The Silver Key [Closed]

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Where: The Velvet Room
Summary: Someone had a dream and was given an item, then decided to do something about it.
When: June 7th
Warnings: Is someone really gonna try putting the key in Igor's nose?

This wasn't a normal trip to the Velvet Room for a switch of persona or a quest. No, there was a reason behind it, as the three had an item that perhaps could be answered by the residents of the venue. As the glowing blue door is opened, the sounds of life and the city grow quiet.

They appear in one of the many blue and white cabins of the Velvet Train, as the train continues to move around in the air. Soft and comforting music can be heard in the background, calming the souls of those who enter. The windows are open and outside a breathtaking view of a starry night sky.

Well, now it was up to them to decide what to do. Time to run to the bar cabin, or make a plan in this area first?

Comments

[melodyoflogic]

He glances downward at the forming path of rocks, clearly questioning the stability of such a thing, before finally and carefully following Hizumi forward. They'd get nowhere if they didn't explore this place, oddities or not.

How they were supposed to navigate a maze like this, though..... they'd need to mark their path if they didn't want to get turned around on all these stairs, but would the paths even stay in the same place?

[bondsofsuffering]

...Convenient? Hizumi honestly isn't sure at this point, but he'll continue to advance nonetheless, taking the lead. Whatever misgivings he had about that gun earlier seem to have vanished, because he's currently got it at the ready just in case they should come across anything on the way.

Losing the doorway is a shame, but not too surprising at this point. It's just something they'll have to worry about later - right now it's probably best to focus on figuring out why, exactly, Philemon thought it was necessary to send a group of visitors here of all places.

[hachitaro]

Taro follows along behind them, not saying much. He doesn't like this. Too many unknowns. "Might as well start trying any door we come across." Which is probably a bad idea, but they don't have any other ideas right now.

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Speaking of which, there's a door at the top right sided end of this corridor! The problem is it looks like it might not be able to fit them from this angle...also it's a good while away. But it looks like a door...

[melodyoflogic]

If it looks like a door, it's at least worth investigating.... right?

Hopefully, anyway. Ayumu points in it's general direction, shrugging. "How about that one? We've got to start somewhere."

[bondsofsuffering]

"If anything pops out of it and tries to kill me, you'll take responsibility, right?" 'Try' being the key word here.

But a lead is a lead, even if they don't know to where, so he'll obligingly turn and head for the door.

[hachitaro]

"Sounds good." Taro follows along with them, bonking the crowbar lightly against hard surfaces as if to remind himself that there's still some sensory information that makes sense.

"And that's why I have an agility-increasing move. So we can run the hell away."

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As they walk forward, the group is flung to the side as if to say that clearly they should be walking sideways now.

Thankfully, apart from perhaps the brain panicking, the switch in gravity didn't seem too jarring.

Only just a few more steps away from the door at least. However from the way things were going, they were gonna have to jump down into it instead of entering.

On the other side it looked like a garden mixed with more insane maze designs. Who had built this thing? Why was it even in the Velvet Room?

[melodyoflogic]

Brain panicking indeed. Ayumu almost reaches out to grab onto whatever nearest support existed on pure instinct-- Which unfortunately would have been Hizumi, then his mind catches up as their gravity corrects itself. Instead, he tries to firmly plant his legs on the ground once more, grimacing.

The contents of the room when they come to it was certainly odd, but it was just a growing oddity in a room full of oddities in a world full of oddities, at this point for Ayumu.

The bigger problem was--

"We're going to have to jump."

[stringmods]

Indeed, it looks like you're gonna have to jump!

[bondsofsuffering]

He's really feeling the love here, Ayumu. His reflexes being what they are, he actually tumbles into a protective roll when he hits the "ground", but he's back on his feet quickly enough. But this sure has complicated things, hasn't it...

"...I'm still holding you guys responsible if the door turns out to eat me."

Is all he'll say as he prepares to jump. He's strongly reconsidering taking the lead here, but given their Personas...

[hachitaro]

Taro makes the switch fairly easily, given his tendency towards having to make weird landings during thefts. He manages to crack a smile at Hizumi, and nods towards the door.

"It doesn't look too hard to get to. Actually... yeah. We can make that easily." Taro readies himself, and springs towards the door, tucking and rolling so he can protect both himself and the crowbar as he rolls through.

When you guys are done, just say MOD PRESENCE REQUIRED

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As they jump in, illusions suddenly take old.

To each other, they appear as objects and characters in their worst fears, and what appears to be their friends behind them not being there at all. Will they be able to break the spell around them, or will they end up fight each other?

[melodyoflogic]

Ayumu glances down for a moment, taking quick aim before jumping himself. Hopefully they won't hurt themselves when they land.

Of course, maybe some injury might be preferable to suddenly taking on the appearance of his older brother as he lands, not that Ayumu is aware of this yet. The illusion might be broken at least a little by the inelegant stumble before he rights himself, but considering the man he looks like....

