August 9th, Tuesday, TV World

"So, Sayoko. Any funny names?" - I asked, looking at the landscape.

Basically a long succession of stages, backstages and dressing rooms with enough costumes of just about all kinds - and mixed inbetween - together. On the floor, were the lights. The ceilings and walls were curtains and modern special-effects equipment shared a space with stuff that would be outdated back in Shakespeare's time.

"Theatre of the Absurd?" - Was Sayoko's answer - "Well, let's go save Juliet before she drinks that nice, tasty cup of poison..."

I nodded as we made our way.

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The last gallery - the Final Act - was a stage in front of an audience.

An audience made up entirely of Yumis.

"Yeah, that's not weird or anything..." - Said Yosuke, sarcastically.

Yumi was in her school uniform, looking annoyedly at her persona.

"How can you love that man?" - She asked - "Dammit... How can we love that man? He left us! He vanished, left us and our mom by ourselves... Having to comfort ourselves... And now... Now he has the gall to come back just because he got sick? It's not fair!"

"But daddy gave us life! And he took us to the park when we were little and he said he loved us..." - Said the shadow.

"Then one day we woke up and he was gone! Ugh... This is insane! Why am I screwed up enough to have a part of me, no matter how small, love him?" - Asked Yumi - "And... Jeez, why is a part of me all mushy? That's embarrassing! Besides, what will it take for you, or I, or us, to stop loving him, then? Him leaving again?"

"Love and trust are two very different things..." - Said Miss Sofue.

"Ohh, plot twist." - Said one of the Yumis in the audience.

Miss Sofue looked at the audience, then at us, then back at the audience.

"You were hurt by him. And you may well ultimately despise him. But your feelings will always be in conflict in this matter." - She said, loudly - and to the audience.

"Is she acting?" - Yukiko asked.

"Yep." - Said Chie.

"But why?" - Asked Yumi, near tears - "Why does it have to be like this? This..."

"You're a good person." - Said Kanji, wincing as a limelight focused on him - "You're rightfully pissed with your dad right now and you have every right to hate him, but you still find it within yourself to love him a bit and to miss him a little..."

"I liked when he said he loved me..." - Said the shadow - "I wanna act for him... Make him proud..."

Yumi glared at her shadow.

"If he's even in the audience." - She spat - "Otherwise, I might be too busy helping mom through her second disappointment with the same man to act!"

"The decision on whether or not to forgive him is yours, and yours alone, Yumi." - Said Naoto, stepping forth and looking at the audience - "But, in order to even make an informed decision not to forgive him, you must admit that a part of you wants to."

Yumi looked at her shadow.

"...you're an idiot. Heh. I guess that means I'm an idiot. But fine. I'll... think on it. I don't think I'll ever actually forgive him. I most certainly won't ever trust him again. But come with me to the Velvet Room and I'll consider it. Okay?"

"Okay..." - Said her shadow, who then looked at Teddie.

"OH, SO CUTE! SO CUTE! CUTE, CUTE, CUTE!" - She shouted like a child, giggling and hugging an extremely flustered Teddie - "I wanna take you home!"

The audience laughed as Yumi blushed furiously and Teddie didn't show any signs at all of minding the pretty girl in a low-cut dress higging him.

Yumi sighed.

"First rule of theater, whatever happens, make it seem like that's the way it's supposed to go..." - She muttered to herself, then joined hands with Miss Sofue and Kanji, gesturing the rest of us to join.

She bowed to the audience, along with us all.

"Don't you find it unsettling to have your twins applaud you?" - I asked as we took the bow.

"An audience is an audience is an audience." - Said Yumi, cheerfully - "Let's go."

Yumi's expression turned dark almost immediately after we left the stage, even as her shadow carried Teddie, still giggling like a child.

"And scene." - She said, ruefully - "It sucks. That's the entire problem, it still sucks. Heck, I was actually beginning to feel sorry for that piece of garbage when he was dying..."

"Omnes te moriturum amant." - Said Miss Sofue - "Everybody loves you when you are about to die."

"Yeah, it does, as you put it, suck." - Said Mitsuru - "But you shall not face it alone."

"You don't need to become my friends if you don't want to." - Said Yumi - "I outright said my motivations weren't good at all and you don't need to do it out of pity."

"You misunderstand." - Said Miss Sofue - "A common cause and common enemies foster friendship. Besides which you were sincere towards us and you are gentler than you allow yourself to show."

"You wished to escape. Very well; for now, you shall." - Said Mitsuru - "But you will have to face your situation at some point. And at that point you shall have support."

"Plus, you did deliver on your side of the bargain." - Said Rise, smiling - "So, we kinda have to do our part as well, right?"

"And your side was just getting me the persona and allowing me in. You have no obligation to support me." - Said Yumi.

"Rules of the group." - Said my uncle - "We support one another. That's our fine print. Besides, you're one to talk, Yu and Amagi have come to you with their problems!"

"For now, however, after obtaining your persona, you are to go over the script." - Said Mitsuru.

"Script?" - Asked Yumi.

"Surely you did not think the play was a fake." - Said Mitsuru, smirking.

"See? Support." - I said, smirking myself.

Yumi actually smiled lightly.

"Oh, and... So... My classmate is a goddess..." - She said, her smile growing - "Heh. This whole thing is insane..."

"Looks like we have a new Yosuke on the team." - Said Chie, to which Yukiko started a giggling fit.

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August 9th, Tuesday, Velvet Room

"Wooooow..." - Said Yumi, looking around.

Yukiko became the perfect hostess once more, her clothes actually morphing.

"New power." - I said as she nodded and began to take our orders.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room, Artist. I am Igor..." - Said Igor.

"This... This place looks amazing..." - Said Yumi.

"It does sit between dream and reality..." - Said Igor, smirking - "Now. The Hostess shall provide you with your key after you have accepted your persona..."

"Between dream and reality? C-can I stay here as long as I like?" - Asked Yumi.

Margaret looked evenly at her.

"You may, if it helps you cope. But it will not accomplish anything besides that."

Yumi looked seriously at Margaret and nodded.

She then looked at her shadow and sighed.

"I... Don't like to admit it. But... Yes. You are me. You and I are one and the same and I can't ignore you just to make you go away. It's not fair to either of us..." - She said - "So if you admit that part of you won't ever trust him again, I'll admit that part of me still loves him..."

The shadow nodded gently and turned into an elfin version of Yumi herself, wearing a medieval european man's garb.

"Heh. You're beautiful, Viola. And... Hehe..." - She looked at me for a moment and smiled.

And, suddenly, I was staring at myself, body, clothes and all.

"Not an illusion. I... can trans... form..." - Said Yumi, in my body, with my voice, as she, or right then he, fell asleep.

"She'll be anyone but herself for a while..." - Said Sayoko, with a sad smile on her face.

I nodded as I carried him with my uncle to the nearest couch.

"Shapeshifter actress." - Said my uncle, pensively - "With... At least some issues that need addressing."

"Yeah, we should tread lightly..." - Said Rise as we sat and waited...