Red looking upon Blue (Rita)

Lola would sit on the ground with her legs crossed as she watched the fish swimming by as usual. Her entire day had started being taken up by the array of different types that decided to make the area their home. She was wondering if it was something special about this place that the fish liked. Perhaps they were planning to become attendants as well. That idea made her chuckle. She would love to see Papa-Igor make an attendant that looked like an animal. She had to wonder how that would even work, “Maybe they communicate through bubbles…” She didn’t speak bubble. She didn’t even know if it was a real language. She would blow bubbles just to see how they responded, only to have them swim away, “I guess that was not the proper way to communicate with them.” She would stand up and brush herself off, though there was nothing there to brush off.

“What do you think would be the best way to speak with them?” She would turn her attention towards the person who had been invited to this room though their dreams. A woman with long silver locks stood across from her. Lola would give a slight bow, “Welcome, Miss User. I am Lola de Pianura, but I prefer Lola.” She would stand back up and wave her hand around to show off the room that was covered from ceiling to floor in blue, “This is the Velvet Room.” Her demeanor was serious for once, but if the girl looked closely, she could see how uncomfortable she was acting this way.

What was even happening here...? Rita's eyes betrayed her as she opened them not to her usual sight of a Looney Tunes alarm clock, but a sunken ship...? And what more craziness would she see...? A platinum-haired girl sitting there, talking about... fish...? "Co-communicate...?" With a dazed look, Rita widened her eyes at the blue room filled with water... how could she even breath right now...? Was this some sort of dream...? "Velvet Room...?" She was clearly confused right now... Rita had no idea what to think... not even a panic, though, was unusual for her... but oh well, Rita thought she was dreaming, after all... "Lola... Who?" She'd start getting her bearings again, finally starting to question just where she was... "Just... where...?" She'd look around for a bit, not really noticing the girl's actions at all... "This... you said... Velvet Room?" She didn't know how to rationalize this... she was still sleepy, almost... "Ah... Lola-san... c-could you please explain what's happening here...?" She'd ask almost in a daze, with a small wry smile on her face. "Because... I really don't know..." Rita looked over the blue room and set her eyes back on the girl. "Um... Is this a lucid dream or real life?" She'd ask, finally able to think well and clearly. "And, um... why am I here?" Rita wanted to know the answer though... she really didn't feel that this girl was going to be an opponent for her... more like the whole room had a calming presence, almost... it was nice in here... Rita couldn't help but feel relaxed while she was in this... Velvet Room... Waiting for Lola to reply, Rita let her eyes wander once again, hovering over the broken walls of the room and eyeing the fish Lola was talking about before, paying any real attention to how they spoke...

Lola would begin twisting her hair around her finger as she searched for an answer to the girl’s question, “What’s happening here is that you are both dreaming, but not. This place is real, but you were brought from a dream.” She waved her hand back and forth to brush off that topic, “You are here because… well… you recently got something special. We call them Persona. That makes you one of the people who have a chance to change the world.” She wondered if she was over dramatizing the entire thing, “Well, I brought you here so I could meet you. Honestly, I haven’t really called anyone here before, so I wasn’t sure if it would work. You think I would know more since this is my job, but I just recently started caring.” She would seem to get lost in her thoughts for a moment before looking back at the girl, “Any more questions?”

Rita just focused back on Lola as she began to speak, not really finding the room scenario as interesting as what she was saying right now... "W-well... that's a bit... odd, I gotta say..." Though she wouldn't keep herself skeptical, having dealt through... quite a number off odd things so far since she arrived in these islands, Rita would... well, even kind of believe the girl, to a certain extent... "Persona... you mean Nero-chan?" She'd recall to the crimson-clad blonde girl who stood by her and helped her fight off those... dark things... "I... I see... how interesting, I have to say..." Rita would still look a bit in disbelief... though she was really not attempting to deny Lola's words. "Ah, actually... I do have a question... about... "her", I guess..." She'd be talking about Nero, of course, the blonde who was supposedly herself... "Who exactly is Nero-chan in regards to me...?" She was... almost subtly asking about what Personas were exactly... though she had a vague idea regarding what Nero had told her before the fight... them being ourselves...? Rita would look at Lola directly when asking her follow-up question. "Just... why exactly did we get this power...?" She'd be completely serious, Rita didn't really understand why she was given a power like this... she never asked for it and she certainly didn't seem to understand it... did Rita actually need this power somehow...? She didn't even know what to think about this, there were so many questions... Rita just waited to see if Lola could explain them at all before proceeding...

Lola would rub the back of her head as she thought about how to answer all these questions. She really hated having to actually do her job, “The Persona you have right now could easily be called a mask. It represents the you that you show the world. It is still your own power, however. As for why you got it… I think that’s for you to figure out.” She couldn’t tell the girl why this power came from within her. What she came to use her power for was in her hands, and Lola did not feel like pushing her in any direction in particular. She would pause as she realized what the girl had said, “We? So you’ve already found others?” Her face would have a gentle smile, “It does the heart good to know that Users are working together and getting along.” And to think that she was worried about them. Well, she always would be, but she could rest a little easier now.

