House of M

[Gummi Bunnies]

REPLIES

Continued from here.

Mid-Chapter Update
"Heart-Throbbing Dance"

As the tree sapling statuette pressed into the indent, raucous laughter could be heard in the room above. It sounded like a whole group of people, their tone indicating a party or cheerful atmosphere. The door began to move on its own, flipping down to reveal a light so bright and blinding, no one could see what was in the room above.

The light began to press outward, enveloping the crawl space and moving throughout the attic. It carried on throughout the entire house, bathing everyone in an endless light.

For several seconds, nothing could be seen. It was blinding.

The laughter returned, just as the light began to dissipate. When it was cleared, the group could see they were in a ballroom, a few of which would recognize it as the one encountered just before dinner.

"Kyoko... why'd you run off like that?"

Dressed in a fancy suit and tie was Makoto, the boy everyone would recognize from the tape. He smiled brightly and walked over to Kyoko to pull her into a hug.

Captain America looked around, perplexed, before focusing on Kyoko. "You ran off? What is he talking about?"

Agatha frowned. "Not everything is what it seems."

"Wha--?!"

Kyoko froze dead in her tracks when Makoto Naegi suddenly appeared before her, looking... rather different from the last time she had seen him, as in, compared to the tape she saw him in just moments ago. Even as Makoto walked up and pulled her into a sudden hug -- no, almost practically because of it -- her body was as stiff as a statue. It was only from the physical stimulation and the captain's voice that managed to snap her back to her senses, her first instinct being to push Makoto away from her, as she took a step back.

"Makoto, what... What's going on here? What are you doing here?"

Calm, graceful music played from somewhere in the distance with the accompaniment of the piano, though no one sat playing it. Men and women who were dressed fancifully danced and milled about the ballroom. For whatever reason, not one of these men and women ever looked the group's way.

Makoto laughed at what Kyoko said and moved to hold her hands. He stared into her eyes and said, "Kyoko, come on... I didn't invite you so you could embarrass me." He said it lightheartedly as if to suggest he wasn't all that embarrassed. "I know this isn't really your thing, but... I-I just thought it would be nice. For us."

He reached up, rubbing at his neck, his skin flushed. "I'm sorry if this is too much."

Kyoko could only continue to be puzzled by this strange new behavior Makoto had adopted. Ever since... certain circumstances, Makoto would never have dared to even look Kyoko's way for too long, and yet here he was, smiling and laughing, and holding her hands like it was no big deal. And Makoto knew how sensitive Kyoko's hands were. As in, so much so that the minute Makoto took them in his, Kyoko damn well nearly yanked away from him, but found herself... oddly drawn in by his gaze. It was true that normally, he never would have dared to look at her like this... and now, here he was, gazing into her eyes like he never had before.

She couldn't even look at him.

Her mind raced as it struggled to process so many thoughts, remembering what had happened in the tape, remembering just being in an old house and now suddenly being in a strange ballroom, like they were back in the home Wanda had invited everyone to before. This cognitive dissonance clashed with what she was seeing before her eyes now, and as she briefly looked back at the rest of the group to ensure she had not fallen down some hallucinatory rabbit hole, she cleared her throat, and perhaps against her better judgment, spoke again, in the name of investigating.

"... F-Fine," Kyoko said with a breath, deciding to play along for now, just like with Wanda, a rare stammer intruding in her voice, "Just... Just one dance."

She would have made the move onto the ballroom, had she not been rendered frozen once again, by the sight of her gloved finger, as well as Makoto's, both having a horrifying object wrapped around them.

A wedding ring.

Makoto didn't seem to notice Kyoko's horror. Instead, he looked around her to talk to the others. "Oh, hey, I think I missed you guys this evening. I don't think I've met very many of you... Oh! Hello, Mason! I hope you're enjoying yourself!"

"I don't really like how this looks," Billy said quietly.

Teddy responded with, "I think I'm a little underdressed for this."

"Eh, could be worse," Tommy said. "You think they have food around here, I'm starving for some reason..."

