VELVET ROOM - FRIDAY THE 13TH EDITION

[galambs]

Who: Employees of the Velvet Room and You
What: It's time for some introductions, and perhaps a few job offers.
Where: The Velvet Room
When: October 13

For what is now a very small and select group of people, the experience they have that night in their dreams will be familiar. For many others, however, it is completely new.

It happens as everyone turns in for the night, prepared for a rest. The transition happens almost smoothly: One moment, you're settling into your bed (or, for the sloppier among you, a couch or suitable chair) with your eyelids sliding shut. The next, you're opening them in what appears to be a small office cubicle in a rather barren office floor where all is awash in various shades in blue. A quick inspection will show that a thick fog is rolling past the windows showing the outside, and that all in the room are dressed in business casual clothing. Those who have Awakened fully, those who haven't -- it doesn't matter. Everyone who hasn't fallen back asleep is here.

There's the sound of computers being booted up. Slowly... slowly... this will take a while.

Decorations cover some of the desks, or at least as much as one could expect decorations to be for those who don't exist outside of this world. Cobwebs cover areas, but have candy canes and plastic eggs (that contain little toys) inside them instead of spiders. There are some pumpkins all over but... nothing on them. Just dumped wherever there is free space.

A plate of food is in the kitchen next to the still woefully pathetic, non-working coffee machine -- candied apples with chocolates (Christmas and Halloween themed). Blue drinks. A...bottle of ketchup? (That was for fake blood but Mary talked William out of it).

There are other people here, as well. That much becomes apparent when a quiet but distinct voice says, "Good evening and welcome to the second team meeting. We have some assignments for you."

To the side, waiting at the entrance of the gathering room, a pair of figures are waiting: Mary and William. It's clearly the former who's spoken, but the latter is next, a lot more relaxed as he smiles. "They'll be worth your time!" he promises, and grins at those who are new to this whole experience. On his face, he has a carrot tied to his nose as a “costume.” (Mary does not seem to have followed suit.) "For the rest of you, I'm William, and this is my sister Mary."

After a brief description of what they're talking about, the siblings happy to answer questions, or just let people wander around exploring the Velvet Room to their satisfaction. There is an awful lot to look at, after all. The cafeteria, the strange computers, the busted up coffee machine in the corner... the world is your oyster.

Or, well. This particular crappy office is your oyster. That's good enough, right?

[OOC: IF you have a question for the Velvet Room’s residents, please make sure to denote it in the title so that they can reply to you! The requests are now open! Keep watching for new request to appear as well!]

Comments

William OTA

[djvelvetinblack]

[The Velvet Sibling can be mostly found trying to add more of the eggs and candy canes, pretty pleased with himself.

Do you wish to speak with him?]

[hachitaro]

[Well then.]

Need any help?

[djvelvetinblack]

If you wish. There is no reward in doing so apart from a job well done.

[The gloved hands produce from aparently nothing a few decorative eggs and gives them to him. Wait, are those things real eggs?]

[hachitaro]

[He just... looks at the eggs.]

You might want to use plastic ones next time, because they don't rot or break. Just as a tip.

[But he'll go and put them around anyway. Why rain on the guy's parade if he wants to celebrate like this?]

Re: William OTA

[mirrors_wish]

[Yui looks at the mixed up decorations, just confused.]

What holiday are you trying to set up for?

[djvelvetinblack]

Why All-Hallowed Eve of course! Is it not how one decorates for such an occasion?

[mirrors_wish]

Not usually with decorations for Christmas and Easter, no.

You're not used to celebrating, are you?

[secretmakesawoman]

[Vermouth smiles in amusement at the mess of decorations.]

You like Western holidays?

Mary - OTA

[velvetprecision]

[Mary will take your questions, conversations, and mental implosions. She'll speak willingly enough -- just don't expect a smile.]

[megacurious]

[Another dream, another strange new place for him to be in. This time, he is in a strange blue office with two people explaining about these "jobs" they have to do. At any case, he decides to give out some of his own questions after a while now.]

I-I'm really sorry for asking this, but what is this place?

More importantly, what is your brother wearing?

[velvetprecision]

[Mary's eyes flick to his face as she is approached, shifting from her brother's ministrations with the decorations. One can only hope he does not overdo. Cobwebs and knick-knacks over everything seems like it will impede staff from accessing their terminals.]

There is no reason for you to be sorry. [Why would he even say such a thing?] This is the Velvet Room. I am sure that our master will regret not being here to greet you, but at the moment he is indisposed. We will assist you for the time being in his stead.

