Minato | Souji | Akira | 097

[messianic]

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[purrtagonist]

Speak for yourself. I’m perfectly normal and boring. [a beat] RIP, Tama-chan.

[HAND OVER HEART. but only for a moment before he turns on his heel and starts walking in a random direction. he even gestures for the other two to follow]

This way. I saw a door while I was wandering, but it wouldn’t open.

[natural leader instincts are taking over]

[sworders]

[ Souji will follow along after a moment.

But first he's going to stand there, looking stricken, and mumble softly: ]

RIP??

[messianic]

[A slow beat.

...]

Ah.

Marco and Polo were only just reunited, and you've already broken his heart...

[purrtagonist]

[stops in his tracks. . . and turns to face them both]

. . .

Just kidding?

[why is Seta surprised, Tama died in 2015, did he not hear?? AKIRA DOESN'T WANT TO BREAK HEARTS LIKE THIS!!]

[sworders]

I know she was getting old, but--

[ THIS IS SO DISTRESSING. ]

[messianic]

There, there.

[Minato just quietly rests a hand on Souji's shoulder briefly.]

She's living in a grand train station up in...the sky...

[... that briefly makes him wonder if she's here, since he is also dead, and apparently so is Tama-chan, but.

No.

This is fine.]

... Are you going to be okay?

[purrtagonist]

[Souji. . .]

. . . I sure hope this isn't the grand train station in the sky.

[he's pretty sure he's not dead? PRETTY SURE??? they wouldn't kill him in juvie. . . he thinks]

Will you be okay?

[Minato asked, but Akira echoes the question, just to show he's concerned, too]

[sworders]

[ Oh. He's concerning them already-- and Souji gives his head a quick shake, offering up a faint smile. ]

I'm... fine. We have more important things to deal with right now. Let's go.

[messianic]

[Hm...]

... Let's go check out that door, then.

[He's definitely still keeping an eye on you though, Souji!! He is starting to suspect Souji might be a Cat Lover. Or just a lover of all animals, which is still fine.]

[purrtagonist]

[INCIDENTALLY, there is a cat right here--]

[Akira arches a brow, his gaze also lingering on Souji and the way he goes from visibly (if comically) disappointed to a cheery smile. hm. hm! how does it feel to have two sets of protag eyes on you know, cat-senpai??]

There wasn't much to it. It was pretty plain, and. . . blue.

[and as they round a corner down another train station hallway, they will find the door of which Akira speaks. it's blue, extremely reminiscent of the Velvet Room doorways that Minato and Souji are familiar with, and inlaid into the brick wall at the end of the hall]

[interesting!!]

[sworders]

[ He is nowhere ready to pet you (yet), Akira.

And he is bravely shouldering through both of those stares because as soon he sees the door, one eyebrow shoots way up. ]

... Well, if nothing else, this definitely proves that this is connected to the Velvet Room.

[messianic]

[Huh...!!

Minato's also inspecting the door curiously.

And then because he can, he reaches out to try to open it even though Akira said it's locked.]

[purrtagonist]

[. . . the doorknob turns]

[Akira can hear it, and he perks up immediately, bemusement crossing his features]

Huh--?

[sworders]

... Oh.

[ Mild surprise. ]

It opened.

[messianic]

... Well...

[IN THEY GO.

Minato just casually pushes the door open tooo...

A probably very messed up velvet room. It definitely isn't the elevator he's used to, or the limo Souji knows, or the jail cell that's so familiar to Akira... though if they look hard enough, they might see similarities, pieces of them making up this amalgamation of a room, the soft velvety upholstery of Souji's Velvet Room, the foreboding numbers over what looks to possibly be some cell doors on either side from Akira's, and....well, the elevator floor display from Minato's, hanging high up on the wall.

And in the middle of the room, curled up on a chair, is a cat.

TAMA-CHAN.]

[purrtagonist]

[. . . well, naturally Akira’s gaze is immediately drawn towards those numbered, potentially cell doors. he finds himself stiffening on instinct, because even though his Velvet Room was so much freer now, he really doesn’t want two strangers— wild cards or not— to see the depths of his heart]

[time to focus on Tama-chan!!]

Oh.

[HM]

This really is the great train station in the sky.

[brb he’s gonna approach this cat and pet her first because he deserves this]

[sworders]

[ What the...

It's both familiar and not. The upholstery of the limo, to the point where he half expects to hear the soft thud of Margaret decisively closing her book. But there are things he doesn't recognize, like those numbers. And-- ]

Tama-chan!

[ Oh, no. Sorry, he's on right on Akira's heels to see the cat. ]

[messianic]

[Well.

Since Akira and Souji have the cat covered... Minato just kind of pokes around the Velvet Room curiously, brow furrowed.]

Elizabeth...?

[?????]

[purrtagonist]

[one of the first things of note as Akira and Souji approach Tama is the fact that she is wearing a different hat than usual. it's blue, and closest in resemblance to Elizabeth's, which only Minato would really recognize. but Akira is familiar enough with Velvet Room attire to put two and two together]

Wait. . . is she--

[the cat sits up, arches her back, and lets out a pointed meow at the approaching boys. her sharp gaze, golden yellow eyes practically glowing in the dim lighting, is full of unspoken secrets. as is common for most Velvet Room attendants]

[meanwhile! Minato will not find Elizabeth. but he'll find three more doors! Velvet Rooms within a Velvet Room. INTERESTING]

[sworders]

... She's our attendant?

[ To this query, Tama meows again, tail flicking. Souji is still brokenhearted that she's apparently dead, but at least she seems content in her new role here. ]

I guess that makes sense. If it's a train station, no one would be a better fit for a station master than her.

[messianic]

[Interesting... he's curious about the doors, but he'll leave them alone for now, turning his attention back to Souji and Akira.

Mostly because he's really curious about this whole "attendant as a cat" thing?

That sounds...]

... Really...? Tama-chan is going to help us with fusions?

[purrtagonist]

Eh. I've seen weirder. Who knows? Maybe she's really good at it.

[with that, Akira crouches next to Tama, lifting a finger to scratch underneath her chin, just like how Mona likes it. but before he can--]

[-- she hops off of the chair, flicks her tail at him, and curls around Souji's ankles. nya!1]

. . .

And after I defended her, too.

[sworders]

[ He's just going to gently bend down to rub her ears. ]

I'm sure she'll be amazing at it.

[ He may be biased. ]

[messianic]

[... anyway.

Minato crouches in front of the cat as well, tilting his head.]

What are we supposed to be doing here, Tama-chan...?

[purrtagonist]

[Tama-chan responds to Minato's question by. . . rolling onto her back, paws in the air]

[. . .]

It's a trap.

[this is why Akira is Tama's least favorite]