(no subject)

[phantomcloud]

Who: Persona users, ensemble NPC cast, and otherworldly encounters.
Where: Miyume's dungeon in the other world.
When: Saturday, May 6th.
What: The rescue mission does not go as planned and the group suffers its first casualty. (Event log.)



DM: The path to Miyume, it seemed, lay literally through the looking-glass. That was the most important fact the investigation into her whereabouts had found; the reflective surfaces nearby had warped and wavered strangely, and a curious touch had been like plunging a hand into cold water, with open air on the other side. Yachiyo had recalled them back before any independent investigation could take place, but once the proper preparations had been made, they were permitted to step through, into something seemingly equally unknown to both students and adults.
What awaited was nothing short of beautiful. Brilliant azure skies stretched out above rolling green hills strewn with flowers of all colors and blossoming trees, and a neat cobblestone path lay at their feet, as if a finishing touch to this utopian vision. What seemed to be civilization lay not too far beyond the horizon, but a larger, more distinct structure lay closer by, though still too distant to see details, and it was here that Mirai's senses would point.
It was only the Persona-users present; the glass remained impermeable to the adults. Suwa had given Mirai a small recording device and an earpiece, though the latter seemed to be staticky at best, and it was uncertain whether the camera was actually picking up anything.

Haruka: Haruka's head tilted, turning slowly as she tried to pick up new details about the space. Finally, "What's this place like?"

Chloe: Chloe's voice was low and uncomfortable when she answered the blind girl. "... It's beautiful."

Kisa: "It's... it's like a dream. It's not like the other world at all." Kisa tilted her head back and took a long breath of the clear, cool air.

Chloe: Chloe looked to Mirai. He was their guide, and he would know best where Miyume was in all of this.

Kazuki: Kazuki nods in agreement, with the slightest hint of regret at not bringing a camera with him. Then again, would one even work in here?

Mirai: The moment the earpiece had been affixed, Mirai had found it too small for his head. Or perhaps it was his nerves making him pick at it, and rebalance it, and adjust it when the static came through loudly. He saw paths that took them deeper than where they stood alone - at this moment. "Huh. Well, she's not down here anyway." Poke.

Sayuri: Sayuri was more occupied with staring at her feet than at the scenery, feeling very much like a kid on the first day of school. She was more than content with just listening to the others speak since they had at least some experience but that last part accidentally made a stray thought escape her mouth. "We have to go further in here..?"

DM: As the group ventures further up the path, everything they see around them seem slightly blurred as if they're looking at it through an out of focus lens. The sounds of the rippling water, the chirping of birds, even the leaves rustling in a breeze all sound distorted. Some sounds are sharper than others, others seem disproportionately loud or soft.

Chloe: "Yes. We have to find her." Chloe's voice came out as its usual growl, but it she was taking this quite seriously. With that, she began to carefully move around, noticing the weird sounds and the strange blur.

Kisa: The distortion was unpleasant, but it at least seemed to be a sign that they were going in the right direction. Maybe. Kisa was happy to stay up near the lead, only half-conscious of doing so, Evoker in her hand and ready. "Can you tell anything, Imaizumi-san?"

Kazuki: Kazuki follows. The anomalies in his surroundings are strange, certainly, but putting them in perspective with everything he's gone through lately allows him to take them things in stride.

Chloe: Chloe walked right near the front with Kisa, her knuckles white around her own Evoker, waiting for Mirai's intel. That was his thing, right?

Himeko: "Well then... let's go! I wished there was time for sightseeing, though!", Himeko mumbled after having finished observing the area a little. She followed the others, staying somewhere in the middle this time. The place was beautiful at least, even if it was almost a bit too much for her liking and she had never seen something similar before.

Haruka: There was the familiar tapping of Haruka's cane as they walked. Things didn't sound right, the further they got in. It was like running through a type of fun house mirror set up or something.

Mirai: "Oh, there's not a lot of Shadows on this level you know. Well, there's not a few near you anyway, Kisa-san." There was a tone in Mirai's voice that sounded as though he wished the opposite - but it wasn't what he meant. "But the rest of it all... Just give me a minute, yeah?"

Sayuri: After the growl from Chloe Sayuri mostly stayed quiet, listened to what the others were saying and even lingered near the back of the group - making sure to not fall behind or not seem like a part of it, but not exactly making an effort to walk in the middle either. Instead of speaking up she tried to focus on the strange sounds with a small (probably nervous) frown. It didn't sound good.

Kisa: Mirai's seeming casualness brought a tension to Kisa's shoulders, but she acknowledged the short report with a nod.

Kazuki: Kazuki gives a small sigh. Really should have trained more for this situation. The mention of Shadows brings the realization that this is the moment of truth.

DM: Shortly after they reach the castle gates, they open inward as if inviting them to enter. From what they can see of the interior, it's as beautiful as the outside. A plush blue rug trimmed with silver stretches out from the entrance inward into a long corridor.

Kazuki:"Fancy."

Kisa: Kisa tilts her head back to take in the whole of the structure. It's... well, it's beautiful, but something doesn't seem quite right. Her eyes hurt looking at it. She rubs them, blinks -- no, still blurry. "Well... let's go."

Chloe: The tiredness that had seemed to follow Chloe lately seemed all but gone now as she stepped carefully through the castle gates, her Evoker held firmly in her hand. If her face had been grim before, it was nothing compared to the expression she now wore.

Himeko: "Hm...Something is definitely wrong with it", Himeko mumbled more to herself than to anyone else. "This is probably going to be interesting..." She just couldn't help seeing all of this more as a game than anything else. She realized that they were searching for a person in there but still, everything about this place seemed extremely unreal to her.

Mirai:Warily Mirai let go of his casual smile and wiped a hand across the back of his neck. He saw gold lacquer, silver door handles, mahogany railings, the sort of things in animated shows from childhood. His hand went down to his Evoker and rested gently over its hilt. Far from being casual for the sake of it, it was how he masked the weight he seemed to feel that stopped him wanting to go on. He could not quite understand w

DM: As they enter the castle, they see that the walls appear to be made of the same white marble as the castle's exterior. Beautiful fantasy themed tapestries hang on the walls on either side of them. Most of them depict fairies, unicorns, and satyrs in various states of frolicking in woodland landscapes. There is something bright and innocent about the images.

Sayuri:'Interesting' was one way to put it. Even though everything around them didn't seem all that bad, judging from the images on the tapestries, there was something incredibly frightening about all of this to her. Granted, Sayuri figured it was probably just her being a scaredy cat as usually, so she didn't say anything but instead just stared at their surroundings quietly.

Chloe: For only a moment, Chloe's expression flickered. A look of what might be sadness or regret was there for a moment before her expression once again returned to her grim mask. She continued on, doing her best to keep her emotions in check and to keep an eye out for anything that looked dangerous.

Mirai:Mirai stared at all of them. Not quite what he was expecting, he was pleased to see - a strange way to put it - it was more mature than he had been expecting. He paid no attention to the reactions of everyone, but the reactions of the person who might have vanished in here. "I'm not picking up a lot at the minute." No, he was struggling to pick up anything concrete with Miyume as well.

Kisa: It all seemed very... innocent, almost childlike. It certainly made it easy to forget the dangers of the place. But the cold weight of the Evoker was a tangible reminder to Kisa not to let her guard down too far.

Kazuki:Kazuki gives a small smile. He's not much for fantasies anymore, but even now, he can recognize the appeal. His are a little more mundane, granted. He's a little surprised to see Chloe carry on, but he figures there isn't exactly time to enjoy the scenery. He picks up the pace.

DM: The corridor continues for quite a ways. The dissonance they'd experienced outside seemed a bit stronger inside the castle as well. The tapestries of the walls continue for quite some time though they began to change subtly in theme. The fantasy creatures are still present and frolicking away but the woods in the background begin to look more ominous and threatening. Eyes of unknown creatures lurk in the shadows of the tapestries.

