Whenever they were in public Orchis would of course make sure to keep her devices well out of sight, Uno was built for stealth after all, she wasn’t too worried about that, more concerning was the lack of personal protection. The girl would follow behind AI before finally asking “So, about Brunehild.... What are the odds of me getting some of my... Helpers to come with us?” The helpers of course being her two marionette models, Uno and Due. Uno was relatively unassuming, small as a child with a pitch black exterior and little in the form of danger. Due, however, was designed with a totally different purpose, being about the size of a human with prominent red markings and obvious weapons, not much stealth for that kind.

Whit and Chrome were following right beside the group. Chrome seemed to be fine. Whit was comically acting like he is tired. He is dragging their only weapon beside him. Whit: Are we there yet... Chrome: I don't know, Whit! This is the 900th time you asked! Please stop. Whit stops for a short while. Whit: Are we there yet... Chrome: sigh Chrome walks up beside Ai. Chrome: So where are we exactly? I haven't seen a place like this before.

Quintus would continue following, mostly paying mind to the odd social construct that seemed to form within the city. He hadn't often been to the U.S. and was wondering if this was considered "normal". He'd be wearing a grey coat with a hood, as usual, currently with the hood pulled up over his head to try and avoid people's gazes. He was most curious about why some without the bands were being fearful of those with them. He mostly ignored the news broadcast and only vaguely listened in on the conversation of his companions as they moved forward. "Strange city, always heard Americans were weird but this is a bit more than I expected."

"We're in San Antonio, Texas. Located in North America. Not too sure about it's history." she would reply to Chrome before then hearing Quintus's question. "Architecture changes as you travel all around the world. Though America has been known for taking and mixing most of those cultures into something a little more unique. Hasn't helped with the discrimination that has plagued this country since it's founding unfortunately." she would say as she turned a down a few alleys away from the main street and then heard Orchis's question. "As for your machines. If they are with us when we enter the entrance point then they will be brought along side us. I'd advise calling them to you soon. We shouldn't be long before we arrive at the closest entrance point." The streets were wet, probably a sign that it had rained recently and the sound of people became more and more scarce as they proceeded. If there were anymore questions that needed to be answered they needed to be asked now before they entered.

Chrome: Ah. I have heard of Texas before but it was mentioned briefly in my families' stories. One last question. Do you know of any place near that sells weapons? My sword got lost in that town a while back. I don't want to rely on Whit in case of attacks. Whit slowly heads over towards Chrome. Whit: ... Are we- Chrome: Ask that question again and I will launch you into the stratosphere. Whit heads back to where he was before.

Quintus looked content with the answer but not all too happy about it. He simply continued following but couldn't quite get over the atmosphere from before. He decided to try and lighten the mood to forget about it in any way he could. "So, how exactly do we get to this other world? A portal of some kind or maybe something as simple as a doorway? It's important I know, don't want to get sick from not being prepared enough and motion sickness is a serious issue when travelling to a different world."

"You shouldn't have any problems finding a new weapon where we're going. Brunehild is known for their Magi-Tech and crafting. I'd be more surprised if you can't find anything." she replied to Chrom before talking to Quintus. "In a way you can consider it more like shifting. We won't really be changing location per say. We will simply be shifting from this space to another of the same location. The most you'll feel is a floating feeling like if you were in an elevator." She finally stopped at what seemed like a dead end then turned back to the group. "This is it. We will be entering the entrance point from here. Is everyone ready?"

With her three devices gathered near the group, Orchis would bend over and scoop up the Uno, holding it like some sort of toy as she nods Guess Uno and Due won’t look so out of place after all. That’s good. I’m ready of course

Whit: ... Are we- Chrome grabs Whit and swings him around. They turn into Monochrome. Yaaawn. Yea. I'm ready.

Quintus would look around. It was hard to tell with his deadpan seeming expression but he was nervous. He never liked the idea of moving between worlds even in the way that was described but he knew he just had to deal with it for now. "Ready, I guess. Really hope nothing goes wrong though with my lucky streak I doubt anything would."

After making sure everyone was prepared she began speaking. The words she spoke didn't seem to belong to any known language and as she spoke them small inscriptions began to form on the ground. After a few seconds she wrote a root word that seemed to complete whatever magic was activating. Soon your senses would be flooded with a bright white, not enough to blind you but enough to completely remove your sense of direction as you felt a slight floating feeling. Soon after you would feel the ground under your feet as you senses returned to normal. The room you were in was dimly lit and a set of stairs could be seen in front of you. As you follow Ai up the stairs and out into the opening you would see a small dragon flying overhead with what seemed like cargo on it's back. The nearby street was filled with people and floating platforms carrying boxes of who knows what. The sidewalks seemed to be made of a special type of alloy that had what almost seemed like glowing lines of data flowing through them. Numerous crystals were located around that illuminated the area. It wasn't night but the light was needed sense there was a ceiling about 30 meters above. "This is Brunehild. The world of commerce and creation. They say that if there is something you're looking for and can't find it anywhere else, odds are it's here somewhere." she said as she walked a little forward and looked around. "Because of all the things that are made here they began to build up instead of out so we're basically inside of a magi-tech tower that spans for miles and is built up for miles as well. Many craftsman live inside the tower while normal citizens live outside the tower." turning back to Chrome "If you're looking for a new weapon then you shouldn't have any problems checking the shops around here. You would see elevators located out in the distance that consisted of a floating platform with railings on it to prevent any accidental falls. You would see the numerous people running around buying parts from vendors with strange creatures floating or standing next to them such as large Arachne (Lower body of a spider with an upper body of a woman), small dragons, fairy like creatures, even floating books, snakes, and an assortment of other creatures like a wolf as big as a bull. Monochrome or Orchis wouldn't stand out in a place like this. "There is a hotel not far from here. Down this street about 15 minutes. It's called Metal Barn. Despite the name it actually is a pretty nice place. I have some business to take care of. We can all meet there when our business is done." She said as she walked away but then stopped as she dug into her pockets "use these ear rings to stay in contact. They are connected so you only need to send a little bit of energy into them and focus on the person you want to talk to and they should connect. The shops accept all kinds of currency but you should try to get a credit emblem when you can. See you all later." She said as she walked away from the group. The area was filled with places of interest. You could see what was upstairs, downstairs, check the shops, or leave the tower at this time. Intermission You have unlocked Outside the tower, Main Street, Upper Floor, Tower Data Storage Library, Credit Union Shop, Back streets. 1 Action allowed until nightfall. If you wish to skip IBL then simply post you are going to the Metal Barn Hotel.

