"...So. I decidedly like none of that!"

A few buildings away from the Iwatodai dorm, the stranger who had directed the Arisatos to their destination leaned against her scythe as she faced in the direction of the dorm. The odd golden green light of the moon cast the red accents of her outfit into sharp contrast, the black and white fabric of her hoodie and pants almost blurred into the cityscape around her.

She frowned, the hand holding onto her scythe tapping against the lightly curved haft. "That first big thing was on one HELL of a mission, even for a Shadow." She mused. "But what in all of this warped creation was that second thing?! I could have been halfway to Hokkaido and felt that!"

Cloudy, lilac colored eyes narrowed in the dorm's direction. "Especially since it just. Poofed. Gone, nothing to see here! Fully 'I'm out, peace', without a word or hint as to what it could be!" She huffed at that, swinging her scythe onto her shoulders as she spoke.

Both arms draped over it, the young woman turned to leave when the light began to shift back to normal, the distant bell making her frown. "Aaaand piffle." She sighed. "I wanted to go and poke around where that first big thing spawned from. It'd be bad if another doorway or something opened up." Walking to the edge of the building she stood on, her head tilted one way, and then the other, white and black hair slipping over her shoulder in a loose, low ponytail. "Mmm. don't 'see' or hear anyone, so …"

Shifting the grip on her scythe just a bit, the woman jumped. A flash of unseen energy followed her, and if anyone had been awake to look outside, they would have glimpsed a set of large wings that seemed to rend the air around them. It was only a momentary thing, and the woman landed lightly into a crouch on the sidewalk below. "I mean, I guess I could still poke it with the pointy end, but I don't think I'll get results until tomorrow."

Even as she spoke to the air, the young woman walked down the road, seemingly uncaring that she was walking down a city street with a scythe back across both shoulders. A contented hum slipped out of her lips, fingers tapping out the rhythm on the weapon's haft.

She was walking for all of five minutes when a cheerful ringing came from the pocket of her hoodie, making her eyebrows raise. "Huh!" One hand let go of the scythe to reach into the pocket, pulling out a phone and hitting the 'accept call' button without breaking stride. "Ding dong it's me, your pizza is a bit delayed~"

"... Why. Why do you answer the phone like this?" The speaker on the other end of the line sighed.

"Because you have adorable reactions to it." She simply laughed at the second sigh as she continued walking. "Okay, but in all seriousness, that greeting confuses telemarketers enough I know to hang up on them."

"That makes more sense."

"You're still adorable." The young lady simply chuckled before her tone turned serious. "I take it you guys all felt that shitshow?"

"Chidori woke up screaming from a dead sleep, and Takaya fell off of his futon." The speaker confirmed. "What the hell WAS that?!"

"Dunno, but I am pretty sure anyone who can be in the Dark Hour felt that fucker." stopping to lean against the base of a street light, the young woman hummed. "Did Chii feel that first ping? That's what caught my attention."

"Briefly, yeah; she fell asleep after she made sure it wasn't headed in our direction."

"Yeah. whatever that first ping was, it seemed to be heading to the spot the 'cool kids' hang out at." Chuckling darkly, the young woman shifted and lifted her head to the light overhead; it was buzzing loudly to her ears. "But couldn't tell you why, unless the big thing picked up one of the siblings I directed that way Monday night."

"Ma - wait. What!? Repeat that, Lucky Miki?"

'Lucky Miki' just shrugged, even knowing the person she was speaking to couldn't see her. "Couple of transfer students, if I had to guess? One of them sounded to be an Osaka Firecracker like you, Jin. Both of them felt like they were kinda dormant, but unless someone at the dorm is able to probe people before they enroll, that might have been a pure crapshoot on the gang's end."

The now named Jin let out a low hum, and Lucky Miki wagered he was leaning back in his chair. "This implies that they got lucky, and both of the transfer students 'woke up'?"

"One of them was semi-active when I first bumped into them. She had a kinda bubble around her though; wonder if it was keeping the Shadows from nibbling on her?" Resuming her walk, Lucky Miki slipped down a lesser used road. "I'll have to ask Sensei for more details when she gets back from that business trip."

"When will that be?"

"Early June; apparently it's something she's been having fights over for years, but it's nearing the end." At that, she hummed and paused. "But I'm under strict orders to not do 'unsupervised alchemy', so I'm only doing basic stuff for now. You three gonna be okay?"

"... Yeah. We'll manage." Jin's voice suddenly sounded leagues more tired. "Chidori's been pushing how long she can go without, and it's been helping a fair bit."

