May 7th, after school, by Daidara's...
"Seven people." - I said, sighing - "One will likely come up in a limo. One, wearing a pharaoh's headdress. One is a police officer. Somehow I doubt we'll go unnoticed."
"Uhm, yeah, Kirijo-san already made quite an impression yesterday at home..." - Said Yukiko, sighing.
"Call me Mitsuru." - Came the voice behind us.
"KYAH!" - Yukiko jumped - "K-Kirijo-san! I-I mean, Mitsuru-san! I-I..."
Mitsuru, who was wearing her hair in braids this time, giggled softly.
"I suppose there is some fun to be had in doing this. It is fine, Amagi. I shall tell a friend later. However, the fact to which you allude did not go unnoticed. Neither by me, nor by your teacher..."
Mitsuru pointed and, sure enough, there was Miss Sofue. As it turned out, her hair was light brown and shoulder-length; likewise, no eyeliner this time. Her rod was nowhere to be seen, but she was carrying an unusually large purse.
"Greetings, everybody." - She said, cheerfully - "So, today is the day you find out uncomfortable truths about your teacher, yes?"
"You seem oddly comfortable with it, Sofue-sensei..." - Said Yosuke.
"Uhm, you might well find out uncomfortable stuff, too. You should remember that..." - Said Chie - "Not to put too fine a point on it, but I really do not want to fight a mummy!"
Miss Sofue nodded.
"All of which are small sacrifices. I shall also fight if need be, for the advancement of the world..."
"You can fight?" - Asked Yukiko.
"Let me guess." - Said Mitsuru - "Your weapon is an Egyptian flail."
Miss Sofue smirked and opened her purse slightly. Sure enough, her divining rod was there along with another rod, with three weights attached to it by a chain.
"Wow. How did you guess?" - I asked, sarcastically, smirking.
"Fight with what you know." - Said Miss Sofue, smiling - "Besides which... I also have my Fangs of the Aspis..."
"Uh... What, like, daggers?" - Asked Yosuke.
She moved her purse a bit, revealing a pair of hand tasers.
With empty syringes attached to them.
"So... Shocking plus embolism with the syringes." - Said Yosuke.
"Yes, well, these are just the empty ones." - Said Miss Sofue, calmly closing her purse.
"How did you..." - Chie began - "You know what? On a second thought, don't tell me, I want to hang on to the cheery, funny, harmless image of Queen Tut a little longer..."
"I do suppose it is not easy to keep a formal demeanor when your teacher has just shown you a veritable arsenal..." - said Miss Sofue, smiling - "Oh, and there is Dojima-san."
Indeed, my uncle was walking towards us.
"Hello, everyone... Let's get this show on the road, I guess..." - He said, briskly walking into Daidara's.
"I'm pretty sure he blushed a bit when he saw Sofue-sensei minus the headpiece..." - Said Chie, smirking.
All of us entered Daidara's.
"Micchan!"
And that was Daidara, passing right by us like we weren't even there, grabbing an insanely embarassed Mitsuru in a bear hug and not seeming at all inclined to let go.
"Er... H-hello, Daidara-san... It... Has been a long time..." - She muttered.
"Everyone has a past." - Said Uncle Dojima, faux-seriously - "It behooves you all to remember that."
After a good ten minutes of laughter by Yukiko and once Mitsuru finally convinced Daidara to let her go and that she was, yes, eating right and staying warm during the winter months, it was time to get down to business.
"Daidara-san..." - Said Mitsuru - "As I understand, you have been selling your weapons to them at a loss... And buying materials from them likewise. Yes?"
Daidara nodded.
"Yes. I would like to do more for their cause, but..."
Mitsuru nodded.
"Say no more. While they will still need to obtain the materials, I shall provide you with the money. Their weapons are now for free." - She said, plainly - "And... Old man, never vanish and refrain from asking for help again. I care about you, too. How many people did you have to talk to about the incident before these four?"
"None." - Said Daidara, gloomly.
Mitsuru produced a business card and handed it to him.
"Any time. Any place. That simple." - She said.
Then, she turned to us.
"We are done here for now." - She said.
As we left the store, Chie perked up.
"Hey..." - She said - "You said there was an entrance to that velvet room thing here, yes? Why don't we use it instead of risking Sofue-sensei being too tired after meeting her shadow?"
I nodded and produced the key.
"Okay, first of all, do you see it?" - I asked. Everyone nodded.
I put the key to the door.
"Press your hands on the door, I guess. I hope it's enough..." - I said.
They pressed their hands on what was clearly the air as far as they were concerned...
The room was much bigger, a living room, still blue and velvety, still with a cold quality to it that I could not explain.
No longer a limo room...
It made sense.
The seven of us would never fit in a limo...
"Ahhh... Very interesting indeed... The contract-holder decided to bring... Support... Yes? Or maybe others to know more of this journey..."
That was Igor, his voice smiling and his smile speaking volumes - as always. Everyone seemed to decide it was best not to interrupt him.
"I do believe you shall need chairs, yes? Each of you has a lot to ask. A lot to discuss. And a lot to say... Now, then... Here, where dream and reality meet... Like the proverbial contract... You all have entered here of your own free will... You must remember that... You must always remember that... Two empresses. One priestess. The chariot and the magician. And the hierophant... This, my friends, is Margaret. And she will aid in explaining all of what I can explain, yes?"
He began to shuffle his tarot deck, still smiling.
"Shall we begin?"