[Game Opening, Part 4 : Mission 1 - Take Out the Bull by the Horns]

[stringmods]

Who: Yu, Akihiko, Kanji, Minako, Guybrush, Link (Ocarina of Time), Shinjiro, Margaret, Yosuke, Kotetsu, Barnaby, Daichi, Gentarou, Mitsuru
Where: Middle of the F1 in Taurus; Nyx's Night Club.
Summary: Taurus Sector Mission
Warnings: Drinking, Smoking, Swearing, Brothels, Naughty Persona, Implied Everything.


You might feel a little out of your league. After they took you into a room where a series of robots cleaned and dressed you up, you were all put inside a limousine together. There appears to be a lot of drinks inside, but go easy on the rum! You need to keep your wits about you soon. Your driver is one of the many men in black from the Government. You are all members of a rich family; it says so on your fake entrance cards. No need to wait in line like the other peons, oh no, you get to come in as guests of honor.

Your mission is Calculated Infiltration.

And not just anywhere, but Nyx's Night Club! The hottest nightclub, it also requires a strict dressing code. According to the Government's Task force, the source of the disturbance detected in the sector is in the lower levels. Unfortunately, it is heavily guarded and with a lot of civilians nearby, quite possibly drunk, you cannot just waltz in. First step will be locating your double agent and contact who will supply you with a password. Using your COMP system, you should be able to locate them in the large crowd that has gathered tonight. No name, and no clue or idea who they are. Simply that your audio function will register a match when you do find them.

Of course, this is Nyx's Nightclub! Like everything else here, it's got a rather shady side. The Brothel and Drug Cartel below are your true targets. Word is that one of the heads of Anoli is a honored guest, and that the bar's owner is a sympathizer.

As in every city, there is a fine line between tolerance and allowing your foes to go around as they please. Whatever they are conducting down there, it had the sirens going off. You need to find out why, exactly.


Lucky you.

As you enter the Club, music starts blaring into your ears, as lasers, lights, drinks, and people dancing in cages surround you in a visual and audio orgy. It's hard to see, but you need to stay in character, and find your contact. Once one of you does, you can proceed on.

[OOC : For now, you can start threads trying to find their contact, OR there reaction to being there. MINGLE AS A TEAM IF YOU WANT :3. As with every log like this, ONCE THEY GET TO THE LOWER LEVELS, you are free to start your own thread and have your characters stop swarm of monsters on your own. Don't forget to write your character's Persona awakening later on as well!]

Comments

[castsnarukami]

Margaret is doing the best she can to stay in character. However, she's never been outside of the Room before, and it shows. While her stance is dignified, she's pretty much done her best to scoot into a corner and look. She's not used to this many people at once, and searching the crowd with her eyes is the best she can do without feeling alienated.

She'd make do with finding a teammate or two, too. This place... was overwhelming.

She swished the alcohol in the glass awkwardly.

She could really use all the support she could get, in this matter.

[linefacingforever]

Did someone ask for support?

Yu is suddenly there, leaning against the wall next to her. He, for some reason, grabbed his own glass of alcohol, though it was hard to tell if he had taken a sip from it or not. He was silent for a long moment, looking cool and slick with his glasses on, and apparently ignoring whatever attention he was getting from other drunk patrons.

Finally, after a very long moment, Yu only had one thing to say:

"...this is awkward."

The biggest, most thoughtful post

[get_bent]

Nyx's Nightclub? It sounded a bit like...no he should not be thinking about that, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

"C-can I...just stay outside?"

No Kanji. No you cannot.

[hetried]

"If you do, can I stay outside with you?"

Your heroes, ladies and gentlemen.

[themortalhalf]

"Either stay outside or get in, I don't freakin' care which, but you should make up your mind."

Yeah. Whether you guys like it or not, he's keeping an tabs on the people who seem like they haven't the faintest idea in hell what they're doing or what they're even getting into.

Kanji's one of them.

Congrats. Unlike your leader over there, who's busy getting his swag on, you look decidedly lost.

