♚ ; amaranthine

Though Katsuya is certain he’s never met this woman prior, he isn’t too surprised that she seems to know all about him. The Velvet Room deals in knowing, so the agitated frown he displays is a product of attempting to determine her role here.

Katsuya has encountered attendants before, yet they’d seemed to be a different breed: artistic types, dressed like bohemians and fond of music. His greeter today speaks crisply, with all the bold eloquence of a professional—so he decides, in a moment of misguided clarity, that she can’t merely be one of Igor’s cronies.

Arms stiff by his sides, Katsuya tips his head forward in an approximation of a bow. His previous intention (to seek out Igor and chastise him) is briefly forgotten.

“Ah… Perhaps. My name is Katsuya Suou. It’s been some time since I was last here, but I admit I didn’t expect it to be quite so unrecognisable.” Peering up, he eyes her with more suspicion than reverence, adding, “Are you… a God?”

{[ ♚ ]}

Amused by his question, she allows herself a brief, refined chuckle. "Not quite." If she notices the piercing quality of his stare, she makes no indication; only continues to watch him with the serene gaze of someone who believes whole-heartedly that they are in control. "My role is merely to assist the Master with the day-to-day management of the Room and its patrons."

"You may refer to me as Margaret. It is an honour to meet you in person, Katsuya Suou." The name is familiar to her, of course - though the faces associated with them were not readily available, she had heard the stories of the people linked to the Velvet Room countless times. There was something about humanity standing up against nigh-insurmountable twists of fate that was endlessly inspiring to the Empress.

花 — His hand falls back to his side as the woman nears. Jin maintains his distance and takes in her appearance at closer range. From the pale locks to captivating aurous hues, she certainly looks foreign. Her features aren’t in any way, shape or form familiar to the bespectacled male and so he wonders how this has even come about. His nights are usually filled with terrors of the past or are dreamless so this is something horrendously strange. Her Japanese sounds fluent but then again this is a dream and therefore is the realm of all things possible.

It isn’t her knowledge of his name that is a cause for his piqued curiosity but her stated reason for manifesting in his subconscious along with the questionable glint in her eyes. A part of Jin wonders if this is due to overwork; Narukami keeps badgering him about that, doesn’t he? Perhaps he should have paid heed to his underclassman’s words. If he did then he wouldn’t be experiencing such a tiring dream.

“Is that so.” It isn’t quite a question but simply a sign that he has heard her. Understood her, to a certain extent. If he’s already here then he might as well go along with this scenario until he awakens.

Jin is sure that this phenomenon is called ‘lucid dreaming’, being aware that one is dreaming. So if this is his dream, does he have control? Well, if he couldn’t get rid of her perhaps he could do something else. Like sit down properly (standing is tedious even if this is a dream). He tries, it sounds silly but, he tries to imagine a comfortable seating arrangement for himself and his… guest (?). To his own surprise, he finds himself seated in soft azure velvet in the next moment but he doesn’t complain.

Instead, he raises his line of sight back towards the woman and gestures to the identical chair behind her.

“While I am intrigued as to what form your curiosity takes, it is hardly fair to have myself known to you when I know not even your name. If your answer satisfies me then perhaps I shall ‘indulge’ you.” Legs cross as he leans back, keeping his eyes fixed upon her golden gaze.

“Go on, then.”

If this is his dream, then they will go by his terms.

{[ ♚ ]}

Inside the world of dreams, anything is possible - so the woman is unphased by the spontaneous materialisation of a pair of plush seats. Instead, she continues to inspect the man as he settles, gesturing to indicate that she should follow suit. Apparently he is interested enough in what she has to say that he feels no need to reject her presence here. This is encouraging, and the satisfaction with the sequence of events shows itself, if rather subtly, on her face.

The golden-eyed woman settles into the indicated seat with effortless poise. Although she is more knowledgable about the workings of this place, the simple fact that it's his subconscious means that ultimate control lies with him, and she makes no effort to undermine that.

"You may call me Margaret."

    (   @velvetempress .   )

    “   it  has  been  some  time  .   “  the  velvet room’s  current  attendant  notices  the  entrance  of  her  elder  sister  ,  bringing  her  gaze  upwards  to  meet  her  .   “    i  fell  out  of  contact  ,  and  for  that  …  i  apologize  to  you  most  sincerely  .   things  have  …  transpired .   “

{[ ♚ ]}

"It isn't your fault."

It's a relief to see the younger attendant safe and well, given what she knew to have occurred within walls of the Velvet Room in recent months. Margaret shakes her head, kneeling in order to be at eye level with the other girl.

{[ ♚ ]}

“This is not the first time you have been here.”

It’s phrased as more of an observation than a question, though there is intrigue nestled in the woman’s tone. It was rare that old patrons of the Velvet Room returned - and it is immediately clear that the man before her is markedly different from the Guests of recent memory. For one thing, it is not the Fool that she feels resonating within him. Though it is not impossible for people associated with the other Arcana to make use of the Room’s unique services, it has certainly become more irregular of late.

