The Trap

[forgottencarol]

(( OOC: Sorry for being crappy and long - but here it is! Also up to you guys to pick which day to go in o: The dates are so close to give a SHIT'S GETIIN' REAL feeling))

April 30th – Evening

The lights were switched off in Seung Mi's room. Her books were strewn across the floor, and her schoolbag laid open a few feet away. She sat on her bed, still in uniform, with her knees drawn to her chest. In her hand was her cellphone, thumb going back and forth between the few numbers she had saved. The light from its small screen dimly illuminated her face, reflecting in her eyes that stared blankly down at it. She lingered on Miho's name in particular, and for a split second emotion crossed her face; her brows furrowed, and her lips twitched downward into a frown.

With a sigh, Seung Mi closed her phone and placed it on the nightstand. “I'll look again tomorrow,” she muttered to herself, and began to get ready for an early bedtime. Her schoolwork remained forgotten and unfinished.

That night, as she tossed and turned in bed, an image flickered in her mirror.

May 1st – Morning

Seung Mi eyed her alarm clock with disinterest. It chimed away, trying to force the highschooler awake for another day at school. She sat up in bed and threw the covers back, ignoring the rhythmic beep beep beep. She walked over to her closet and pushed her uniform aside. It was time to skip school.

Noon

“Excuse me, have you seen this girl?”

“Please, if you could just give me a moment of your time...”

“I know I should be in school – no, listen...!”

The exchange student stared down at the picture of Miho – fairly recent, one she had borrowed from the girl's mother – and sighed. It was useless. The police were useless. It had been days, and not one person came forward with information of Miho's whereabouts. Seung Mi took it upon herself to ask around, having no faith in this whole justice system business; if the authorities were any good, then why was the crime rate so high?

Whatever. Futile as it was, Seung Mi decided to keep looking until evening, like she'd been doing everyday since the disappearance. She kept walking, but her attention was drawn to a large display window. She could've sworn she saw something in the reflection...

A shiver ran up her spine, and she kept walking. The reflection grinned as she passed.

Afternoon

Today was going to be another dead end. Seung Mi could feel it, but she also felt disoriented. She kept bumping into people, or almost stepping out into traffic. It was odd, very odd, but she had a hard time finding the strength to care. That scared her. Maybe it would be best to go home?

The girl kept walking, making lefts and rights without looking up from her feet. Frustrated drivers beeped at her and shouted names, but all of that was background noise. She walked for what seemed like forever, until suddenly, she stopped.

"What...?" This wasn't home. Somehow, Seung Mi had walked directly into an alley, broken from her trance by the putrid smell of garbage.

"You're so pathetic."

Was that a voice? But... But there was nowhere around. No, no, no -- this was weird. She took a breath to calm herself and turned to leave, when the glint of an object caught her eye.

It was partially covered by old bedsheets, but its shape was undeniable: a mirror. Before the highschooler could stop herself, she was on her knees in front of it. A hand reached to uncover it.

She was greeted by the image of an adolescent with long, messy hair and an unhealthy complexion. A scream caught in Seung Mi's throat and she found herself unable to move. "Are you frightened?" The reflection taunted, "because you should be!!!"

It all happened in an instant: the surface rippled, and the reflection's hand shot out, grabbing Seung Mi by the collar. It had one more thing to say before aggressively pulling her inside; "I'll show you what happens when you deny me what I deserve!"

May 2nd

Nowhere to be found. It was very unlike Seung Mi to run off. Immediately following the day of Miho's rescue, Kota would be able to sense another presence inside the mirror. This time the only hint would be a condemned children's hospital with part of the structure caving in. 'KEEP OUT' repeated over and over on the police tape that kept the gate shut.

Comments

[unexamined]

After the trial by fire that was Miho's rescue, Kota had been looking forward to taking a break and getting to recover. The miraculous medicine had done wonders on his physical wounds, but he was still feeling a little run down when a now familiar pang went through his head. "...No, you're joking," he muttered, hastening to the nearest mirror anyway.