Kazuki:Well, that's ominous. Kazuki resolves to deal with this by looking at it as some sort of haunted house. A haunted house where the employees are under no obligation not to hurt you, and you really have no idea what to expect. It's not that comforting, no.

Haruka: As Haruka walked, her head occasionally lingering in one direction over the other, she reached out and lightly dragged her fingers over the wall of the corridor. It felt...interesting.

Himeko: Now that was something. Himeko took a minute to look at the tapestries . “Creepy~…”, she remarked, looking overall unimpressed. She assumed that they were getting closer to whatever was waiting for them somewhere within this place.

Mirai:"You'll have to find someway to get upstairs," Mirai said, attempting to move them on faster. It was a very big hall, with clear sight all around. He could work well with that. And he wished this earpiece would just stay STILL.

DM: When Haruka's hand passes over one of the darker tapestries, she senses warmth as if she's touching something alive.

Chloe: Chloe heard the urgency in Mirai's voice and she nodded. Her pace increased slightly while making sure she kept with the group. THe change of scenery was... somewhat unnerving, but she pushed it down. She had to concentrate on finding Miyume. She couldn't think about anything else right now.

Haruka: Haruka's eyes fluttered and she automatically drew her hand back. She was about to say something when she heard Mirai's comment and she snapped back t attention. She hurried after Chloe.

Kisa: The eyes send a chill down Kisa's spine, and she grips her Evoker a little tighter. Mirai's voice in her ears (ears? Not quite right, but close enough) snaps her out of her focus on them. "All right, we'll look for stairs. It seems pretty straight so far, though." Speaking aloud seems a strange way to respond to an absent voice, but she doesn't have a better alternative.

DM: Each tapestry shows more eyes in the shadows. Some of them seem unusually lifelike for a tapestry. The fantasy creatures have also undergone a transformation. With each subsequent tapestry, they look increasingly pensive and frightened. They also seem to be in worse condition. Some have tears and if one looks at them closely, they'll notice something odd about them. The tears look and feel like they were made by something trying to claw its way out of the walls behind them.

Sayuri:The more Sayuri watched the tapestries change along the way, the more she realised she had all reason to be frightened earlier. When she noticed the tears in them though and stared at them for a little bit as she walked, she slowly started to realise what it looked like and couldn't help but let out a squeak.

Kazuki:"Hm." Luckily, photography has a way of honing your observation. "Some of these are damaged. Were these caused by...?"

Haruka: This time when Haruka feels the walls, she backs up several steps and finds herself gripping her cane a little more tightly. "Think they were caused by themselves."

DM: A pair of eyes on a tapestry flares up as if to answer Kazuki's question.

Kisa: Kazuki's observation gets Kisa to take a closer look. Until now, she'd been able to dismiss the tapestries as just pictures. Decoration. Seeing the tears is enough to get her to turn on the Evoker, the blade flaring to life at her side. "Imaizumi-san?"

Haruka: "Kinda makes you wonder...what would happen if everything in this hallway clawed on out?"

Chloe: The German held her Evoker defensively now, as if expecting something to jump out at them. As they progressed, the bad feeling in the pit of her stomach only intensified. They needed to be careful. Carefully, the German paused at one of the tapestries. Using her Evoker, she slowly lifted the edge of it away from wall to peek behind it.

Kazuki:The second sigh of the evening. Kazuki draws his Evoker, pressing the button on it. "Should have just... kept quiet."

Mirai:Mirai's voice came over clean, without static. He seemed to be tapping on his earpiece before he spoke, "I wouldn't do that, Panzer-chan." He could see everything they were doing, and was beginning to understand the reach he had. "I must observe that they're still kind of dangerous. Though... I feel kind of sad just looking at them. Poor wretches."

Kisa: "... Panzer-chan?" Even though he's not addressing Kisa, the nickname still draws a frown from her.

DM: Suddenly, there's a squeak. It appears to be coming from the tapestry Chloe just lifted.

DM: Contrary to the image depicted on the tapestry, it is a distinctly nonthreatening squeak.

Chloe: Chloe immediately ceased what she was doing at Mirai's words. She doesn't even seem to mind the nickname Mirai had called her. What had occupied her attention was the squeak. The evoker in her hand flared to life and she took an instinctive and protective step between the tapestry and the group.

Haruka: "Huh." Haruka's head tilted. She doesn't look freaked by that one. "Interesting sound...."

Kisa: The squeak puts Kisa's annoyance at Mirai out of her mind, and she jogs over to peer around Chloe behind the tapestry. She'd have been in more of a hurry, but it didn't seem all that bad...

DM: Behind the tapestry appears to be a small cage embedded into the wall. Inside the cage is a small, plump, puppy-like creature, It's covered in sleek purple fur, has large dark eyes that seem to eat up more of its face than it should. It has floppy ears. It squeaks again. The cage doesn't appear to be locked.

Chloe: Chloe... hesitated. If there was one thing she had a soft spot for, it was animals. Especially dogs. Her gaze flickered to Kisa, almost as if inaudibly asking what they should do about it.

Himeko: Drawing her Evoker just in case something would jump on her, Himeko immediately focused her attention on where the strange squeak came from. Carefully she stepped closer, staring at the creature. The idol-wannabe’s eyes flickered with excitement. “Waah~! It’s so cute! Can I take it out?”

DM: The puppy attempts to stand up on its haunches, bumps its head on the ceiling of the cage, and tumbles over with a yelp.

Kisa: It -seems- unthreatening enough. Kisa peers at the cage, carefully examining the creature, but can't make anything of it, aside from that it's disarmingly cute.

Chloe: Chloe shook her head sharply at Himeko. "No. We don't know what it is. It could be dangerous."

Himeko: "Awww~ come on! I really, really want to hold it! It's fine if we take it out right? It surely is harmless Ku-chan! It's so small!", Himeko begged.

[DM: The puppy bats its eyes and makes a hopeful "arooo" sound.

Kisa: "Some of the Shadows looked pretty harmless, too." Kisa looks up with a small frown. "Imaizumi-san, can you tell anything?"

Chloe: Chloe looked uncomfortable. It was... so goddamn cute. Still, she looked at Himeko. "... Lets see what Imaizumi can tell us."

Kazuki:Kazuki has a soft spot for animals himself, for a variety of different reasons, but he's not one to pet dogs he finds on his way back from school, let alone a place like this.

Himeko: "...okay.", she sighed and started pouting a little. There was no way something this cute could harm them. She couldn't understand the fuss everyone was making about it.

Mirai:Mirai was unable to avoid feeling pleased by this. He almost rubbed his hands together to channel it. "Perhaps you should be more careful. Big things come in small packages, right?" A pause. "Oh my. It's vulnerable to electricity. I mean it was shocked to see you, right?"

Kisa: "..." Managing to suppress a groan, Kisa takes a step back. "Let's leave it be."

DM: The puppy yelps again and howls pathetically.

Haruka: "Huh. So it'd be weak to one of my moves," Haruka said. After another moment, she walked up to the cage and felt it, before gingerly reaching a finger through

Chloe: Even Chloe, so silent and stoic, let out a growl at the unfunny joke. When Haruka stepped forward, she immediately tensed, ready to grab Haruka if she had to.
DM: The puppy licks Haruka's finger sloppily. Very sloppily. It makes another squeaking sound.

Haruka: Haruka, despite remembering a lot of RPGs and horror movies where cute things go wrong, couldn't help but smile regardless. Turning her head back, "Group consensus? Leave Puppy or let it out and deal with the aftermath?"

DM: The puppy whines desperately. Look at those sad, pleading eyes.