Rita would prop her head backwards on the chair while she thought about everything Lola said, a clear look of confusion on her face along with a pout. "Hmm... I see.... I think I kinda get it now...?" Looking back towards Lola, Rita tried to rationalize out loud what she had heard. "So, you're saying that... Nero-chan really is me? Like... she's something that's there to protect me from the outside world or something?" With a tilt of the head and a cross of the arms, Rita continued. "Does that mean all Personas are like that?" Rita wasn't really asking for an answer that time, it was pretty obvious what Lola meant with her answer before... "Then... do Personas count as... maybe... our true selves or something?" Rita was just speculating at this point, unsure if what she was saying made any sense, especially considering that "masks" shouldn't be considered "selves" at all, should one think about that enough... "Oh, um, well... yeah, there are a few others... in that gym today... we, um... fought some black creatures... I think they were named... um..." Thinking back to whether Hyde mentioned them or not, Rita closed her eyes for a second... "Er, yeah, Hyde said they were called... Shadows, I believe... what were those...?" Again with an intrigued expression, Rita was aiming to find every possible answer she could, though she wasn't about to press Lola further on it if she couldn't... after all, Rita wouldn't pester a pretty girl at all if she could avoid it... with a blush thinking about this, Rita just went silent while trying to act natural, simply waiting for Lola's answers, should she have them...

Lola’s attention was quickly being stolen away by the fish that had returned. As much as she didn’t mind answering this girl’s questions, she was still rebelling against her duty as an attendant. She would rather this be an informal affair, but it wasn’t turning out that way, “They protect you, yes, but like I said: this one is a mask. It is closer to the you that you show everyone else, but not necessarily the real you. Of course, not all Persona are like that. Some are closer to the real person than others, but I’ve never had a guest that had more than a mask, so I can’t speak on what that must be like.” She would blow more bubbles toward the fish, only to have them swim away again, “Why can’t these things just be happy and stick around for more than a few seconds. All I want to do it play with them.” She would get distracted for a moment before returning to the girl. As soon as she heard Hyde’s name, her face would light up, “Hyde was there to help you? He really is a good guest. He even taught you about Shadows. I guess that means you know the basics, since you got out alive.” She would twirl around as if celebrating something, “And here I was afraid that this job would be completely boring. But, yes, those Shadows are bad. They like to use people as a meal, so stopping them is a good idea.” To put it simply.

Rita listened intently as this girl explained what she could to her, not really interjecting unless she needed to clear something up... though Lola's explanations really did elucidate her quite a bit on the case, one thing that confused Rita quite a bit was how she said "more than one mask". "Wait, you mean there are people who can have multiple Personae...? Oh yeah... that makes sense... Hyde, for example, he used both, um... who was it... Codas Kyrin...? Yeah, I believe so, and another, Norse-like female Persona to help me down that huge Shadow..." She'd recall back to her time in the gym, seeing Hyde summon both Codas Kyrin and Valkyrie was truly a sight to see... though Rita wasn't truly sure if it was the same as what Lola was talking about... "Though... that other Persona didn't really... seem as compatible with Hyde like Codas Kyrin... must be my imagination, nothing more..." Rubbing the back of her head, Rita, just from looks, could tell that Valkyrie really wasn't that compatible... though that was obvious, Codas Kyrin did look quite a bit like something that would match Hyde... in any case, it was just an assumption, Rita didn't quite feel as if saw these things before... though seeing a Persona did bring her some calming times, at the very least... "Wait, you know Hyde? I see... Well, we fought together and he seemed to be very experienced... to me, at least..." Crossing her fingers in a pyramid shape, Rita looked down and spoke a bit... sheepishly. "To be honest... I was kind of afraid of those things..." Rita would blush a bit as she said this... after all, she wasn't one to show weakness to anyone... "If... if Nero can help me... is there any way I can try and destroy these things?" She'd try to gain some information on how to encounter and possibly destroy the entirety of this species, if possible... she was determined, but she needed help for sure... "I hope he can help me..." Almost in a whisper, Rita would refer to Alex in a bit of a needy voice... well, she didn't like him romantically... but he was, at the very least, an extremely good friend to her... waiting for Lola's answer, Rita looked to the fish again, trying to see if blowing bubbles to them really would help them communicate.

“Multiple Persona, yes.” That isn’t what she had originally meant, but what the girl took away from her statement was true, “Of course, that is an entirely different story and is not something I feel equipped to explain.” After all, she was just barely managing to do her job for once. If this User wanted more specific answers, she would need to catch her on one of her better days, where she felt like playing twenty questions, “As for Hyde, he’s a special case. If you want more details, you have to ask him directly. It isn’t my place to give out information on our guests like that. All I can say is that you should make friends with the people you find. They will be your allies and most important people.” She was hoping that the Users would find each other and be able to overcome whatever was happening in Azores, “Of course, some of the people you may find have been doing this longer than you, just as others will start later than you. The important part is that you learn quickly. I also think fear is natural at first, but you have to overcome it, because you are one of the few people that can stop Shadows. That’s one of the benefits of having a Persona. Using that power of yours, you can defeat the Shadows that lurk beyond those portals or that happen to appear in this world.” She wondered if that was specific enough, then she remembered, “Also, you should be able to see blue doors now. That’s how you get here when you aren’t asleep. Come visit me sometime, Okay?” She would give a wide grin.