It was with grim resignation that he took in the new, meager scene. Despite his wishes, it looked like they might be diving right back in. He pulled out his phone and started to type, somehow feeling more tired than a moment before. And because of that, and not wanting to deal with potentially bothering Gregory again (he might still be feeling sick anyway, Kota rationalized), he sent the following message just to Seiya, Ren, and Miho:

Someone's inside again. A hospital that looks about ready to collapse. Dunno who this time - have you noticed if anyone's missing? I didn't sense them at all yesterday!

Could he have been so focused on Miho that he'd missed something that obvious? The thought didn't sit well with him at all.

What font/html do you use for the different text? *doii*

[terminalshow]

After her big rescue, Miho had spent the entire day sleeping and lounging. Her mother had been very, very pleased that she’d been found, although confused… And Miho wasn’t a very good liar, thus she didn’t have a very good cover story. She chalked it up to stress from school and studying, and that was that. Oddly enough, her senpai and housemate Seung Mi, hadn’t been in… She hadn’t come home that night, either. The girl, although still mentally fatigued, was also very anxious!

When she received a text message from Kota, she damn near balked. “Missing? Someone… Oh gosh.” Her fingers whirled over the number-pad of her flip phone as she replied.

Lee Seung Mi! My housemate, the Korean transfer – she’s a third year. Hasn’t been home ):. Mom says she’s been acting weirder than usual, too.

[unexamined]

Kota stared at his phone, as if that could make the words change. It was...sort of odd, wasn't it? First Miho went missing and now her housemate?

Wait, actually that might be a good thing! Maybe the only good thing about this whole mess.

I saw where you got pulled in, but not her. But if it is her, do you think she could've gone in through a mirror in the house?

Considering those puppet Shadows they'd encountered along the way last time, Kota was hoping to go inside as close to that hospital as possible. And with Miho on their side, they might actually be able to get access to her house this time.

[terminalshow]

Miho frowned at the words on her screen. Was it Seung Mi? It was probably Seung Mi. This was horrible. Concern etched on her face, she whipped up another reply.

I know where we can get in. ^_^;; Can you text everyone and tell them the situation? I'll send Gregory a text, just to let him know.... What if the kidnappings all get this frequent???!

She wasn't exactly thrilled about hopping back into horrible mirror land after only getting out so soon, though! A quick little text was sent to G-san.

Seung Mi gone missing ):. We think she's in the mirror. Cheer for us!!!

[americandiplomacy]

Greg's phone went off while he was making a fairly important shot in one of his many cell-phone games, and the noise sent his aim right off-kilter. "[Damnit!] Well, maybe it's..." After backing out of the game he checked his texts, finding that it wasn't from the girl he'd expected. The boy pushed the lobby doors to his apartment complex open while reading, and then just sighed.

Good luck. Wish I could|

No, that sounded too... Pathetic. Tap tap tap tap tap, he went ahead and erased that.

Good luck. Don't do anything st|

Well, that was just /mean/. Why was this such a hassle, anyway?! Another few taps and he decided he'd keep it short and sweet.

Good luck. Tell me how it goes.

When was it going to be his turn, huh? Though he tried to dismiss that thought, it was already starting to cast a shadow on what had been an otherwise neutral day. Ugh.

[unexamined]

Kota frowned, replying quickly to Miho only first:

Don't even joke about that. Let's just handle this one first. I'll tell the others.

Really, though, the idea did stress him out. How much could they take? If it saved lives, he wasn't going to object to repeatedly going into the mirror; he just wanted to make sure they all got back out too.

Once he pushed that thought away, he texted Seiya and Ren:

Miho-san says her housemate is missing. Remember last time, the question about how the mirrors connect here and there? I'm guessing she went in through the house, and Miho-san says she knows where we can get in. It might get us closer than last time, so let's meet up there.

[seiyayamada]

When her phone rang, she half expected it to be... well, not Kota. In fact, whenever Kota texted, it only meant bad news. Reading over the message, she frowned. Again...

I'm on my way. <('n'<)

Sliding to the main menu, she quickly tapped out a text to Greg.

have 2 go in again. stay safe ok??? \('0')/

With that, Seiya made her way to the meeting point, making sure to lock up Yamada Mart beforehand.

[homeruuun]

Meanwhile, Ren unstuck her face from her pillow and slugglishly reached for her buzzing phone. She rubbed one eye, focusing the other on the message as she tried to ignore the taste of barf in her mouth. Oh, shit. Again, so soon? She groaned, rolling over in her bed to type out a response.