"Creepy guy do a drop off at any point recently?"

"Earlier tonight, for a list of worrying coincidences." Jin gave a sigh. "Even if it's just about a dozen set aside for you to fuck with, we should be okay. If problems come up, I'll let you know, but I know that's a last resort only."

Lucky Miki gave a small smile, and hummed into the phone. "Rather have to play 'whack a mole' with your brains than let you guys die, y'know?" At Jin's snort, she shook her head. "You know I mean it, dumbass."

"It's the delivery that got me. Or maybe I just need sleep."

"Or yes." Coming to a stop outside a small, single story home, Lucky Miki lifted her head to the general direction of the full moon. "Go to bed, Jin; things seem to have settled down for tonight, but I'll poke the 'spawn point' for the first big ugly tomorrow. And I'll give Sensei a call at saner waking hours. Give Chii a hug for me?"

"She'll give you another pillow smack the next time you check on us, but alright." She could hear the headshake in Jin's voice, but he didn't seem upset by the request. "You get some sleep as well, alright Miki? Don't wear yourself out running around all the time … and don't forget your iron vitamins again."

"I did that one time -"

"And I had to rush you to the emergency room because you collapsed in the middle of the music store." Jin countered. "Stop overexerting yourself."

"... You know I can't promise that." Miki sighed, the hand on her scythe tightening.

Jin's responding sigh was far heavier than the previous ones. "The alternative is I text you so you get a reminder at lunchtime. I've heard the notification sound you put for my number, you can't ignore it. That is not a challenge either-"

Miki let out a small laugh and shook her head. "Alright, alright. We both need sleep." she said instead, fumbling in a pocket for keys. "I'll send word after I talk with Sensei about what it could be, because whatever the FUCK that was, it sure as hell wasn't normal Shadow behavior."

"That's for damn sure. But yeah … bedtime for both of us." There was a yawn under Jin's words, and it made Miki chuckle a bit more. "G'night."

"Night~" she replied, the conversation going dead as she opened the door to the house. Even as she tucked the phone back into a pocket and shut the door behind her, Miki's jovial expression sombered. "I really hope that big bastard isn't the start of a countdown…"

With that last thought, she tucked the scythe into a broom closet and locked the door behind her, ready for bed.

Mitsuru let out a heavy sigh as she sat down in the dorm's dining room, rubbing her forehead. All things considered, the chaos of the previous night had been far less destructive than it could have been … Shinjiro taking out the door to the roof aside.

'At least he voluntarily went to get a replacement today.' Mitsuru thought to herself in dry amusement. 'But there was just that, the cable wire being severed by the Shadow scaling the building, and the broken window on the second floor for building damages.' The hand not rubbing her forehead began to tap the table, a habit she had when trying to compartmentalise her thoughts.

The window would be fixed fastest after the door, but the internet cables … "Those were in need of an update, but finding one who won't question the command terminal …" Mitsuru sighed aloud at that, making a mental note to have Ikutsuki handle that. He tended to have better luck with that sort of smokescreen work.

'And as for our own injuries … only Akihiko got severely hurt.' Mitsuru winced at that thought; a lesser Shadow that had followed the massive one had gotten an unexpected shot off. It had been enough to send Akihiko into the dorm's bike rack and, from the sound of it, crack a couple of ribs.

'From the sound of it at the hospital, it'll be something he can recover from after a month or so. Hopefully he won't complain overmuch, but he's sobered up about injuries like that in recent years.' The grim thought made Mitsuru shift in her seat, opting to instead stare at the whiteboard that allotted weekly chores for the dorm. She didn't fully see it, instead focusing on the blank spots that hopefully would belong to the Arisato twins.

"That's still the largest mystery from last night." She muttered to herself, a deep frown on her face. "What was that … thing? It wasn't a Shadow, but not quite a Persona either …"

"Oh, so you do have names for those things!"

Kotone's voice behind her made Mitsuru jolt more than she thought possible, her chair knocked over from the abrupt way she stood up. The junior mercifully stood to one side of the chair, but didn't bother to catch it as it clattered to the floor.

Turning to look at her, Mitsuru noted grimly that Kotone's face, while pleasant, did not exactly inspire the senior with confidence that things would be easily brushed aside this time. Crimson eyes locked onto carmine, and it took all of the control Mitsuru could muster not to balk.

Why were those eyes so unnerving?

Kotone just smiled. "Sorry to spook you, but I wanted to talk to you before you disappeared on me." she said, and while her voice was friendly, Mitsuru knew instantly she wasn't getting out of this conversation.