As for my brother . . . [Her eyes shift back to William and his current "nose."] You would seem to be of a similar mindset as to its importance. I believe it is known as a "carrot."

[megacurious]

I-I see.

[Now that he thinks about it, wasn't Christmas supposed to be in December, not in October.]

What do you mean? You mean you're connected with this Luci person?

[velvetprecision]

[Mary reaches up to shift the glasses on her nose, eyebrows rising sharply.] He is not our master. We serve another.

[megacurious]

O-Okay then.

[Guess he had to ask another question then.]

But you do know about the creatures we fought as well the humanoid shadow that was called "Foras"?

[velvetprecision]

What of them?

[megacurious]

From what I know, the shadow creatures somehow try to kill us or stop any potential Awakening to become like us. But what about Foras?

What was he and why does he look like X- I mean the creature I knew back in my world?

[velvetprecision]

[All right. Explanation time, it would seem. They merit this; the knowledge will hopefully make them all the more productive. Mary adjusts her glasses again, sliding the pages of her pad back into place over her clipboard. (What was she writing earlier before he came along? Hard to say.)]

Your Foras is a being known as a "Persona." He is a part of you, born from the rebellion of your heart. As such, his appearance is likely to be a representation born from you and the meanings that you ascribe to certain symbols -- or perhaps creatures -- from your home world.

[megacurious]

[Once she mentions this term, he did remember Chikusa mentioning about that same word. Also, he is surprised that the reason why his Persona was like that because of how it relates to him back in the real world, namely the legendary Pokemon of life, Xerneas.]

If that's true, then my clothes and weapon came from the "rebellion" inside of me, correct?

But more importantly, why am I thrust into a role to fight in the frontlines? I'm not actually a fighter back home.

[velvetprecision]

Your clothing and your weapons are representative of you, yes.

As to your other question . . . [She's watching him closely.] Though you may not have fought, you have a fighting spirit within you.

[megacurious]

[So his Xerneas-inspired outfit also belonged to his "rebellion", yet he has no relation to it nor the Pokemon that inspired his weapons. Guess that's another mystery for him to solve.

Despite her words, he isn't sure about it. He grew doubts about his own actions as well his strength regarding during the previous Pokemon battles he took. Still, her tone made him feel a little relief at this.]

Are you sure? Because of most of my life, I feel I always have the lack of power wielding a special power back home. I don't even know if I'm worthy of wielding this Persona power.

[miseris_socios]

[Mary actually looks like she's serious, as opposed to that... other guy.]

Where's my Persona? My real one.

[velvetprecision]

[Mary's eyes flick down to the child, studying him. Ah. This one.]

It is still within you.

[miseris_socios]

Then why can't I call her out? I got this... thing, instead.

[velvetprecision]

At this time she cannot be called out. You must rely upon Glasya-Labolas. It will serve you.

[miseris_socios]

I want her back. I need her back.

[He's trying to not deal with what just happened at home, he needs something.]

[velvetprecision]

[Mary's eyebrows rise at that. He seems . . . distressed.]

Why? As I said, Glasya-Labolas will serve you. Likely better, given that it manifested here.

[miseris_socios]

Nemesis is part of me. She... having her kept me safe. I need her back. She's... she's...

[He's looked up what Nemesis is. What she represents. He knows it, but... how is he supposed to get revenge against a dead man? He wants her to be with him. He needs her presence with him. If he can't fight, if he doesn't have his anger... what is he even doing? He can still feel the feeling, but... she's something he knows. This Glasya-Labolas... he doesn't.]

... Why is it different?

[velvetprecision]

You have a different Persona because your mind is locked. To be able to confront what you must and survive, you had to access a deeper part of you.

Glasya-Labolas is a part of you as well -- simply a different part. Because you have not known it previously does not make it any less your own.

[miseris_socios]

... I still don't like it.

[Sorry, Mary, he's just going to be Difficult.]

... Why does that guy have a carrot on his face?

[djvelvetinblack]

I'm celebrating.

[Has William been listening? IT IS A MYSTERY.]

[velvetprecision]

[Fortunately Mary is not here to make sure that he likes it. She has explained; it is up to him to accept -- though it seems a waste of time to be stubborn about it.]

[Her eyes flick to William as he approaches, seemingly unsurprised at the prospect of him having listened in. While she's been bland throughout the conversation with Ken, her expression becomes even more so -- if that's even possible.]

He seems to believe it is festive.

[She's looking at William, even though the reply is to Ken.]

[miseris_socios]

It's not festive. At all. I don't even know which holiday you're trying to celebrate.

[secretmakesawoman]

[Vermouth approaches with a thin smile. Despite her calm demeanor, she doesn't trust any of this.]