Got food poisoning. I'll have to sit out on this one. Sorry!! Good luck and stay safe.

[terminalshow]

Clutching her cellphone in her fist, knuckles white from the amount of pressure, Miho waited outside her apartment for her friends to show up. She was in her school uniform as usual, with a backpack on - a very kiddish and pink backpack, with a cute charm hanging off the strap (was she still an elementary schooler, here?!). She shifted impatiently on her feet while waiting, her free hand holding what appeared to be a wooden bo staff! Where had she gotten that?

She sent out a quick group text.

^_^ Packed lunches for us!! And drinks!! Bring weapons, ok? ^_^;; I'll explain where we're getting in when you all get here.

[unexamined]

Kota had to bite back a groan at Ren's text. He would've really liked to have her along, but apparently it couldn't be helped.

We'll do our best. Feel better!

Miho's text came in right after he sent that off to Ren, and Kota chewed his lip. Lunches? Well, okay... But weapons, yes, a weapon was a good idea, and the memory of that Shadow's claws meant he'd rather avoid getting up close and personal with the things they met. Perhaps his misspent youth would come in handy after all.

Soon he was approaching Miho's apartment, giving the girl herself a wave when he spotted her. A long, thin black bag was slung over his shoulder, and he was sporting an archer's wrist guard. The relics of another club that Kota had once tried and abandoned. He just hoped he wasn't so rusty as to be useless.

"Ren-san's really sick. She's not coming," he said as soon as he was within easy talking range.

[seiyayamada]

Seiya arrived shortly after Kota, looking a bit terrifying. The girl wasn't exactly smiling, and the fact that she was carrying a large lead pipe didn't help. Propping it on her shoulder, she nodded to her friends, though her expression didn't change much.

"Hey." She tried to smile, though it just came off a bit unnerving.

[terminalshow]

"I hope Ren-chan recovers okay." Food poisoning, ugh.

Seiya's lack of cheer was a-okay, though, because Miho practically radiated the stuff. Call it her coping mechanism over being worried for her housemate. "H-hey! Hi. Both of, ehe, you. I brought bento boxes, um, anddd.. canned coffee. And first aid things!" The girl jiggled her backpack, and the cutsie charm on it jingled.

"We're going to go inn..." She unlocked her apartment door and beckoned them both into the fancy granite tiled lobby. "Through the elevator! The one that appeared when we left the theatre. It linked up to the apartment elevator." When they'd saved her, they'd exited through it and ended up in the lobby elevator. "I noticed more buttons on it than the last time it got used. In the mirror world, that is. And I think it might be safer to know where we're going to end up." Whatever that meant. Still, it seemed like she had a plan.

[unexamined]

Kota seemed a bit more perturbed by their leader's demeanor, and his uncertainty showed on his face. Maybe it was just the same reluctance that he felt, not wanting to jump right back in? He hoped so. None of them had asked for this, after all. But it didn't feel like they had a choice either.

Miho's energy was a relief, a welcome excuse for him to focus on something else instead of worrying. "The theater, right?" he said as he followed her inside. As long as there weren't any more of those puppeteer Shadows hanging about, he could be okay with that.

[seiyayamada]

Seiya watched the two converse, not really jumping in to offer any consoling words. Shoving her hands in her pockets, she followed both Miho and Kota into the lobby, clicking her tongue softly.

Great, into the elevator. Pressing the button, she waited for the doors to swing open before stepping in. Holding her arm out, she made sure the doors wouldn't close without her comrades. "Who's missing, exactly?" It was the first full sentence she'd spoken that day! In the corner of her eye, she swore she saw... nothing. Shaking her head, she just looked back at the two.

Sorry about the length of this one and allt he stuff going on ;~; Wanted to get us there!

[terminalshow]

Miho side eyed their leader with a flicker of a frown on her face, but then it was back to optimism. Somebody had to be cheerful and push them forward, right? "Well..." She led them inside the lobby and then followed Seiya into the elevator. "Not quite the theater, aha. You'll see what, um.. I meaann, when we get there. It'll take us to the very first spot any of us ever entered at.." The doors closed and they started there ascent. The elevator hummed softly in a mechanical whir. "I did some experimenting by myself, ehe, so I know how this works, now..!" Silly Miho. When had she found the time to ever go in by herself?