After everyone looked around a little they slowly began to gather at the Hotel that Ai had told them of. The hotel, despite the name, had a really comfortable space. The inside of the lobby was simple and not over decorated but still felt different with glowing blue crystals floating around the air giving off a warm light. There was a older man behind the counter that seemed to be in his mid 50's standing behind the counter. When spoken to the group would realize that Ai had already returned before them and rented out a room. Upon entering the room Ai would be sitting on a sofa in front of the table. Across from her was a man that seemed to be in his early thirties wearing regular cargo pants and a white tank top. "We can get the stuff you asked for no problem. The biggest issue will be-" he stopped upon seeing the rest of you come "Maybe we should finish this conversation at a more......convenient time." he said as he prepared to get up "No need. These are my......companions. You can finish what you were saying" She raised a brow upon seeing Xillia following behind Orchis. "Do I want to know?" she asked with a little suspicion. The man sighed before standing up. He then looked at Ai once more as he continued. "Getting you a credit emblem that won't be traced back to you will be difficult. The biggest issue is you mana signature. Yours in particular is very unique. It would be easier just having your companions use their credit emblems instead. Then theirs getting access to your assets. They've been frozen since your.....well....death. If anyone touches it then it would alert the credit union and mages association. We'd have the investigation bureau all over us in seconds. It's just not possible, at least not within the time frame you're asking." the man said as he slowly shook his head "What about info on that group?" she asked with a serious expression "I honestly don't know what to say. We think that Tokyo Doll Syndrome mess happening in the human world is related but we don't have any other clues or what their intentions are on it. I think Charlotte Walker would have more info on that than we do. Information related to them is scarce everywhere. Still not completely sure they even exist." a shrug of his shoulders indicating he had nothing more to say on the matter "Thanks. If you learn anything else tell me." The man remained silent for a little while before sighing once more and continuing. "Listen. I'm helping this time because I owed you. But things have changed and keeping contact with you is too dangerous. I'll finish this request and gather the things you asked for but after that.......I would like to cut all ties. You're a reliable client but being associated with you now is just too high risk. With the Ravens being more active now than they ever were then this will be the last time we work together." he said, pity in his eyes before walking away. Ai simply sat quite, clenching her fist at his words but saying nothing to stop him. He passed by the group without looking at any of them, as if he wanted to avoid association with them as well, before leaving them all in the room. Ai sighed before looking up to the others. "I assume you all found what you were looking for." she said, still an eye on the other young girl trailing behind Orchis.

I found a chain whip but it is squeaky and sometimes doesn't do what I want. I'll find some oil for it someday. Monochrome starts moving the whip around and a squeaking sound can be heard and it stops sometimes. Sorry if it annoys you guys.

Orchis stares across at Mono’s whip for a moment, just watching the squeaky old thing before clearing her throat and introducing her companion Um... Everyone, I’d like you to meet Xillia. I’ll be... Taking care of her for a while. There won’t be any trouble, I promise. She’s.... Orchis pauses, trying to think of how to phrase this next bit, though apparently other dolls aren’t that uncommon around here, Xillia’s a different case Well, she’s like me, and she’ll follow any orders I give her, so there shouldn’t be any trouble. Um.. Say hi to everyone Xillia

Quintus would mostly just look over the others and their findings briefly. He didn't seem to have anything to say regarding either of them so he just simply decided to talk about what he did. "I had a meal and heard some rumours about a new rebellion forming. This is a pretty weird place overall, everything seems to run on magic. Makes gathering information a bit more complicated than I'd like."

Ai would wince at the squeaky sound the weapon was making. She couldn't agree more on how annoying that was going to be. She then heard Orchis introduce the girl named Xillia who then introduced herself. "Xillia greets Master's companions" she said with a curtsy "So she's a doll? I think I'm more surprised you had the finances to buy one of that quality. Though I guess as a puppeteer you'd be interested in dolls and puppets made by magi."she seemed to come to some sort of understanding as she nodded her head and then heard Quintus speak. "A rebellion? It hasn't even been a full century yet and there is already a rebellion forming? What the hell is that idiot King doing then?" she said with a click of her tongue before hearing the rest of Quintus's statement. "Yeah. Majority of things in the Magi world run on the flow of mana. Like a watermill that creates power from the flow of water, the objects in the magi world gain power through a very similar means. In that way they create infinite, clean energy. Though for things that need a higher power output then other methods are used. If you're trying to investigate in the Magi world you'd need a few new tricks though. If you don't mind I can teach you but I'm not sure how useful that will be for you." she said as she slowly stood up from the sofa. "The Magi Tech Major Expo will be the day after tomorrow. It seems we came at a really good time. We should be able to collect a lot of information and may even be able to gear up better for the future while we're here. Unfortunately, that also means the security will be tighter as well so I won't be attending the Expo. Instead I'll have to remain at the hotel until it's over. Tomorrow, I'll be going to Walker industries to pay a visit to an old acquaintance. And yes, Walker industries is located inside the Magi world too. In fact, it originates in the Magi world. If any of you want to tag along I don't mind." She said as she walked towards one of the rooms that was probably designated as the females bedroom and leaned against the door frame as she looked at the group. "Any questions, also" turning her gaze to Quintus "would you rather a summary of how to get around some of that magic tonight or tomorrow. It makes no difference to me either way?"

Monochrome stops swinging the whip. Sorry to annoy you guys. Sure, I'll tag along. I need to see more of this world. I'm sure Whit and Chrome wouldn't mind. Monochrome splits into Whit and Chrome. They yawn. Whit: Yeah... I don't mind. I'm tired. Chrome: Same here... Where are the beds?

