looked tired but his smile was worth a million dollars. The man adjusts the bowtie on his snazzy black suit while the voice finishes. "...Jeb Williams! The owner of this fine establishment!" The man bows as the audience begins to cheer and applaud.

Aincrad raises an eyebrow and looks at Shadow. "Ever heard of this guy? Wait what am I saying, you're me of course we don't know him." Shaking his head he looks around looking for some clue as what's going on. Shadow meanwhile reaches into Ain's jacket pocket and pulls out his phone, then searches for one Jeb Williams. "Well let's see shall we? Might have something useful."

Quintus looks over towards the man of the hour with a somewhat non-reactive expression. He didn't really care about some guy he's never heard of before but he must at least be impressive to own a hotel like this. "Huh, that's all fine and good but nobodies really explained what this event is supposed to be yet. I get that they opened a hotel but...what exactly do you do at the opening of a hotel anyway. Actually...How did they get my address in the first place. That part's a bit odd since I don't think anyone knows I'm staying there." Quintus would finally notice some of the guests including the man who wore a red coat before. That man was the one he saw fighting the ringleader of the parasites before. It seemed oddly convenient that he was here as well but Quintus simply thought he must be being paranoid. It must have just been a coincidence, right? But still... "Hey, Hook...you awake? Uh, I know this might sound a bit odd but...do you feel anything strange?"

*Sayori looks around at the audience and awkwardly claps along. Sadly she has no idea who the guy is causing her to feel a slight twinge of embarrassment. She was certainly nothing, but trash among this oasis of people and finesse. Her claps soon increase with intensity as she mentally berates herself for not knowing anything about anything.*

*Upon the Jeb man appearing, Haruko brushes some hair out of her eyes. Slowly. Lingeringly. Not that her hair really gets in her eyes, but it makes for a good excuse for a quick Persona summoning. If something was going to go wrong, it'll be right.... about....* *She waits for him to start talking.*

[The man decides that it would be boring to follow the crowd, and so, he doesn't move a single inch when the man appears. His entire body appears petrified, his expression dead except for his shadowy eyes, as if looking at the very sould of the man. However, was this literal or just a way of expressing something else? No matter, for his fingers are the only thing that move, making slight twitches, leaning forward as he tries to pay close, very close attention.] "My eyes are open wide." [Without the need to blink, every detail could be burn into your brain.] "Curious, Jeb Williams sounds new, exciting. Destruction or chaotic causality may not be necessary, but I digress."

Nanashi, being the good boio he is, politely claps along with the rest of the crowd, at times like this its important to fit in and let the presentation run its course.

Eito looked around,suspicious of everything going on.Since when was Kalib that...Happy?He didn't really know how to say it but the guy just seemed...Off.Wouldn't stop him from making the best of this night. "This is all very fancy.Wonder what that guy's gonna say that these people are so excited about." Eito subtly took out some smooth black leather gloves.He always felt weirdly safe by wearing gloves and this evening wouldn't change that in the least. "Okay then.'Operation :Let's find out what the fuck is happening' is a go."

Tatsuya looks up towards the owner with a curious expression on his face... He's got no clue who the fucker is... Hmm, perhaps he's got one of those Parasites too? Tatsuya begins whispering to himself. "I just wonder what this is gonna turn into, seems as though things are normal so far but... I'd be a fool to buy that wouldn't I, no." Flames dance in the man's eyes as the image of Apollo forms inside his head. As he prepares to call up the Persona he'd glance around quietly, much like Shinji looking towards walls, ceiling, windows. The usual really... Wait, Shinji eh? Good to see an old ally around come to think of it. He'd nod towards the younger man for a moment and see if he noticed. Best to keep track of his help after all, for that matter Haruko's around too, and would get the same gesture.

