Chapter 3
"Stepping Into the Parlor"

Mon Amour?

The group reached the cosplay cafe, Yu had caught up as efficiently as possible as everyone else joined Yosuke and Teddie.

But the cafe looked different…

"'You in Wonderland?'" James asked. "What the bloody hell does that mean?!"

The decorations and motif was less about cosplay and more about Alice in Wonderland. There was a white rabbit in a suit coat Papier Mache model by the entrance. There were various signs in kanji script, including the Cheshire cat, also made of Papier Mache sitting on it. Other than the main "You in Wonderland" sign being in English, there was another sign that in English said, "Let's Alice!" Various flowers and balloons accentuated the look.

"What gives? There's no cosplay café here…"

"Huh?!" Teddie said with disappointed surprise. "Was I only dreaming?"

Rise looked dubious to that possibility. "I remember it saying 'cosplay café' in the pamphlet, though. Maybe there was a last-minute change."

Charles derisively snorted. "Like broadcast dates of the season finale of an anime…"

"Why don't we try going inside?" Naoto said.

Yosuke was stunned. "Huh? You're into this stuff?" he asked.

"C'mon, she's a detective. I bet she'd masqueraded as others before cosplay was a thing," Kanji said.

"REALLLLLYYYYY?!" James said, making a big show about his interest.

Naoto sweatdropped. "Um, that's…Well, I'll let pass without comment," she said.

"REALLLLLYYYYY?!"

She sighed. "More importantly, Senpai, may I ask you to open this door on my cue?" she asked you.

"All right…" Yu said.

"I'm glad you catch on quickly. Well then, here goes," Naoto said.

Before anyone could ask what Naoto was talking about and how Yu would know, Naoto pulled out her gun!

"Whoa! Why are you pulling out your weapon here?!" Chie said.

Naoto didn't answer as she stood in a preparatory stance, as if she was ready to arrest a dangerous perp.. She looked at Yu and said to him, "Three. Two. One… Go!"

Yu pulled back the curtain and opened the sliding shoji door.

You in Wonderland

The room appeared to be a weird version of Alice in Wonderland. There were cards floating in midair it seemed. Though one seemed to get larger and smaller. The red carpet was on the ceiling as well. There were other designs, some from the story…some…unusual.

"Is this display based on a children's story?" Yukiko asked. "It must have been a lot of work."

"You've never heard of…? Oh wait… no princes…" Charles said with a chuckle.

"There is the Knave of Hearts…" Naoto said.

"Not princely enough…" Yukiko said seriously and Charles said with a snicker.

Naoto just shook her head. "Rise0san… Please search this area with Himiko."

Rise was stunned. "Whoa, wait a sec. We're at school! I can't summon Himiko here! Why are you making me call out to her for no reason? This is so awkward…"

"Humor me," Naoto calmly said, brooking no argument.

Minako looked at Naoto. Experience and knowledge of her cousin made her agree. "Rise, please do it…"

"Mina-senpai…" Rise said.

Minako put her hands in Rise's. "Rise-chan…it's okay if you don't want to try. I'll call Hangaku and no one will think less of you."

Everyone other than Yu was confused and so didn't say anything.

Rise took a breath. "No, Mina…let me do it… Himiko IS more powerful…" Rise said.

"Showoff…" Minako snickered as she squeezed Rise's shoulder in a friendly manner.

Rise looked at Naoto to see if she had changed her mind. She hadn't.

Rise was blushing with bashfulness. "Fiiiine, if you insist… But don't blame me if this gets weird, okay?" Then she took a breath. "P-Persona!"

To Rise's surprise, Himiko DID appear! "Wha?! It worked?!"

Everyone but Yu, Naoto, and Minako were stunned. Yukiko had her hands to her mouth, her eyes wide.

"I knew it…" Naoto said.

"Are we…inside the TV? But we never went into one… and I don't see any fog here."

Upon hearing that, Charles went to the 'shrubbery' and started vomiting.

"EW!" Rise and Teddie said.

"Rise-chan! Teddie! Chuck's freaked out right now!" Yukiko said, putting her hand on his back as he vomited again.

"Chuck…you haven't done this since that first time in Mayonaka…" Chie said, also putting her hand on his back.

"I'm sorry, guys… This is seriously freaking me out."

"Hey, dude! It's okay. This ain't entirely the normal shit we deal with so it doesn't make you less of a man. Just…don't let me see your puke…"

"I'm beary sensitive about vomit! I had to clean up after you last time!" Teddie said.

"No you didn't…You told me you would have, but you said you were 'beary afraid that beary many Haberles would come flying out at you and rip your fur beary badly'" Yosuke said.

"I bear-live this is my story and I'll tell it how I like," Teddie replied.

Rise wanted to apologize but Himiko detected something. "Hold on… I'm sensing Shadows up ahead."

"Better not have been because they could smell Chuck's puke…" James said. "You okay, lad?" he asked Charles with genuine concern.

"I will be… I just have a hard time getting used to freaky stuff."

