Sweet Velvet [Velvet Room Visit - September 2012]

[stringmods]

Who: EVERYONE
Where: Velvet Room
Summary: The blue door appears and it's time for a little field trip.
Warnings: Orpheus is going.

After the message, those that wished to see the phenomenon in action would find themselves at the rendezvous point. There was a surprising amount of police force and WAND operatives watching close by.

"We have to protect the points in case anything happens," he explains. "Should someone try to blow up the place, we wouldn't want to find you all trapped in the realm of the human subconscious."

As they stepped in, they weren't given much information as to what exactly you were heading into. Unless you've been a guest before, this entire experience will be completely new...and even if you've been here, the experience is still new.



The Velvet Room is more of a Velvet Bar at this point. Music from an unidentified source begins to play. The place is oddly calming; as if all the troubles of the city have melted away and you're just drifting in the sea. A multitude of blue butterflies are flying on the ceiling overhead.

The music swells. A voice speaks up in the farthest corner. While there are many of you, his voice seems to almost come from everywhere, and even in a low tone, carries enough that you can understand everything.

"Ahhh, so it has finally, truly begun...welcome to the Velvet Room. My name is Igor... and this is Caroline, my assistant. There is another, William, but he is currently occupied. We all reside in this Velvet Room."

"Pleased to meet you."

"This place exists between mind and matter... A room for those who gave forged a contract... Yes... In awakening to the power of Persona granted to you by Philemon, you are now bound to a contract. From this moment forth, you are all our guests in the Velvet Room."

"I will give you all the key necessary to visit this room."

"You all have the ability to hold multiple Personas and wield their powers...a wildcard ability. However the rules of this world are rather...unique. Even if you were a wielder before, the bridge between this place and your old universe is currently...fragile at best. Those who have the ability to see the Strings will understand exactly what I mean."

"As you continue to live here longer and aid this ailing world, the connection and bonds you forge will reinforce your Destiny String and allow you to truly unlock your full potential."

"As stipulated by the contact, we will aid you to the best of our abilities."

"As your powers grow in this world, we will be able to grant you new skills. For now, please enjoy yourselves."

Caroline then goes behind the bar and awaits for those who might wish to talk with her.

[OOC : Welcome to the Velvet Room. There but a few instructions here:
▶ Currently, you cannot fuse personas. Your link to this world is too weak.
▶ Go to the [PERSONA UPDATE LIST] and fill out the information for your character.
▶ To get a new Persona, you go to [HERE] and then fill out a request [HERE]. Remember you cannot get persona thta belongs to someone else! You can request a Persona (or two if you are a previous Persona user) until the 22nd of September, or wait until next month.
▶ Requests to Caroline can be posted [HERE] and remember you only get one request per month. You can request a Quest until the 22nd of September or wait until next month.
▶ You can talk with Igor, Caroline, hang around, have a drink (what is in that drink anyway?) or just talk between yourselves.]

Comments

[otakuro]

"Whoa..."

Atsuro shuffles uncomfortably in place as he takes in the surprisingly posh atmosphere. A doorframe floating in midair that led to a snazzy jazz club. This made perfect sense, given that he was apparently living in an MMORPG of some sort.

There was quite a lot in the long-nosed man's speech he didn't completely understand, but one thing in particular caught his attention.

"Excuse me, sir... What, exactly, do you mean by contract? What are we agreeing to do here?"

[velvet_nose]

"You agreed to aid this world as best your abilities would allow you, young man," he explains. "By remembering your name when Master Philemon called for you, it proved your strong will...and a subconscious desire to be here."

[guidemethroughit]

As a resident of the Velvet Room, Elizabeth is no stranger to the violet and blue decor, nor to the haunting refrain of its music. The alcohol is new to her, as is the binding contract (although she knew of it -- she had never been bound by one before).

There's still something different - something special - about entering the room not as a resident of it but as a guest. She pauses not far from the doorway, listening to Igor's introduction (although she feels as if she could recite it herself, as if she should turn to the others and smile, extending a hand to the air and welcoming them to the Velvet Room -- but that can be done once her journey is at its end, and once she is back in her own little room).

"Bravo!" She exclaims, once Igor's done, and claps three short times. She might be mocking the whole thing, but she is grateful for something -- normal, at least in her mind. As much as she is born on whimsy, and as excited as she is to be out of the Velvet Room and on her own adventure, she still misses the timelessness of it.

Sort of.

[sweetquests]

Caroline, for her part, seems somewhat devastated by Elizabeth's actions, and was whispering to herself. Well, as whispering as someone in the Velvet room could do, which is to say, she did not quite understand that action in full.

"Oh no...did I mess up in one part? I'd been practicing so hard...maybe I said 'world' too many times..."