A voice comes to life inside Quintus. "You don't? I thought that was why you came here? It isn't something I've felt before. I can only assume this is from another mutation. Be wary, Quintus." The voice goes quiet, however, Quintus could feel Hook moving around. Pacing? Was he nervous? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Aincrad would find a few articles from his search. Most of them just talk about the man's many business ventures and oddly enough, his heavy investments into medical research. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The man quickly bows to his guests. "Oh dear, look at the full house tonight! I only wish my last trip to the poker table had such a turn out!" Laughter comes from the guests, mostly just to be nice. "As the announcer just informed you, my name is Jeb Williams. Just a man with a dream to dream! And I know this isn't the Nexus' first hotel, however, I am willing to bet that we will be the only hotel the Nexus needs!" The man begins to walk around the stage with a certain softness to his steps. "My goal was to work with medical experts throughout the Nexus in order to create the ultimate sleeping experience for our guests. Sure we may have other amenities for you to enjoy, but my goal is to allow everyone the chance to know true bliss at night. A dream to dream." The audience lets out skeptical oohs and aahs but they clap softly.

*Haruko, however, doesn't clap. She just laughs softly, and talks softer yet.* A dream to dream, huh? Well in that case let's just cut right to the chase. Shame I didn't bring any Personas besides Chiyome.

Quintus would shudder slightly at Hook's words. Had he really come here based on a feeling? It didn't matter for the moment though because the fact was that Hook had told him all he needed to know. However, Quin decided to stay quiet about the information until more was known. As long as the other parasite wasn't one to kill he might've been able to profit of it as well. "I'll be on guard. Not sure what this one will do but who knows? It might actually help us in the long run."

Shadow raises an eyebrow when he stumbles upon the investments, deciding to look deeper into those he taps Ain on the shoulder to show him what he's found. "Well it could be worse, but take no risks right?" Turning to look back down he goes through the search engine once more, looking for anything specific about those investments, including what companies and their history. Aincrad shakes his head and sighs. "Well I doubt you'll find anything. Though this might actually interest me now. God knows the many sleepless nights I've had." He leans forward, the subject now starting to interest more than a presentation usually does.

[Of course, people requiere sleep to function. Even if it's just to deal with the distraction of stress, it was a natural need.] "Of course, genius. Calling to me." [It was of course a great idea. Simple, but this was why it was such a masterful plan. He could feel it, the winds of change resonating inside of his own empty guts. For a moment, even the area on his face that was supposed to have a mouth was about to open up into a smile.] "However, must learn and see, watch." [He kept his interest to himself and stood up, walking up to the stage, and quietly sitting down at the edge of it. He needed to get closer, to understand every detail. The cold and almost inhuman look in his eyes were all focused on the man, Jeb Williams.] "I wonder if security will come my way, if so were the case I shall refuse to leave." [Outloud and without much of a care. This man was not moving a single inch once more, just his fingers. They twitch a bit more violently now.]

Tatsuya stares up at the man... Things are sounding more and more suscept by the moment, if he's not wrong about this whole dream thing, it can't possibly be good. "Tch, somehow I get the sense this sleep isn't gonna be anything good... Best to start checking things out from now on I guess." That thought in mind, the man would begin looking for a door or perhaps something else he could use t venture out of this room. He's seen enough of the PR bullshit, for now, time to start digging into things. Assuming he sees anything interesting that didn't seem guarded, he'd begin moving a bit closer.

"Seems real sketchy to me." Eito would looks around more carefully,trying to see any guards or other potential enemies while putting his hand inside his jacket,making sure to feel his knives and another altogether different item. "It's alright,if things go well,i'm not going to have to use them."

The search is narrowed to Jeb investing into research on mental illness and other disorders. The illness that pops up the most is insomnia. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As Shinji looks into the area, he finds no signs of mana that could induce sleep. However, he notices a heaviness in the air. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The man curiously eyes Melbourne as security begins to approach. Jeb would hold up a hand and they'd stop their advance. "I see I've already piqued someone's interest. Now allow me to give you all a present, tonight, you may all stay in one of our many rooms. I wish for you all to see my dream first hand! How does that sound dear sir?" Jeb bows his head to Melbourne. "Now then. I do believe I can smell a delicious feast coming from the dining hall. If you'd all care to join me, it is just out the doors and down the right wing of the building. Please do save some for these olds bones, haha!" The man walks to the edge of the stage and lowers himself to sit beside Melbourne as the many guests begin streaming out of the auditorium. "You. You can stay for a moment, no? I'd like a word, or perhaps several. If you'd humor an old man that is." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Those entering the dining hall would find a grand hall with several chandeliers hanging over a long room with several round tables. Along the walls of the room are spreads of food from Canadian to Japanese and everything in between. Several workers move with purpose as they keep all the food fresh as they cart it in from the kitchen.