I thought I told you not to call me Master... Orchis fidgets nervously, pulling up her gloves to make sure they're past her elbows as she looks back at Xillia. Before nodding and turning back to Ai A... Anyways, I'll be spending most of tonight studying up on some of the Magi dollmaking methods. Maybe it'll help me find a way to improve my own creations, or come up with a different design With that, Orchis would take out the book that came with Xillia and begin reading it as she walks towards what's presumably the female bedroom and nods to Xillia Come on Xillia, its about time to rest.

Quintus would look back to Ai with a puzzled expression followed by a sigh. "Looks like I'm gonna have to learn a lot to be of any true use. If you wouldn't mind I'd like to at least start tonight. I'm fine with waiting to rest a while and I'd like to begin investigating tomorrow if I can. I usually try to draw as little attention as possible so my methods aren't quite as direct as most. In other words, the less I know the less useful I am usually." He wasn't sure exactly how much he needed to know but simply staying oblivious to how this world worked wasn't an option in his mind.

"Alright then. Sit down and I'll explain a few rules. As for you all" she said turning her attention to the rest of the group. "This bedroom here is the girls bedroom. The other one on the right right side of the living room is the boys side. Hope you all all get plenty of sleep." She walked back towards the kitchen and came back to the sofa with a small bottle of wine and a glass wine cup. She sat on the sofa and poured herself a glass, not really waiting on Quintus to sit down as she spoke. "There are multiple types of magics used to conceal oneself and other things. One magic for instance is the magic on this hotel room. You may not have noticed but it has an enchantment interlaced in the walls so that when the doors and windows are shut, no noise escapes. It protects our privacy while at the same time allowing the fellow guests around us from being disturbed." she says before crossing her legs and taking a sip of the wine. Her eyes grew a shade brighter as the liquid slowly filled her small mouth. She seemed to really enjoy it, taking the time to savor the flavor before swallowing. After a few seconds of basking in the after taste she continued. "Magic like that is difficult to really do anything about to some extent however the rule behind it is that as long as it's an enclosed space then the magic will function. Let's say we were to drill a small hole into the wall though. It no longer becomes an enclosed space according to the conditions for the magic to activate. By doing that the magic continues to function but the effects themselves cancel. The thing to remember is that all magic has rules." She took another sip but then looked at Quintus for the first time during the conversation and offered him some of the wine. She wasn't exactly sure how old he was but even if he was under the age most kids have drunk some form of alcohol by the time they were in their late teens. She didn't get up though which indicated she had more to say.

Both rooms were identical with just enough beds for everyone and had a decor one would expect of a mid class hotel. The rooms were large with a door leading to a full bathroom. There was more than enough space for you to do whatever you needed to do within reason of course. There was one large half dome crystal on the ceiling that lit the room that was clap activated as well as small floating crystals atop the small drawers that sat next to each bed that activates from simply tapping them. The small crystals had two settings for normal and dim for when you wanted to read but not disturb your roommates and they could be moved and placed anywhere including the air around you or next to you, they would simply float wherever you placed them. A few plugs could be see around the room as some were in a strange shape and looked more like a small indent while others had a triangle shaped hole. The only normal plug was near the corner bed that seemed like it didn't really ever get used. The book that Orchis read mostly talked about how the muscle for Xillia's body was made from artificial crystal that had been threaded and tied together to make small threads of sinew and then that was put together to make the muscle while other types of rubber and even solid magic conductive ink was used to make the ligaments that connected the sinew to the bone which was made of a metal that was a mixture of mithril, steel, and aionis. All of which could be found on the market. Though it wasn't necessary to do so it was recommended to turn the artificial crystal into a fine powder and then melt them down gram by gram to make the sinew more reactive and durable.

Orchis goes into the girls' room and looks the book over a few times, her three constructs remaining out of the way, watching the door for anyone to enter. I don't think I have any of this stuff back at the lab... I wonder if Lloyd's still doing ok.... Orchis glances over at Uno, as though hoping for some kind of response. of course, neither Uno nor Due ever said much of anything. However, Orchis isn't quite alone, she turns to Xillia and asks How much can you tell me about the people here? And Aina mentioned something about a credit emblem.....

Chrome walks into the girls room. She notices the plug and quickly popped a certain part of her back and pulls out a power cord. She plugs it in. She lays on the bed and shutdown for the night. Whit walks into the boys room. He noticed the plug in and pulled out a power cord from his back. He plugs it in and lays on the bed. He shutdowns for the night.

Quintus would look over the wine and decide to take a seat as well. He was no stranger to drinking but it wasn't exactly too common for him to drink either. Felt like the last time he did was when he first arrived and was unsure where or who he was. He'd accept the offer as he thought maybe there was a purpose in it and if not then it would simply just be nice to have a drink. "I guess it's not too different then what I'm used to then, just rather than a weakness there's a rule to exploit. Is there a way to specifically tell what rules apply or would it all just be guesswork?"