[bondsofsuffering]

Hizumi lands with a decent amount of grace himself, although his cool demeanor doesn't last for long.

"Everyone make it alri--"

He doesn't even manage to finish his sentence before it tapers into a hiss of breath, gaping as he is at the man he perceives to be present.

It may have been quite some time now, but the memory remains fresh. It's hard to forget when one has met God himself, after all, much less if one has spent time living with the very being.

"Kiyotaka."

His voice takes on an odd edge to it. Of course, given he now appears as Yaiba...

Perhaps it's rather fitting after all.

[hachitaro]

Taro looks up, confused at Hizumi's anger. But the people he sees aren't his friends - though maybe they are, in a way. He doesn't notice his own illusion, focused on the other two. Are these...

"The - oh. Hey! The two of you! Cut it out!"

He doesn't notice his own transformation into an ugly creature, at least by Taro's standards. He steps forward, trying to get between them. "We don't need your shit here!"

[melodyoflogic]

Ayumu glances around, confused, freezing at the sight of an older, green haired man standing nearby and a demonic looking.... bird thing.

A Tengu?

The utterance of 'Kiyotaka' makes him more wary still. He knows he looks like his brother, but---

"What's going on here?"

[bondsofsuffering]

The tengu's presence is easy enough to guess at. He can still recall a time when Taro had explained their involvement in his death. But for Kiyotaka...

No, an apparition that happened to take Kiyotaka's form. He doesn't believe for a moment that it's the true one, but given their current location, that doesn't give him much relief; a fake could be nearly as powerful as the original for all he knew.

...For now, it's best to do what he can, at least. Ever mindful of the Ayumu and Taro who seem to be behind him, he quickly dodges the tengu and aims for "Kiyotaka's" hand, perceiving him as the larger threat at the moment. If he can at least be disabled, it would only make dealing with the tengu that much easier.

[melodyoflogic]

When he sees Yaiba move for his weapon, Ayumu's immediately on the defensive-- He follows Yaiba's movements, darting to the side to try to avoid the shot.

He doesn't quite make it, though. As evenly matched as he and Hizumi's reflexes are, he's lucky that the shot only grazes his lower arm instead of shattering his hand. He bites back a muffled yell of pain, fighting the nausea that's invited by his lowered pain threshold, and raises his gun, aims, and fires at Yaiba's shoulder.

Whatever this apparition was, it was violent.

[hachitaro]

Great. He has to break up the two and do it fast. The Yaiba was the larger threat - maybe? Possibly. He has to pick one, anyway. He lets out a yell and charges Yaiba, trying to tackle him to the ground.

[bondsofsuffering]

He does an admirable job of avoiding that gunshot, having expected retaliation in the high likelihood that he missed. But what he doesn't expect is for the tengu to bodily tackle him, and he cracks his head on the ground with a cry of pain. The sensation seems to reverberate through his entire spine, and it leaves him stunned for a good moment.

This isn't good... Kiyotaka might not be able to kill him, but that didn't mean he was beyond harm. Damn it, why aren't Ayumu and Taro backing him up?

[melodyoflogic]

Ayumu's darting forward with the opening the Tengu gave him, correctly assuming it to be an ally, and is on Yaiba in mere moments with his gun pointed at his head, panting a little from the pain of his injury.

He didn't know what this was, but something that could take on Yaiba's appearance like that--

"Are you some sort of demon?" Hopefully, it only looked like Yaiba. He wasn't sure what they could do if it was an exact copy....

[hachitaro]

Taro froze for a moment, hearing his heart beating in his ears. "I told you two to cut it out! Why aren't you two listening to me?!"

He rises from the ground and growls, before trying to dart forward to tackle Kirotaka as well. He's not made for this, but he doesn't want Hizumi or Ayumu to have to deal with either of these two.

[bondsofsuffering]

Was this some kind of joke? Even with the gun pointed at his head, Hizumi doesn't even bat an eyelash. After all, this isn't the God that could kill him. There's absolutely no reason for him to fear death at this man's hands.

"You should know the answer to that better than anyone, Kiyotaka."

He's hardly got the words out when the tengu turns on God instead, leaving Hizumi blinking in confusion. He'd acted like they were allied, but if he was going for Kiyotaka as well...

Either way, it's an opportunity, and not one that Hizumi's about to pass up. He scrambles to his feet and begins firing again even as he backs off, not particularly caring if he hits Kiyotaka or the tengu - either way, they're both clearly enemies as far as he can tell.

[melodyoflogic]

Ayumu hits the ground hard, landing heavily under the weight of the Tengu. He's scrambling to try to get out from under it, but it's too slow going for his tastes.

The words grated-- Whatever this thing was, it kept calling him his brother's name. How much did this 'copy' of Yaiba have of the original? Was that even possible? He tries to shove the bird demon off and away, attempting to get some room to get out of the way of the shot he sees Yaiba aiming for him.

"Stop mistaking me for my brother!"