*Haruko streams out with the crowd, keeping her eyes peeled for the first sign of a restroom to dip off into.* *She waits there for a time until it sounds like most of the activity has abated before stepping out.* A free night, huh? This stinks of someone trying to meddle in dreams again. But I'll need to find some kind of proof that doesn't come from becoming a victim myself... *She wanders in the opposite direction of the crowd, trying to find a good spot to listen in on what Jeb and that weird stage rusher were discussing.*

Quintus would approach Jeb as they descend the stage. He would wear a slight smirk on his face as he walked towards them. "Do you mind if I stay too, Mr. Jeb. Of course, I could go too but only if you're fine with me taking some extra information directly to some of the more energetic guests. Surely you can "feel" my intent too, can't you?" He felt a bit awkward trying to use this trick mostly out of fear that he could be wrong but it was at least worth a shot so he tried to sound confidant even though he was terrified to approach another potential parasite user on the inside. He wanted to try to see what the man's intentions were above all else though and the only way to do that was to try and gauge his parasite type directly if the man did in fact have one.

Aincrad nods to himself and walks out, curious about everything but not one to bug people right away. Instead he leaves the room and stretches, looking around at all the food and smiling. "Damn I'm hungry I wo-" his eyes then fall upon the Canadian food and attempts to not outright run to it, ending up looking weird as heck, and fills two plates full of food, going to sit in the corner, leaving one plate besides him and starts digging into his main plate. Shadow somewhat convinced of the mans innocence, puts the phone away and looks around, to find he's been ditched. Sighing he walks out and to the corners, looking for Ain, when he spots him and sits beside him. "You could've let me know it finished. Ah well." Smirking he grabs the second plate and starts eating. "Thanks for the food."

Tatsuya sighs to himself and begins walking out with the rest of them, rather than try to listen in, however, he'd nod to Haruko and whisper something to her on his way out. "Figure out what they're saying, and do me a favor would ya? If you pull it off... Fill me in at some point, after that whole Chaos mess I'd call us allies if nothing else, and I doubt you're fond of these Parasites right?" That having been said, he filters out with the rest of the people inside and begins looking around the dining hall. It's all quite impressive and the food smells wonderful, but he isn't here to dine. Instead, Tatsu looks around the room curiously. His eyes scanning the room in search of some side entrance to a hallway, or perhaps the kitchens? Well, staying on the beaten path won't let him figure anything out so best get moving.

[Interesting, his inexistent lips were about to melt as his sharp teeth were slowly being revealed out of nothing but excitement. However, his face become void once again the moment Quintus approaches. Melbourne was still sitting down as his head slowly turned to the younger man.] "Perhaps you did not hear what the man said but it might be better if it is only the two of us. You might get a chance later. Leave." [His gaze is deep and outwordly, alien. This simple act should be able to send shivers down the spine of any man. One could say he was trying to intimidate Quintus, even if it was not his intention, the effect might still be there. Melbourne then turned back to the man, Jeb.] "I want to learn about everything and understand it all. It is the utmost importance I do, for entertainment is running low in my brain." [Was he being too direct? Perhaps, but he did not care. Soon, the "man" stood up without ever breaking eye contact or even blinking.] "But, I shall take my leave in case you desire to confront this young man and head into the next room, just to wait for one next opportunity. The choice is yours...young one." [He says referring to no one else but the 50 year old man.] "Jeb Williams has picked my curiosity."

Jeb grins warmly at Melbourne. "An old man like myself knows all too well that idle hands are the Devil's playthings. However, if you wish to truly understand everything, then I may be able to show you the greatest entertainment you've ever seen. And there is no need for you to leave, good sir. Jeb turns his head to Qunitus and he gives a knowing smile. "For this boy is just as fascinating as myself. Is that not right, master of Hookworm? What information may I impart upon you my dear boy?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I don't like this at all Quintus. This man...I can't sense anything from him. Is he truly the host of the energy I'm sensing?" There is an uneasiness in Hook's voice. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shinji would appear next to Tatsuya, who at the moment is met with two options: enter the large metallic doors that would lead to the kitchen, or leave back through the main door and explore. The other partygoers would continue their dinner in peace, even though the sky begins to darken. The once glimmering moon now hidden by dark clouds in the night sky. Those more in tune with the supernatural would begin to feel a heaviness in the air. Nothing drastic, if anything it could be blamed on the sheer number of people in one location. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The man with Kalib's appearance would stand outside with a wide grin on his face. "Who would've thought it would end up like this. Another interesting mutation. Well, time to get moving. Everybody loves an underdog story, right?" He lets out a sharp laugh before making his way to walk around to the back of the building.