"That … is understandable." Mitsuru admitted, doing her best to untense her shoulders. "Last night was … a bit of an eclectic mess."

"I'll say. I don't think I've seen those 'Shadows' ever get taller than ankle biter height." Kotone nodded, shifting her school bag to set it on the table. "Gotta admit, 'Shadow' is a more sensible name than 'Ankle biter', but that's semantics territory." The casual tone of her voice only made Mitsuru tense again, and the senior had to fight to not fold her arms over her chest.

Even with Akihiko stating that Kotone had been aware for eight years, it was unnerving to see someone this calm about it all.

At that, Mitsuru let her senses spread out a bit, curiosity taking over her. Kotone's Potential was there, vibrant; the echoing sensation, however, was gone.

She blinked.

"That's … strange." Mitsuru noted, more to herself than Kotone. The auburn girl still seemed to hear her, because her head tilted and she let out a questioning noise. Shifting on her feet, Mitsuru gave a vague wave in Kotone's direction. "Before last night, your Persona - the marionette you called upon last night - had a strange sort of echo around it. But that echo is no longer there."

"Persona …" Kotone repeated the word, her hand going to the blue and gold brooch she wore with her uniform. "Bringing in Psychology to the whole mix? Fun times." At that, she hopped up to sit on the table, not once breaking eye contact with Mitsuru. "Is it safe to guess that everyone who's in this dorm has one?"

"Not Amada." Mitsuru responded instantly. "He's … sensitive to the Dark Hour, yes, but -"

"You even have a name for the timeframe?" Kotone's eyebrows arched as she cut in. "I'm somewhere between surprised and suspicious as hell right about now, hearing that."

There was an edge to Kotone's voice that Mitsuru hadn't anticipated, and she felt words temporarily escape her brain. "I - I'm aware the ability to call forth a Persona is rare, but. Have you really not found another? Not with how far you've travelled?"

"Not a one." one of Kotone's hands was drumming on the table now. "And then, Minato and I move here. To a 'test run' co-op dorm, where we suddenly find four other people - in our age range, at that! - who can do this whole Persona thing. And a small kid that we're keeping safe, I assume?"

Mitsuru nodded in confirmation at that, and Kotone gave a bittersweet smile. "That's a relief that Ken-kun doesn't have to get his hands dirty." she continued, the smile dropping instantly as crimson eyes narrowed on the senior. "But still. To go from nothing to all of this in a week? After getting into a school by what I thought was sheer dumb luck, with the track record I had at Narumi? I smell spoiled fish."

It took all of Mitsuru's control to not let on that her stomach had started to knot the longer Kotone spoke. What was worse was that she wasn't fully certain how to respond. Yukari hadn't really questioned much when she had first been found to have the Potential, beyond what all being in the Dark Hour was like and how to activate this 'Potential'.

As it was, the intense stare was making it harder to tug out the words Mitsuru knew she needed in the moment, even if it was just enough to pacify Kotone and get the junior girl to back down, if only until her brother regained consciousness. Mitsuru didn't want to risk his temper being even worse than his sister's.

"... I admit, you and your brother coming here was indeed sheer dumb luck." She finally managed to get out, forcing her voice to remain level. "Until you walked through the front doors while the Dark Hour was going on, nobody here had any idea that either of you were aware of it."

"And if Minato and I hadn't been put in a situation that was 'hey call out a Persona or become a zombie' last night?" Kotone's eyes narrowed further, the crimson color seeming to darken. "Would you have kept us here, oblivious?"

"It wouldn't be wise to cause panic -"

"Oh there would have been more than panic if that thing had gotten one of us last night, I promise you that." The drumming fingers stopped, Kotone's lips drawn into a tight, thin line. "What good comes from keeping it secret to people you live in the same damn building with?"

Mitsuru felt the metaphorical slap to her face at the question, and her spine stiffened even as her mouth opened to rebuke the girl. Kotone seemed to sense it, because she was off the table before Mitsuru could blink, and now stood directly in her face. Despite the handful of centimeters difference, it felt like the two girls stood on eye level.

"What skeletons do you have in this dorm's closet that you try to keep hidden despite us walking in during the middle of the damn problem?" Kotone's voice wasn't raised, but it only made Mitsuru's own gaze sharpen as her twinge of pride began to flare up. Potential or not, the fact that Kotone had the nerve to prod into matters that shouldn't be drug to light -

The bizarrely distant sound of something heavy being set against the sing-in counter cut off Mitsuru's thoughts briefly, but she didn't turn to look at it. Kotone didn't budge either, crimson eyes almost blazing. Keeping her focus on the junior, Mitsuru finally managed to tug a few more words out. "Considering you only seem to have awoken last night, you have an awful lot of confidence in this fight you're picking. You should stop while you're ahead."