[hetried]

Someone had been fidgeting the whoooole ride here in the limousine. Daichi may have dutifully worn his school uniform every day it was required, but wearing some fancy suit like this and being dressed by robots... made him feel really stiff and really awkward. He'd never really expected to wear a suit until he was at least in his 20s! He wasn't even old enough to drink! Why was this happening?!

OK no. He had to remain calm. He was...some...kind of rich kid of an important family right now? He'd kind of spaced out during the whole explanation. But he had to maintain a cover, which means he had to maintain calm. Yeah. He could do this.

Why wasn't Hinako or Airi here they could do this way better than him augh

Daichi really was doing his best, but that didn't stop him from being high-strung and awkward and having no idea how to handle himself at the moment. So really, he was mostly trying to fade into the shadows and try and find the contact. Whoever it was. Why couldn't they have at least given them a description....

[risetocaesar]

Akihiko gave Daichi a suspicious look once they had stepped out of the limo. He wasn't exactly known for keeping his cool in a crowd, himself, but when it came to an operation, he was usually able to put his misgivings aside and focus on the task at hand. He firmly laid a hand on Daichi's shoulder as they neared the entrance to the club, shaking his head.

"Calm down. Remember, you belong here."

[linefacingforever]

Well. This definitely ranked up there on the "weirdest thing he ever did" list.

He had never really gone undercover before. Sneaking around the Amagi Inn didn't count (that was a complete disaster), and the closest he had come to a disguise was... wearing Teddie's bear (skin? Outfit? He didn't even...). Getting all dressed up and told he had to go undercover to meet a contact was a bit out of his depth, not to mention most of the others probably felt the same way. Also, not that he doubted the people he was with, but he kinda missed having the whole Investigation Team at his side.

...at least the girls looked cute.

Er, rather... at least Kanji and Yosuke were with him. Yes.

As soon as he was out of the limo, his glasses went on with a dramatic flourish that caught the attention of a few girls waiting in line for the club, if the squeeing and pointing was any clue. Hey, if he was going to be playing the part of a rich kid, he was going to play up the, "Cooler than cool," look.

Oh come on, Yosuke can't compete with that protag swag-- 1/2

[disconinjafrog]

Yeah getting pulled into another world after a whole month of calm, uneventful life was shocking enough as it was...

But to be sent on some undercover mission like a spy, into the heart of some kind of big organized crime scheme? This was a little too cool insane to comprehend. Hell, solving serial murders was one thing...

But this was kind of kickass!! He watches at Yu steps out before him, kind of pausing in awe as he puts on his glasses in one fluid motion-- noticeably catching the girls' attention. Geeze, Yu, way to steal all the swag in one cool guy move.

Trying to play off his partner, Yosuke puts on his own glasses-- which he'd actually forgotten about until he saw Yu put his own on...

[disconinjafrog]

Annnd none of the girls seemed to notice him, since apparently seeing it once was enough for them...

Err... okay.

He shuffles up to meet Yu a little awkwardly, whispering to him, "Dude, you stole the show, how am I supposed to play the cool thing if you do that?"

[greatseal]

Someone else caught that dramatic flourish, too. Except she's doing less squeeing and more looking like she's trying not to laugh.

Whether that's because of Yu or because of Yosuke trying to imitate him is unclear.

[greatseal]

The name of the nightclub is a little too ironic for her taste. Still, Minako is calm, even a little excited during their limo ride over. She uses the opportunity to address the group.

"Since we'll be working together, we should introduce ourselves first... I know some of you, and met some of you earlier tonight, but my name is Minako Arisato. I previously helped lead a team of Persona-users, so I have a little experience with this sort of thing. I'll be happy to help if fighting starts."

She's also implicitly volunteering herself to lead this bunch too, but that's up to the will of the majority.

Either way, once they reach the club itself and head inside, she looks far too comfortable in her black cocktail dress. Those nights visiting Mutatsu at Club Escapade seem to have paid off...

[risetocaesar]

Despite the confusion between them earlier, Akihiko offers Minako a reserved smile as she speaks, nodding his approval at her offer to lead. If what she and Minato had said about the differing timelines was true, after all, then she had to be a more than competent leader.