She would move one of the glasses towards Quintus as the bottle of wine sat atop the table between the two. She didn't really seem intent on pouring it herself. "Most magics are defined by the structure and key used to enact the activation. And though I said that magic has rules there is always an exception to this rule. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that one of the pursuits of magical knowledge is to develop magic into these exceptions. As far as understanding the rules to magic used for concealment there are a couple of things to keep in mind." she said, swirling the wine in her glass "First identifying the magic itself. Is it sound proof magic? Magic that hides a person or groups presence? Magic that separates that space from our own? Magic that effects the subconscious to avoid the area? There are hundreds of magics that help in the concealment of under the table or even legal business but regardless they usually tend to fall under one of these categories." Taking another sip as she savors the taste she continued. "As I said before, sound proof magic usually works under the condition that the space is considered an enclosed space. Simply making a big enough hole or cut for the magic to recognize it is no longer enclosed is usually enough to get around that magic. Of course the down side of it is that afterwards they would be able to find out that they were eavesdropped on but the upside is that they would have no way of knowing who and when this occurred. Magic that hides presence is a lot more tricky. It not so much that they aren't there or there is a wall separating you but simply that they made it so your perception of them is lower. Basically, magic that makes them blend into the background." She used her free hand to write a glowing rune in the air and afterwards a magic circle flashed before disappearing completely. Nothing seemed to change at much but then Quitus wouldn't feel as though there was anyone sitting across from him anymore. Even though he could clearly see her sitting there he found it harder and harder to keep his focus on her as time passed. As if, if he lost concentration for even a second she would disappear from his sight, it felt that everything else in the room held his attention more. She had become apart of the background. She snapped her fingers and following that any difficulty he felt keeping her in his focus disappeared. "When this happens, even if I was talking to you the words I say would have probably just sounded like gibberish. As if it was simply background noise. In this case you can understand how difficult it is to tell this magic is being cast but on the other hand if you were made aware of this change because of the differences in your perception it becomes easier to tell it was cast. Basically, notice the anomaly and you notice this magic. As for how to get around it, I'm not exactly sure how you as a persona user can. Usually all one would have to do is subtly interfere with the mana around the person who used the spell and create some kind of tether to it so they are included in the spell as well but that requires the ability to manipulate mana as well as understanding the small framework of the magic. To put it bluntly, it's like taking a single thread and moving that thread through the mechanisms of a lock until it unlocks." She stated with a slight wave of her hand. She seemed to pause to make sure to catch any questions Quintus might have.

Xillia's eyes would slightly widen as numerous symbols seemed to appear in her peripheral. She looked as if she was looking for data. It only took her a few seconds before she finally replied. "Brunehild. A reality marble that has existed for over 10,000 years now. Exact date of creation unknown. Eighty percent of the population are Magi. The remaining twenty percent are cursed children. Among that total population, forty percent are engineers, twenty-five percent are magic theorist, twenty percent are involved in material creation such as the parts that compose Model AX2034 Xillia. The remaining 15 percent are cursed children being educated within Walker Industries for life within the human world. The main headquarters for Walker industries is located on the upper most floor and there are 3 high houses. Two of which is within the Engineering tower and one of which is located outside of the tower. Is there any specific information Master wishes for me to elaborate on." she read those words off as if reading a script, only turning her head to Orchis when she was done speaking.

Orchis initially flinches upon the sound of Xillia’s voice, she wasn’t honestly expecting a reply, she soon steadies herself, listening intently to Xillia, only to shiver towards the end I thought I asked you not to call me Master. It’s.... Uncomfortable for me. E... Either way. Orchis glances over to where Whit is resting, she probably ought not talk much longer to avoid waking them, but there was a phrase of interest, though the phrase brings only worry to her mind Who are these “cursed children”, I mean, why are they classified as such?

"I apologize master, but without being given a new designation to call you then I have no knowledge of what else to refer to you as." she bowed, then straightened herself to look into Orchis's gaze to answer the previous question as well. "Credit emblems are similar to what humans refer to as debit cards. The main currency in the Magi Society is credits. Credits are awarded through trade, work, merit of action or discovery, stipends, or scholarships. Credit Emblem stores those credits and allows trade, using them to purchase nearly anything within the Magi world." she paused for a few moments as if signifying the change of subject so she could explain the newest question brought to her. "Cursed Children is the name designated to infants born from Magi who have no magical ability. This is caused by not being born with a properly fully matured mana organ known as the third mortal mana pool. Because of the societies history and single ideology of advancement and universal truth, these infants who do not have the ability to give back to the society as a whole were deemed worthless parasites who had no place. An incident some millenia ago where a very well respected high house had a infant born to it that held no magical talents. It was not a large concern originally but over time more and more cursed children were born to the high house leading to its eventual collapse. Since then they have been called cursed children and have become synonymous with the idea of a declining house. This idea became solidified when other magi families met similar fates. Since then they have had a long history of either being abandoned in the human world or killed soon after birth in order to hide the families disgrace, there were also records of them being sold on the black market as slaves or research material. It wasn't until one hundred nineteen years ago that Walker industries became more established in the human world and had gained the resources in order to help change their situations. Now, the few who have been allowed to survive past their infancy, are now brought to Walker Industries where they are given a proper human education and taught the human sense of values so. After they finish their education, they work for Walker Industries and then later helped to find new work in the human world where they will receive support for their first ten years. The discrimination towards them have not lessened by a large margin and has only really began to get better when laws were put into place to protect their rights and condemn the selling, abuse, and killing of them. Laws that have gone into effect 20 years ago by the current Magi King." she finally stopped after relaying that information as she awaited her next directive.

Orchis closes her eyes, though she would like to interrupt, she lets Xillia finish the discussion on cursed children, its a story that she's heard repeated throughout history, both in her own home and this one, people are born different, "wrong", and as such end up hated and oppressed. Fortunately that time has passed, but it seems likely to repeat at some point. That's how it always works. T... Thank you for that. Xillia. Just call me Orchis. That's my actual name, designation, whatever. Orchis, like we're friends alright? From its position flanking the doorway one of the unit Dues twitches, shifting its gaze towards its master. Though as soon as it feels someone look it returns to its original position, watching the doorway with no further motion.

Quintus would be surprised by the demonstration he was just given. He wasn't used to not being able to concentrate enough to tell someone was there so for him it was a weird sensation. He wasn't too sure how to react but it frustrated him if only just a little bit. "That definitely makes things complicated...Not even sure what mana or how to go about manipulating it. Plus, sounds like a skill that would take more than a night to learn. I mean, I've had some experience with lockpicking before but this sounds a little harder than that, especially with the way I do it. Wait, why wouldn't I be able to do anything as a Persona user? Does having a Persona somehow hinder my ability to manipulate mana?"