Quintus is almost scared off by Melbourne's harsh reaction however his reaction changes upon hearing Jeb calling him the "master of Hookworm". He thinks he may have in fact found the other parasite until Hook informs him otherwise. "Sorry to intrude then. I'll get out of the way since you're not quite the one I'm looking for. So, could you tell me where the, uh, 'Master' of this parasite is? I know they're here and I'd be interested in talking to them." Quintus feels a bit uneasy with the term "Master" being used to describe someone infected. He didn't really think of himself as Hook's master. They were partners if anything. Hook's anxiety was troubling him as well. He didn't know the parasite to get easily afraid of anything.

Aincrad sighs before leaving the now empty plate on the side. "That's the best meal I've had in forever. Tastes like home." Smiling he gets up and stretches, looking around and rubbing his eyes. "Still maybe my understanding of Gala is wrong but where's the dance? Here I was hoping to do some of my famous moves." Smirking he leans on his cane and sighs. "Let's go explore I'm bored." Shadow nods and stretches, placing his plate on top of the Ains. "Yeah I agree, I'm just full right now. And before you say it, no splitting up. I rather not be halfway across the mansion when you inevitably screw up." Aincrad rolls his eyes but nods. "Well he did say there were rooms here. And God knows how many floors. Let's go see if we can find them." With that they leave the auditorium and into the hallway they were led through, opening any doors and peering in.

Shinji meets up with Tatsuya, then speaks in a hushed voice as to not attract any possiple attention Yo Tats. Took a look at the mana in the atmosphere, nothing but a strange heaviness, Its obvious they want to lure us into some kind of sleep, and that emphasis on "The Dream" is suspicious in my opinion. ..... Hmm.... sorry if I'm just stating the obvious. Anything specific you want me to do? Kinda learned that acting on my own tends to end badly, and I'm better at following orders anyway.

Eito decides to leave the dining room and explore the hotel more. "If I don't get shot for this then i'm going to definitely get arrested for trespassing." "...Worth it." The teen would navigate throught the corridors,trying to find something,anything interesting.

The man begins speaking in an equally quiet tone, best not to be needlessly loud with these things after all/ "Well Shinji... let's see if the kitchen staff can give us anything useful, shall we? And as for that dream mess... Well yeah, it's pretty obvious but nice to know I'm not the only one thinking it anyways. Well, let's see what the staff has to say I guess." Tatsuya smirks at his friend and walks towards the doors, he'd enter them with a grin on his face and a look that seems to say he belongs there. After all, one of the best ways to sneak into a place. Is by not sneaking at all and just looking as though you belong there. At that, he looks around the room and smiles, checking over the place with a critical eye. Heh, good thing he actually knows a bit about cooking, can maybe playoff as actually being on the staff.

[Finally, Melbourne's skin over his mouth break away into a strange liquid that falls to th ground, revealing sharp teeth like scalpels, pure white with strange black veins, no tongue and jet black "meat". His eyes change as well, his iris changes from absolute black to red and yellow as his pupil dilatates, and the white around the iris fills with black veins and tendrils that quickly cover the skin surrounding his eyes, as if it was trying to burst out. With his jaw open. Melbourne spoke nothing but gibberish before words could be actually understood.] "ENTERTAIN BOREDOM GREATEST PLEASURE!!!!!!!!!!!!" [And as sudden as this change was, his entire face chanegs back to its cold, frozen state again. His being was overtaken by extasis, but he was glad to a certain degree.] "My apologies, fun makes me lose the control I have inside. But this was a very peaceful change. In the past my fun and loss of control led to much boredom." [With this said, he wanted to learn and stay, despite the uninteresting young man. His fingers stopped twitchin with expectation, and instead stood there like a statue.] "I must learn indeed, to understand it all is my greatest and only desire. To be bored, not an option to anyone."