"Um. It's Seung Mi, by the way! S-senpai, is the one, I think, that's gone missing." She hoped so anyway. Because if it wasn't the korean transfer student, that meant they couldn't save her from where ever she'd vanished to. Miho absently dug a small compact mirror out of one of the pockets on her bag, and then shattered the glass (cleaarly Seiya gave her one, okay?!), while whispering a quiet "Persona!". Immediately the lights began to flicker. The mechanical whir stopped as they hit the very top floor, and the power cut completely. The mirrored walls of the elevator adopted an ehteral glow, their surfaces rippling like waves in a pond, and then the tile beneath the trio's feet seemed to meld into a mirror as well.

Woooosh! They fell through abruptly, like they were being dunked into water. After what felt like a short fall they'd find themselves sitting in the same elevator, only with less buttons on the panel, and with the doors open to reveal a hauntingly farmiliar icy corridor. It wasn't the one that contained the theatre, though! Miho sat up with a small groan, rubbing a hand over her butt, and then gestured to the panel. "See, ahh.." Four buttons. Lobby. B1, B2, B3. "We're on B1 right now. Lobby is the apartment.. B2 is the theater.. B1, um, I think is this area right here! And B3.." She hit it. The doors slowly started to close with a bit of a mechanical groan. They descended slowly. "I think this is where, where we'll find senpai." She'd done her research, as always.

When the doors opened this time, they revealed another icy corridor... But this one was different! The ice seemed to be an odd red colour, much like the ice that their mirrors had been crafted out of in the velvet room. Shards of broken mirror were scattered about on the path ahead of them, and some of the ice seemed to be dripping - melting, maybe?

[unexamined]

"What?" Kota said in confusion, not really expecting an answer. The first place...? He held his tongue as Miho summoned her Persona, but a flat "What," slipped from him as the power went out. Then the walls started glowing. "What?" And as the ground turned to liquid beneath their feet: "What!"

He landed in a small heap, only a miracle keeping his bag from bending or snapping. He stared incredulously as Miho pushed the button with apparent calm. "What the hell?!" he said. "Give a guy some warning next time!" He wasn't angry, just startled. He and surprises weren't on very good terms right now after yesterday.

He sobered as the doors slid open to reveal a new environment. He stood, stepping through the doors cautiously and standing to one side as he closed his eyes. "...Yeah. There's definitely someone here. Still not sure who it is though." He took the bag off his shoulder and pulled out the bow, which he'd strung at home so he could test if he could still bend the damn thing. They'd gotten attacked almost immediately last time - he didn't want to get caught off-guard.

[seiyayamada]

"Oh. I think I met her on--" The floor beneath her melted, and Seiya felt her body get sucked into the void. Scrambling for something to hold onto, she smacked into the wall she'd previously been leaning on. The twisted glow of the mirror elevator made her stomach churn, and on top of it all, there'd been no warning.

Pulling herself to her feet, she rolled the pipe in her hands. Where the hell had she gotten that thing anyway? Somewhere within Yamada Mart, a water pipe was definitely missing. When the doors swung open, the girl took a hesitant step outside. "Good job, Miho-chan." That was actually genuine. It always paid off when Miho did her extra research!

okay let's let nikki post after me now? :D i think we're in close enough for her to do her THANGG!

[terminalshow]

"S-sorry! Ehe, ah.. Sorry. I should have warned you. I've just gotten used to it." She'd tested it out a few times in the day she'd been back, just to make sure it was safe - and it seemed to be. The brunette gave them both a small apologetic bow, and then stepped through the doors with them. It was a little humid inside, and completely silent beyond their breathing, and the steady drip of melting ice.

Re: okay let's let nikki post after me now? :D i think we're in close enough for her to do her THANG

[forgottencarol]

The corridor continued onwards, and aside from the creepy atmosphere, seemed to be void of any monsters or real danger. It felt empty. All around them was the odd red ice, melting, and pieces of broken mirror, for as far as the eye could see. That is, until the path abruptly turned and was shrouded by fog; it was as red as the melting ice, and just as humid. It was (unfortunately!) the right direction, the presence of another person being stronger than ever past it. Even stranger was the effects the fog had on a person, as if sucking the energy right out of them. Best not to breathe that in!