"Mighty bold assumption you're making." Kotone responded, her voice somehow remaining level as Mitsuru's tightened. "If you'd just given hints as to what the fuck was going on before all this happened, we wouldn't be having this problem."

"Do you think I planned on that thing-"

"ENOUGH."

Shinjiro's voice, as well as his hands on both girls shoulders and firmly moving them apart from one another, finally made Mitsuru turn away from Kotone. The brunet met both fierce gazes with his own steady one. "It sounds like neither of you got enough sleep after the shitstorm last night." He commented instead, moon colored eyes shifting from Mitsuru to Kotone and back again. "But the Firecracker has a damn good point of it, Mitsuru; there should have at least been something said before all this happened."

"The only day our paths crossed between their arrival and last night was the first day of class." Mitsuru replied, her temper only ceeding a fraction. "Both of them went upstairs to finish unpacking."

One eyebrow arched, and Shinjiro cocked his head at Mitsuru in confusion. "... You didn't think to go upstairs with either of them and explain while helping them unpack?"

Her silence in response to the question - along with Kotone's shift from angered to confused - was all the answer he seemed to need. Shinjiro let out a sigh at that and shook his head as he let go of both of their shoulders, opting to pinch the bridge of his nose instead. "Fuckin - Somebody give me patience…"

Mitsuru shifted awkwardly at that, mouth closing as she crossed her arms over her chest. It took a moment before Shinjiro pointed to her with the hand not pinching his nose. "... We need to talk about this. Again." he said simply. "You pulled something like this on me when Aki got involved, don't forget."

Shinjiro's finger shifted to point at Kotone after that. "I only came in at the tail end, Firecracker, but you gotta give people at least a few minutes to come up with responses." He continued. "This sorta shit is complicated, and you and your brother are a weird case even with the handful of us here."

At that, he held both hands up in front of them. "For now, both of you need to calm the fuck down." The direct statement was hard to argue against, and Shinjiro frowned at them both. "I don't care if it's going to the damn arcade or sitting down to drink tea, just. Go into separate rooms if you have to, but get both of your tempers under control and drop the subject for today."

Kotone shifted, clearly ready to protest. "No, Firecracker, this isn't getting swept under the rug." Shinjiro focused on her a bit more. "Worst case scenario, we drag the Landlord out here and he can give you the details when Arisato's back on his feet." He shifted to Mitsuru. "Is that a good enough middle ground, or am I gonna have to get Taichou's opinion on this mess?"

Mitsuru shook her head at that. "No." She admitted, sighing a bit. "You made a valid argument all around. Ikutsuki-san is occupied for right now, trying to get some of the damages to the building taken care of, but I can easily get in touch with him."

Shinjiro nodded in understanding, and his gaze shifted to Kotone again. The junior's crimson eyes were still sharply narrowed, but the glare didn't seem to have the same effect on Shinjiro; he simply cocked an eyebrow and stared back, waiting.

A tense moment passed before Kotone let out an aggravated sigh, a hand snatching her discarded school bag. "No, you make sense." She admitted, finally looking away from him. "The doctor said Minato was just tired, so hopefully he'll be up soon." Mitsuru didn't look when she felt Kotone's gaze flicker to her for an instant, and instead focused on the door that she could now see leaning against the sign-in counter. "Once he's up though, we're both going to want explanations."

"Absolutely understandable." Shinjiro said firmly before crossing his arms with a shake of his head. "But for now, drop it, both of you. Neither of you are gonna win the argument with your heads hotter than the oven."

Tense silence fell for a moment after his words, Shinjiro watching both Mitsuru and Kotone before the latter broke eye contact once more, heading for the stairs. "... I'm going to do homework then." Kotone said simply, not sparing a backward glance as she went upstairs. Shinjiro watched her go for a moment before he looked back at Mitsuru, one eyebrow cocked.

Mitsuru met the gaze and sighed in response, looking to the ground. A small, prideful part of her wanted to argue that she could have regained control of the situation, but she had enough sense to realize it would have been a very dangerous debacle to attempt. "... Thank you for being reasonable." She said instead.

Shinjiro hummed. "I know the twins are new, but we really have to work on your talking to people skills." He said after a moment, voice softening a fraction. "You know not everyone's gonna be passive about this shit; what if the guy Aki found has an even worse temper?"