Rita would be pretty intrigued by all this talk... though she'd stop her questions now, satisfied with what she had heard from Lola already. "Alright, I understand... I'll talk with him a bit more from now on... his power is... interesting, to say the least..." Putting a hand up to her chin, Rita would nod and listen intently to Lola's explanation of the case... the doorways, huh? "Ah, I see, you mean that little... rift-like thingy that dropped sand onto the gym floor, right? You mean there are more of those...?" She'd tilt her head before nodding, it was only obvious that such a thing wouldn't be a singular case... wait, would it? "Well, anyway, if I go in those portal thingies, I'll be able to whittle down their number, right?" She'd cross her arms now and put on a pensive face, thinking about whether or not this was the right thing to do... "Well... if I have some help, I'll definitely do it..." Closing her eyes, Rita would look a bit shocked to know that there are ways to access this room without dreaming... "Uh, wait, you mean I can come here whenever I please?" She'd jump a bit in her seat and look at Lola, a bit excited. "Well, of course I will, if you'll help me out... I'd love to get your help in this, for sure!" Rita'd look at Lola with an almost childish face of glee as she said this. "Oh, um... is there any way I can help you out too? I'd love to be of any assistance, just say the word!" She'd sit back down and regain her composure now... though she would still have a bit of a childish grin on her face as she waited for Lola's answer to her... well, pretty simple questions now...

She would nod, “That’s correct. Those portals appear to be all over Azores and they lead to other worlds.” She had only been to the other side once, so she didn’t know about the world beyond the portals, but she understood Shadows, “If you go to the other side, you can fight them and grow stronger from your experience. Sometimes, certain Shadows will become a major problem. In these cases, we will send out a request for someone to defeat it.” She remembered hearing about a few of those. She had never accompanied a guest on one though, “Of course you can come here whenever you want. It would be pretty useless for us to be here to help you if you couldn’t come here when you have a question.” A small laugh would leave her mouth, “There’s no need for you to help me. It’s actually my job to help you. I think I would get in trouble if I asked every person that showed up to become my guest.” She had joked about that with Hyde, but in the end he had willingly signed her Compendium. She would rather this girl find the attendant that was best for her before signing anyone’s Compendium.

Rita just listened as the girl explained, seeing as she wasn't really either in the mood to question anymore, nor did she have anything to say to Lola. "Hm, I see... well then, I look forward to working together with you!" Though her cheery demeanor was replaced with a confused one by Lola's next sentence. "Hm, guest? What does that mean?" Rita wouldn't really mind being Lola's guest if it meant she'd help her... though, at the same time, Rita wondered what being a guest even meant... "Well, um... if it means I'll have your help, I'll gladly become your guest." Rita'd say this in as honorable a voice as she could, placing her fist on her chest as she did. "So, is there any special thing you have to do to become a guest of someone?" She'd ask this in genuine doubt, seeing as it really was something she didn't know at all... regardless, Rita awaited Lola's answers for these... simple, laid-back questions... with a little grin on her face.

She would rub her arm as she thought of how to put this next statement, “We’re like a service industry, sort of, so guests are people like you that visit us. To be a guest of the Velvet Room you only need to have a Persona, but to be the guest of a certain attendant you have to sign your name.” She would hold out her hand to let her Compendium fall into her palm from seemingly nowhere, “Once your name is inside this book, you become a guest of that person. We take our guests very seriously so this is no light matter.”

Rita'd smirk a bit as Lola explained, knowing exactly what to do next... so, pulling out the knife-pen to match her sword-pencil, Rita clicked its fake plastic hilt and turned the dull plastic blade up as to signify she was ready. "Where do I sign?" With a bit of a giggle, Rita let her smirk extend almost all across her face as she said this, always wanting to have used that line... "I understand this is no light matter... but I'll be glad to become your guest, Lola." Feeling the giggles coming up, Rita stopped acting serious for a moment and instead gave Lola a sweet smile, showing that she had no qualms signing her book...

A blush would cross Lola’s face as the girl pulled out a pen, “You really don’t have to do that. I would feel a bit embarrassed if you did.” She clutched the book against her chest with a smile, “It means a lot that you want to though, and I guess you need an attendant…” With a small bit of hesitation, she would hold out her Compendium to the girl and flip it open to a page that had names on it. So far, there were only two, but she would recognize one of them as Hyde’s but the other would be one she would never have heard, “Your name will become part of this page if you want to be my guest. It will forever be a part of this book. Are you sure you don’t mind that?” She was still nervous to have another person sign her Compendium. What would happen if she let this person down? No. She wanted to protect the Users that came to this room, and if this was a way to help them, she would.