Still, courtesy and duty far outweigh personal curiosity, so Margaret brushes hers aside for the moment. Adjusting in her seat so as to be facing the visitor, she softly clears her throat and settles her full attention on him.

{[ ♚ ]}

“Tell me that story again.”

It’s quiet, as it so often is inside the Velvet Room. As her voice cuts through the peaceful silence, Margaret watches the younger attendant with cautious curiosity. Something is different about her lately. There’s some sort of energy that had gone undetected until now; a shift in resolve that the Empress couldn’t quite work out the source of. It was... unusual to say the least. Normally Elizabeth was much easier to understand.

“The one about the blue-haired boy.” Call it intuition, but these changes had seemed to come about in conjunction with the first mentions of this mysterious man. Whilst Margaret struggled to draw a link between her sister’s odd behaviour and a fairy tale, of all things, it still bore investigation.

                      He didn’t need any reminder that she was not like her sister– an alternate sentence to tell Minato that anything that worked against Elizabeth wont be the same story against the elder sister. What did register in his mind, however was the heed that Margaret voiced out– that anything less of his full strength would be nothing short of offensive towards the denizen. And it’s there where the problem lies for the former: the matter of holding back.

                     As much as he’s utilized the power he’s forged all those years ago, there wasn’t much knowledge about the depths that the Universe Arcana has. Thus far, the only techniques he’s utilized with it was the more frequent summoning of two or more Personae at the same time, being able to wield weapons of particular Personae, and use elemental attacks without the need of physically manifesting them. The only guide the former Foll had was Igor’s words just shortly after the creation of this immense power– the power that can bring about a new beginning or the ultimate end; that nothing was outside the realm of possibility for him. 

                    If that was the case, then so far he’s only barely scratched the surface of his potential. And Margaret has called him out to go all-out, when he’s already decided to pull his punches a bit. At least match whatever blow she dishes out with equal power.

                   He witnesses her smash the card between the pages of the book, bringing out Odin and unleashing a lightning storm over their heads. Maziodyne, clearly. Lightning strikes were always unpredictable, but in the controlling hands of an avatar of power they’re sure to hit their mark (so much for lightning not striking the same place twice). In retaliation, he decides to take the fight to close quarters, rushing towards Margaret whilst drawing the swords that were holstered on his back. No Persona summoning yet; he’ll unleash that part when the time is right.

                 Swings of his blades were repetitive, but ferocious. His Kendo knowledge evolved from way back then, having been experienced with a sword already thanks to his tenure with SEES. While recently did he start picking up a dual-wielding style of combat (his original sword resonated with his soul, and split up into two– something he’s yet to find an explanation for other than the names it already had), he made sure to be proficient as much as he could, practicing day and night in his lonesome to balance offense and defense. Nonetheless, he continues his dance, moving to another open area if one blow was blocked.

{[ ♚ ]}

Immediately, his proficiency with combat is made quite clear. This is not a shock to the Empress, of course - awareness of his past achievements was enough of an indication that he would be a formidable opponent, and if she had not believed that he would offer something worth her time, she would not have extended her request. He darts forward, zigzagging in order to dodge the bolts of lightning locking onto his location. Static fills the air, crackling ominously in the background long after the bulk of that initial storm has passed. 

Absently, Margaret acknowledges that she is impressed with his strategy - the lack of a clear weapon aside from the Compendium suspended at her side indicated that the best way to proceed was at close quarters. His assessment was, for the most part, correct; her specialty was indeed in long-distance magic, though this was not to say that she was not also quite capable of meeting him in person.

Floating in mid-air allows her to sweep from side to side with an elegance not incomparable to ice skating, dodging the heavier blows and deflecting others with either the Compendium or the enchanted deck of tarot cards shooting as projectiles at the flick of her delicate wrist. All the while, her eyes glint with glee and concentration in equal amounts.

{[♚ ]}

A FACE YOUR MUSE MAKES WHEN HAPPY:

A FACE YOUR MUSE MAKES WHEN SAD:

A FACE YOUR MUSE MAKES WHEN THEY SEE SOMETHING THEY WANT:

A FACE YOUR MUSE MAKES WHEN THEIR BERSERK BUTTON IS PUSHED:

A FACE YOUR MUSE MAKES WHEN THEY SEE SOMEONE THEY DISLIKE:

           Yu had suspected as much, but it’s nice to hear it from the expert. “it feels like I know them better when I see them dance.” Could it be something like that for her as well? Is that how she felt watching over him during his year in Inaba? Even Rise’s dance, professionally tailored to be smooth and project the right image, seemed to expose more things about her to him. 

     “It’s a good thing everything worked out,” he continues, a little quieter than before. There’s a small part of him that wishes things could settle back to normal, but Yu supposes that things could never be normal after everything he’s been through. “It’s all thanks to them and your guidance, Margaret.”