"You didn't used to," Chris said. "You used to look at the Temple of Doom bug scene and be all like, 'Needs more bugs'."

"I know…and then last month I saw it on TV and I was scared," Charles said.

"I think we need to talk to Uncle Matt. I think your recent…trauma in January may have affected you in your brain. Caused slight alterations…" Chris said.

"Oh, god… I was told I didn't have brain damage."

"Let's not worry about Charles to the exclusion of all else right now, though we should keep an eye on him until he gets used to things here. You detected Shadows, Rise?" Yu said.

"One, two… Tons of them! Some really strong ones, too!" Rise said.

"Oh, c'mon! IF there were Shadows around, there's no way I wouldn't sniff them out," Teddie said. Then he started sniffing. "*sniff-sniff* *sniff-sniff*! Hm hm… See…there's… tons of them?! The Shadows are actually here!"

Chie was stunned. "Whoa, there really are Shadows here?! Wh-What should we do?"

"I think we need to go further…" Yu said.

"All right," Chie said. "I guess we can't leave them alone, so let's take a peek."

"Okay. I'll back you guys up from here, then," Rise said.

"Huh?" Kanji said. "Then I'm stayin' behind too."

"Haha," Rise said, jumping up and down with glee. "Are you volunteering for bodyguard duty? That's so sweet of you, Kanji-chan."

Kanji was blushing. "I…I don't wanna hear any complaints if a Shadow attacks… that's all…"

"I'm just teasing, Kanji… Well then Senpai, I'll wait out here with Kanji," Rise said to Yu.

"Should Chuck stay here?" Yosuke asked.

"No, I'm good," Charles said.

"Not completely… but he is ready to go…" Another voice said.

"HOLY FUCKING SODDING SHIT!" Chris said. "It's bloody true! You are alive, Katie!"

Siobhan smiled and then hugged Chris. "Chris! It's been four years! Can't even get a chance to go to my funeral?"

"I was in rehab…or still in my coma…can't remember," Chris said.

"I'm teasing," Siobhan said.

"Where have you been, Katie?" Charles said.

"Checking out the festival outside…" Siobhan said calmly.

"You mean you could have come out anytime!" Rise said, clenching her fists and stomping her foot, annoyed that she had to call Himiko.

"Not anytime…only when it was funny…" Siobhan said gravely.

Rise blew air impatiently out of her lips. "You make things very annoying, Siobhan-san,"

"I try…" she giggled.

"Then if Siobhan-san…" Naoto said, surprised that she was actually here. She had heard the story about how she became bonded to Charles as his Persona…but was still in disbelief that there was a living, breathing, dead person talking to people. "…is willing to join you, then I must apologize… but I'm going to investigate elsewhere. There's something else that's caught my attention…"

Kanji was confused. "Huh? Oh, sure…"

Yosuke said, "I'll go with Naoto, then. You guys got nothing to worry about with my Partner there."

"I'd like to join you two. I there's a mystery afoot, either I or William need to be there," James said to Naoto and Yosuke.

"Sure, two Detectives are better than one…" Yosuke said.

Naoto blushed and pulled the brim of her cap down. "I…cannot argue with Yosuke-senpai's logic…"

"Gee, thanks…" James said dourly.

"Forgive me, Lad…but this will have to be a solo Sykes operation, as I'm keeping an eye on Chuck…that is, if you have no problem, Narukami?"

Yu looked at Chris. Minako said, "I can vouch for Chris. He's a good field medic and his Persona's good in a pinch. In fact, we'll need him in a pinch in case Yukiko and Konohana Sakuya unexpectedly get exhausted."

Yu smiled slightly. "Sure, Chris, but I don't want you going your own way. I call out a command…you follow it…unlike some dearly departed people I could mention…" he said, looking at Siobhan.

"You don't ask a top scorer and offensive rebounder to always play defense. Sometimes you win the game by going to basket with authority or taking the key three."

"Even top scorers and offensive rebounders can be benched…" Yu said, slightly smirking.

"Fine. Whatever," Siobhan said, folding her arms and huffing.

"Mina and her brother led, I followed. You lead, Narukami, I'll follow. I don't challenge authority like my twin brothers, Abby, and Bully."

"God…does he challenge authority. He once wanted to wrestle a guy for his job…" Charles said.

"What was the problem with that?" Yukiko asked.

"It was the Prime Minister of Britain!" Charles said.

Everyone sweatdropped except for Charles, James, and Chris.

"That was one of the best Sykes arrests that ended in 2+ years' probation," James said fondly.

"Aye…Number 7…"

Everyone sweatdropped again.

"Be careful, guys…" Yu said as he decided to change the subject and break everybody into the teams.

"Okay." Yosuke said. "Let's meet back where we just came in from. Don't let your guard down!"

Everybody broke up into their separate groups. Yu was left wondering if they were in Mayonaka, their own world…or somewhere else.

He pushed the question to the back part of his mind. Investigation would reveal things soon enough.

…

He hoped.