Himeko: "Do we really, really, rea~lly have to leave it here on it's own? I mean...it doesn't do anything! Let’s take it with us!", Himeko still insisted, after seeing that it didn’t do any harm to her roommate.

Minoru:"The puppy serves no function. It should be left behind," Minoru said, eying the creature with doubt. Taking the mission seriously was making him look more focused than usual, but there was still a pint of disapproval of this small creature. It looked so Wisney.

Kisa: Kisa looks uneasy, and her Evoker hasn't been turned off yet. "It sounds like it might be a Shadow. I don't think we should trust it."

Chloe: Despite her better judgement, Chloe leaned down slightly so she was eye level. It seemed to exhibit almost human-like understanding of their words... "Can you understand us?"

DM: The puppy seems to nod and starts squeaking excitedly.

Kazuki: "Are... dogs even common here?" Kazuki has a hard time convincing himself to leave a puppy behind. He's trying to justify it.

Minoru:"Then we should leave it behind," Minoru repeated. "We're on a mission, and we don't know the allegiance this thing has, but now we know it could be listening in on us."
Himeko: "What the hell are you talking about? Just because you think it’s useless we can’t leave it here to die! It's a living creature!", Himeko glared angrily at Minoru. "Maybe it just got lost here…”

Chloe: "Will you attack us if we let you out?" She kept her gaze on the creature, trying to gauge as best she can its intentions.

Minoru:"Then, since it is intelligent, it can ask for directions, but that is not our concern," Minoru noted, pointedly.

DM: The puppy tilts its head quizzically as if not quite understanding the statement. "Squee-rf?"

Chloe: Basic understanding, it seemed. As a test, Chloe tried something. "Sit."

Himeko: "How is it supposed to ask for directions? There's nobody to ask around... And it is our concern! I refuse to leave it here to die!", she argued, still extremely angry.

Kisa: "I don't think it's a 'living creature,'" Kisa says, but she doesn't sound all that firm about it. "It couldn't be here if it were, right?"

Haruka: Haruka tentatively reached her finger through further, gently stroking the puppy.

Minoru:Minoru shook his head. "We have other, more important things to do, with lives on the line," he said, thinking for a moment. "Though I do not understand this place still, it is not our place to take on charity missions in other lands. We have duty, and we must stick to that duty," he said, holding his evoker close to heart. "With a life on the line."

DM: The puppy sat. It even tried to beg but didn't have enough room to move around. "Squeeeerf."

Haruka: Haruka kept her attention on the puppy. In a gentle voice, "Hey...Do you know how to track or find?"

DM: The puppy nodded.

Kazuki: Kazuki's hand meets his face. "How about a vote?"

Kisa: This is enough to evoke a resigned sigh from Kisa and a not dissimilar facepalm. "We can let it out. But we'll need to keep a close eye on it."

Haruka: Haruka felt it's head move and, after a moment, asked, "Could you help us find someone if we let you out? She's lost."

DM: "Squeerf!" Another nod.

Chloe: Chloe's gaze sharpened. It could track and find people or things in this area? This changed everything. Carefully, she laid her hand on the cage door, as if she wanted to open it... but she looked back at the others first.

Minoru:Minoru frowned. "I don't think this is a good idea!" he exclaimed, only to realize he was sounding too imperative... he tried to correct himself for social approval. "...Ff-friends."

Kisa: Kisa nods uneasily. Her fingers tighten a little around the Evoker hilt.

Himeko: “You’re such a weirdo…really.”, she sighed, shaking her head in disapproval. “Well… I still want to take it with us. We don’t know if it’s a shadow or not…but even if it is it could have attacked us by now if it wanted right?”, Himeko said and then nodded in Chloe’s direction.

Haruka: Haruka nodded along with the dog and gave it a ruffle with her finger. Turning back to the rest. "I vote 'yes'. Time's of the essence, right? So better to have some help if we can get it."

Minoru:If this went wrong, Minoru would write it down as another evidence of the dangers of democracy.

Chloe: Chloe nodded. "Get ready. I'm opening it." She said calmly. The German positioned herself so that if anything did go down, she'd be able to deal with the brunt of it. Her free hand carefully opened the cage door.

DM: The puppy burst out of the cage so enthusiastically that it rolled into the opposite wall.

Mirai:Minoru had frowned. Mirai could be imagined frowning. He knew lying when he saw it. Vote? It sounded like they had forgotten WHO they'd come here for.

Kisa: It is becoming increasingly difficult to see this thing as a potential threat.
[
Haruka: Haruka heard something go fling past them and into the opposite wall. She promptly went over there and knelt down before asking, "Hey, Puppy, are you alright?"

DM: "Squeerf, squeerf!" The puppy licks Haruka's hand. D'awww, big sloppy doggy tongue.

Himeko: Himeko’s eyes widened in shock as she saw the puppy straightly bumping into the opposite wall. But as soon as she realized that it seemed unharmed she sighed with relief. “It really is a cutie! I’m happy we decided to save it!”

Haruka: "Good." Haruka smiled and let out a short laugh as it tickled, and ruffled its fur again. Looking back at the others, "Any of you guys have something on Miyume-chan's?"

Minoru:Minoru had turned his back to the whole puppy fiasco, and was looking around warily. He started to move away from the group a bit, eyes narrowed and attention sharp.

Chloe: Chloe carefully knelt down while pulling something out of her pocket. She had grabbed something of Miyume's while they were in her room. Almost unwillingly, she held it out to the puppy to take a sniff. "Please... can you find her?" Her voice was softer than usual as she spoke to the pup.

Minoru:"/Imaizumi-san, are you there? I need assistance. I have a bad feeling and our group is currently being democratic. Please, keep an eye out for us./"

DM: The puppy waddled (jiggled?) over to Chloe and sniffed the object. It's ears suddenly shot up straight on its head. Then the tips flopped over. It turned in the direction of the hallway they had been heading in to begin with and squeaked.

Kisa: Kisa stays close by the puppy, juuust in case.

Chloe: Chloe stood. "Lets go get her then." The German briskly began to head the way the puppy had indicated, holding the handkerchief tightly in one hand and her evoker at the ready in the other.

Kazuki: "Is it trying to say something?" Kazuki is a lot better at likngg dogs than understanding them.

Himeko: “Good puppy!”, Himeko praised it smiling happily. “See? Cuties are extremely useful as well!”, staying more at the front this time, she began walking in the direction the puppy pointed out.

Haruka: Hearing Chloe start to take off, Haruka nodded and turned back to the puppy before asking, "Hey, Puppy, do you want to come with us?"

DM: The puppy barrels down the hallway the way to a set of large, wooden doors at the end of the corridor, once again failing to stop before colliding headlong into it. The impact pushes one of the doors slightly ajar.

Chloe: As soon as the door is knocked ajar, Chloe's Evoker hums to life. Without thinking, she gently reached down and stroked the puppy behind the ears to make sure it was alright. "Thank you." She said softy to it before turning to look at the group. "Ready?"

Minoru:"For Japan."

Kisa: Kisa ends up jogging to catch up with it, but does a better job of stopping before hitting the obstacle. Chloe beats her to the doors by a bit, and she nods firmly. "Ready."

Haruka: Haruka, who followed after Chloe and the puppy, said "Ready I guess?"

Mirai:Mirai sighed. "I'm keeping all my eyes on you," he told Minoru, and then his voice became audible. "But people would rather pay attention to a make-believe animal. Frankly, it's dangerous, you know?"

Himeko: “Sure!”, she just answered, getting her Evoker ready.

Kazuki: Kazuki shrugs at Mirai, readying his Evoker once again. He's not proud of himself.

Chloe: When she had gotten a confirmation from everyone, the German nodded. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open and took a step inside. Her stance was a defensive one as she quickly looked around.