For Caroline

[reelsyouin]

Urataros made his way over to the bar and took a seat. "Caroline, was it? I'd like to know more about the 'bonds' we're supposed to forge while we're here."

He wondered if they could order drinks at the bar. Maybe there was a menu here somewhere.

[sweetquests]

"Yes, of course!" As if she could hear his thoughts, she pushed a drink at him. It was a faintly glowing blue color.

"You all now carry the power of Persona within you. A Persona is a facet of your personality that surfaces as you react to external stimuli. It protects you from hardships." She stopped for a minute, as if remembering something, and disappeared behind the counter. A second later her head peeked up again, with a tiny little blue umbrella in her right hand, as she dumped it into his drink.

She hadn't opened it, and predictably, it sank. Caroline didn't seem to think this was wrong and continued on.

"When you use your Persona ability, you must channel your inner strength. The emotional ties you have to those around you...your Social Links, cause an evolution within your soul. The more they grow, the more powerful your Persona Ability and Destiny String become, and the more aid we can provide."

[delinquentkun]

One thing bugged Shinagawa more than anything about this place. It wasn't the cramped apartment he'd been given, or the weird people from other worlds, and it definitely wasn't the lack of prep school. Naw. What bothers him most has something to do with his soul, apparently.

Since this old dude seemed to know his way around a Persona, Shinagawa leans in, all casual like. He doesn't exactly want this conversation to be overheard.

"Hey Gramps, I've got a Persona problem. Think you can help me out?"

[velvet_nose]

If Igor was bothered by his way of speaking, he certainly wasn't showing it. In fact, he let out a small chuckle.

"Really? How may I help you?"

For Igor and Caroline

[linefacingforever]

Wow, Igor... when you go all out, you really go all out. Yu's expression doesn't change when he enters the Velvet Room of course, but he has to say he is impressed at how massive it is. Then again, he is more accustomed to the limo; with so many people that could use Personae and were capable of Wild Card, he should have been able to guess that the Velvet Room would be massive in return.

He waited until the others began mingling before approaching Igor and his new assistant, more to say hello and introduce himself to Caroline.

[get_bent]

Not another bar he had enough of these to last a lifetime but...at least this one had butterflies on the ceiling and seemed a lot more calm that Nyx's. Kanji looked completely lost, unlike Yu.

"Woah." But he was pretty impressed.

[jundere]

Jun considered asking the obvious question - that being 'what the hell was up with Igor's snout?' - but even she decided that might be a bit rude to ask when he was right there.

She made a mental note to ask people later, though. I mean seriously; what would he do if he needed to blow his nose?

Anyway, since that would be too rude, she decided chatting to the other visitors would be much safer. That's why she's leaning over in your direction!

"It's not only me who doesn't remember signing a contract, is it?"

[otakuro]

"Yeah. I just asked him about it."

Atsuro shrugs slightly and scratches at the back of his head underneath his hat.

"I guess it was more of a verbal thing. Agreeing to be here."

[greyerrant]

"Explain the nature of our bounds to our homes, and how they are tentative?"

He stares cooly at Igor from behind his helm.

[velvet_nose]

Igor didn't even seem bothered, and chuckled good-naturedly.

"As you wish. The Destiny String is a connection from your world to this one...and the reason why you are able to return to it at all. The power required for you to be here is immense...and not without its predicaments. However, as your stay in this world continues and you form bonds with others, this link gradually returns to you, becoming reinforced. The connection will then allow you to awaken your stronger powers."

[electricyousei]

[Ruri peers around the room uncomfortably, especially at the mention of the word contract. Sitting down by the bar she looks at the various bottles and shakes her head]

"I don't suppose we can get a copy of this contract? Or something of that nature?"

[sweetquests]

[That's alright, Caroline will make you an alcohol friendly blue-themed drink. It's got a lot of sugar, forgive her.]

"The Contract is your Will"

[That sounded vague enough, really, but she smiles.]

[a_pirate_meant_to_be]

"So, multiple personas, huh?" He grins. All right! Maybe he can find something to use instead of this stupid chicken. "Okay, lemme see what you got!"

[velvet_nose]

Igor quietly opened the book in front of him with a wave of his hand. Your move Guybrush.

[blitzkriegzwei]

Ludwig made a beeline for the bar. It was kind of a habit of his to at least sample the alcohol at a given place and compare it to his own. Nothing beat good old German beer, but perhaps some could come close. Did they even serve beer here? Well, there were more pressing matters to attend to. He could get a drink later. Multiple Personas sounded like a strategically sound proposal. Ludwig was a fan of anything that could give him a varied strategy just in case. "Multiple Personas? How do we go about getting those?" he asked.

[sweetquests]

They did serve beer.

Only the beer was pretty blue. She pored it for him, the foam filled half of the glass.