Hmm... Hookworm? So there's two parasites at work here, then? *She almost walks away from the door when she hears Quintus speak up, though doesn't know it's him.* Ah, someone asking the million Yen question. If I can get a name, we'll have someone to go after. I wonder if that coffee guy has his stand nearby... if there's one way to get in contact with those Doctors, it's stand around buying coffee for long enough... Well first I should get Tatsuya the information... *Realizing she's performing the cardinal sin of monologuing, she stops and resumes listening...*

The man flashes a grin at Quintus. "Why, my boy, you can't tell? Perhaps sensing comes with maturity? Ah! Not to say you are immature my boy, just not ripe perhaps." The man would hop off the edge of the stage before tossing his right arm out. "Allow me to introduce you to the Master of Bed Bug." From the palm of the man's right hand would come a long black rod. Atop the rod is an amber substance with a small floating bug moving around inside it. The man would hold the rod like a cane and lean his weight against it. "Pleased to meet you." The man is surprised by Melbourne's outburst but he just smiles. "Aha! Of course my good sir! Being bored is not something I can go back to either. My life has been boring all my life, but now? Now I am on top of the world!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tatsuya and Shinji are met with an incredibly amazing sight. The most advanced kitchen they've ever seen. Everything is polished with a chrome finish, they could probably eat off the floor and it'd still look majestic. However, a chef turns to the pair. "Can I help you gentlemen? Something the matter with the food? I'll have it fixed posthaste!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Eito would poke his head out just in time to see Aincrad poking into the few doors on the first floor. And Aincrad would indeed find a room in the first door he opens. Soft lights illuminate the room and in the center of the room is a large bed that, by look alone, is probably the most comfortable thing Aincrad has ever seen. Around the room are all of the other amenities you'd find in a hotel room: television, phone, dresser, closet, the whole nine yards.

Hiiro had checked his mail late that day, being kept behind for overtime, it was no matter however, Hiiro arrives at the scene fashionably late in a suit with a tie as he approaches the front Flashy. I wonder why I was invited. Hiiro shrugs off the though and approaches the door, seeing if he needs to show a name or something before walking inside

[Melbourne wants a closer look, and so he almost jumps at the old man to simply look at the bug itself.] "What is this being, intelligent? Can it think? Perhaps. Gives powers, abilities, illness, sickness. knowledge? Everything gives knowledge indeed." [His unchanging expression had this eerie vibe to it as he saw the bug closer and closer.] "Where do you get them? I need them."

Tatsuya smiles at the chef and shakes his head, wouldn't do to tell them the real reason he's come so... Instead, he puts on a cheerful face and starts to appear interested. "Quite the opposite, in fact, I'm nowhere near the level of whoever made this but... I do fancy myself a bit of a chef, I was simply here to offer my compliments, and perhaps strike up a conversation if anyone had the time. It's quite simply some of the best cooking I've had in years." Tatsuya glances around the room a bit, looking as though he's simply in awe of seeing such an impressive kitchen in front of him... Not totally untrue, he really would love to use the place in fact. But, moreover he's searching for anything off, such as perhaps signs of something akin to those parasites, maybe the food is part of whatever trick will be used here tonight?

*Haruko just grins a wide grin as she starts walking, muttering to herself "We got 'im." She notices a familiar figure as she passes by the door, though, and barring anyone waiting there to greet late-comers, she goes to open the door herself.* Perfect! You're just the person I wanted to see! Ministry of Health, right? *She added a wink on the end there as if the Gamer Riders weren't from the Ministry.*

Quintus is somewhat shocked by the parasites seemingly randomly appearing. Melbourne's thing...is, uh, something he can't quite explain either. For now he focuses on the parasite, Bedbug. "Bedbug? So you've been here the whole time. That's quite an interesting form you take. So, if it wouldn't be ruse to ask, What exactly is the goal you both share? I know it has something to do with spreading despair like most parasites and hosts but... I guess what I'm trying to ask is, whether or not you're like the last parasite I met, Earwig. Earwig and their host wanted to kill people for the sake of killing. I don't mind if you hurt others or anything but you're not going to kill anyone, right?" Quintus was clearly nervous but his deeper intent was to see if Bedbug would be a threat or not. As far as he could tell they didn't seem to have any awful plans but Hook was clearly very anxious about them. He didn't want to dismiss the fact that this Parasite might be like the last either. He didn't want anyone else getting in the way of the despair he desired.