Minoru:Minoru came in second, eyes sharp and posture ready.

DM: Beyond the doors is what appears to be a very fancy ballroom. Crystal chandeliers hang down from the ceiling, emitting eerie, pale blue light. A spiraling staircase heads up to the next level. In the distance, there appears to be a rather pricey grand piano, a harp, and an assortment of other musical instruments.

Kisa: Kisa is close behind, though her raised Evoker lowers a few degrees when she takes in the scene.

Minoru:"So decadent," Minoru spat.

Chloe: If this were a video game, Miyume would be somewhere up the stairs. Carefully, she made her way towards the stairs, her eyes flickering to the magnificent Piano. Daaaaamn....

Himeko: "Hm... nothing here?", Himeko asked carefully. She had expected some extremely huge monster waiting for them here but instead it seemed rather quiet in the spacy room. But again, something about it felt wrong...

Haruka: Haruka's cane tapped along. "Hey, Senpai, are you picking anything up?"

DM: The lights overhead flare briefly, becoming almost blindingly bright for a moment. Electronic pop music can be heard from the floor above, quite jarring in such elegant surroundings.

Chloe: Her evoker was immediately active, ready at a moment's notice. Not expecting it to work, she called out. "Miyume?"

Minoru:Minoru tensed. Was this the part where a musical number entirely dissonant with the surroundings started and everyone joined singing? But he discarded this immature idea and focused on having his evoker active as well.

Mirai:"Something's on the floor above. Just overhead. I can't tell anything more. Sorry." Quick, brutal, simple. Then he was back to looking for Miyume.

Minoru:"Then let's proceed with caution and stop being distracted by all the shiny things," Minoru said, pausing to soften his words again. "BUDDIES."

Kisa: "If she's up there, then let's go." With a look at Chloe, then at the others, Kisa starts making her way up the staircase.

DM: The puppy seems to be in favor of this idea. It's waddling over to the stairs and trying - and failing - to ascend on its own.

Chloe: Chloe nodded and continued up with Kisa. Her heart was pounding, but to her credit, it didn't show in the slightest on her face. She tried to keep at least one step ahead of the group, in case something jumped out at them.

Haruka: Haruka bent down and to pick the puppy up. With a slight grunt, "C'mon, Toto."

Minoru:Minoru was following along with-- "Toto?" he balked.

Haruka: She tilted her head. "What else do you call a dog along a road? Could always call it Toto-san though..."

Minoru:Minoru smiled, gesturing with the evoker. "Better."

Haruka: "Or Ms. Toto." Haruka looked down at the puppy as she walked and asked, "Do you like that?"

Haruka: "Or just Toto?"

DM: Toto wriggles a bit in Haruka's arms but settled quickly and allows itself to be carried up the stairs. It seems indifferent to the idea of being named.

Himeko: “Don’t listen to weirdo-senpai’s complaints, Toto’s a cute name Haruru!”, the idol-wannabe said, chuckling slightly as she proceeded to climb the stairs with the others, holding her Evoker ready to use at any moment.
[
Minoru:Minoru frowned. "Weird-senpai?" he said, but he shook his head, following Chloe with similar intensity for keeping ready for battle.

Mirai:Mirai focused with a grunt. He tried to keep them moving with the intensity of the search weighing everyone down, "You're almost there. Just a while longer."

Minoru:"/Thank you for your assistance, Imaizumi-san. Please hang in there and keep us leading us. It seems our group needs it./"

Chloe: Chloe nodded and did her best to pick up the pace. She wanted to find Miyume as soon as possible and take her home from this awful place.

DM: When they reach the top of the stairs, they see more corridors. These are the same as the one from downstairs, minus the tapestries. Instead there are large, enlarged photographs of Miyume on the walls, starting as an infant and progressing through early childhood. In all the pictures, Miyume is smiling and healthy. In each pictures, she's dressed in some kind of white,lacy frilly dress.

Haruka: At the top of the stairs, Haruka gives Toto another pat before putting them down.

Kazuki: "This seems very personalized." Enough so that Kazuki feels rather awkward by how private it is.

Minoru:"I'm not even looking. If this is personal, then it should stay so."

DM: For some reason, in all the pictures Miyume's eyes are an odd silver rather than their usual brown.

Chloe: Chloe saw the photographs and... despite her stoic mask, she gave pause. Miyume looked... so happy as a child. Were these actual photographs? She couldn't be sure given their location and the strange eyes, but it made her heart ache slightly... With a renewed steely gaze, Chloe turned to Toto. "Do you know which way?" She gently held out the handkerchief again.

Mirai:"Thank you, Suzuki-san." Mirai also felt rather awkward - about having everyone else see something so personal.

Himeko: “Miyu-tan…? But why would something like that be here? Who put it on the walls?”, she asked. Even Himeko thought of those pictures as a little too personal to be displayed here that openly.

Kisa: A similar feeling had been nagging at Kisa throughout; it was growing stronger now, and she did her best to look away. But those eyes -- there was something about them that put her on edge.

Haruka: Haruka felt the walls, fingers catching on something. She tilted her head slightly. "What are they?"

Haruka: "Unless it's too personal to share?"

DM: Toto sniffed the handkerchief and took off down the hallway, a bit more slowly than it had downstairs. It led them past more pictures of Miyume, Now the pictures continued from preschool to school age. When Miyume looked to be about seven or eight, she wasn't alone. Now there was a somewhat forceful looking brunette girl with her, as tomboyish as Miyume is feminine.

Chloe: As the dog ran off, Chloe muttered audibly in German, "Good boy, Toto." Before quickly going after him. She took note of the tomboy that was now with Miyume...

DM: The electronic pop music was quieter, as if someone had turned it down.

Minoru:Minoru frowned at Haruka. He held in his urge to defend his position - he had been looking out as a proper soldier and had merely suggested ignoring the shiny bits, but instead he put the evoker close to where he'd need to thrust it to summon his persona.

Mirai:Mirai's voice was a steely tone rather than a casual one. He could not see things in detail, and did not view things the same. "Hey, I feel something." Like anger with this situation. "Someone's further down the hall. You don't mind getting a move on, right?"

Chloe: Immediately, Chloe's pace quickened at Mirai's words. She was almost full out jogging now, her long legs giving her extra speed.

Kazuki: "Sure." Kazuki's not about to delve too much into private affairs. He complies.

Kisa: Kisa had no objections to getting a move on. Adrenaline helped her keep pace with Chloe.

Haruka: Haruka immediately followed, abandoning what was on the walls.

Himeko: “Don’t rush us so much senpai! We’re going as fast as we can!”, Himeko replied, trying her best to keep up with Chloe’s fast pace.

Minoru:"Not really, no," Minoru mused idly.

Chloe: Chloe heard Himeko, but she couldn't justify slowing down too much. Her pace remained the same. She had to find Miyume... what if she was hurt? She could be hurt and alone, terrified.... or worse... trying to keep her emotions in check, the German did not slow down.

Minoru:Minoru also picked up a jogging speed, though he kept looking left and right for possible threats. No good would come to Miyume-san if they died for rushing in.

DM: The pictures of Miyume and the other girl grew increasingly personal with age. By the time Miyume looked to be about the same age as she is now, the poses between the two had become rather intimate and romantic in nature. The last frame holds a strip of photos from a photo booth with the two girls in a variety of couple-y poses. The last picture on the strip is one of them kissing.

Haruka: Haruka, meanwhile, quickened her pace as it felt like there wasn't anything in the way. She was soon close behind Chloe

Kazuki: "Um."

Chloe: Chloe passed the pictures as if there was nothing wrong with them. Two girls kissing? Nothing new.

Kisa: Kisa spared a glance at the pictures, and looked away again quickly and a little uncomfortably.

