Minato | Souji | Akira | 097

[messianic]

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[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]

[sworders]

Worth it.

[ Yeah. He's going for the tummy. Join the fun, Minato. ]

[messianic]

[Yeah Minato is definitely going for the tummy too.

CAT PETTING!!

LOOK AT THAT FUZZY BELLY.]

[purrtagonist]

[what's even funnier: Akira called it wrong. Tama allows for this petting without grasping at their hands with her claws. the road to being the least favorite wild card is set]

[a soft snort, and Akira follows his senpais, crouching down next to Tama and also reaching out to poke her soft, fluffy belly]

Are we only here to pet you, Tama-chan?

[the cat mewls happily in response. that may as well be a "yes"]

[sworders]

[ And she'll enjoy belly rubs from all three of them before she'll paw at Minato's hand and look towards the doors. Yo. ]

... Over there?

[messianic]

... Ah--those doors. I didn't try to open them.

[HE GOT DISTRACTED BY THE CAT.]

[purrtagonist]

[CATS ARE VERY DISTRACTING, THAT'S FAIR]

I'll give it a try.

[Akira pokes Tama-chan's fuzzy belly one last time before pushing himself to his feat and meandering over to the door that looks kind of like an old timey elevator! but even though he reaches out to push it open, and then digs his fingers in between the crack to pull it open. . . it doesn't budge]

. . . are there some secret conditions we have to meet in order to open any of these?

[BECAUSE THAT'S OBNOXIOUS!!]

[sworders]

Hm.

[ Well. Souji will (reluctantly) leave Tama alone and move over to try the elevator himself.

And yeah, nothing. ]

... Arisato-san, do you want to give it a try?

[messianic]

[... Well, he knows the elevator door is his, of course...

So after a long moment, he just shrugs a little and reaches out to open the door. And open it does!

Welcome to Velvet Room A La Elevator, friends. There's nobody in here, but Minato looks entirely unsurprised to see it.]