Shinji will simply keep quiet and pull out a notepad before writing on it and showing it to the chef "I don't speak. I'm a retainer of sorts"

OOC:I'm gonna have to leave for a few hours.Sorry. Eito would walk next to Eincrad and look into the room alongside him. "Fancy."

Aincrad chuckles and closes the door, turning back down the hallway while talking to Eito. "Well definitely fancy, not exactly what I'm looking for bud." Instead he decides to keep opening the doors, closing the ones that are just more bedrooms. "You coming? The more the merrier." Shadow sighs and follows, stretching his arms. "What are you even looking for? A room full of mobsters? Cause you probably won't find it." Aincrad chuckles and shakes his head. "No... Just something interesting that's all. Though that would be hilarious."

Hmm? Hiiro looks at Haruko with his usual stone cold stare, thinking to himself why did she need the Ministry. However, he knew she wasn't dangerous so he might as well play along for now Yes. Hiiro Kagami. Doctor for the Ministry of Health, do you need medical assistance?

No, but I know of someone who needs help. *She looks shiftily about.* You know the doctor with the white hair, right? I know him, that Pediatrician as well. Did they tell you about the parasites? We've got two of them here. A Bed Bug and a Hookworm.

Despairisites? I have experience with them. If you know Taiga then you must be serious about this. Hiiro then pulls out his gamer driver and attaches it onto his belt, he didn't need to transform just yet, but just to be safe, if despairisites were involved, a fight is very likely to break out Well then. Lead the way.

The man grins at Melbourne. "My benefactor is actually someone you've met. The gentleman at the door. If this power is what you seek than he is your man. And all of what you asked is true. They are intelligent, they do give power, and they do revel in sickness." Turning back to Quintus the man smiles warmly, and the bug inside the amber would open beady red eyes as they stare down Quin. "My boy, our lives are fragile and fleeting things. Why would I cut that short? My goal is arguably as malicious, but only out of my terrible greed. You see, I've already infected everyone with Bed Bug's aid. And now? Now they can't sleep unless they rest at my hotel. A supply and a demand, all created by me." "Jeb, I implore you bite your tongue. Most wouldn't take kindly to finding out they've been infected." "Oh hush now! Just release these fine gentlemen from the effects, they should still be larval after all." The bug's eyes flash a bright red as a small black bed bug comes out of each man's index finger. "It is done." "Much better! We may be cruel, but we aren't unreasonable!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "W-When did they? And I didn't sense it? What ability do they have? He's not even that strong, look at him! And yet he can outclass me?" Hook's voice begins to crack as he struggles to comprehend why a creature like that could hide from him. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The chef tosses a dish towel over his shoulder and he crosses his arms. "Absolutely! I love talking to young up and comers! As for your friend? He just raises a brow and shakes his head. "Well just know that if you write down any secret formulas, I may need to kill you." The man laughs at his "joke" as Tatsuya looks around, and finds little out of place. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Aincrad and Eito would eventually happen upon a door that leads to the outside. The side exit of the left wing. While peeking out they'd notice a man standing under a lamp post as fog begins rolling in. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hiiro and Haruko both meet up in the foyer under the watchful eye of the clerk behind the counter. He didn't understand why the Ministry would be here for any reason, so he returns to texting away on his phone.

Oh, I almost forgot one more thing. The person infected by Bed Bug is the owner of this place, goes by the name Jeb... something or other. And there's one other person here who can probably help stop this thing, goes by the name Tatsuya. Red coat, scary face, probably also off looking for clues. We should probably split up to try finding him. *She then looks at the receptionist....* Unless.... hey, can you call for Tatsuya to come here? OOC: Which is also my excuse for Haruko to suddenly cease existing so I can sleep because nyeh~ Can't infect me IRL.

Eito would stare at the man for quite abit of time before turning to Eincrad. "I've got a bad feeling about this.Do you wanna go talk to him?If you do i'll follow but that doesn't mean i'm not gonna complain about it."