"You look in your element," he remarked once they were inside, noticing just how at-ease she appeared to be despite their surroundings.

[oyaji]

There was a reason Wild Tiger wasn't elected for espionage--Well, there were more like several reasons. But chiefly among the giant list of reasons was that he screamed nark. At least they had let him keep his mask, although it made him stand out all the more. Still, he was prepared to face any duty he was called to! That was the brand of a true Hero! The older man would just channel his inner Barnaby and pretend like he owned every table, every song, every wandering eye. The blond made it work, he could pretend to be a fancy pants too!

Keeping his nose high, he watched the crowd around him below his lashes. With how many kids there were in his group, it was hard to keep track of them all in the dark, pounding aroma of bodies and sexual frustration. It took effort, but he resisted the urge to wrinkle his nose when he thought about it, or should he say tried to think. The bass in this place was so loud he couldn't even concentrate on his own inner monologue. Why did kids go out of their way to damage their ears? Nature would do that in due time, children!

"Oh man..." Well, he may as well try and find this guy. How they expected them to be efficient without any information except "You'll know" was beyond him. The best he could do was stick with his partner, keep an eye on the other members and rub up against as many people as possible. He tried to keep his gushing enthusiasm in check.

[naughtynightclan]

"Me~ow."

Yes, Kotetsu. You just got cat-called by a succubus with a martini.

It's going to be a long night.

[its_space_time]

Gentarou, looking severely bothered by things he'd already seen in this place, gave a sigh of relief as he caught sight of Kotetsu Wild Tiger. An adult! An one he recognized, at least as far as the limo ride went.

Sure, the mask was a little weird and potentially questionable, but who was he to judge, really?

"Sir!" he called out as he neared, this guy's name blanking on him, uncertain if he'd ever gotten it in the first place.

[a_pirate_meant_to_be]

For some reason, Guybrush can't help but feel he's in the wrong LucasArts game right now.

Not the right fashion? Not the RIGHT FASHION? That was the best Captain's jacket you could buy in the Caribbean! His lovely wife gave him that! And it's "not the right fashion?" How could anything that classy EVER go out of fashion? Clearly they just don't know good clothing when they see it!

Which is why he's currently sulking at a table too much to really pay much attention to the den of wretched villainy and sin he's in right now. Man, what do a bunch of guys that wear nothing but black know about fashion ANYWAY?

[oyaji]

Okay, this guy had the right idea completely. And he had a beard! How could you not trust a face like that? You couldn't! Err, couldn't not.... Whatever. The point was that bringing adults to this place was just asking for trouble from the start. Anyone who saw him in the crowd was going to think he was a perverted old man. And how could he blame them? He didn't belong here!

He raised his hand as friendly acknowledgement to the blond. Trying to scream at this guy was going to be futile. Let the kids who could actually blend in cover this area of expertise. When it came to slugging criminals of dubious nature with handguns, then they could call him in.

"Think they'd let us open a tab under the tall, dark, and silent?" It was the least those men in black could do for them, especially after this disorientating experience for a poor old man.

[themortalhalf]

Shinjiro is starting to feel like someone's emotionally abused pet dog. One of those poor mutts with painted toenails whose second-to-second existence mattered entirely on the mood of their idiotic, baby-talking owners who insisted on shoving them into cute little costumes and snapping fancy rhinestone collars around their necks.Taking them for walks in strollers, making them put on damn stupid little shows for their amusement.

He just wanted to get this so-called mission over with. He had been forcibly made to strip out of his more familiar clothes, all ratty and tangled, but his dammit, and put on a suit. Have his hair combed and made to look like a proper member of society, one that belonged in the upper echelons of Mitsuru's world, not his. The collar felt like it was choking him, and from time to time he felt like just finishing the job—he had put up with enough bullshit within the last 24-hours—and just taking his blood-red tie and hanging himself before he it got any worse. But if Shinjiro knows how to do anything, it's how to deal with whatever bullshit was thrown his way. His way wasn't always the healthy way—usually not—but it was his way, and he stuck to it.