Ai would becomes silent after the question as she seemed to be trying to find the words to better explain. She stared at the wine in her glass as she swirled it around. "Magi are in all intents and purpose still human. The difference between us and humans is something more fundamental than biology. It is our connection to the very threads that make up all things in existence, Mana." A magic circle flashed on her glass as the wine floated out of the glass and began to take different shapes such as animals, people and even a celestial body with a ring around it. "All living and none living things, concepts, gods, worlds, everything, is all composed of mana and all living beings have three different pools of mana, each with a different name and purpose." she said before the wine took the shape of a human. "There is Vital Mana, better known as Life force that makes up the body and keeps the body alive." This time the wine split and formed a double above it but this time threads came from that double and connected to the first human shaped wine blob before it began to move as if puppeting the first body. "Then there is essence in which is the energy that binds the soul to the body and allows it to move the body according to it's will." After that it swirled together into a vortex and began to give off a dim glow. "And finally there is the mortal vein. If I had to give it a better comparison then consider it the mana pool a character has in a video game. The difference between humans and magi is here. Even though all living beings are born with all three of these types of mana only Magi have a body where the mortal vein is fully developed. This allows us the ability to see, sense and in turn manipulate the mana around us thus causing a natural phenomena to occur known as magic." After that the wine returned to the shape of a human. "Persona users and Espers are an anomaly in the world. Unlike Espers however, it would seem that persona users are considered a natural part of the world as they are not rejected by the mana that makes it up. Persona users are strange in the fact that as far as we know they are always humans who do not have the ability to use magic. Despite this-" After that another entity split off from the human formed wine and took a less than human form. "These persona's form from the humans soul and psych and through using them as a proxy they are able to perform something similar to magic. The type seems to vary from persona to persona but as a whole they perform what we Magi call miracles. Basically a form of magic that has no source." This time the human moved as if making a command and then the inhuman form behind it shot out a ball of wine that floated around it. "Unlike Magi, they are able to use magic without having the knowledge to do so or even using the mana around them to perform it. Instead they seem to fuel it themselves but in normal circumstances if a human was to successfully use magic then it would end up draining their Vital Mana and ultimately kill them."

This time the figure collapsed on an imaginary floor and blew up. The wine then swirled around and reformed into the vortex. "This is where the problem lies. The fact they can use magic would suggest they would have the ability to see and manipulate mana to some extent even if it is there own and yet there are no records of them ever having this ability. Even more so is the fact that if they can then why can't their host? We believe that a Persona personifies all of the hosts potential but the fact is if the host can't sense or see mana then they don't have the ability to manipulate mana. Even stranger is how a persona fills a persona users 'capacity' like how a familiar does a Magi. To be blunt it's unprecedented for their host to use magic and even though persona's are classified as normal existences in the world they seem to function on a different set of rules. The only thing we really know about persona's is that they are natural phenomena in the world, they always take a form based on a myth, legend, or fairy tale and the fact they work under a different system and as a result can perform miracles. I'm not saying it's impossible for them, it's just there have never been any past examples." After that the wine filled the glass back up and she took another sip of it before looking back to Quintus, waiting to see if he has any questions.

"Orchis......friend?......friend........friend........?" Xillia seemed to linger on the word friend before shaking her head as she looked at Orchis. "Xillia does not understand the purpose of referring to this unit as a friend. Xillia is merely a tool to be used at your discretion. A disposable tool that will protect you with it's full ability.........However, if that is your wish then I shall comply" she spoke, her eyes still hollow yet maybe there was a glimpse of something inside them, or it could just be your imagination.

Orchis giggles smiling back at Xillia before laying down in her bed “Not everything a person does makes sense, they’re often weird or whimsical. Your opinion matters to me, so I like to think of us as equals, friends.” with that said, Orchis slowly begins to close her eyes, still awake enough to listen to Xillia, but if they have nothing to add she won’t wait to sleep

Quintus would start to feel a little overwhelmed by all the information but he tried to keep up best he could. He was usually good at keeping up but he had no experience with things like mana and had a harder time understanding it than most things. "So, I probably shouldn't expect some miracle to allow me to use mana in some way then, as ironic as that may be. The bottom line I understood is that some magic will just be out of my reach if it requires interference. That's not exactly the answer I wanted but that's just how things are. Though it also sounds like I have some advantages just by being a Persona user as well, so at least there's that." He was a bit frustrated that gathering more sensitive information would prove difficult but he also knew there was no point in being upset by it, at least not too much. "So, is there really nothing I can do about some magic?"

Both Whit and Chrome unplug themselves from their outlet and dizzily walk into the main room. Whit and Chrome: Hey guys... Have you ever left like your powers were just sucked out... Whit and Chrome collapsed onto the floor. Whit shows an expression of confusion, while Chrome shows an expression that she knows what is going on. They passed out.

Quintus: "As far as if there is anything you can do then I'm honestly not sure. Like how you may have difficulty understanding the concept of mana when you don't have the ability to observe it, I too would have difficulty fully understanding persona's since I can't wield one. Whether you can or not can only really be learned upon trial and error on your part. Even more so since I don't know what all your persona is even capable of. There may be some tools in the market somewhere here that could further assist you in it but I really don't know if its possible. At the very least there is no precedence for it." As she lifted the glass to her lips to taste the wine again, both doors to the male and female room swung open as the two robotic twins stumbled into the living room and collapsed. She stared at them curiously as her eyes began to glow before giving a tired sigh. "The connection their souls have to their bodies have weakened. That usually means they're close to dying which for a robot I assume their energy just took a nose dive. I don't know anything about androids and such so I'll go get Orchis and have her take a look at them." She said as she stood up and left Quintus in the room with the two. Orchis: Ai would walk into the room, considering her three protectors didn't immediately try to assault her she assumed they didn't see her as an enemy. She was then going to attempt to wake her up but froze upon getting a closer look at her. "What the hell? Where is it?! Where is her soul!?" she said as she looked around the room She then turned her gaze back to Orchis and began to shake the doll in hopes of waking her up. This didn't happen while they were traveling to this location but she couldn't be sure that this wasn't normal for Orchis. Instead she shook her, hoping she would wake up from whatever kind of dream she was having. Orchis would feel Ai shaking her in an attempt to wake her up. As her consciousness came back and her eyes opened she would soon realize she wasn't in the room she had fallen asleep in. No, where she found herself couldn't even be considered a room. Stars filled the area and in the distance she could clearly see a red giant star. Wisps of blue flame floated around the area and above her she could see what looked like a river made up of those wisps. The river branching out infinitely into the eternity of this space. In the center of that mas of blue flames a figure could be seen but nothing more than that could be told. Orchis would hear a ticking noise coming from her side. When she turned her gaze towards it she saw what looked like a throne made of gears and wreathed in blue flame. The seat of the throne was a planet too small to really be considered one but the ring around it said otherwise. The planet itself would shift colors every few seconds. Sitting on this throne of gears was a young boy that didn't seem any older than sixteen. He didn't wear any shirt and his lower half was covered by rags that could barely be considered clothes. He had long platinum hair that had a rainbow sheen to it that flowed off the throne and hung down unceremoniously. "An unexpected guest" A voice rang clear in Orchis's mind. She could tell from instinct the voice belonged to the boy. His tired gaze never looking at her and his mouth never moving as he continued to stare into the blue river of flames. "What is your desire?"