{[ ♚ ]}

“Mm. The bonds you share with your friends allow you to see what is otherwise obscured. The same is true of their understanding of you.” It’s another expression of their deep relationships, and it brings the attendant joy to hear it described. “We learn very little about people from their words alone. Should you learn to understand it, the language of the body is far more expressive.”

The woman shakes her head modestly, platinum waves swaying with the movement. “I had very little to do with how your journey unfolded. Your achievements are yours, and you should look back on them with pride.” Still, the softening of her eyes indicates that she appreciates the sentiment. Margaret takes another step closer, the slight difference in height becoming more pronounced as the distance closes.

The woman’s presence was immediately noted, though not necessarily acknowledged just yet. Years of dealing with people making attempts on your life out of the blue certainly helped noticing sudden appearances. She definitely had an air of elegance—her attire, vibe, and how she generally seemed to hold herself were the main culprits. Had never seen eyes that golden before; was almost fixated to it. She really was someone entirely different from the norm.

Sheer curiosity was to be the reason why The Boss finally broke the silence. Something in his gut just seemed to be SCREAMING to him that there was more to this woman. Again, no one on this planet had eyes like that unless they were contacts. “ I like your outfit. ” is what he would say. Fashion always seemed to be a good ice breaker. Compliment someone’s attire, see where it goes from there, etc. Now whether or not this would go farther than the initial statement remained to be seen. Would just have to play by ear more or less.

{[ ♚ ]}

The sound of a voice drew the woman from her curious reverie, leading her eyes from the building and allowing them to settle on the man that appeared to be addressing her. Truthfully, she had not noticed that there was another person quite so close. Still, human courtesy dictated that it was polite to respond to someone when they spoke, did it not? Margaret released a short hum of coy laughter, all the while scanning the figure with intense golden eyes.

“Thank you.” A rather standard response, but in truth the woman had not expected that she would be interacting with residents of the outside world quite so soon after stepping foot outside. This would be the first human being she had spoken to since being introduced to her Guest, would it not?

After watching the man for a time, Margaret’s attention was drawn back to the construction site that had initially drawn her attention.

花 — There’s a strange sensation of lightness within his limbs and Jin almost feels as though he is floating aimlessly. He never seems to reach the ground beneath his feet no matter how hard he tries. It’s the lack of control that sends anxiety knocking at his throat, threatening to spill forth from his lips. How endless everything seems when engulfed in darkness. Infinity stretches beyond his comprehension and it’s maddening. Sinking, floating, and flowing in an unknown direction.

Blindingly bright bursts of light makes him flinch and in a moment he’s no longer in darkness. His guard is up and Jin mentally questions where he is. The irregularity of it all has him on his toes, hair standing on its ends. The clicking of heels against expansive white causes his body to turn towards the source. Lips purse into a thin line as confusion gnaws at his nerves. He doesn’t recognize this woman and yet she seems to be making a beeline directly towards him, hips swaying with each step.

And as though the puzzle pieces have fallen together, the realization strikes him like a bolt lightning.

Oh god.

Slender fingers run through dark locks as Jin sighs. He remembers that he once read several articles on this subject and believes himself able simulate the desired outcome. How did it even come to this? Surely, it isn’t stress. No, stress doesn’t do this to him, nothing does. His free hand comes out before him, signaling for the woman to stop in her tacks.

“I am not sure how this has happened, but I do not wish for this kind of dream. I have no need for this so please go back to whatever subconscious of mine you came from.” Jin remembers that the faces of those you see in a dream are of people one has passed in their daily lives. But Jin is pretty sure he would remember someone this… different.

“I do not need this right now.” Or ever. This supposed ‘pleasure dream’ already seems more stressful than it needs be.

@velvetempress

{[ ♚ ]}

Margaret spent the vast majority of her time inside the walls of the Velvet Room. This wasn’t an issue, at all - though the attendant was intently interested in the world outside, she also recognised that her place was not out there. In any case, her position allowed her a variety of means of communicating and interacting with the real world as and when she chose, from using human telephones to stepping into dreams.

In dreaming, humans drifted closer to the collective unconscious, meaning that they were far easier to influence. Though she did not intrude very often, it was a useful ability to have when testing the waters.

The walls of the man’s subconscious part like chiffon to grant her entry, the shift illuminating the surroundings that seem to stretch on for eternity. It’s rather blank, she notes, but pausing to ponder what that may imply for the object of her curiosity can wait for another time. For now, she focuses on the figure, stepping with practiced confidence through the space. Quite quickly he seems to notice her approach, face twisting with an odd emotion as the distance closes--

Then he tells her to stop.

She pauses, peering around his palm to observe him properly. ‘This kind of dream’...? It’s unclear what he’s referring to, but Margaret is unperturbed. “You did not call me here. Whatever it is that you expect will happen is almost certainly inaccurate.” How strange. It isn’t often that a person has enough control of their dreams to attempt to remove someone completely from it.

[i’m baaaack