[unexamined]

Kota couldn't sense anything, aside from that faint knowledge of a person in the distance. "I'll take point," he said, not waiting for any objections before moving forward at a measured pace. The bag slung back over his shoulder, he held an arrow nocked loosely on the string, ready in case the Shadows decided to materialize out of thin air like last time.

But his caution seemed unnecessary; nothing appeared to attack him as he followed Dagr's guidance toward the missing person. But he came to an abrupt halt ass he rounded a corner and saw the red fog that shrouded the area. It took him a moment to realize that the unease he felt was as much Dagr's as his own. But it was like his earlier thought: they didn't really have a choice, did they?

"...Something's not right with this," he said, looking back at the others. "But she's past here. Think we should just rush through?"

[seiyayamada]

Following Kota, Seiya began to buck up a little. She couldn't really afford to waste away in her emotions while another life was at stake. Adjusting her grip on the pipe, Seiya took light steps, the fog surrounding her, lapping at her ankles. Inhaling deeply, she felt her muscles start to slowly relax. Odd. Was it her depression or...?

"Kota-Kun." Her voice came out soft, almost dreamlike, "Do you... sense anything odd..." Seiya shook her head, trying to regain focus.

Room got painted and rearranged this weekend BACK NOW 8D!

[terminalshow]

Miho frowned to herself, squinting into the thick red fog that blocked their path. Even now it was licking at their ankles and furling around their legs almost as if it had a mind of it’s own – but.. Of course it didn’t. That would have been incredibly silly, indeed. Fog was just fog, right? The brunette tried to assure herself of this as she adjusted her grip on her bo-staff and gnawed worriedly at her lower lip.

“Umm.. Heh, I think!” She glanced to Seiya, “Don’t inhale it. Just, you know, incase? Right?” Senpai sounded a bit… off. “Oh! Oh wait, hold on..!” With a flick of her wrist, she set her staff down against the ice, and flicked her backpack off her shoulders and to her feet. “Bandanas! I, ehe, made team bandanas..” Miho had done a lot in the day she’d been back, huh?! “Tie them around your mouths, okay?” She handed ‘em out!

[unexamined]

Kota focused on Seiya when she called his name and- yes. Yes, he definitely did sense something odd: his teammates usually showed up in his senses as almost painfully brilliant, yet Seiya was currently, well... foggy. Overcast. Shadowed. He reached out to grab her arm, preventing her from wandering deeper into the mist. "Snap outta it, Senpai. This stuff does something, that's for sure."

And while he might wonder about the need for team bandanas, Kota had to admit that they were perfect for this moment. "Just what we needed. Thanks," he said as he took one. He wasn't sure if he had gotten his own whiff of the fog or if it was just Miho's unrelenting cheer that was making him feel tired, but at least one of those had a solution. He released Seiya's arm and juggled bow and arrow in order to tie the bandana around his nose and mouth - a bandit, or a Robin Hood - and then turned back toward the fog.

"Still don't want to get trapped in this," he said, raising his voice slightly to be heard through the cloth. "So I'm going to hurry." And he set off on point again, this time the bow with its arrow held loosely by his side as he took the extra precaution of pressing the cloth more firmly against his face. All he had to rely was his ability - he couldn't afford to get fuzzy-headed right now.

[seiyayamada]

Yes, the fog definitely wasn't sitting right. Feeling Kota's grip on her arm, she stumbled back towards him like a lost puppy. Watching Miho dig through her bag was much like the movie Mary Poppins. Girl had /everything/ in there.

Accepting a bandana, she tied it around her mouth with a nod. It definitely helped! "Thanks Micchan." As she slowly accustomed to the mirror world again, her mood was improving. When Kota bolted off, she grabbed Miho's arm, pulling her along after him. No use splitting up!

[terminalshow]

Miho was a modern day Mary Poppins indeed – or, at the very least, she’d come prepared. Unfortunately for them, they’d all still inhale a little of the fog despite her best efforts. With the bandana held to her mouth, she nodded, and trotted along after Seiya. “We should hold hands…!” She switched the grip her senpai had on her arm to a hand hold instead. “How far does it go, Kota-kun?”

