Velvet Interiors

(AN: These next few are all sort of one long chapter, but I split it up for obvious reasons you'll see at the end.)

Before I took a single step towards the door, I looked back to my frozen friend, “Can Yoshizawa come with? I don’t want to leave her alone in Mementos…”

“She can now,” The girl in front smiled, and I quickly scooped up the delicate Sumire, still unmoving even as I princess carried her. “And nice to see you getting a sense to use your powers for good.”

“Oh right, yeah…” I said, shuffling forwards with my friend in hand, “Um, what are my powers again? Do I have the ability to pause time for a person? Some animal magnetism thing? Br-”

“Please save all questions for later!” She snapped, looking much more angry than she did a second ago. But I did as told and followed the three through the looking glass...

“It feels kinda weird to be on the other side of that cell…”

The Velvet Room. A prison of my very soul (not in a waxy poetic way, pretty literally a soul prison) that I had visited countless times in my dreams. An otherworldly somewhere place, a sanctuary looking like it laying below a nightmare and above another nightmare. The walls, if you could call them that, were made of cold, unyielding stone. That ol’ impossibly high ceiling above us that looked lost in a haze of mist and shadow. But if I had to describe it one major word, it would be: Blue. The room was drenched in a deep, ethereal aqua marine, from the soft glow that emanated from the candles to the eerie light that flickered across the bars I used to be behind. The air tasted faintly of something metallic, a reminder that this wasn’t a place of comfort, but one of my eternal confinement.

In the centre of the room was a desk, currently lacking a long nose old man of rectangular shape and domineering size. Empty cells surrounded the octagonal structure of the room, with the ever present reminder of one’s own mortality laying nearby, represented today by a massive guillotine that Caroline always adored activating.

But little Caroline was gone now, as was little Justine, and large chested Lavenza was all that remained.

She wore her hair down past a blue hairband, woven together strands of her platinum blonde locks, well managed in their upkeep. Sensual curves of a mature body lay underneath her azure attire, if it wasn’t for the strange colour she would look right at home in the richest mansion’s maiderys. A far cry from Becky’s smuttier design, though her body seemed somewhat similar in cup sizes.

Currently, I was standing just outside my closed cell, not having to wear stripey rags for once. Yoshizawa was still standing frozen nearby, while the three blue women stood around the empty desk in front of me. Lavenza taking point while her sisters stood to the sides, smiling at me with both familiarity and concern, “It is strange for me too, my Trickster. We can put you back in there, if you’d prefer?”

“Nonono, I’m good.” I put my hands up quickly, I’d never really liked the chafing chains they made me wear, “Um. Where’s Igor?”

Margaret turned back, placing a hand on the desk in an almost longing way, “All you must know is the Master is gone, for now.”

Her younger sister shrugged with a smirk, “My my, so dramatic~ The long nose master would still be around if you had allowed us to dispose of the obvious fake.”

Margaret turned, though she was keeping her body and face rather still in anger, “Dear Elizabeth, as you have left the Velvet Room, I will remind you of our vow to not interfere with the journeys our guests take. Even those who have strayed from its path as heavily as this one.”

I frowned, “Fake? Strayed? Do I get subtitles for t-”

“Stop!” Lavenza leapt forward to clamp a gloved hand on my mouth. Acting as though she’d just defused a bomb with a little sigh, “Please, refrain from asking questions, Trickster. Just until we have fully explained the nature of your powers.”

I nodded silently, knowing better than to mess with the wishes of the all powerful women. Though, why was it asking questions that was an issue? Lavenza gave a small nod back and removed her soft hands, stepping back a few steps to the other two.

“Margaret will execute you for a single use of a question mark!”

“I won’t. Though maybe other reasons could arise.”

“If I may, sisters?” Twas Lavenza’s turn to get annoyed, though the other two seemed far less concerned with her rage than I. “Trickster… Ren… I will be, how humans say, blunt. You have been forcibly awakened to a new power due to the machinations of a strong presence we thought long dormant. This ability grants you the power to change reality itself, and it has bent to your will far more than you have realised already.”

Oh.

Oh god.

My stomach dropped lower than the depths of hell, which must have frozen over from how cold my blood was running. I could tell this was leading to the biggest 'you fucked up' in all of history.

R-reality changing? Did she really say that? I… I had changed reality?

My whole body shook, my stomach wretched in panic, yet I could not ask the single question burning in my mind: what the fuck had I done?

“You may remember discovering a Persona in your inventory with a strange description,” said Margaret, flicking through a strange book that had appeared from nowhere. Though she was right about the Persona, there had been one, hadn’t there… “This shadow was not one we were familiar with, and not one you fused in the Velvet Room. ‘Asphyx: It makes the answer ‘yes’’.”

They noticed my eyebrows go up, and I made a noise to show I did remember that one. Elizabeth, smirking at my theatrics, elaborated, “When you asked any question where the answer was ‘yes’ or ‘no’, it simply made the answer ‘yes’, and reality changed to make sure it was ‘yes’. Such as your amazing question asking ‘Skull’ if everyone in your world reads Hentai. The book selection in the library has becoming certainly scrappier. Snugglier? Ah yes, saucier.” She smiled at getting the word on the third attempt.

“Holy fuck…” I mumbled, unable to stop myself speaking then as my back slid down the bars to crumple myself to the floor.

But seriously, HOLY FUCKING HELL! WHAT THE FUCK SHIT FUCK!?!

I made everyone read Hentai?! Because of a joke I made to Ryuji?! That’s how easy it was to change REALITY ITSELF?! How many other times had I…? I was definitely the reason why girls were having sex with me. I knew I didn’t have any charisma stat, it was all just offhand questions that manipulated… oh god, I really was going to be sick. I’m truly scum. Was I worse than Kamoshida? I didn’t hurt anyone, at least I don't think I did, not on purpose, but, but… god damn. Fuck.