Chrome wakes up and slowly get up. Whit is still passed out. Chrome leans on a sofa. Chrome is showing a worrying expression. Chrome: Oh no. Oh nonononono. It's not possible for someone to use a Final Resort. That wasn't a thing until- GODDAMNIT! Chrome gets a head-splitting headache as memories start flooding back to her. She fell to the floor. Chrome: I can't believe it. That goddamn Mr. Dream... That fool sent me into the past thinking that I'll be dealt with. I'll show him. Once I get out of this world, he is in a world of pain...

"not now Gran, can't it ju..." Orchis mutters sleepily as she slowly opens her eyes, only to find herself floating in emptiness, the girl sits up to attention, blinking the sleep out of her eyes as she tries to take in the view of space. Or something like space, somewhere between it and the underworld. It was all strangely captivating, so much that she didn't even notice the boy until she heard him speak. "I.... I'm sorry. I didn't really mean to intrude..." Orchis soon realizes she had been asked a question after all, it would be rude not to give some sort of answer, but she also knows next to nothing about this person, the question could mean pretty much anything "I would like to know where I am.. And how I got here. That's what you meant right?"

Whit wakes up to find himself in the celestial void with a throne made of gears. He looks at the boy. Where am I? Am I dead? Is this heaven or hell? Why does heaven or hell look like outer space? Why are we in outer space? How am I breathing? Oh, yea I'm an android so I don't need to breathe.

Quintus would finally get up from where he was sitting. The glass he had been offered was now empty. He wasn't sure how to take this news but felt it would be best to sleep on it for now. He was mentally exhausted trying to understand magic. It felt so familiar and yet so foreign, like the acts he had been doing with his Persona was magic but he was simply doing without even understanding anything. "I think I need to get some rest. Where would my room be exactly?" He'd wait for a response before heading off to bed.

Orchis: "Curiosity was the reason of my question." he then raised one hand and grasp into the flames that cover the gears of his throne. When he pulled his hand out from those flames he was holding a dimly lit wisp of flame. He then used one of his fingers to write a symbol on it that caused the dimly lit flames to flare up and then sent it into the river of flames above them. "This is near the center. The place where all things began. As for why you are here it may simply be because you are involved now. Or it could be something else entirely." He finally turned his gaze to Orchis and his eyes had a similar glow to Ai's when she looks at a persons soul. He was looking at you but you felt his gaze held so much more. Before him you felt insignificant and felt all your secrets laid bare. He wasn't looking at you as a person would when speaking but looking much deeper. As if reading your entire life with his gaze. He seemed to be waiting for Orchis to answer his question. He patiently waited, not in any rush, as if he had all the time in the world. Whit: He raised one hand and grasp into the flames that cover the gears of his throne. When he pulled his hand out from those flames he was holding a dimly lit wisp of flame. He then used one of his fingers to write a symbol on it that caused the dimly lit flames to flare up and then sent it into the river of flames above them. If Whit payed any attention the he would notice that his appearance was not that of his android body but of his original body. "You are late in coming here though it would seem it is still not your time" he said before turning his gaze to Whit. He was looking at you but you felt his gaze held so much more. Before him you felt insignificant and felt all your secrets laid bare. He wasn't looking at you as a person would when speaking but looking much deeper. As if reading your entire life with his gaze. He seemed to be waiting for Whit to answer his earlier question. He patiently waited, not in any rush, as if he had all the time in the world. Quintus: Quintus would remember the room Ai pointed out to be the males side. Going into the room there were three beds like the other one and it seemed that only one bed was used before, meaning the one in the corner was already claimed by Mono. It wouldn't take long for his fatigue to finally take him, more than likely because this was the most comfy bed he had laid in in nearly a month. Unlike normally he would soon find him self gazing into the same scenery in his dream as the others and asked the same question. refer to post 39 for Orchis. Don't feel like writing all that down again. Orchis and Whit aren't present, It's just you and the boy on the throne of gears wreathed in blue flame.

Orchis shudders, crossing her arms over her chest as though trying to hide something. She doesn’t know this... Being, for lack of a better word, but still. The question “what is your desire?” As a whole, apparently, it’s not what flavor she might ask. Her mind initially slips back tothoughts if her creator, his loving words and warm hands, but the girl closes her eyes to block it out. Some things simply can’t be, and it hurts to dwell on them. So after a moment, she gives a quiet answer “I... Don’t know. I’m not sure what I want.”

Whit looks down to see that he is shorter and skinnier. He was back to being nine-year-old Mikael. He panics, and within his panic, scars open. He collapsed to the floor and grasps his head. After a while, he gets back up with a mean look in his eye. Whit: "You want my desire? My wish? My wish is for me and my sister to go back to our time and kill that motherfucker Mr. Dream for killing all of my friends and sending me and her back in time. It's an impossibility, but a man can wish. like wishes mean anything."