Minoru:"Stop oogling already," Minoru said, lowly. "Are you all so disrespectful that in someone's time of trouble you would do this? I'm sure our senseis will talk to her about this, later, but this is not our place nor the time. This is /dishonorable./"

Himeko: Himeko, still trying her best to jog somehow close behind Chloe, just took a short glance at the pictures while running. She didn’t really care about what they showed her, but she still had a feeling that things as personal as those didn’t belong here.

Haruka: Haruka didn't know what was on the walls but it made her frown at little at what she was picking up. She doubted it'd be something that Miyume wanted to share at all, let alone with them.

DM: At the end of the corridor is another set of double doors. Instead of barreling into the door this time, Toto sits down outside it, squeerfs once. It seems to be waiting for something.

Chloe: Minoru's voice grated on her nerves like metal. Did he do anything besides complain? She let out a growl, but chose to say nothing. Nothing good game of the situation when Chloe lost her temper...

Kisa: Minoru was even starting to grate on Kisa, Thankfully, it seemed this stretch was over.

Chloe: Chloe stopped at the door, looking at Toto. With her evoker activated, she placed a hand on the door. "Ready?"

Minoru:"Ready."

Kisa: Kisa nods firmly.

Mirai:Mirai wondered again, between their leaving the corridor and arriving at the doors, what they had been looking at. He listened to them as they spoke - reminding himself to speak to Minoru later.

Kazuki: "Yeah..."

Himeko: “Yeah… but I wonder if it’s the real thing this time.”

Haruka: "Yeah." Haruka pulled out her own evoker, placing it in the same hand as her cane. After a moment "Too bad this isn't a situation with this isn't a situation with a save point..."

Haruka: There was a lot of things she was wishing she had a save point for right now.

Chloe: Without another word, the German pushed the door open with force, striding into the room with evoker at the ready.

DM: The door opens easily, giving away almost the instant it was touched. It opens wide, again almost as if inviting entry.

Kisa: Kisa steps through cautiously, sparing a glance for the squeerfing dog-thing before turning her attention to the new room ahead.

DM: They step into a perfect replica of the ballroom they had entered earlier, complete with chandelier, grand piano, and another spiraling staircase. Toto waddles to the middle of the dance floor and sits. After a moment, applause can be heard coming from inside the room, slow but steady. The group isn't alone. What appears to be Miyume, dressed in the same lace and frills she was wearing in the photographs is standing on the bottom step of the stairwell. Her hair is decorated with ribbons and fabric flowers. Incongruously, a boombox is sitting on the step by her feet.

Chloe: She could feel that they weren't alone, she didn't need some ghostly applause to tell her that. Chloe's eyes fixated on the girl on the stairs. "Miyume!"

Kazuki: A sigh of relief. At least that's one problem done with, he figures.

Chloe: Chloe takes a careful step forward. She wanted to run to the frail girl, to make sure she was alright... but the sinking feeling in her gut kept her where she was.

Himeko: “Miyu-tan!” That was definitely Miyume…right? Still, she had a feeling that something was terribly off here.

Mirai:Mirai's teeth chattered. He was looking at Miyune before any of them had even moved more than a few yards. He sighed back downstairs in the hall, but he said nothing.

Kisa: Kisa takes a cautious step forward, unconsciously following a little behind Chloe. "Hazama-san?" There's something in the back of her mind, though, that's telling her that something's not right. Something from the classes that seems far too familiar...

DM: The girl on the stairs doesn't respond. Instead, she makes a beeline for Toto. She runs to him and scoops it up in her arms, hugging him close. "Good puppy! I knew I could count on you!" Her voice is sugary sweet, even more than Miyume's usual voice. But that wasn't the only oddity. There was no sign of Miyume's cane or walker and she was moving around with ease.

Minoru:Minoru stood his ground, unmoving. Incongruencies were piling up and he wasn't going to be the one to check by getting in too close to danger. He had the evoker ready to thrust in.

DM: Those close enough to see would also notice that like in the pictures in the halls, this Miyume's eyes gleamed pure silver.

Chloe: ... This wasn't Miyume. With a growl, Chloe took a step forward. "Who are you?"

Haruka: The relief that flooded Haruka's face and had her running forward suddenly went still. It slipped off her face, replaced by a flash of crushed disappointment and then tension.

DM: "Who am I?" Not!Miyume tilted her head thoughtfully, still petting Toto. "I'm the ideal. Who are you? The imperfections, I assume."

Minoru:Minoru eyed the creature. "Enough. Don't insult my classmates like this. Where is the real Miyume-san?"

Chloe: Imperfections? Yeah, that was pretty accurate. At least for Chloe anyway. She frowned and kept quiet, waiting for an answer to Minoru's question.

DM: "Somewhere," Not!Miyume shrugged slightly. "I'm taking care of her."

Kisa: "Taking care of her?" That response made Kisa's hair stand on end. "That won't be necessary. We're here to bring her back."

DM: "Bring her back? Why would you want to do that? She's broken and needs to be fixed." Not!Miyume seemed genuinely puzzled by this prospect.

Chloe: Taking care of her? This only made the anger in the pit of Chloe's stomach rise. She let out a snarl. "She isn't broken!"

DM: "Of course, she is," Not!Miyume says in a sort of 'duh' tone. "I'm fixing her."

Himeko: Imperfections…huh? Normally Himeko wouldn’t care about someone calling her that. She got that often enough. But the way that… person talked really got on her nerves. “I have no idea what you are talking about! Just give Miyu-tan back! “

Haruka: Haruka flinched at the word, and her grip on her cane tightened. She thought of the conversation she'd had with Miyume.

Minoru:Minoru began to walk in a slow circle around the strange imposter, letting the others ask the questions.

Mirai:Truly a dangerous and disconcerting apparation, Mirai thought. He had even thought Miyume herself was less broken than a few of her peers. But he had learned enough about her feelings up to this point and had a respect for the circumstances she was going through.

Haruka: Her eyes were half-lidded in anger as she growled in a low tone, "That's not for you to decide."

DM: "Of course it is." More genuine puzzlement. "It was her decision to come here to be fixed. She didn't want to be broken anymore."

Haruka: "And 'what's broken supposed to mean!?"

Chloe: The German's Evoker was still active. "If you're not going to tell us where she is, we're going to find her ourselves." The German took a searching step

Haruka: Haruka's eyes were open now at that outburst. They weren't focused but they were an unsettling sort of glare.

Kisa: "Even if that's what she believes..." Kisa shakes her head. "This isn't the way to resolve it."

Kazuki: "We can help too." Kazuki protests. He's not sure how much help someone as socially awkward as him can be, but surely it's better than going it alone.

DM: "What she believes doesn't matter. That's what she wants, what she'll decide when she chooses! How can you be her friends if you won't respect her wishes!?" Not!Miyume's voice suddenly rose in pitch. "We didn't ask for her to come here! She came on her own!" Suddenly, Mirai would sense a sudden spike of power coming from the girl. Her eyes began to glow. Not!Miyume dropped Toto who dashed out the door they'd come in. The sound of it locking tight rang out as sharply as a thunderclap.

Chloe: Chloe didn't have time for this. "Friendship doesn't mean you can't tell someone they're wrong." Without a second thought, she plunged the Evoker into her stomach and Garmr began to claw his way into this world once more.

Kisa: Kisa whipped her head at the slam of the door, then turned back to the thing that wasn't Miyume. The Shadow, the "kage", the doppelganger Suwa-sensei had warned them about. That was what this was, she was sure of it. As Chloe summoned Garmr, she dropped to her knees and drove the Evoker in, bringing Benzaiten to shining life.

Kazuki: Kazuki follows suit, Evoker meeting heart. Daedalus materializes through solidifying liquid.