My disassociation from reality came to a halt when I found Lavenza crouching down in front of me with a hand on my shoulder. "Ren, would you like to walk with me? Perhaps it will help clear your mind a bit."

Her pitying smile was kind, a far cry from the angry twins of yore, and I found myself nodding. I didn't have the brain space to make a decision anyway, so it felt better to go with the flow.

We exited the prison up a long set of stairs, not exiting the Velvet Room itself, more exploring the depths of the space. There was a big V at the top of the stairs that led into a long corridor. Obviously very navy in colour scheme, with doors along the sides of the fairly wide space adjourned with golden rims. I was a little too focused on my shit to be amazed, but it was helping take my mind off panicking a little.

“It is a lot to take in, but find comfort in knowing your actions have only caused minor ripples from what we can tell. Had you asked if you were dying from heart palpitations, or if people exploded into gore whenever they slept, or if sharks could grow legs, then humanity’s peril would all but be assured.”

My face went pale from the imagery, and it seemed Margaret picked up on that, “Hmm. Excuse my younger sister's words, her imagination occasionally enjoys the macabre.”

“I… it’s okay…” I mumbled, still confused and scared by this whole thing.

Had I really ruined the whole of reality? Nothing I knew of a week ago was the same. Not to mention the hypocrisy of it all.

As the three of us walked along, Lavenza took a beat to look concerned as she continued with her explanation, “I am sorry I could not be my two familiar halves for you, Trickster. Due to your overwhelming new power, the creature known as Yaldaboth has fled the Velvet Room, fleeing to the depths of Mementos. Without his presence, my sisters and brother were able to return inside, freeing me from his clutches and letting me fuse back into my full self again.”

I looked over at her, sort of recognising the two halves in her mannerisms even if she seemed more collected, “S-so you're…?” Her lowered eyebrows made me falter. Right, no questions allowed, I dropped my head again as Lavenza sighed a worried breath.

“I am both Caroline and Justine, fused into one whole. Though my true adult form came from your journey taking a more… mature route.”

Ever the sassy one, Elizabeth shrugged from behind us, “We govern power, and are all older than mankind, your shorter form made no sense.”

“Excuse our sister, she is cranky knowing she is not taller than me anymore.” Lavenza bit back.

“Still older! Humans have a concept of ‘respecting authority’.”

“Yet you’re still impertinent towards I, Elizabeth.” Margaret pointed out.

“Of course, I am the loveable young and plucky one.”

“May I ask…” I had been trying to interrupt the derailment before I realised that, no, I may not ask anything. With a slap on the ground in frustration, I growled at the sisters, “I demand we return to topics! Asphyx was a name brought up!”

Getting back on track, Lavenza understood my desire and acquiesced, “You’re right, Trickster. Asphyx is the name of the God you now wear on your finger.” She explained, reminding me that in the battle against the Reaper, I summoned that Persona… and it transformed before my eyes into an irremovable ring that had lodged on my right hand. The slightly warm metal still sitting there comfortably, even if I couldn’t get it off. This was a God? “It has many names, blending in throughout history as an observer.”

Margaret was looking in her book again, “Asphyx is the God of the Throat, which is why it focuses its power through your voice. But another name for him is Benzaiten, God of all that Flows. Water, music, arts, love, wisdom, wealth, fortune, and speech.”

“The power seemed innocuous, almost harmless to us. Its older brother, Sarasvati, has been in the compendium for years.” continued Elizabeth, crossing her arms with her most serious face yet, “Plenty of Gods take it easy and do not bother humanity's path. How were we supposed to know where he had hidden? His power has grown more than we ever thought possible, as he has now taken over the 'flow'… of the Sea of Souls.”

Each taking turns, Lavenza now spoke with worried sadness, “With this power he found the Velvet Room, and realised the power of the Wild Card. Our guests that can create infinite possibilities on their journeys. He took the form of a Persona and granted you all this new power. His affirmation ability would flow from your voice to change all of reality, for reasons we don’t fully understand.”

I couldn’t help but be astounded by what they were saying, looking at my ring once more in shock.

“We are unsure what his goal is, but we do know you are not the only one he has targeted.”

I looked up to find that the girls had stopped in front of a pair of doors. One on each side of the corridor. Elizabeth standing in front of one, Margaret in front of the other. With Lavenza standing in the center looking at me.

“The Velvet Room exists beyond time and space, between mind and matter.” Margaret’s silky smooth voice took the line Igor often said to me, “As such, events that occur here will occasionally affect your human timeline in what appears to be multiple points at once.”

Elizabeth opened her door to reveal a large empty... elevator? A single blue table in the middle of the space with two chairs on either side. The way it forever climbed upwards was concerning, though the fact it looked nicer than my Velvet Room was kind of annoying.

To say nothing of the other room with Margaret, who opened it up to a Velvet Limo! Just a swanky interior, kind of reminiscent of Haru's limo I'd made out with her in, just a few colours lower on the RGB spectrum. Fog seemed to surround the windows, with the same blue table positioned at the end of the vehicle.

"We can show you the Velvet Club, or Lavenza's bedroom after this, if you want, Shaggy man." Elizabeth teasingly giggled as I stepped back from the doors.

"Elizabeth!" hissed her younger sister.

The eldest kept things on track, “Beyond these doors lies the past. Perverted spaces now, thanks to Benzaiten's influence. Two others also received the ability, feeding his strength as they lived their lives and used their powers in... interesting ways. They were our guests, like Lavenza is your guide, we were theirs." said Margaret, gesturing towards her limousine, "We have accompanied her here today to show you of what our guests did with their power. Step through these doors and you can see for yourself what they did...”