Quintus would look around with curiosity but not confusion. Places like this were all too familiar to him. He was unsure however if this was a dream or something of significance. Regardless he saw no point in lying. "What I desire? That's easy. I've always desired the same thing. I want power, the power to survive in this wild and unstable world. I want the power so that those I care for wont have to die in front of me. The power to fulfill my ambitions no matter how high they aim. I want that power at any and all costs. Though, why would you be asking such a question?" He felt like he wouldn't really get answers considering the circumstances but he at least thought it was a good opportunity to test whether this was a dream or not.

Orchis: "That which was lost yet not gone, Love." that voice echoes in her mind as he turned his gaze back to the river of flames. "A simple and pure desire. Do you like the world?" he asked without moving his lips His gaze unmoving from the river of flames. Whit: "That which burns it's wielder and all those nearby, vengeance." That voice echoes in his mind as he turned his gaze back to the river of flames. "A pitiable desire that brings nothing but ones own destruction. Do you hate the world?" he asked without moving his lips as his gaze remained on the river of flames. Quintus: "That which can bring both salvation and destruction, power." that voice echoes in his mind "An ethereal desire that brings about false freedom and isolation. Do you believe life has meaning?"

Whit: What a dumb question. If I hated the world, why am I trying to get back to defeat the being that destroyed the universes I lived in and make him fix it? If I hated it, I would juat live in a new universe and leave the past behind. Besides, I owe it to the person that train me in the art of vampire hunting to fix the universes.

"How could I?" Orchis asks as she closes her eyes, thought drifting not to her master, but to the world he left behind, as long as he girl has traveled she inevitably found the people to be selfish and miserable, or was it merely a projection? What is a heart? It doesn't mater now anyways "Master loved the world, or at least, parts of it, and I owe him more than I could ever repay. But how could I love anything that would take him away from me?"

"I don't believe in true freedom in the first place and isolation suits me fine anyway. Besides, someone like me won't easily be alone anyway. Not completely anyway... Why do I even bother though? You don't seem like the type to respond anyway. Let's see then, does life have meaning?" Quintus hadn't really considered such a question before. It seemed so foolish to question whether there was meaning to life. He realized in a way this was his answer already. "Are you asking whether it has meaning in general or if everyone has some predetermined meaning in their life? ...Actually, nevermind. Doesn't matter, both those questions have the same answer. Sure, the meaning of life is to survive. That's what it means to live, to struggle and survive through it. Of course, I don't believe that's the only meaning one can have in their life but I think that's a purpose that just naturally comes with the prospect of living."

"I see. So that is your answer. I wonder. Will your answer remain the same upon reaching the end of the path you chose to walk." The sound of something scraping echoed in the area. The sound came from the center of the river of flames where you saw something within. The sound of the world itself screaming began to shake the world. In your gaze you could see stakes, large stakes whose see through glass like appearance made it nigh impossible to notice them before. There were over ten of these stakes sticking out of the center of the flames and at the end of these stakes appeared to be chains made of the same see through material that stretched out into the infinite space. They rattled. They creaked. They scraped. They screamed. Despite the resistance you could feel a familiar force within the flames. A force that reminded you of loving warmth. A divinity that sought freedom. A power that was always there yet never acknowledged. You felt it in your soul. A trembling that could be confused with fear but whose true identity was yearning. As if you felt the urge to give yourself completely to that force that seeped out from the flames. The whispers in the back of your mind that gently told you. "Free me" And the unexplained compulsive force that caused you to desire that self same will without question. Without resistance. Without and feelings of rejection or disgust. As if freeing the holder of that voice was the meaning behind your existence. The inexplicable desire to fulfill that wish washed over you. It was warm. It was loving. It was accepting. It was understanding. It was maternal. it was...... And then the feeling ended. As if leaving you with nothing. The scraping ended. The rattling ended. The world screaming out silenced. You don't know how long you were in that trance. You don't know what this force was that compelled you. You only know it's source was within that river of flame. As if the place where that warmth once resided was hollowed out and left to bleed. It felt lonely. It felt empty. You felt small. Until the words of the boy snapped you out of your thoughts. "It stirs. I see. That is why you are here. The path you chose will intersect with theirs. You can no longer turn back. I wonder if you can change the inevitable." His voice echoed into your minds once more. Soon you would feel your vision begin to blur as you felt something begin to tug on your body. As if trying to bring you to another location. Your body began to fade. The boy then looked at you as he spoke, finally opening his mouth as his gaze looked at you in curiosity. "Think about the meaning of your time here. Maybe, you can change fate." Those were the last words you heart from the boy before your vision was filled with darkness. This lasted for only a moment before your eyes were flooded by light once more. The artificial light showed no mercy as your movements felt sluggish. Soon you realized you were in the living room of the hotel room Ai rented out. You all were laying next to each other and Ai was kneeling on the ground not too far away covered in sweat. "I was....finally able to....pull your souls back." she said between breaths. It seemed you were able to return because of her. She looked over everyone, making sure everyone had regained consciousnesses before collapsing on the ground herself. Most likely from exhausting herself from bringing you back.

Whit slowly gets to his knees. Chrome rushes over to his side. Chrome: Whit, thank god you're alright. What happened while you were out? Whit: Back off, bitch. Chrome: Whit! When did you- Oh. I see. You gained your memories back. Whit: Thanks to some guy in space. Why weren't you on the floor? Chrome: I woke up a little while after passing out. I gained my memories back too. I guess we have a new objective. Whit: Yea. Anyways, can you help me get to my feet? My knees are fucking killing me. Chrome helps Whit up, then rushes over to Ai. Chrome picks up Ai. Chrome: I'll put her to bed, and I'll follow suit. Whit, don't be an asshole, please. Whit: Screw you. Chrome walks into the girls' room, put her down on one of the beds to get rest, went to her bed, plugged herself up, then went into sleep mode.