It was irritating and it was annoying, even if he was surrounded by people he knew, people he was honest-to-God glad to see, considering he thought he wouldn't be seeing any of their idiotic faces again. He could trust them, but most everyone else looked pretty damn green. He had hung outside of nightclubs before back home, heard their noise—he wasn't some naive, gullible idiot who didn't know what lay in store once they went inside. He can hear the pulsing music from just outside the nightclub now, and his eyes glare up at the building like it was something that needed to be burned. He can hear whispers of hesitation behind him. Sees how some of them just dig in their feet.

Not that he can blame them, in a way, but for people like that—they shouldn't be here. They shouldn't even be here in the first place. Personas weren't a game. This wasn't a game.

"Let's just get this damn thing over with," he says, striding forward and looking behind him. "If any of you don't think you can handle it, just stay the hell outside."

And with that, there's not much else to do but dive right in, face as stoic as he can make it, and look for this supposed contact.

[greatseal]

A hand surreptitiously straightens his tie a little before looping its way around his arm. Minako's demeanor is the complete opposite of his right now, calm and grinning.

"You look nice."

[nofairy]

Link is trying to figure out what is going on. He jerks his head from side to side, attempting to stay calm, but overwhelmed by all that's going on. The drinks in the car smell funny, so he doesn't touch them, but the music, lights, lasers, and sheer amount of people is making him incredibly uncomfortable. He grew up in the forest and when he had to travel he'd never seen this many people.

This weird tunic is itchy too, and it's too tight. How is he supposed to fight like this?

[themortalhalf]

The answer: adapt. At least your Persona won't be restricted to a suit.

Unless, you know, you happen to be that kind of guy. Shinjiro's willing to bet Link's not. He looks like some animal caught in the headlights.

"You never seen stuff like this before or what?"

[empressive]

With a name like Nyx's Nightclub, Mitsuru's heart sank fast on the ride there. It could just be a name with no coincidence attached to it, but after what happened in Iwatodai, any coincidence on it just seemed like cruel irony. With any luck, this place wouldn't have any sort of connection to Nyx.

But it isn't the only cause for nervousness; simply the prep work and uniform made her uncomfortable. While she's more than used to being dressed up, the shorter dress, heavier makeup and even the lack of her stylist made her fidgety on the ride there. She's never been to a nightclub before (she figured it was more Yukari's thing), and not knowing how to act while under a disguise. While she could lock her emotions down, acting was an entirely different matter.

Stepping out of the limo, she fixes herself for a minute, making sure her hair stayed in it's bun and her dress had no dust or wrinkles. Mitsuru really, really hoped that this is what nightclub girls did, regardless of their social status.

"Shall we go in?" There's no smile, just a polite invitation that may be borderline friendly as she heads to the entrance, barely looking as nervous as she feels.

[get_bent]

"U-um, yeah. Sure." Hey if this lady could look like she owned the place, the very least thing Kanji could do was pretend he was okay with it. The flashbacks of big bad bathhouse were really hard to ignore, however.

At least the suit and the clicked up hair made him look like he KNEW what he was doing...that and she was much easier on the eyes than Yosuke was.

[baniichan]

Out of all the things they could have sent them to do, Barnaby hadn't expected an undercover mission. It was unlike his usual line of work, and he had to wonder why the authorities had chosen him and Tiger to do this. Worse yet, they were only equipped with business suits. While Barnaby certainly understood why, it still didn't make him feel any less vulnerable in case their mission went south.

At least he was outfitted with a proper pair of glasses. He hated these sorts of places enough as it was. The last thing he needed was to deal with the high-energy atmosphere while completely blind.

He also blended in easily enough. A fresh face, a charming smile flashed at all the right times, polite conversation with the other patrons -- these were things Barnaby knew how to do all too well. In fact, it wasn't long until someone, apparently enamored by how he carried himself, bought Barnaby a glass of his favorite wine.

A hero had to be prepared for anything, including situations like these.

That was why, as the music throbbed and pulsed through the club, Barnaby easily made his way through the crowds. His aching temples didn't matter right then. Drink in hand, he looked like he belonged in that place.