Mirai:The surge was powerful enough that Mirai cancelled his search. HE brought his attention back to the doppeganger of his own accord. "Miyume's on the floor above. Find her. Get out."

Minoru:Minoru didn't have words for this-- he drove the knife into his body with a sort of delight, letting the slashing stroke break outwards-- pure oozing blackness coming from him to splatter to the ground, from whence it flared upwards for Ammut to appear, a black creature of teeth and claws and, apparently, from behind the rows of teeth lining its snout, an army of angry bees-- if the weird buzzing inside its midnight-black mouth could be

Haruka: Hearing everything going on, Haruka instantly slashed her wrist. She let out a gasp that was drawn out by the howling of Inugami, who pressed against her from the front, protecting her

Miyume: "Don't speak for me," came a small but steely voice from the stairwell. The slight girl that appeared slowly looked quite different from the one who had gone in. For one, most of her hair had been lobbed off. It barely reached her chin now. And she was dressed in black lace and frills similar to her counterpart's.. Miyume clung hard to the banister as she slowly made her way down the steps. It didn't look like she could make it on her own. "You aren't me," she said weakly and collapsed a few steps down.

Haruka: "Miyume-chan!"

Chloe: Chloe wobbled slightly, the pain in her chest from summoning Garmr refusing to leave. When Miyume spoke, her piercing gaze locked on her. Instinctively she began to try and run for the stairs and Miyume while Garmr stood defensively, snarling.

Haruka: Haruka's surprise was counterbalanced by the feeling this this was their Miyume. She ran back up the stairs towards her while Inugami continued to guard her back. "Miyume-chan, are you okay?!"

Kisa: Kisa managed to open one eye slightly through the pain, and saw Miyume -- what seemed to be the real one -- sprawled on the stairs. Chloe and Haruka seemed to have it well in hand, though, so she focused her own attention, and Benzaiten, on the doppelganger, waiting for it to make a move.
DM: Not!Miyume swelled again with power, the air around her crackling like invisible electricity. Silvery white light flared up around her to the point that she could no longer be seen but there was a definite shape within that glow. And it was growing bigger. Much bigger.

Taue: From somewhere in the vicinity of the back of the room, Shinichiro Taue just...goggled at the entire thing, much as he'd done the entire night. To say that he'd cracked underneath...whatever the Hell this place was would have been a vast understatement. Clutching his weapon tightly, Taue took one step forward, then a second, still keeping at a safe distance. "I...I can keep everyone healthy, I think," was all he managed as he watched clone Miyume grow and grow.

Mirai:Mirai listened to all of them. He could imagine how in the delirium of being here, that Miyume would not understand what she was saying - so they might think. He could see that she might have ended up here because she wanted to be. And to be away from the people he knew about. "No," he said. "Just make sure you keep Hazama-san healthy and bring her downstairs."

DM: The light dissipated quickly. In its place stood a puppet version of not!Miyume. If possible, her frills grew even fancier to the point she faintly resembled an antique doll. However, strings were attached to her everywhere, far too many to be necessary for her to be manipulated. Most of these strings had either snapped or been cut. Perhaps by the wicked looking scissors clasped in her hand.

Taue: Taue was suddenly very, very glad he wasn't actually engaging this thing in combat. "....well, I'm going to have nightmares for what could be a very short remainder of my life."

Kisa: Kisa's half-open eyes suddenly widened sharply, and she could feel something in her throat. This was... nothing like the bizarre, non-threatening shadows they'd used for target practice.

Haruka: Haruka couldn't see what they were but she could hear what almost sounded like scissors snipping. Those never ended well in this context in films or books. She turned her attention mostly to Miyume and felt for her, another spark of relief going through her when she felt solid. "Miyume-chan, are you okay? Can you move?"

Miyume: Miyume stirred. She seemed dazed and not completely capable of moving. "I'm so tired, Haruka-chan..."

Minoru: Minoru had only stared a bit at the monstrosity, but was quicker to act... simply because he didn't care. This thing was threatening, looked threatening, and refused to yield Miyume-san. It had to be eliminated. With a crisp movement of his evoker as if to gesture with a director's baton, he pointed his persona forward. "Serve me, serve our country well!" he said, and Ammut flung itself forward, standing on all four oily, clawed legs, head tossing backwards and convulsing unpleasantly before throwing itself forward-- to belch out a vividly neon-green, toxic-looking sludge at the creature ahead. 01

Haruka: Haruka lightly squeezed Miyume's hand. "Just stay with me a little longer? Do you want help getting downstairs?" And behind them the battle was starting. She turned her head and felt what Inugami did - painting her mental Map. She pulled on the link between her and Inugami and ordered, "Go!"

DM: Not!Miyume flinches hard from Inugami's blow, stumbling back a step, then shrieks as the sludge hits her. Almost at once, sickly green and purple spots break out all over her leg where the sludge connected.

Minoru:"Success for Japan!"

Taue: Taue, meanwhile, is about to throw up -- and not JUST because of creepy scissors doll.

Mirai: Mirai prioritised Miyume's health before that of the creature. He had even begun witnessing that her life was fading so quickly and quietly that he could only watch. "Ignore it. Think of Miyume instead. She needs medical attention." Because they would just leave their friend in the middle of the floor to fight a creature, right?

Kisa: "We can't get her out till this is done," Kisa replied through gritted teeth.

Miyume: Miyume takes this moment to quietly pass out.

Haruka: "Miyume-chan?" Haruka's voice was steady but her voice was alarmed. She felt the girl and realized she'd passed out. Haruka quickly reached forward to help her but even though Miyume was smaller and shorter than Haruka, Haruka didn't have the strength to heft her, not at this angle

Haruka: "Someone help me!"

Taue: A rather perturbed looking Taue swallowed hard, once, then again, but then nodded. "I'm on it, Haruka," he called, running over to their positon.

DM: A pink, cloudy haze engulfed Haruka. It was rather pretty in a glittery way. But didn't seem to actually do anything and dissipated.

Kisa: Kisa stretched her hand out, and Benzaiten floated gracefully forward, a blast of razor-sharp wind striking out at the doll with a strum of her strings.

Taue: He looked at Haruka, seriously. "Do you want me to carry her? I can take her back to my spot over there, it should hopefully be out of range of Creepy Scissorhands over there."

DM: The doll flinched again as the gust hit her, stumbling back again. An ear piercing shriek rang through the ballroom.

Haruka: Haruka looked torn but she knew that Taue probably had a better chance than her. She nodded. "Be careful? Inugami might accidentally hit the wrong target otherwise." The look on her face said she was joking though about the last thing.

Taue: Nodding quietly, Taue concurred. "I've got it," he said, stooping down to pick her up, carefully, then beginning a slow, but careful walk to Not In The Vicinity of the Creepy Thing with Scissors. She was light, though he was carrying her in a way that he found rather...uncomfortable. It reminded him vaguely of the spiky-haired emo kid getting ready to let his dead lover go into a pool of water. He was hoping this story had a slightly better ending.

Himeko: Himeko had observed the whole situation, letting the others act first. Having gotten an impression of the circumstances by now, she decided to make her move as well. The idol-wannabe activated her Evoker, stabbing herself as she was more or less used to by now. The pain hadn’t disappeared completely but it was bearable now. She looked seriously at her appearing Persona and naturally started commanding it. “Bash!”

DM: The blow hit the doll hard, hard enough to knock her over completely.

Kisa: The sight of the doll knocked over gave Kisa a surge of adrenaline. "Hit it while it's down!"

Taue: Perhaps ill advisedly, Taue led the charge into the fray, carefully holding Miyume in such a way that he could have her unconscious body repeatedly step on the downed doll.

Himeko: “I did it! It’s down”,Himeko said and jumped up and down excitedly. She then turned to Kisa and nodded approvingly. “Let’s all attack it together!”

