[open/intro]

[fireandfaith]

Ann knows this place.

This shade of blue, and the song...though its notes flow far more harmoniously than they had the last (and only) time she'd heard them, the melody itself is enough to make Ann's heartbeat kick up a notch. That song only plays in the Velvet Room--and the Velvet Room is not a place she wants to be. Lavenza had said it. Her gut had said it--and Elizabeth had confirmed it. The Velvet Room was in the control of Yaldabaoth, wearing the skin of Igor.

Ann had never met Igor, personally, but both Akira in the previous timeline and the Attendants she'd encountered had painted a vivid picture of him. Taking in her surroundings carefully (this Room matched neither the descriptions of a prison Akira had once given her, or the crumbling ruins Lavenza had pulled her into at the End of a World), Ann eyes the man she can only assume is Yaldabaoth. And, even if it is truly Igor...

She's never met the man, and she doesn't trust anything he has to say to her. She might not be garbed in her will of rebellion, currently, but Célestine is always with her, and steeling her spine with a little of her flame, Carmine stands tall and proud.

Ann takes in the doors. Makes a split second decision that she shouldn't just be rushing into making a decision; Lavenza, and Elizabeth, she trusts--and she's heard Elizabeth describe their siblings enough that she feels as though she can trust them too. She'll poke around in this unfamiliar Velvet Room for now, and see if she can't encounter one of them...or at least someone who can tell her what's going on.

[OOC: check out Ann's AU info and perms here!]

Comments

[fireandfaith]

Ann can't help the real, genuine laugh that spills from her at the time travel comment--"Oh," she says, "I'm more than all right with time travel." A private little joke, except maybe here she's not going to be the only one laughing about it? If time travel sort of just...casually happens, here.

The other locations...she tilts her head. The sights of other Persona incidents, maybe? Lavenza and Elizabeth had both confirmed that the Phantom Thieves hadn't been the first, but they'd never divulged details beyond that...one name strikes her as familiar, though? After a moment's thought, she's got it: "Iwatodai!" she says, "Weird. I'm pretty sure Iori-sensei mentioned that he'd gone to school somewhere near there." Thinking on it, the dates would line up for him to have been going to school at that time too, but...nah. It can't be. Iori-sensei is so goofy.

The other places don't spark any sort of recognition in her, though her interest does perk at the mention of demons. She decides not to mention that in front of this Akechi, though.

"I might head for Tokyo, then..." She cants a glance Akechi's way, and then offers (not without reluctance), "do you want to come with?"

[pheasantboy]

"I'd love to." He glows, as if the last moments of unpleasantness never took place; as if he could ask nothing more. Unlike his former self, this Akechi is acutely aware of his need for others, and has no ingrained scorn to shield him from his loneliness.

"You're not wrong about Kitagawa-kun, by the way. I miss him too. Not just for the promise of business cards. Imagine the lengths this place would drive him to."

He reaches for the last of the five doors, meaning to open it for her.

[fireandfaith]

Ann follows behind Akechi, laughing while she muses along with him: "He'd get so much art out of here." Granted, she's only seen the Velvet Room, but even that alone would be enough to get Yusuke painting for weeks, probably.

[pheasantboy]

"Yes, it really is extraordinary how gifted he is. I've never had anything but respect for his work and his intelligence, even if it sends him down some uncomfortable paths from time to time." It's how he remembers his grudging recognition of Kitagawa as one of the less worthless of the group—as well as his infuriating knack for cutting to the core of a dilemma.

But Akechi is, in fact, capable of paying attention for more than a few seconds; he evidences this now. "You say you know someone from Iwatodai?"

[fireandfaith]

"My PE teacher, Junpei Iori," Ann says. "He's pretty young for a teacher, and he thinks he's 'hip with the kids.' I don't know about that, but he's better than the last PE teacher we had, that's for damn sure." For just a second, pure wrath fills her tone at the mention of Kamoshida.

"But yeah...Yusuke is so talented. I actually got him to paint a wall at my house, a while back. It's super pretty! I'll admit, the meaning behind it kind of went over my head when he tried to explain it to me...he's a lot smarter than people give him credit for."

Ann tries, very valiantly, to keep the conversation topics as normal as possible. No mentions of Persona shenanigans here, no sir!

[pheasantboy]

That's fine. Sparrow, as he's come to be known, will just make conversation and help as best he can. It's so nice to have someone so pleased to be with him... though, of course, her disquiet would never have escaped him before.

"Teachers can be a little much, that's true. I had trouble with some of mine for most of last year." Creepy PE teacher? He might never have heard about him, let alone told her the guy should have died at her hands.

They've emerged into Shibuya, onto Central Street, which looks familiar if rather plastic. "Is there anything in particular you need help with? Your home should still be there." He turns, looking at her face for the first time since mon went through the door.

[fireandfaith]

Shibuya looks the same as it ever does--except, upon second glance, or perhaps a longer one, there's a sort of unreal quality to the air that's initially a bit unsettling.

(Not as unsettling as her company, though! So there's that!)

"Teachers are the bane of all teenagers," Ann agrees, all casual highschool student and none world-weary Persona user. "Home might be good...I'd like to see what it's like, here." To see if it's the same as it is back home, or if it's a house made from...some other Ann, she supposes. "You're free to come with me, but I'm not sure how interesting it would be..."

[pheasantboy]

As if he was going to say no. Ann asking him to come along is almost the best thing that's happened to him since he arrived.

"I'd love to keep you company. As long as you're sure you don't mind?" He stares at her with big, hopeful puppyish brown eyes, as unlike his past self as it's possible to be.

:3 i think we can call it here. have fun on your playdate ann

[fireandfaith]

"Of course I don't mind!" God, Ann, this is how you end up going to the cinema to watch movies you really don't want to. How is it that she can say no about so many things, but when it's something small like this she crumples like wet paper? "Come on, let's go!"