[unexamined]

Though Kota did hear Miho, he didn't reach back for someone. How could he, when they were all carrying weapons? He kept his other hand pressed against the cloth, feeling the fog worm its way into his mouth anyway. Let the girls hold hands - he'd continue relying on Dagr to keep him nearby.

But Kota was feeling muddled; Dagr's voice was suddenly distant and hard to hear, as if he had cotton stuffed in his ears. "I think... Not too much further." And then with a burst of intensity: "There!"

The end was in sight, and Kota gratefully headed towards it, stopping just inside the edgd of the fog in order to make sure his teammates got safely to the end as well.

[seiyayamada]

With Miho's grip on her hand, Seiya felt slightly less alone in the mist. Following the sound of Kota's voice, she felt her legs grow heavy. It was like carrying cement in her shoes, and with each step it wasn't getting easier. "Gotta be... close..."

With that, Kota shouted that they weren't too far off, and her spirits lifted. Stumbling around blindly, the girl bumped square into her friends back with a little grunt. "Sorry!" Giggling at her own silliness, Seiya passed through into clarity.

SORRY FOR THE DELAY

[forgottencarol]

The area passed the fog was hardly comforting. The path and its surroundings had taken on an odd reddish hue, and the ice appeared to melt at a faster rate – but it was cold now. Very cold. Up ahead, beyond the now uneven and broken path, were the gates from Kota's vision. A transparent surface rippled behind the structure – perhaps the entrance to the hospital – and the building itself was visible in the distance. The coast seemed to be clear for them to pass... But something still wasn't right.

I DO NOT FORGIVE YOU!11

[terminalshow]

One hand on her staff (that didn’t make it useless or anything noooo, shush), and the other happily holding Seiya’s hand, Miho trudged along through the misty fog with her friends. Not inhaling was damn near impossible, and even through the bandana on her face she still got a few puffs of the stuff. So when Seiya bumped into Kota, she bumped into Seiya! A giggle ensued, and then she was clearly her throat and looking apologetic.

“Sorry, ehe, sorry, ahh.. I don’t know what was so funny.” The girl gave her head a bit of a shake, and then smiled now that they were out of the fog. The terrain ahead didn’t seem very fun to cross, though… Her breath came out in small puffs of steam. “How’s the ice melting, even though it’s so c-c-cold?” The last word came out in a chatter as she peered at the gates ahead.

[unexamined]

Believe it or not, those bumps and his teammates' giggles managed to make Kota smile. It was a a welcome change from Seiya's earlier mood, and their cheerfulness made the place seem slightly less forbidding.

At least until he saw what was waiting for them. "...That's it," he said, gesturing to the gates. He looked around, bouncing slightly on his toes with anxiety as he tried to pinpoint what felt so off about the area. "And I dunno, Miho-san. But I don't think this place has to play by the rules." That fog certainly hadn't. He switched his bow from hand to hand, flexing his fingers in an attempt to keep them from going numb before finally resettling and looking at the girls.

"Be careful. There's something else going on; I just can't tell what yet." Kota sounded a little less frustrated about the vagueness of his warning than he usually did. Maybe he was actually adjusting to Dagr's abilities and limitations.

[seiyayamada]

The weather change between where they'd entered and ended up was a bit shocking. Seiya shivered, her breath coming out in a steamy puff. Her Yamada Mart uniform wasn't exactly something one would wear in the winter, and goosebumps formed on her arms. Was there any way to properly prepare for something in the mirror world? It seemed like they were always one or two steps behind the game. Maybe it would grow easier over time.

Tucking her pipe under her arm, she rubbed her hands together. "I'll go in first." Nodding, Seiya prepared herself in front of her friends, forming some kind of weird triangle. Igor had told her this was her responsibility, and she'd take it more seriously this time. "Tell me if you sense anything stronger once we're closer, okay?" Flashing a reassuring smile at Kota, she then turned to Miho. "Don't go wandering off like that one field trip to Kyoto." Her smile was just as friendly for her other friend. With that, the girl was off!