A heavy wind shook the curtains of the Velvet Room as Nameless slammed away on the keys of his piano.
Igor watched the curtain sway violently with a devious smile on his face. "The resulting Persona is…." He said dramatically. The curtain soon lifted as the atmosphere in the room began to calm, revealing the gargantuan rotating card of a Persona, one called from the depths of the user's soul.
Igor straightened his tie and held out his hand. The card was quickly surrounded in smoke with a loud 'Poof'. A smaller, much more manageable version of the card fluttered down into his open palm. "Aizen Myouou, an Occult sub-type of the Hierophant Arcana." He read out, proud of the successful fusion.
Igor shut his flip phone and stuffed it back into his jacket pocket. Belladonna and Nameless picked up their normal songs, the tunes they specifically designed to sooth the human soul. He found the effectiveness varied with each user. The musicians said they were still work shopping it, hoping to raise the potency with each version. He eagerly looked forward to each iteration of it.
He turned to the Persona-user before him, a skinny man in his early twenties. Igor seemed to recall that his name was Hondo...maybe? He was bad with names, especially with how many visitors they could get. Igor held out the card for him, gently cradling it between his pointer and middle fingers.
"Perfect," The man said, violently snatching the card from Igor's hand. "I could get some use out of this one." Igor was almost shocked it didn't tear. Far too many people seemed to see Personas as a tool or a weapon rather than for their actual purpose; understanding a part of themselves better.
"Please take good care of it…" He warned the user. The man either didn't hear or didn't care. He simply turned on his heel and made for the exit. He threw the door open and disappeared into the bright light beyond it, returning from wherever he came. Igor shook his head as his desk and chair materialized in the center of the room with another 'poof'. This one with much lighter smoke.
"…You're welcome…" He grumbled out.
Igor had seen many Persona-users come and go during his time as the proprietor of the Velvet Room. People of all different shapes and sizes had come through that door. Sometimes they got repeat visits, usually not. Igor rarely knew what happened to the user after they left.
To Igor's right, Belladonna and Nameless slowly drew their beautiful song to a close before relaxing. Nameless cracked his knuckles while Belladonna drank from a glass of water she kept nearby.
"Nothing like another satisfied customer…" Belladonna grumbled between sips.
"I'm sure we will get a glowing review." Igor muttered.
"You could have put a little more effort into it, Igor." Nameless said, disappointment evident on his face... or was that concern? Sometimes it was hard to tell with that blindfold on his face.
"He asked for a fusion, I gave it to him. We did our job, that's enough for me." Igor sighed, hoping to end the conversation.
"That wasn't even an Arcana he'd be strong in," Nameless Scolded. "Aizen Myouou is a part of the Hierophant Arcana, but he's a Chariot! Those two don't mix well!"
"A fact he should already be aware of." Igor responded tiredly.
"Our job is to make them aware of it, Igor." Belladonna chimed in.
He had received complaints before of so-called 'weak' Personas and accusations that he'd supposedly messed up during the fusion process. Sure, a fusion could occasionally be botched but a Persona is only as strong as the user understands themselves. As they grow, they outgrow the old Persona. Further, if the Persona's Arcana is a far-cry from the user's, it won't work. Opposites do not attract, in this case. A weak one was far more often to blame on the User's poor self-reflection than Igor's fusion technique.
The Personas and the Velvet Room were designed by Philemon to give people the chance to understand themselves on a deeper level. Despite this, Igor had seen plenty of people ignore his guidance, tossing aside the opportunity of rumination in exchange for the thrill of power. Igor continued to fail to understand the creatures who were responsible for his creation. If they wanted to squander their opportunity to be their true mind, so be it.
"Our job is to run the Velvet Room. What happens to our visitors after they leave is irrelevant." Igor said flatly. "…Besides, I doubt the card will last long. With how he snatched it from me, I wouldn't be surprised if it gets ruined within the week."
"What if he wants another one to replace it?" Belladonna asked.
"Then he'd have to find and bring the two cards we used to make that one. We'll make it, maybe answer a question or two from him, and send him on his way." Igor said, his tone indicating the conversation was over. The musicians gave each other a concerned glance before shaking their heads.
Ignoring his coworker's disapproval, Igor picked up his quill, dipped it in his ink bottle and began to write in an open book on his desk. He grumbled to himself as his quill danced across the page.
"Aizen Myouou, Hierophant Arcana. Mr. Hondo, Chariot Arcana…." He quickly checked his pocket watch. "12:42pm, June 25th, 1995." He was never good at this either. The human concept of time meant little to him. Minutes, hours, days, he understood it factually, but he struggled to wrap his mind around the point of it. It made sense to Philemon though and that's what mattered.
Igor dropped the quill back into the bottle, a gentle 'tink' sounding across the quiet room. He leaned back in his chair.
The three attendants soon became enveloped in their own tasks. Belladonna practicing her high notes, Nameless writing a new hook for the next iteration of "Aria of The Soul" as they called it, and Igor filing papers.
Nameless clacked away at the piano keys before he looked up to his coworkers.
"Hey… Any idea where the spell cards come from?" He asked curiously.
"What?" Igor asked, raising an eyebrow. Belladonna looked away from her sheet music and turned to him with an equally puzzled look.
"The spell cards… where do they come from?" He asked again. "I know demons drop them when they die, but does someone actually make the cards or…?"
Belladonna held a finger up to her chin. "I suppose someone must make them… I'll admit it's not something I've thought much about."
Igor cocks his head at Nameless, even though the pianist probably couldn't see it. "Why do you ask?"
Nameless shrugged, dropping his hands back on the keys and smacking a handful of notes in the process. "I simply find it strange the user would need to regather cards they've already gathered before. Is the Persona not just an aspect of their soul? Can't we just resummon it? …Do we not have extra cards?"
Igor shook his head. "Yes. No and No. It's not like you can buy a set at Satomi Tadashi. It would be far too difficult to create our own as well." Igor raised an eyebrow. "Unless any of us are hiding some painterly talents?"
The two musicians shook their heads. Igor rubs his chin in thought before picking up his quill once more and flipping to a page near the back of the book.
"You make a good point, Nameless. Perhaps a more convenient method should be made available in the future..." Igor spoke as he wrote. "I will have to think over it..."
He had taken many notes over the years on ways to improve the Velvet Room. Igor quietly looked back through the list. An assistant to keep track of all the records, a compendium of Personas a user had previously summoned, entertainment for the attendants, various furniture, etc. Multiple pages of ideas to build on the functionality of the Velvet Room. He never did anything with them. Why bother going to such lengths when ultimately, the humans they worked to assist would so rarely utilize it?
Igor returned the quill and shut the book lightly.
He watched Belladonna and Nameless continue their practice. That was a good question... why bother? If so few had taken the opportunity, what was the point? Igor stared at his gloved hands for a moment. They were the hands of a servant of Philemon and the proprietor of the Velvet Room, a space between the conscious and unconscious. A space meant to help young Persona-users find themselves.
"Be your true mind."
The deep, all-consuming voice of Philemon echos through Igor's mind. His boss had used that phrase many times before. A phrase that means to understand yourself on the deepest level possible. He had yet to see a human truly embrace this phrase.
That was why he bothered with this. For the opportunity to see a young person shape themselves into the fine adult they are meant to be. The moment a person truly becomes their true mind. He wanted to see that moment. He wasn't sure if he ever would, but he was willing to keep trying.
The edges of the door began to glow a light blue. Belladonna and Nameless quickly resumed their song. Igor sat up straight at his desk. The door creaked open as the next user came through. Igor cleared his throat.
"Welcome to the Velvet Room. What is it you desire?"