---

Cast List
@Takumi as Amir Halgal [Otoyomegatari]
@Cromartie Sarkissian as Arno Victor Dorian [Assassin's Creed]
@Kaykay as Beatrice Waltrud von Kircheisen [Dies Irae]
@Midnight Maiden as Belle French [Once Upon a Time]
@dalecOoOoOoOoOper as Dale Bartholomew Cooper [Twin Peaks]
@Gummi Bunnies as Kiyohime [Fate/Grand Order]
@Ryu Keiko as Koriand'r [DC Comics]
@Verite as Kyoko Kirigiri [Danganronpa]
@Leon Moretti as Leon Moretti [OC]
@Bomb as Lola [Fairy Fencer F]
@dark as Marcus Wright [Terminator]
@Mason Moretti as Mason Travis Moretti [OC]
@Krieg as Nancy Wheeler [Stranger Things]
@Yun Lee as Noembelu [Street Fighter]
@Crow as Nono Morikubo [The Idolmaster]
@Archmage Jeremiah as Percival of the Round Table [Sonic and the Black Knight]
@LuckycoolHawk9 as Phil Connors [Groundhog Day The Musical]
@ShiroKiyoshi as Rant T. Mouse [OC]
@Gands as Raven Darkholme [X-Men Cinematic Universe]
@York as Reiner Braun [Attack on Titan]
@Klutzy Ninja Kitty as Rumpelstiltskin [Once Upon a Time]
@Minerva as Saeko Busujima [Highschool of the Dead]
@Otto as Shen [League of Legends]
@Glostechk as Six [Little Nightmares]
@Seishin Ryuu as Spartan-B312 [Halo]
@Jeremi as T'Challa [Marvel Comics]
@CrunchyCHEEZIT as Tekhartha Zenyatta [Overwatch]
@J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X as Teth Adam [DC Comics]
@The Batter as The Batter [OFF]
@thatguyinthestore as Toffee [Star vs the Forces of Evil]​

"It looks kind of pretty," Nono comments as all passed through the gates opened by the sapling. Kyoko seemed to have found a young gentleman to dance with.

Nono too was dressed for the occasion, but no one to dance with in the dance hall.

"Un deux trois~ un deux trois~ a secret waltz~" Nono hummed without realising it, before seeing what was going on. "W- wait, is that a wedding ring? Th- that's really romantic... Morikubo can only hope of marriage some day..."

She then realised what she said as her face turned red.

"Nothing! I said nothing!"

But something felt off.

"Mason, you seem know that guy," Nono requests of Mason, "try asking him a few questions."

@Verite @Atomyk @Josh M @Jeremi @Mason Moretti @Leon Moretti @thatguyinthestore @J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X @Takumi @Kaykay @Crow @Bomb @etcetcetc​

Well this was certainly an... off turn of events, to say the least. Toffee hadn't been expecting to escape the house, get his powers back, and go home just like that, but to say that he had expected to run into one of the boys from the tape earlier in a ballroom of all places would have been a lie.

After Makoto and Kyoto had finished dancing and such, Toffee smiled down at the boy who didn't appear to be much older than Moon (when Toffee had encountered her, at least.)

"Ah yes, Makato, was it? I'm Toffee. It's a pleasure to meet you." Toffee said in a very welcoming tone. "And what a lovely ballroom. Tell me, have you seen Ms. Maximoff around anywhere? She is our hostess, after all." Toffee said without even a hint that he was letting up on his kind tone. Of course, it was merely a ruse to get more information out of the boy. If he were to be completely honest here, Toffee wanted nothing more than to just go back to Mewni so he could finally set his plans in motion.​

But if there's one thing that Toffee had, it was patience. And he had a lot of it.

@Atomyk @Crow @Verite @whoever
​

Shen was transported to the ballroom by a bright light, and when he arrived, he felt a bit nauseous, which was strange since he is used to interdimensional travel. This particular transition felt... unnatural.

He also found it odd that the unfamiliar dancing guests didn't give the group a single look. There was something off about them. It was almost like they but a mere facade. In fact, this whole ballroom could be a facade...

The leader of the Kinkou Order decided to not waste any more time standing around; now was the time to leave this wretched place. He has never been interested in any kind of party activity such as dancing, so there really wasn't much else for him to do here.

"Where is the exit?" He asked Makoto in a rather demanding tone.

