Return to Tokyo-D

[opening_act]

[ You step through the portal into a place where black coats your vision— a solid, glossy coating of darkness that blocks out all light. For a moment, it is as though you've been been blindfolded, and all light is lost from your reach.

The light does not return.

But colors, in impossible neon hues hew through the dark and spangle newly across your vision. The city is drenched in kaleidoscopic light, the skyscrapers spiral to the heavens. At street level, it is Tokyo. Above that, stars move out of their orbits in dizzying motions. Other forms crowd the street with you— shiloettes of people drained of all their colors like it's bled into the city instead move about, not quite tangible but still giving off body heat. Monochrome figures also move through the crowd, a few demons, and

One demon that maybe some of you will recognize? Or not?

There's a girl with big puffy pigtails in full color with a bag full of groceries slung across her shoulder, heading somewhere. ]

Comments

[letgrow]

[That's fuwafuwacottoncandy-san!]

Then, this place is...

[vitainmorte]

[ -- WAIT THANK GOD ]

Camellia!

[letgrow]

-Cypress! Are you all right?

[Offering her hand either way]

[vitainmorte]

[ hesitates,

and then takes it, firmly. she's still pretty fucked up from the boss battle but doesn't seem injured anymore, just. dirty and gross.

also has two large hunting knives and a rifle now thanks to. people. ]

Don't worry about me-- are you okay?

[letgrow]

[Gives her hand a squeeze]

I'm fine...please stick close to me though? I don't want to lose you in this place.

[vitainmorte]

I won't go far. I don't want to lose you either...

[letgrow]

Mm. If we keep calm and everyone sticks together, we'll be fine.

[vitainmorte]

I'm calm... I'll be fine.

I guess it's best to trust her for now. [ exael, she means. ]

[letgrow]

Mm, Alcheme is fond of her. And I trust Alcheme.

You don't have Through The Looking Glass yet, correct?

[vitainmorte]

But isn't she...

[ trails off. ]

No, I don't. Only Juniper Tree and Cut-Tongue Sparrow.

[letgrow]

She is. So, only so far....understood?

[Nods at that, casting an illusion over Cypress as well then]

I have the full set, so I can handle the illusions.

[vitainmorte]

[ ah. startles, looking down at herself. ]

-- that was smart... thank you.

[letgrow]

May I ask? Why you came through the portal?

[opening_act]

Tokyo-D!

[ it's hell. But Exael is cutting her way through to Cypress, so if Camellia is by her Exael overheard ]

[letgrow]

-Miss Exael! It is you then.

[opening_act]

Ta-dah~!

[ she takes a biiiig theatrical bow ]

And look at all of you! This is a lot of company to show up unannounced.

[letgrow]

[Curtsies back]

I didn't really know where it would lead, otherwise I would have tried to give some warning. My apologies.

[opening_act]

Surprises are the spice of life, right? But let's get you somewhere we won't be getting so much attention! I know we're celebrities, but let's go splurge on the wonderful luxury known as privacy~!

[ She's going to take Camellia by the shoulders now, to try to steer her through the crowd

And, true to her word, the people around them are indeed staring. You are recognized. People are leaving a circle so they can see you, but people are pulling out phones to film— in your outfits it's the opposite of incognito. ]

[letgrow]

[G a y p a n i c. Jumps slightly at the touch, but will head wherever Exael steers her.]

Ah, I suppose we are a bit of a large group. Where are we heading then?

[opening_act]

The Tokyo-D side production building's a good place. I'm with you, so it must be official! It will be very official looking.

[letgrow]

At the very least, we won't stick out there. In that case, I'll wait until we're there to ask questions then.

This is probably inappropriate timing, but your pigtails look especially fuwafuwa today.

[opening_act]

[ Tilts her head one way and the other, to show them off ]

Thank you! I take care of them, so I'm always camera ready!

[ and she steers Camellia down the road, past buildings and video billboards, with people staring all the way. She can hear chatter, as people aren't being very subtle about watching them, and she might even see faces she recognizes on advertising billboards, the sides of cars, inside arcade claw machines— it looks like advertisement and merchandising has been busy. ]

[letgrow]

[Using through the looking glass to illusion her appearance to fit in with liar hell better, making sure she's unrecognizable. As they walk she'll take the time to look at all the advertisements]

Is there so much advertising because we're more popular these days or less?

[opening_act]

More, so they've given us more company budget. Everyone's been clamoring for reruns too, now that they've seen old footage! They want to see new favorites participating in old favorites!

[ and with the illusion, sure enough, they attract less attention-- in black and white, more people just assume, oh, cosplayers... and lose interest. the color trick was neat while it lasted, wasn't it? ]

[letgrow]

Ah, so game reruns then?