Armed with only his COMP, Barnaby did his best to rely on the audio function that was supposed to tip him off about their contact's identity. After all, the sooner they got this finished, the sooner they could leave.

[naughtynightclan]

"Oh, honey~"

There was a dainty pair of hands that gently wrapped around one of his arms, light enough to maybe be considered a little more chaste than most other touches in this place.

Of course, it was coming from a winged girl in a leotard, so maybe that was just a ploy.

"You look lonely~ Did your date leave you?"

[its_space_time]

Gentarou felt sort of naked, first of all. While the cleaning/dressing robots (which was disconcerting enough alone) had left his hair alone, their weapons being sneaked in also meant he was heading right into a den of crime and debauchery without his Fourze Driver. So long as they could get it back, he'd be fine ... but he would not be comfortable until then. He'd only let go of that damned thing once in the last year, and...

Well. He didn't want to think on that too hard.

Regardless, he had a job to do - Driver or not, he was still a damned Kamen Rider.

As they piled out of the limo and headed towards the club, he attempted to look calm. Cool. Collected. He tried to match what he remembered of Shoutarou's swagger walked in, trying to look like he owned the place.

...

And then very quickly, he realized: Wow, he was waaaaaaaaay too young to be in here.

Still, he tried to focus. Find the contact. Get their gear back.

...

But damn, if that wasn't hard.

[naughtynightclan]

"Hey, buddy, a little help here?"

Gentaro, there seems to be a small red demon stuck in a wall...by his spiked codpiece. From how limp and exhausted he seems, he's been trying to get loose for a few moments.

CONTACT LOCATED.

[stringmods]

"So, newcomers huh? We'd been expecting you, but what a way to join the ranks of the city. Come with me."

She leads the four to a smaller, secure area.

"Put me on your COMP's private codec channel." She uses her own Comp to connect to the others, and speaks so that the entire team can hear her.

"Listen up. Code name's Star. The cameras and radio don't pick up talk here for a few minutes. Call it a little gift from Madam Nyx if you wish..."

"I'll explain you the entire situation. The Club's got two levels, but both Owners don't agree with each other. It's a truce, but Nyx's been looking for someone to take out her little problem. It's been getting worse the past few months. Bottom's been dealing with illegal substances for quite a while. Bastard's been our watch list since last year when he rose in prominence, but always a step ahead of us. Couldn't get a hand on him. Tonight, we're sure he has a hand in the Anoli attacks. That gives us enough fuel to put his ass behind bars. Problem is, before you do, there's three girls that need rescuing. He's brainwashed the previous three agents before me as a warning for us not to mess with him. Probably doesn't expect an entire team of users like you...let me give you the password."

"You'll find your things next to the left male and female bathrooms. There's some hidden doors there that lead to the bottom levels. I hate to say it, but the girls have to pass off as new entertainment for them to let you in, along with the password. Course once you do, feel free to deck them in the face with my regards."

"Good hunting."

[a_pirate_meant_to_be]

"Guys, lemme just get this out of the way now: I'm NOT wearing a dress for this one."

This would be more out of the blue if it weren't a more shared experience than he realizes.

Let's get this party started.

[stringmods]

After Nyx's little arrangement with dresses for Kanji, Yu and Yosuke and a generous amount of makeup, the safety of everyone was assured (?!) and it was time for them to brave the lower levels of the bar. And what beautiful queens to lead them into battle, their normal clothing cleverly hidden under their large ensembles, although the makeup and wigs they had would take a little longer to remove (the emotional scar would stay forever). It was good to take one for the team, right?!

Now the secret door in the boy's side of the restrooms stood before them.

[linefacingforever]

Him and his big mouth.

He thought that having at least Kanji cross dress would be enough to keep the girls safe. When Nyx suddenly pulled out two more dresses? He made an attempt at running away, but... well, he didn't really know what happened. One moment he was turning, the next he was waking up in the most hideous dress known to man. At least he could feel his pants were still on underneath, but... oh god, what was this. Where had they found the fake boobs so he could properly fill out the dress? Why him?

Yu just... stood there, absolutely mortified, too humiliated to even speak.