"That's a bold claim, considering how you stubbornly refused to leave when I initially tried to make you leave." Mitsuru retorted, the tension finally starting to leave her shoulders. "...That and I couldn't physically move you if I tried."

"You still tried." Shinjiro shook his head again before he turned and began walking to the new door. "For now though, I'm gonna fight this damn thing up the stairs." He said as he reached it. "If another fight starts up, I'm putting people on top of bookshelves."

"Which bookshelves?"

"Depends on which one the argument's closest to." Shinjiro shot back, taking a moment to heft the door under one arm. After a moment's struggle - and a fair bit of cursing - he had gotten a decent grip on it. "Also depends on how sore I am after this. Why the fuck doesn't the dorm have an elevator?"

"Sadly, it's an older building." Mitsuru gave a small shake of her head. "Ikutsuki-san was irritated by it too."

"Wow. For once, I agree with him on something." Shinjiro deadpanned as he walked to the stairs. "I was serious about the tea, though; drink some and get your thoughts in order to explain things."

"... I do think I have some of that rosehip left, so I might do exactly that." Mitsuru sighed. "If not organising my thoughts on all this, on trying to figure out how to get the internet cables repaired swiftly."

"That's fair. If you hear language you wouldn't repeat to your worst enemy, the door decided it wasn't having my shit today. Please call the hospital if that happens."

With that statement, Shinjiro began the awkward ascent up the stairs, door in hand. Mitsuru watched him for a few moments, making sure he wasn't in danger of hurting himself - the last thing they needed was him and Akihiko out of commission. Once he had reached the second floor, though, Mitsuru broke off to the kitchen once again, letting her thoughts start to settle as the teapot was set to boil.

Kotone spent the rest of the night doing what little homework she had, stopping to eat a bit when her stomach protested. Bed came early as well, after a small round of computer games to calm down- as angry as she had been that afternoon, Shinjiro was right about the lack of sleep after the battle the night before.

She didn't know how long she had been asleep before the whistle of an arid wind made her stir, and Kotone shifted to sit up.

Around her was a vast expanse of sand, colorless despite the pale blue sky overhead. The sun and moon hung on opposite sides, other stars twinkling in and out of view as Kotone took stock of the place. Jutting out of the sands were various doors; some looked old and worn down, the paint flaking from wooden frames and the handles rusted. Others still looked modern, with polished steel and glass glinting from the bizarre light overhead. Stone doors, a wooden fence, even a wicker doorway that Kotone expected to see in an arboretum.

Overall, the place had a dissonantly serene feeling to it, as if time had come to a pause.

Standing up, Kotone felt the sand shift under her weight, the crunch muffled. She was confused, briefly, to realize she was wearing her school uniform instead of her pajamas. None of the sand seemed to have stuck to the fabric as she patted herself down, and a shake of her head didn't send any granules out of her hair.

"... Weird." Kotone said, not liking how still the air felt when she spoke. Looking around more, she found some of the doors in the strange expanse were broken. A few were boarded up as well, and a few doors had empty doorframes.

Curious, she walked over to one of the vacant frames and - after grabbing onto a nearby frame with her off hand - reached out to put one arm through it. The sensation of water rippling around her arm made her yank it back, the air in the empty space flickering with black and red static that set Kotone's senses on alert.

"Good thing I didn't just. Try to jump through it." Kotone laughed for a moment, then turned the door she had a grip on. It had a broken deadbolt lock, and the handle was rusted when she tried to turn it, it snapped off in her hand before evaporating into a flurry of golden butterflies. "... Huh."

Wiping off any rust that might have lingered on her hands, Kotone resumed walking. She didn't know where she was supposed to go, as every door she tried was locked; the ones that weren't had more of the ominous red and black static that set her hackles on edge, and Kotone didn't want to prod them.

She didn't know how long she had been walking when the sands began to darken beneath her, and the doors thinned out. Curious, Kotone focused her gaze forward, watching as the ground darkened despite the perpetually flat horizon.

It was only thanks to a sharp burst of burned, almost acidic wind that made Kotone stop a meter away from a crater.

Or at least, it looked like a crater at a quick glance. Kneeling to focus on it, Kotone found she couldn't see the bottom, the walls of the pit shifting from the blackened sands to an ominous dull red, veins seemingly glowing as they stretched down into oblivion. Kotone frowned, and then looked up and around; she couldn't see the edge of the pit, nor the far side.

The faint, staticy whispers she could hear drifting up from within inspired even less confidence.

Clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth, Kotone stood up again. "If the only way forward is to jump into the pit, I'm gonna play something other than Youyoumu before bed tomorrow." She muttered darkly, and had started to crouch to jump in when a flash of light darted across her vision.