"hmmm?" Orchis groans as she wakes up, rubbing her eyes for a moment, she felt empty without the voice, but it wasn't an entirely unfamiliar feeling for her, so the girl paid it no mind. The boy said something about changing fate? That's too far away to be a concern, her priorities are Xillia, herself, and learning, nothing more. Its not until Chrome runs over to Ai that she notices her friend collapsed "Sorry, let me help, we'll need to be careful with her." Orchis would help Chrome get Aina in bed, her devices simply remaining out of the way for the pair to do what they need to. Afterwards Orchis would return to the living room for a while with a sigh, one of her dues accompanying her as she sorts out her thoughts.

After an unsettling end to his 'dream' Quintus would finally be able to awaken to the others seemingly flustered. He wasn't quite sure how to asses the situation but assumed something much more had happened. "Put our souls back...? I guess that wouldn't be the first time..." Quintus would try and get back up but would feel a presence within his own body trying to gain his attention. The others wouldn't see as clearly but Quintus could feel it clearly. The entity which he shared his body with becoming concerned over what had transpired. He slightly whispered under his breath to reassure his companion. "I'm fine now..." With the others helping Ai he simply would just wait it out before thinking out loud. "Wonder if almost losing your soul while you sleep is common here."

When Orchis returned to the living room there was Quintus, Chrome, Xillia and herself with the Due unit that follow behind her. The silence was broken by Quintus's question as Xillia followed up with an answer. "Negative. I have no records within my data to suggest this phenomena has ever occurred within this reality marble. No records of it occurring in other reality marbles either. Cause of phenomena is unknown." she then looks over to Orchis. "Is Orchis feeling better? Is there anything Xillia can do to help you?" Whether you decide to talk to eachother about what happened or go to sleep is up to you.

[i]Orchis closes her eyes with a sigh before shaking her head "I hardly even felt anything, you're good to rest Xillia, we've got a pretty long day ahead of us tomorrow. I'll follow you shortly." Orchis pauses and thinks for a few minutes, whatever happened was most certainly a sign of something big, she tended to get involved in those kinds of issues back home too, an unfortunate side-effect of her company. She'd wait to see if anyone else felt the need to mention something, if not she'd go ahead and head to bed, there's a fair bit she needs to sort out on her own after all

Whit yawns. Whit: I would love to chit chat about what we just experienced, but I'd get bored in a few minutes so I'm plugging up for the night. Good Night. Whit heads to the boys room, plugs himself up by his bed, lay down, and enter sleep mode.

Whit and Chrome get up, unplug themselves, and go back to the main room. They combine back into Monochrome. He grabs some paper and a pen and writes something down. He folds it up and walks out the door. The note says: "Dear Group, I feel like it is time for me to head out and find my way home. After regaining my memories, I feel like it is time. I'm glad I was able to be with you guys for a while. I don't know if I will meet you again. I hope I do. Anyways, goodbye... Goddamnit, this is a bad letter, but I can't find any other paper. Sorry."

Quintus would seem to let out a half sigh at Xillia's response. "Uh, thanks, though you took that a little too literally... What an exhausting day, I think it's time I get some rest for the night too." Regardless of all else Qiuntus would finally return to bed. He didnt quite feel the safest after the ordeal they had already gone through but it had all left him groggy enough not to care either. At this point he was just tired and wanted some silence for a while.

Ultimately Quintus went to bed leaving Orchis and Xillia in the living room alone who also decided to sleep since no one seemed to have any desire to talk about what had just transpired. The rest of the night continued on uneventfully and soon the light of the morning sun began to shine into the room waking it's inhabitants. Orchis would notice Ai wasn't in her bed and Quintus would notice Whit no longer present either. When they walked into the living room they would see Ai sitting on the sofa with a letter from Monochrome sitting on the desk. She would explain to them briefly about how Monochrome has decided to leave the group before sighing and changing the subject. There was no way of knowing if he truly left because he regained some memories or simply didn't wish to remain after last nights fiasco. She would look at the two before asking them. "What are your plans for today. Are you going to walk around and see more of the area or will you come with me to walker industries?"

Orchis lets out a sigh shrugging her shoulders, kinda figures the androids would end up leaving, though its unfortunate she had to fix them up for it, its only natural. Of course her own Marionettes would be with her as she pauses for a moment before turning to Xillia "I'll want to check out Walker Industries myself, to learn more about the place, but you can go pretty much anywhere you want." Uno would separate itself from Orchis's side and heads over to begin inspecting Xillia, as though trying to analyze any details "So long as you stay with Uno, I'll be in touch."

Quintus wouldn't take much time to acknowledge the departure of their former ally. It mattered little to him at the moment as there were much more pressing things at hand. He'd approach Ai and give his response to the question simply. "I'll go with you. It's a smarter option for me to stick with someone who knows the tricks of this world for now. Besides, I doubt there's much of importance for me to find in this world on my own. Seems like Walker Industries will have much more pertinent information to collect."

Ai sighed before looking over the two. Her own complexion seemed a shade better, probably from getting some kind of rest that night though it's unfortunate she had to black out for it, and the dark circles under her eyes weren't as deep. She still seemed tired overall but at least seemed better than before. She had a complicated expression on her face for a bit before it seemed she resolved herself to finally speak up to the two. "What happened last night? I'd never seen a case of that before. Do you remember anything about the place you were taken or the person who may have tried to take you? How are they related to you two?"

Orchis shrugs her shoulders with a sigh. There's really not that much to say about it "What little I remember doesn't even make sense to me. All I remember was some sort of weird, outer-space thing with some shirtless guy who felt like asking weird questions. I'd rather not worry about it for now."

"I'd personally not even remember what happened last night, Honestly, I think it might be for the better if we forget about it for now. No point in just coming up with theories as to what happened. Besides, if someone is trying to take us I'm sure we'll find out who and exactly where sooner or later. I don't exactly love taking a less than cautious approach but I don't really see how standing and talking about it will help us prepare for what's coming any better." Quintus would seem to show some hesitation in how he spoke. There was a clear attempt to deflect the subject that he didn't want the others to notice. He wasn't too sure how much he remembered himself as he tried desperately to avoid thinking about the dream and the impulses it left within him.