She then put an umbrella in the middle of it.

"You may enquirer Master Igor and he will aid you," she explained. "Please keep in mind that currently you can only have one additional Persona with you."

[canteachyoumore]

Theodore has prepared for this event.

That is, he has gotten his list of questions together in his mind as well as a cookie for Caroline, who he heard from Master Ideo had quite a sweet tooth. And resisted the urge to welcome the guest himself. So first thing's first! After that rousing beginning from the two, that is, and Theodore's quiet applause. He knew how it felt to do it for the first time and in front of so many people at once?

Theodore is quite proud of her. She deserves this pastry. He hesitates a moment, but figures there are more people wanting to see Master Igor than Caroline and goes on ahead to greet her with a small bow, hand held out in courtesy. The hand, incidentally, with the bag that has a cookie in it.

"Hello. I am Theodore, a..." A resident of the Velvet Room, he wishes to say, but he knows that he's not anymore. An outsider now. "A former denizen of the Velvet Room. You have quite a number of guests. I have heard you had a sweet tooth as well, so I brought a... room-warming gift, I believe it's called."

He honestly feels a little pity for her too, having to deal with all of these people.

[sweetquests]

When he walks up, she gives him a smile, and a quick bow after he introduces himself. The movements betray her own nervousness, but she's a Velvet Resident; she'll adapt to the situation. Her eyes light up at the mention of sugar-filled sweetness and Caroline quickly takes the bag from him in a swift movement, placing it under the bar for now.

"O-oh!" She pouts for a second, putting a finger on her lip. "I apologize. I'm still quite new. I believe I pulled the bag away from you a little too fast. That was not polite of me...thank you. It is nice to have you as a...Guest, Theo-san."

Oh right! Drinks! She moved back for a few seconds, before pulling out one for him. The drinking straw was very...elaborate.

"I enjoy the small colorful tubes and the way they slowly move the liquid towards one's mouth...it is quite a visual treat."

[greatseal]

Minako is slightly surprised to see the abrupt decor change when she steps into the Room, but then again... the elevator had stopped, the last she'd seen. ...And it would have been really difficult to fit this many people into one elevator.

After the crowd around him has thinned a little, she makes her way across to the man with the longest nose. "Hello again, Igor-san... I like what you've done with the place."

Even if she hadn't been expecting to step foot in here again.

She doesn't leave once her conversation with him is over, though; she finds a seat on one of the barstools and... doesn't drink, she's not old enough for that. But she does people-watch.

[sweetquests]

A drink is pushed her way with a smile.

"I have made it without any traces of ethanol," she explains, "Therefore quite safe to drink without it...uh...burning your mind no..was it throat?...I assure you."

[fools_journey]

Minato is... impressed by the changes the Velvet Room has undergone. The elevator was already spacious, but this place seems so much larger. He watches the butterflies on the ceiling for a few moments before watching Igor and his new assistants for a moment. It is both familiar and a little jarring to be back in this place when he thought he had been here for the last time when he had formed The Universe.

But now is not the time to dwell on such things, for he has questions for Igor and Caroline. He waits until any initial rush has subsided, lingering near the edge and perhaps even mingling a little. But then, when there is a free moment, he approaches the pair.

He smiles faintly at Igor, though of course Caroline is just as able to answer questions, he's sure. But he knows Igor... "It's a little strange to be back here... but I was wondering if you could tell me why our personas changed upon coming here. And if... can we still draw upon the power of bonds we already had upon coming here?"

[velvet_nose]

"I did not imagine our paths would cross again, but it is a pleasant surprise." He moves his hand to open the book in front of him.

"The Destiny String is a connection from your world to this one. The power required for you to be here is immense...and not without its predicaments. You may remember a few....fusion accidents that happened during your tenure as a previous Guest. Persona are a part of you...but they are also strongly affected by the universe you are in. Due to this, those that heed your call are quite different than before....however the connections you will forge here will slowly allow you to reawaken your stronger powers, and all the bonds you acquired before."

[ice_cream_ai]

Kaito was distracted by the pretty butterflies, turning in place to follow to their movements, only partly paying attention to Igor and Caroline - his brain mentally filing away what details he caught later.

He pauses as one in particular floats near where the two are. "Multiple... and our bonds make them stronger?" He question finally, cocking his head like a confused puppy.

[sweetquests]

"Indeed. You now carry the power of Persona within you. A Persona is a facet of your personality that surfaces as you react to external stimuli. It protects you from hardships. When you use your Persona ability, you must channel your inner strength. The emotional ties you have to those around you...your Social Links, cause an evolution within your soul. The more they grow, the more powerful your Persona Ability and Destiny String become, and the more aid we can provide."

[misery_hates_company]

A new Persona, hmm...