Quintus a bit freaked out by another bug besides Hook inside him breathes in relief as the infection is lifted. It seems as though this parasite didn't have any killer intentions and as far as the sleep thing goes it didn't seem all that bad to him. It probably had to do with the kind of despair Bedbug feeds on so in some ways he sympathized with their plans. He would respond to Hook under his breath first. "Those are definitely abilities I don't want to mess with normally. Plus, beating them wouldn't really serve our needs in any way." Quintus would respond to Bedbug and Jeb now. "That would have been quite the curse but if you really don't intend to kill anyone then I have no intent to stop your plan. That being said I don't think I could help you either. This plan doesn't really give me the kind of sustenance I need either. I'm sure you get that, right? Though I am curious. Bedbug seems to be pretty good at hiding, surprisingly so even. How exactly do you do that?"

Aincrad shrugs and looks towards the man. "With that kind of backlighting? No way he's dangerous. At most he's a 1920s detective just missing his soundtrack." With that he steps outside and breathes in the fresh air. "Damn it was getting dusty in there." He turns to Eito and chuckles, smiling broadly. "Keep the door open for me would ya? Wouldn't want to get locked out." With that he turns and walks towards the man, hand gripping his cane hard. "Hey bud! What's up? Want to come in? It's warm and there is so much delicious food to eat." Shadow shakes his head and sighs, turning to Eito. "I swear he's not an idiot, only a little weirded out. This is his way of coping." He then turns watching the two. "Notice his hand? Any second now something is gonna spook him and he will have to explain why there's a hole in the next building."

Eito smiles while simultaneously lpoking worried. "Good to know." He starts feeling around his coat for his weapons again.

Tatsuya begins talking animatedly, in spite of not having eaten the food... He was paying enough attention to it to figure it out for the most part, he'd actually like to talk about it in fact... And then he hears his name being called to the desk, with an annoyed sigh the man waves goodbye to the chef and begins setting off. "Dang it, looks like someone needs me for something... Well, it's been a pleasant talk, but I'm afraid we have to depart now. Come on Shinji, let's head out." And with that the mean sets off for the reception desk, wondering what exactly Haruko has found out this time... Or he assumes that it's Haruko anyways.

"It is of the greatest interest to me to have one of these. I do not need one to give me power of abiities of any sort. I do not need, would be boring. Entertainment is all there is. Whatever it is, only fun will prevail." [Soon, Melbourne turns around on the exact place and begins to walk out from the exact same way he came in. Even placing his feet in the exact points in which he had stepped on. Without looking back, he moved forward, and kept walking until he reached the exist, and into the night of this faceless city.] "Then, the man who was at the front is the one. True was the nature of his words, I do not feel fear, I do not." [Quietly, the man sits down on a nearby bench with both legs crossed. Waiting. Observing. Resting.]

Hiiro nods at Haruko and awaits for this Tatsuya to show up, when he notices a middle aged man that seems a little too old he walks up and speaks quickly Tatsuya Suou correct? I am Hiiro Kagami, doctor of CR, working for the Ministry of Health. I believe that there is a despairisite here. Their host is Jeb. They carry the Bed Bug. I am assuming you understand this. We should find this host and deal with them as soon as possible.

.... Wow, well that's a way to hand out information. Uh... yeah, so I was listening in and turns out that Jeb guy is indeed hiding a Parasite. Name's Bed Bug. Also apparently there's another Parasite here, Hookworm. *She pauses and thinks for a moment.* Huh, I guess it is actually that simple to explain.

"Heh, pretty sharp eyes ya got there, what gave it away? The fact I look ready to strike at a moment's notice or just how old I am?" The man pauses at the mention of Hookworm, Quin huh? Wonder what that one wants... Well, he has yet to take any action warranting dealing with. "As for Quintus and Hookworm? For now, they're not an issue unless things have changed at some point, for now let's focus on Bed Bug, what do ya know about this one's skills so far?"