Startled, Kotone stepped back from the pit, looking around to try and find out what had stopped her. A few more flashes of light occurred before her eyes could focus, and instead of an attack, she saw butterflies. About five, if her eyes weren't betraying her. "Where did you …?" she tapered off, holding out a hand.

The fact that one landed on her - a bright violet color - instead of flying off made her even more confused. It was spectral, like it was made of the light it emitted, but it was warm in a way that felt like a hug. The other four proceeded to land on her as well, the feeling of being hugged growing stronger with each one. "I … I don't know you, but you feel friendly?" Kotone said after a moment, confusion mounting.

She couldn't see the color of the butterfly on her head, but a quick glance at her shoulders revealed a pale green and yellow one apiece, and a sky blue one, slightly smaller than the others, had joined the violet one on her hand.

Kotone blinked again, and lifted the hand with the two butterflies to look closer at them. None of them stirred, although the violet one did lightly bat at her nose with a wing. "Hey -!" she pouted, and then sighed. "I don't suppose you know where I'm supposed to go? Is it down that pit? I really hope not …" The small blue butterfly seemed to panic at the question, hovering and zipping in the air in front of her. "Is that a no?"

A flicker of gold from her left shoulder made Kotone shift, and she watched as the yellow butterfly hovered in front of her brooch.

Her brooch, which was also now had a bright azure glow.

Moving the hand that didn't hold the butterflies in it, Kotone gently grasped it and unhooked it from the blue fabric. A faint metallic click reached her ears, and the base of a key slipped out from the bottom of the brooch as the azure light began to focus into a faint beam, pointing to the left of the pit.

"...oh. OH!" Kotone realized after a second. "... Well, at least that gives me a destination…" She mumbled before turning in the direction the key was guiding her. The butterflies swarmed around her again, following her - the fifth one finally came into view, a deep indigo color that felt like a piece of midnight.

Once again, time seemed to be nonexistent as Kotone and her spectral entourage walked, adjusting direction at the key's guidance. The butterflies only moved in the way if Kotone was about to crash into a door from staring at it, like guiding hands tugging her along a road without getting hit.

Then, in seemingly no time at all, Kotone found herself in front of a bright blue door.

It looked like it was made of glass, the various blues and golds showing a field of stars that shone bright over a pond. There wasn't a moon in the mosaic, but a pair of smooth, silver handles rested in the very middle of the door, a padlock that matched the key in Kotone's hand keeping the door shut.

Without hesitation, Kotone stuck the key into the lock and turned it.

There was a satisfying click, and she watched as the padlock faded into small embers of light but left the key untouched. Taking a moment to refasten it as a brooch - the 'key' part fading with the padlock - Kotone looked at the doors one more time before reaching out and grasping the handles. Gently she pushed in, the sound of opera music reaching her ears.

Inside, as if she had stepped into an actual building and not a free-standing door, was a space that looked like an outdoor cafe. Small black tables with blue and gold tablecloths were scattered about, black and blue plush chairs placed around them. A large wisteria bush with unusually bright blue flowers dominated the far wall, the vines climbing a steel grated wall to hang low over a table that was slightly separated from the rest.

Kotone could faintly make out a figure seated at the far table, and began to weave her way over to it. The butterflies followed her, bright flashes of color against the almost overwhelming blue. Moving through, Kotone spotted what seemed to be an elevator door against the wall, slick black steel against the blue and black grated walls around her.

Curious, she looked up, and stared; the ceiling could have very well been made of glass, a virtual planetarium overhead as Kotone watched gold stars idly slip in and out of view.

The figure at the table seemed to have noticed her, for a quiet chuckle hit Kotone's back. "Ah, there you are." A man's voice called out, friendly in spite of the gravely tone. "It's finally good to formally welcome you here, my young friend."

Kotone turned around again, focusing on the figure seated beneath the bush's flowers. Now that she was closer, she more clearly make out a short, squat man in a black suit. Large eyes peered out over a nose that felt impossibly disproportionate to the rest of his features, and his chin rested on his folded hands.

Despite the unsettling appearance, Kotone couldn't feel any hostility, and she found herself smiling as she grew closer. "It's … Igor, right?"

"Correct." There was another chuckle, and Igor gestured to a black and blue plush chair that sat opposite him at his table. "Welcome, at long last, to the Velvet Room. Please, sit, there are quite a few things I need to discuss with you."