As much as she usually trusts her own capabilities, she has to admit the idea of having a madman represent her psyche does little to reassure her. A Persona that would provide some stabilization would certainly be welcome.

She frowns, though. Bonds to make them stronger? Nonsense. Bonds just tied you up.

Once again, she hovers on the periphery of the group. She does seem to be slowly making her way towards where Igor is, though.

[velvet_nose]

When she does, Igor just smiles at her in his usual gentlemanly way.

[meaningdies]

Multiple? Well. He'll have to see about finding one that increases his combat abilities. While he does like to be the one hanging back, gathering information... being more able to fight is never a bad thing.

For the moment though, he's content to hang back a bit, looking around casually. He doesn't seem too bothered by this, though the calming affect irritates him internally. He doesn't like anything relating to his mind out of his control.

[itswhoopasstime]

Well, there was something to be said for finding a little bit of familiarity in this place. The Velvet Room wasn't all that different from what Maya remembered, though it was a bit more stylish. The bar was new -- not to mention something she definitely approved of. Why not provide the guests with a place to sit and enjoy themselves while they took a break? Good thinking, Igor.

She made her way towards the bar, helping herself to a seat near the end. Sure, she had questions, but why not put the place to a more practical use while she listened?

[sweetquests]

A small drink was placed in front of her.

"You look like a Guest who has been here before. Would I be correct in the assumptions of my guess?"

[minetodecide]

He had gone to visit mostly to get some answers which he did, sadly though it left him a bit more confused than anything. He had originally thought the Velvet Room would be just that, a room, a meeting place of sorts. Never did he imagine that it would this snazzy. Ryuusei stopped for a moment to observe the room., taking in the splendor and magnificence of it all, only later to find it was starting to overwhelm him. Accompanied by the strange "answers" he had received, adjusting to his new environment, and a growing feeling that a high school student shouldn't be in a bar was starting to give him a head ache. He takes a seat, rubbing his temple with one hand.

"(sigh) Should I really be in a place like this? (sigh)"

[sweetquests]

"You are a Guest of this world, therefore you should be," the voice behind the counter answered, pushing a drink towards him.

[drakenguard]

Yamato is grudgingly impressed by the surrounding area. It was surreal - in the sense that it obviously existed in a plane of existence separate from the world they had been in. He was practically itching with curiosity over it (between mind and matter, so were they physically here or only mentally- ah, he will think on it later).

However, he had something more important to address.

Yamato decided to question the long-nosed man over certain parts of his somewhat informative speech.

"Contract? I don't recall entering into one."

[velvet_nose]

"The Contract is your Will. By entering this world, you chose to let your fate become...intertwined with this one. Had you not, or had you simply been too weak-willed to recall your name when Master Philemon asked for it, you would not be here."

[kagami_arrow]

Another Persona... although her own Neko Shogun intrigued her and was... rather fitting, once she'd given it thought, the prospect of having another other self...

Hm...

Lost in thought, she stands somewhere in the room, eyes closed.

[risetocaesar]

Multiple personas? He had never imagined that he would see anyone aside from Minato, and later Aigis, wield that ability, let alone have that potential himself. Even thinking about it felt strange. He'd been able to call on his Persona for years now, and it had always been just the one. The very idea of being able to summon one aside from Polydeuces or Caesar felt absolutely foreign.

Uncertain, he quietly took in his surroundings. He had been to this place once before, not long ago -- or at least, something like it. This time it was different, though the man who called himself Igor looked exactly the same. How often had Minato and Aigis found themselves in this place...?

[fools_journey]

In milling about, Minato caught sight of a few familiar faces in the crowd, at least one of which he thought perhaps he ought to go talk to. And so, presently he wandered over, coming to stand beside Akihiko. He followed his friend's gaze about the place before looking sidelong at him.

"This place does take a little getting used to..."

[endears]

Multiple Personas, huh... He'll definitely have to look into that if he wants to get any better at defending himself in this place. Other than that, Aoba can't help but find something a little off-putting about the atmosphere; even when dealing with the supernatural, he's used to having some degree of control over the situation, so the otherworldly nature of the place just seems to rub in how completely out of his element he is here.

"Ah... what exactly did you mean by a 'contract', mister?"

[velvet_nose]

He chuckled softly before answering.

"The Contract is your Will. By entering this world, you chose to let your fate become...intertwined with this one. Had you not, or had you simply been too weak-willed to recall your name when Master Philemon asked for it, you would not be here."

[clusteringstars]

Bonds being what could unlock one's full potential wasn't a concept foreign to Yuusei -- in fact, it was something he'd always believed in, which in turn led him to consider the possibility of the Velvet Room residents being trustworthy... more than most figures in charge he'd met so far, anyway.

There was, however, one part that made him rather wary.

"... Contract?"