Mirai: Mirai obediently kept one eye on the fight and spent the rest of his time wondering about Miyume's condition. Then he felt despairingly unfit that his ability to move people - use them to keep Miyume safe - was blocked by this apparition.

Chloe: Garmr joined in on the fray, getting in some damage while the puppet was knocked down.

Haruka: "Great job"! Haruka said. With her attention freed, Inugami let out another howl and leapt onto the downed puppet before ripping into it with its teeth.

Kisa: Benzaiten hovered on the periphery, another blast of wind adding to the chaos.

Taue: As if suddenly realizing he was Far Too Close, Taue beat a hasty retreat, still carrying Miyume, this time farther away to safety.

Minoru:"For Japan!!" Minoru shouted, and Ammut began to rush forward... like a lizard lashing out for a bite, it moved fast, and its large jaws clenched shut on the puppet, black bile and saliva spilling from them while Minoru seemed to watch the whole thing proudly. "Yes. Yes! Those are the teeth that will devour our enemies and make the future shine bright!"
.
Kazuki:Daedalus' head (or the orb that passed for a head), grows in brightness, eventually serving much like a capacitor in a camera and discharging. The electricity is unleashed directly on his target, thousands of volts surging from the Persona.

DM: The puppet seems to explode into silvery, mirror-like shards of light underneath the onslaught. There is an accompanying tinkling sound like a bunch of fine china being crushed at once. Afterward, the shards coalesce into a vaguely humanoid form before returning to the form she'd held prior to the battle. She stood very still, completely silent and expressionless as if waiting for something.

Kisa: Kisa's arms drop to her sides, and she slumps, exhausted and aching. If she remembered correctly, then there was still another step...

Miyume: Miyume began to stir, her eyes fluttering open. She shifted in the arms of whoever happened to be holding her as if waking from a long sleep.

Haruka: Haruka went still as she waited but eventually the sounds of fighting died down and Inugami relaxed. She padded up to Haruka and gently licked Haruka's hand, as if to tell her it was over now

Taue: Taue almost jumped when she stirred. Almost. He was careful to hold her -- though this part was likely to be rather awkward. "You okay," he asked, quietly, swallowing hard.

Haruka: Haruka responded with smile and scratched her ears before heading over to Taue and Miyume

Chloe: Chloe was beside Taue in a moment, panting slightly. Damn Personae.... "Miyume... can you hear me...?"

Kazuki:Daedalus bows. Despite his exhaustion, Kazuki can't help but look away, embarrassed at his Persona's behavior.

Miyume: At first, Miyume doesn't answer. If anything, her face seemed to crumple a little and she looked as if she might cry at any moment. "I don't know. My head feels funny."

Himeko: “I really need some cocoa now that this is finally over…”, Himeko sighed and headed over to where the rest of the group was to check on Miyume.

Chloe: Funny? Panic was trying to bubble over inside her, but she did her best to push it back down. "We need to get you to some medical help."

Miyume: Miyume fell quiet again, then touched her hair as if suddenly noticing it was much shorter. "What happened to my hair?"

Chloe: "Someone's cut it..." As if trying to quell her own fears, Chloe reached out gently and laid a hand on Miyume's shoulder. It was awkward for her, but... she was so relieved they had Miyume back. She looked at Taue, as if making sure Miyume's weight wasn't too much for him.

Taue: Taue was perfectly okay with her weight -- though everything else going on right now was outside of his pay grade and range of ability to handle. There were no more words from the usually talkative boy, the weight of everything crushing down across his shoulders.

Haruka: "Sounded like she might've done it?" Haruka's head turned slightly to the other Miyume. "She's got the scissors things."

Haruka: "We can fix it when we get out of here though." She lightly squeezed Miyume's shoulder before letting go

Kisa: It seemed an odd thing for Miyume to focus on, at least to Kisa. She stood on wobbly legs and took a few steps toward the small group, keeping half an eye on the apparition. The Shadow. "Hazama-san..." She nodded quietly towards not!Miyume. "There's still one thing left to do, right?"

DM: Miyume's eyes wandered distractedly from one person to the other. "I need space," she said quietly but authoritatively, pointing weakly at her other self. "There's something else I need to do before we can leave."

Haruka: Haruka nodded, slowly, and stepped back a little more. She was unsteady on her feet now, without the adrenalin. Inugami padded back up to her, whined and licked her hand again, and then disappeared into blue.

Chloe: Chloe reluctantly stepped back. Her eyes, so usually cold, were soft now, a strange gentleness hidden behind the ice. One hand clutched at the fabric at her chest while Garmr came to stand next to her. She leaned on him, letting him support her.

Kazuki:"Right." Kazuki does look at his Persona now. The glass breaks, water falling and disappearing before it hits the floor. He hides his Evoker.

Kisa: Kisa nods and steps back. Benzaiten fades into a golden shimmer, and the Evoker is sheathed for now.

Miyume: Miyume walked very slowly and carefully toward her counterpart. "You're right. I am broken but... so are you. You're a part of me and I'm you and..." She trailed off, uncertainly staring at the apparatition. She swallowed nervously. Was that a flash of silver and an encouraging smile? "Well, I'm you and you're me. And I accept you."
Haruka: "You're not broken!" Haruka instantly blurted. However, Miyume kept talking.

DM: At first, nothing seemed to change. Then after a few seconds passed by, Miyume - the real Miyume - began to fade. At first, it was tidbits. Her fingertips blurred, then her arms became transparent. This continued onward and it was clear something was wrong. It wasn't supposed to happen like this.

Haruka: Haruka didn't know what was happening but something felt wrong. She took several steps forward, reaching, "Miyume-chan?"

Chloe: Alarm filled Chloe's expression, and for the first time, her mask shattered. "Miyume!" Instinctively, her hand reached for the girl's shoulder

Haruka: That spurred Haruka. She ran. Inugami was gone so she didn't have a mental map of where she was anymore but she just listened for Chloe, her hand still reaching

Taue: Taue hadn't moved. Not one inch. His arms, even, were still frozen in the position of carrying her. He couldn't move. His legs simply wouldn't accept the signal from his brain, as his mouth dropped open, watching a human being disappear in front of his very eyes.

DM: Miyume was fading rapidly. Her lips moved sluggishly as if she were trying to speak but no sound came out, not even the sound of her breathing. Rather than touch something solid, Chloe's hand passed right through her.

Kisa: "She... should be going back to the real world. Right?" This didn't seem right. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen -- not from what Suwa-sensei had told them.

DM: The other!Miyume began to fade as well, her smile changing from one of subtle encouragement to accomplishment.

Haruka: The more the awful silence and lack of Miyume stretched, the more frantic Haruka looked. And then she heard what Kisa said

Himeko: Himeko watched the scene, her mouth wide open and expression filled with shock. That wasn’t supposed to happen, was it? “We beat that Shadow-thing? It should be okay now…”, she mumbled.

Chloe: As her hand passed through the girl, the shock settled on her face. She stepped forward and tried to grab her again.

Haruka: "What's going on!?" Haruka demanded, eyes wide with complete panic. "Someone fill me in, please!"

Kazuki:"What's going on...?" Kazuki asks, not really expecting an answer, but too confused to really do much else.

Himeko: “I don’t know… “, the idol-wannabe answered her roommate, still not able to look away from that strange scene. “It shouldn’t happen but she seems to…disappear…”

DM: By the time everyone was finished asking their questions and voicing their fears, both Miyumes had faded completely. The only ones left in the room were the Persona users. As the other Miyume fades, the castle ripples around them, and in a few moments, the group -- along with Mirai -- finds themselves back outside, with the green hills and blue sky, and a squawking noise in Mirai's ear that was almost audible to all of them.
Finally, it resolves: "Return immediately. I repeat: return IMMEDIATELY."