Nodding, Kotone took the offered seat. The butterflies that had followed her picked various parts of the chair to settle on, with the small blue one landing on one of Kotone's hands instead. The sight of them made Igor chuckle. "Ah, so they did come with you again." He remarked, nodding to the butterflies.

Kotone gave a head tilt, curious. "They were here last time? I … don't really remember much, but I do recall a weird guy with a butterfly mask..."

"That is an understandable situation; you were quite young to be here." Igor held one of his hands out, and the violet butterfly flew from its perch to land on his hand instead. "As for the man in the mask, that was the overseer of the Velvet Room; due to the situation you and your brother are currently in, he is … preoccupied at the moment."

"So that was your boss?"

"Correct." Igor nodded, and then fell silent for a moment as if to converse with the butterfly in his hand. His gaze eventually shifted back to Kotone. "I have asked my assistant, Elizabeth, to go fetch your brother. It has been some time since I've played host to two Wild Cards at once, so I wish to explain my role in this Journey to both of you simultaneously."

"Yeah, that's fair." Kotone nodded, noticing that the sky blue butterfly on her hand had flattened its wings fully. The weird sensation of someone grasping her hand was there, even though her eyes couldn't make out any hands. "... and the butterflies?"

"Their role is up to them; one of their number has been safeguarding you since your first, premature visit." Igor lifted the violet butterfly up, its wings fluttering. "What the rest of them wish to do is something they should discuss together."

Kotone watched as the butterflies did indeed float up into a small group, even if the sky blue one was reluctant. Igor didn't seem to pay them any mind, his hands instead moving to pull out an elaborate blue and silver box, about the size of a paperback book. A glance inside it showed a deck of cards, the back featuring a mirrored mask in black and white on a blue field.

Igor had been fiddling with the cards for only a minute before the butterflies seemed to have reached a consensus, with the violet one fluttering to land on the deck in his hands. "Ah, is that so?" Igor spoke to it. There was a rapid flutter of the butterfly's wings as its fellows landed on the table. "There will be no returning after such a thing, I hope you know."

The violet butterfly responded by fluttering down to sit with the others, and Kotone couldn't help the strange twinge of comfort at the sight of them. Igor merely chuckled and nodded. "Very well." At that, he held out the deck of cards to Kotone. "If you would draw the top card, my honorable guest?"

Nodding, Kotone reached out and grabbed the card in question. Lifting it up to her face, she was only mildly surprised to see a painted version of Makaria on it, the roman numerals 'XIV' beneath her. In a flicker of light, the Persona was hovering behind her. Unlike the night before, her polearm was lowered, and the marionette gave a nod before setting the urn in her hand upon the table and pulling the lid from it.

Curious, Kotone sat up to look in, only to blink. Inside of the urn seemed to be nothing but a swirl of warm light, fluctuating and shifting in a tide she couldn't fully track. Her vision was obscured by the green butterfly as it fluttered up, lilting over the open urn for a moment before it briefly landed on her nose.

For an instant, she felt as if someone had reached forward to lightly poke her nose.

Then, the butterfly was gone, diving into the urn in a flurry of light. The swirling light briefly glowed with the same green light it had been, but faded out after Kotone blinked. The violet butterfly moved next; a phantom pat on the shoulder, and it too went into the urn. Squished cheeks and a hair tousle came with the indigo and golden butterflies, the lights bright as they descended into the urn.

When it was just the sky blue butterfly left, Kotone watched it as it fluttered for a moment before it landed briefly on her brooch. A hugging sensation covered her, one that lingered even after the butterfly lifted into the air again.

Do your best!

The voice made Kotone blink, but before she could ask who it was, the last butterfly dove into the urn, the light trail dimming from sky blue to the calm comfort of twilight.

As it faded, Makaria returned the urn's lid, the stone on stone clink snapping Kotone back to the moment. Igor gave a nod, and idly waved one of his hands. A soft glow covered the urn, even as Makaria lifted it up to hold it once again. Kotone watched as the Persona gave a curtsey, fading into blue embers as the elevator door dinged.

Turning to look at it, Kotone watched as Minato - also in his school uniform - walked out, looking around in befuddlement. A young woman in a blue and black dress and matching gloves flanked him, unnerving gold eyes and a disquieting smile making the hairs on Kotone's neck stand on end.

Focusing on her brother, Kotone called out to him. "Hey, are you doing okay?"

Minato, who had been looking around in awe, looked at Kotone and nodded before lightly jogging over. "How long have I been out?"

"Only a day; dunno how long Igor will keep us." Kotone looked to the man as Minato sat in the chair beside hers, as the young woman drifted to stand behind Igor's. Igor smiled and waved his hand, setting the deck of cards down to fold his hands under his chin once again.