So this place is connected to the app and those creatures we summon.

What do we get out of all this?

[velvetprecision]

[Mary flips her notes closed, eyes shifting up to Vermouth's with a steady, golden gaze. Her brows rise.]

Out of the Velvet Room, or out of combating Shadows?

[secretmakesawoman]

The former. Fighting the Shadows is obvious. They're out to kill us, so we destroy them first.

Chikusa OTA

[kokuyoyo]

A - Computers

[Chikusa, for the most part, has been ignoring the holiday decorations as best as he can. Occasionally, he nudges some fake web out of the way so that it's not in front of the screen, but even then that seems to be a bit more effort than he really wants to bother with.]

[Instead, he's reserving his effort for flicking through the screen.]

...Everything about him...

B - The Coffee

[...Well. He guesses there's no ignoring this.]

[Chikusa is standing before what is clearly a disassembled coffee machine, dead eyeing it before he heaves out a quiet sigh. This isn't what he'd wanted to be reminded of, but when the siblings had mentioned its state...]

....They don't even have coffee here...

B

[voodoo_revenge]

Kyoko appears next to him, looking at the coffee machine and the rest of the room and frowns because it all looks pretty dirty and she isn't sure it would be sanitary to eat or drink in here. "Well," She leans over and inspects it. "I don't drink coffee but I bet if we could get the heat going we could make tea." She picks up the machine and frowns before pulling pieces apart so they can be washed in the sink. Which she promptly does, scrubbing methodically and looking back at him before brightening. "Hey you were in my dream before!"

See she remembered! Just like you said. Really her dreams have been so messed up lately. But they at least let her remember who she was.

[kokuyoyo]

Oh, she's just going to- okay. Chikusa doesn't bother to stop her, instead, just watching as she goes over to immediately clean the disassembled pieces. Whatever makes her happy. He's not sure there's even tea, either, but...

He blinks at her question. "Ah.... Yeah." He tilts his head to the side slightly. It's hard to tell... "Did you Awaken?"

[voodoo_revenge]

Well you can't do anything with dirty stuff to work with. She ignores his surprise because really with Chikusa you can't see it anyway if that's even what you'd call his reaction.

"Thanks for nailing Sho." She scrubs cheerfully. Anyone shooting Shotaro with arrows is ok in her book. Though there's still room to change her mind about such things. She looks up at the question staring at the ceiling thoughtfully. "I don't really get it but I remember who I'm supposed to be." Her head drops and she looks at him with a frown and concern warring on her face. "I'm Natsu outside here you know. And Natsu isn't nice." There's probably nothing he can do about it but it's still upsetting. It's one thing to 'play' Natsu it's another thing to be her with real people getting the brunt of her bullying.

[kokuyoyo]

"Mm." Really, an impressive response from Chikusa, considering how much prefers silence. Then again, there's no one here to take up all the talking space for him. If not for Ciro's false memories, he's not sure how he'd be able to fake basic conversation.

....Still enough to point out that the thing he'd shot hadn't been the real deal, so.

"I think I know.." At least, Ciro had avoided her. "Being popular like that seems annoying."

[voodoo_revenge]

Kyoko considers that like it's something worth considering because lets face it she says weird things too. "Well it's better than not being popular. Or you know, being the opposite kind of popular. I got bullied a lot all through school." She makes a face and fades off into her own world for a moment as irritation at Sho sweeps through her. It takes her a full fourty five seconds to remember she was talking to someone and she picks up a towel to dry things off.

"But it is nice having friends." And there's something longing in her tone. She doesn't expect anything from you Chikusa don't worry.

[kokuyoyo]

Still, for a hot second, Chikusa leans away ever so slightly and eyes her warily. It's with immense relief that she apparently doesn't mean anything by it, and his shoulders go back to their usual slump.

Thank god. Ran's weirdness is enough.

"...Do you need popularity for that..." Chikusa honestly doesn't know. He got his life partners in childhood, after they survived horrible experiments and murdered anyone who had a problem with them.

Vermouth | OTA

[secretmakesawoman]

[This... was definitely a step below the Organization's work spaces. Many steps. Though so far no one here seemed inclined to kill her, which could count as a plus?]

[After listening to the sibling's spiel, she slowly makes her way over to the desk assigned to her. The creaking chair makes her eyes flicker back to that disaster of a coffee maker. Goodness, she's been in abandoned buildings with less wear. Her eyes go back to the blocky monitor's screen.]

How old is this?

[It's worse than the school computers. She clicks the mouse.]

I'm amazed it still works.