Haruka: Haruka couldn't see but she felt it. She could suddenly hear the Mirai's noisepiece again, as well as the adults. However, Haruka didn't move. She stood tense, still, and looking small and lost. She demanded again, "Guys, I can't see. Please! What happened to Miyume-chan?"

Chloe: Chloe stood there, her face the embodiment of fear, her hand outstretched where Miyume had been. The voice snapped her out of it, and her expression was suddenly one of anger. "Not without Miyume!"

Himeko: Himeko shook her head in disbelief. She was at a loss for words. So Miyume really disappeared? Did they fail? Was that what would happen to all of them sooner or later?

Taue: Still nothing from Taue. It was unlikely he even noticed they were outside, or the loud chirping noise from Mirai's earpiece.

DM: A shimmering portal in space marks the location where they entered, allowing them to exit as well. The earpiece doesn't seem to register the protest from Chloe, but the noise is getting louder and more frantic.

Kazuki:Kazuki looks at the portal for a moment. No. They can't be done here.

Chloe: Chloe looked at Kisa. For the first time, the German looked completely vulnerable. Lost, afraid, and angry. "We can't go back without her!"

Kisa: Kisa, looking exhausted and bewildered herself, looked back over her shoulder toward the castle; its silhouette was nowhere to be seen. "I... think we have to. For now." She was the first through the portal, after another look back over her shoulder to see if the others were joining her.

Haruka: Haruka shook her head. More than looking lost, she looked angry now. She didn't know what was going on and no one would tell her anything. She looked in Mirai's direction and said, "Senpai, you felt her before, right? You have to be able to feel her now, right!?"

Mirai: Mirai seemed to ignore the command entirely. He grunted and adjusted the earpiece decidedly. That was when he came walking down from the castle and seemed to avoid looking anybody in the eye. He avoided looking at Haruka with any sort of complexity. "No."

Haruka: Hearing that, Haruka's face fell, her long bangs covering her increasingly broken expression. She swiped at her eyes and started back in the general direction of the astle.

Chloe: "No..." She whispered. "No...!" They had done everything they could. They had her, had beaten their foe! They had done what the teachers had taught them! Where the hell was Miyume?! The German charged towards the portal. She was getting some god damn ANSWERS.

Kazuki:Kazuki clenches his fists, as if that will help anything. Did they do something wrong? In that case, the only right course of action is to follow instructions appropriately. Fix this. He walks through the portal.

DM: The atmosphere in the lab was different from when they had left. Where it had been busy but focused, now it was almost frantic. For the first time, Yachiyo was sitting, forehead resting in her palm. She looked nearly as worn as they were.
Near the console bank, Sawatari was standing to the side, hand to her mouth, looking stricken, while Horaoku was seemingly trying to comfort her. Suwa and Takaoka were practically having a shouting match with each other and one of the camera images -- a very upset Aya.
Yachiyo looked up at the emergence of the few who had come in, not seeming surprised in the least that the full group hadn't come back. Her voice, when she spoke, was flat.
"She's dead."

Chloe: "..... What?" The German had barreled through the portal, ready to demand answers from the teachers. But now... No. They were wrong. They had to be.

Kazuki:Kazuki feels his heart drop. Death is a concept he has no familiarity with in the first place. It seems unreal. The sort of stuff that starts happening to you in that foggy, uncertain future.

Himeko: The small girl let out a small sigh. She wanted to save Miyume just as much as everyone else and she was pretty freaked out by the things that had happened right in front of her. But there was no use in staying here for now. It wouldn’t bring her back.

Kazuki:"How do you know that?"

DM: "She showed up in her room. Ihoji found her. Whatever that was..." She shook her head, seemingly at a loss. "We're looking at something totally new here." She looked up at Kazuki, tightening her jaw as if to pull herself together. "We need that footage."

Chloe: Chloe couldn't focus. Her room... the dorms? WIthout a word the German made for the exit. She needed to get to the dorms.

Kisa: "Wait--" With an apologetic look back, Kisa chases after her.

Chloe: She didn't hear her. The only thing she heard was the rushing in her ears. She needed to get to the dorms. She needed to see Miyume.

Kazuki: "I... just..." She's going to have to wait a few seconds for it. Kazuki slumps into a nearby wall. Someone died. As a direct consequence of his actions.

Haruka: The further Haruka walked, the more she felt the space had changed. The dungeon wasn't where it was supposed to be, not really. She stabbed her wrist to call up inugami and get a mental mapping but there was nothing more Inugami could give her.

Taue: Finally, Taue seemed to snap out of his astonishment. Spotting Haruka in the distance, he called to her. "This....this place is gone. She's not here. If...if we want to find her, we have to go somewhere else."

Haruka: Inugami let out an anguished cry for her, before it disappeared back into blue - whether from lack of strength or because she wasn't needed anymore.

Kazuki:"A-Alright. Here... here it is." Kazuki hands over the camera. He needs to keep going. Go through the right procedure. Going off the script isn't going to fix anything. This is what he's learned.throughout his entire life. He can let himself be taken by the shock the moment this is over.

Haruka: Hearing Taue, Haruka turned back with open, lost eyes. It was really all gone? She began walking back, until she was near Mirai or where he had been. She asked him, her voice was still worn and small, Do you want to head back or stay?"

Taue: "We don't have a choice," he said, sadly. "We have to go back. At least...we can ask the adults what the Hell happened."

Haruka: Haruka nodded slightly, but her heart didn't look like it was in it. She lightly reached forward for Mirai and caught his sleeve. "Senpai?"

Mirai: Mirai stood quietly and didn't go back either way, standing amongst the space for some time. He looked at his fingers as he heard people move around him - and was quickly pressured when he heard Haruka's voice.

Haruka: Haruka rubbed her thumb around his arm in a circle, much like she had Miyume before, and gently pulled him towards the portal.

Mirai: Mirai stopped and waited, then pulled his hand loose and slid it - with the other - into his pocket. He grunted when they came to the other side. "I'll be fine, I think. Better look after yourself anyway," he said, and then he walked off.

Haruka: Haruka let go when he started pulling away, and then let him walk away. They were back on the other side and things sounded wrong.

Taue: Taue looked around the room -- and promptly saw a lot of very, very sad and confused faces. For the benefit of the blind girl, as well as himself, he marched right up to Yachiyo, body barely obeying his command, and managed to get out two words. :"What happened?"

DM: More of them were back. It was clear that Yachiyo didn't relish having to repeat the story. "She's dead." Her voice was still flat -- not emotionless, but instead clearly trying to remain controlled. "Ihoji found her body in her dorm room. We don't understand what happened yet."

Taue: Taue didn't so much /faint/ at that as collapse, to the ground, in a heap, his head managing to land first, bouncing off the cold lab floor with a rather impressive "bong" sound.

Haruka: Haruka went completely still. She didn't even seem to register anything, even when Taue fell the ground. But, suddenly, as the words crawled into her mind, as the mental mapping echoed back all the distraught voices and actions and the feel of the room being completely wrong, she choked.
She started shaking as in her mental map and inside she could feel the words 'She's dead' over and over and OVER again and she couldn't stand it. She started to run away but she ran into a table. Her stomach lurched at the action and at her emotions and she lost it. She began puking, unable to stop retching, even as there was nothing left.

Kazuki: Having already fulfilled his duties, exhausted any means through which he can occupy his increasingly frantic mind, and growing more sorrowful at the prospect of another student's death by the second, Kazuki opts to excuse himself. He starts walking away.

Mirai: Mirai, who had been proud of his abilities in relation to everyone else's, struggled to consider what he could do with them. They had not been much help. He could feel some gigantic gaze on him, and before anybody could accost him skulked away.