"Not terribly long. I merely wish to explain the role I play in the Wild Card's journey." The small man chuckled. "Normally, I will attend to the both of you separately, as your natures and abilities are different enough that I need to shift focus."

"Is that why my 'Velvet Room' is an elevator?" Minato queried, eyes cutting to the wall where the elevator had opened up.

"That is more the fact that the Velvet Room itself is between dreams and reality, the unconscious and conscious." Igor gave a nod. "It is more a reflection of you as an individual, just … made to be a bit more accommodating to my purpose."

"And that purpose is?" Kotone asked that time, leaning forward in her chair slightly. "What do you mean by 'Wild Card'?"

Igor's smile grew and threatened to split his face in half. "Hmm, right to the point, aren't you two? Wonderful; proactive guests are such a treasure." He clapped his hands. "A WIld Card, my young guests, is a term that my overseer coined in reference to a Persona user with access to more than one Arcana, and therefore, multiple Personae."

His gaze shifted to Minato in particular. "Although I must admit, it is the first time I've seen a Wild Card fall under the Numberless Arcanum."

"Numberless?" Minato tilted his head at that, blue-grey eyes confused. With a wave of the hand, Igor made the top card on the deck rise to face them. Like when Kotone had drawn a card - a card she only just noticed had dissipated - the new card floating in the air boasted a painted version of Orpheus. Beneath him, in the spot that 'XIV' had rested for Makaria, was a zero.

"The Fool. Numberless, formless, full of infinite possibilities." Igor elaborated.

"And can end the word if you try to divide by it?" Kotone blurted out before she could stop herself. Igor responded with a chuckle, rich in amusement. His assistant - Elizabeth, Kotone told herself - seemed just as amused.

"Perhaps. I cannot say a guest of the Velvet Room has attempted such." Igor chuckled. "But I do know that it can lead to multiple Personae, the most I've ever seen in a guest here in the Velvet Room."

Minato shifted. "But … why me?" He asked, voice quiet.

"Many Wild Cards have asked that question." Igor's voice gained a bit of reassurance. "The Answer to that question is as varied as my guests. I am merely here to help offer guidance along the road." His eyes shifted to Kotone. "This applies to you as well, even if it's almost as rare to see the Temperance Arcanum in this Room."

Kotone gave a weak smile back. "So … what do we do to well, get other Personae? Will it be like the nonsense that got Minato Orpheus?"

"That is something that shall come in time." Igor gave a nod. "And then, I can more accurately show what my services entail."

Minato looked at the assistant. "And you, Elizabeth?"

The gold-eyed woman gave a quiet smile. "I am here to assist Mastor Igor in managing Personae, and recording them in my compendium." She explained, lifting a large, leather-bound tome with a lyre emblazoned on the front. "I might also ask you to bring me items from the outside world, and your misadventures. But please, call me 'Liz'."

"... Alright then, Liz…" Minato gave a nod.

"Will I be seeing you as well?" Kotone tilted her head.

"No; my younger brother will be assisting you." Liz looked around at that, before tilting her head to Igor. "... Where is Theodore?"

"I asked him to make sure that the locations were secure. He will be here next time Miss Kotone comes to visit." Igor gave a nod, and then smiled at the twins. "But with that, I am afraid that time runs short. The next time we meet, it will be under your own actions. I do not wish to deprive you of a relaxing sleep by calling to you every time."

"I did kind of … .collapse on the roof." Minato admitted. "Was that … black figure another Persona?"

For once, Igor's smile faltered. "... I cannot be certain myself, sadly." He admitted. "Perhaps the answer will come to you in time."

Minato let out a small sigh. "That's fair … I just have a bad feeling about it." Blue-grey eyes met crimson, and Kotone reached over to give her brother's hand a comforting squeeze.

"Do not ignore such feelings, my young guest." Igor gave a nod. "They will serve you well, this coming year. But, our time grows short." With a nod, the short man waved his hand, banishing the deck of cards into empty air. "Rest. I will await your next visits with great anticipation."

Kotone was aware of nodding distantly before she felt herself drift off to sleep again, the faint sensation of Minato squeezing her hand the last thing she was aware of before dreams tugged her away from the Velvet Room.

Tori's Notes: And with this, two of the plot threads I wanted to get to are now in full swing! And you get to see Kotone's Velvet Room; it's connected to Minato's via the elevator in the wall, and which one will show up at a time depends on which twin entered it first, if they're in there at the same time.

Not a whole lot else to say for this chapter, so I'll see everyone on the 26th!