The man behind the desk raises a brow but nods. "I believe I saw him move to the dining hall. I'll make an announcement." The man would punch in some digits on a desk phone before picking up the receiver. "Guest ID 2-IS, Tatsuya Suou, is requested at the front desk. Thank you." The man hangs up and looks to Haruko. "He'll be on his way." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The man hidden by the fog would through out his arms, the light catching his white suit. "Tatsuya! So you've come again! You've done well to make it this fare bu-" The man turns as he speaks but is stunned by the scene before him. The light catches his face and it can be seen that the man is Kalib, granted the warmth he normally has is nowhere to be found. "Well...this....this is awkward. What do you two want?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The chef stops talking as he hears the message play. "Ah! That'd be you then? Well have a good one, Mister Suou!" The chef waves off the pair before getting back to work. The mana in the building however remains the same, but the heaviness begins to grow. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The man smiles at Melbourne and does a bow before he leaves. "I do hope to be seeing you again. And may you always have something to keep you entertained my good sir!" He'd then turn to face Quintus. "Ah! Yes, Bed Bug feeds off of the despair of being unable to sleep. You see, I'm a terrible insomniac...so I guess we really just hit it off real quick. And of course this plan isn't to Hookworm's taste, he desires fear of death. Correct?" He'd then bring his left hand to his chin. "As for why you couldn't sense him...I believe it's due to the nature of his power. Bed Bug may reside within me, but all of his children are out there in the world. Can't see the forest for the trees, something like that."

Eito stops holding the door as he approaches 'Kalib' in a quick pace. "Now hold on for just a fucking moment." Eito radiates tension. "I knew something was up when you were waving people in through the front door.That was both out of place and out of character for Sensei." "And now you're standing out here in the fog acting all mysterious,expecting that Tatsuya guy and starting what to me sounds exactly like a hammy villain speech.Sensei does not do things like this.Who are you?"

You stick out like a cancer cell. Invisible, unless you are looking for it. Hiiro then tries to think about what he could infer about the previous parasites, it wasn't much, but it might help I don't have any info on Bed Bug other then the host. However, the previous host was a Earwig. It could materialize as a weapon, and once it was fully evolved, it could burst out like one of those... Personas? I believe that's what you call them. I don't have much experience with spirits.

Update Tatsuya. That suspicious heaviness? Getting..... well, Heavier.....

Aincrad rubs his head and chuckles lightly. "It doesn't really help that you address it just straight out like that... But to be fair I would've done the same thing." He looks at the suit and his eyes glimmer with recognition. "Say you're the guy who accepted our invitations right? Gotta say I'm sorry bout the way I acted. This is the first event I've been invited too and I always wanted to say that." He chuckles again and holds out his hand. "To rectify that lets start again shall we? My name is Aincrad." He nods towards Shadow. "That there's my partner, Shadow. Nice to meet you." He then half turns to Eito. "Ah you must still be new then. Multiple people with the same face can exist here at the same time. Just because he looks like him doesn't mean it is him." Shadow meanwhile sighs and pinches his nose. "This is not happening right now is it?" He yells out towards Ain. "You're embarrassing yourself you fool!" Ain barely looks back to Shadow. "Oh quiet you!"

"A weapon and a Persona huh... Well, that's at least something to work off from the start." Tatusya pointedly ignores the cancer cell comment, he's dealt with the bad with people types enough to have figured out Hiiro likely didn't mean anything by it. "Regardless, where exactly shall we go from here? And how pray tell does one go about removing these parasites? Or..." Tatsu pauses for a moment before absently pulling his lighter out, the man flicks it to life and stares into its flames for a moment as he continues. "Is burning the whole thing to the ground simply the only choice we've got." Upon hearing Shinji chime up however, he kills the flow of flame and stows his lighter once more. Instead, he turns towards the mage with a nod. "Understood Shinji, we'll have to make a move of some kind pretty soon I'm guessing... Stay on your toes, everyone."

Quintus is a bit envious of a power but also realizes that such an ability wouldn't be of too much use to him. He does however wonder how one might become better at detecting other parasites in such a way. It's certainly not something he can do well without Hook's help. "What was this called again...Mutation, correct? I think that's what Hook says. How exactly did you get yours? At least, I think they're something that's gotten...Uh, it's weird since I'm apparently patient zero but I have no idea how most of this parasite stuff works."

Eito looks at Eincrad,irritation in his eyes. "Kalib is,as you probably know,the owner of the GYM,the place where I live,work and train at." "This guy 'Apologized' to me because he hadn't been to the gym in quite a while." "Well,I have been there for a while now and Sensei does not act like that,not to mention that i've never seen or heard of someone who looked exactly like Kalib showing up in the GYM despite him talking to me like I was an old friend." Eito jerks his head to 'Kalib's' direction. "So I repeat,Who.Are.You?