Tags

Cast List
@Takumi as Amir Halgal [Otoyomegatari]
@Cromartie Sarkissian as Arno Victor Dorian [Assassin's Creed]
@Kaykay as Beatrice Waltrud von Kircheisen [Dies Irae]
@Midnight Maiden as Belle French [Once Upon a Time]
@dalecOoOoOoOoOper as Dale Bartholomew Cooper [Twin Peaks]
@Gummi Bunnies as Kiyohime [Fate/Grand Order]
@Ryu Keiko as Koriand'r [DC Comics]
@Verite as Kyoko Kirigiri [Danganronpa]
@Leon Moretti as Leon Moretti [OC]
@Bomb as Lola [Fairy Fencer F]
@dark as Marcus Wright [Terminator]
@Mason Moretti as Mason Travis Moretti [OC]
@Krieg as Nancy Wheeler [Stranger Things]
@Yun Lee as Noembelu [Street Fighter]
@Crow as Nono Morikubo [The Idolmaster]
@Archmage Jeremiah as Percival of the Round Table [Sonic and the Black Knight]
@LuckycoolHawk9 as Phil Connors [Groundhog Day The Musical]
@ShiroKiyoshi as Rant T. Mouse [OC]
@Gands as Raven Darkholme [X-Men Cinematic Universe]
@York as Reiner Braun [Attack on Titan]
@Klutzy Ninja Kitty as Rumpelstiltskin [Once Upon a Time]
@Minerva as Saeko Busujima [Highschool of the Dead]
@Otto as Shen [League of Legends]
@Glostechk as Six [Little Nightmares]
@Seishin Ryuu as Spartan-B312 [Halo]
@Jeremi as T'Challa [Marvel Comics]
@CrunchyCHEEZIT as Tekhartha Zenyatta [Overwatch]
@J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X as Teth Adam [DC Comics]
@The Batter as The Batter [OFF]
@thatguyinthestore as Toffee [Star vs the Forces of Evil]

Makoto briefly laughed and encouraged Kyoko to sway with him for a moment, but it wasn't the actual dance she had promised of course. He found it pretty cute to get her out of her usual environment and doing something as a couple with him. He was pulled away by Toffee and the others for a brief moment, where he made sure to introduce himself before he answered any questions.

"I don't think Wanda's coming, sorry." He shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe she'd bring Genji? To be honest, I didn't expect to see anyone here I knew. It was supposed to just be for... Kyoko and I." So bashful. "So, uh, I don't know what you mean. She's not hosting this dance, as far as I know. Is she having a party I wasn't invited to?"

His good-natured smile waned slightly when Shen so bluntly asked him where the exit was. Makoto shook his head and said, "Not sure why you'd show up to a dance and then want to leave right away..." He waved toward one end of the room, where a mass of people were casually chatting. "You should be able to get out that way? I think?"

Leon and Noembelu would find that wherever they went, the other dancers would avoid looking at them. They went out of their way to never show their face, even as they moved around them. Aside from that, there didn't appear to be anything to find at all.

@Verite @Josh M @thatguyinthestore @Crow @Mason Moretti @Leon Moretti @Glostechk @Yun Lee @Otto @LuckycoolHawk9 @Everyone

​

"I... was not expecting this to be our next location."

If it weren't for the fact that they were tumbling down into more trouble ever since accepting those invitations, Kiyohime would've enjoyed the setting of a ballroom. She had only been in a ballroom for a short time, given on where she was summoned last as a Servant. Weddings were a whole different story, and to think that this would be where they'll be at until later... it somewhat bothered her. Just like how it was with Wanda, Kiyohime didn't like how such falseness could formulate into pleasant events. It was worse than seeing the truth of unpleasant events...

"I don't believe we've met, my name is Kiyohime. I've only gotten to know Kyoko shortly before now. If you don't mind me asking this, how did all of the planning for this go? Nothing warms my heart than seeing love go towards far places."

... except if the love is all a lie.

While Kyoko may be a bit unnerved by the developments given her reactions to Makoto, Kiyohime intended to squeeze out a bit of info disguised as small talk.

@Verite @Josh M @thatguyinthestore @Crow @Mason Moretti @Leon Moretti @Glostechk @Yun Lee @Otto @LuckycoolHawk9 @The Batter @York @Everyone​

 

[Yun Lee]

@Takumi @Glostechk @LuckycoolHawk9 @Crow

Noembelu walked back to the little group. "This isn't right." She swallowed to keep her throat from drying up. "No one will look at me. I don't know who anyone is. I...I don't know what's going on." She started trembling ever so slightly. For the first time since seeing Usami...she was scared. What was happening...?​

 

[Gands]

Raven Darkholme

Raven moved over to the little girl and stood near her, somewhat on the balls of her feet.

" I too think this is not a time for action, but for more information, which may take time. "


@Verite @Atomyk @Josh M @Jeremi @Mason Moretti @Leon Moretti @thatguyinthestore @J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X @Takumi @Kaykay @Crow @Bomb@luckycoolhawk9 @anyone else

 

[LuckycoolHawk9]

[COLOR= #4169e1] Phil Connors [/COLOR]

Phil looked around the room. [COLOR= #4169e1] " If I may make a suggestion, it might be better if we dance to not seem suspicious to the others. If we just stand idly around, while that might raise some eyebrows on why we seem so unhappy to be here," [/COLOR] he said, offering a hand to anyone who was willing to take it.

@Takumi @Yun Lee @Glostechk @Gands @Crow

 

[Leon Moretti]

"If that's an illusion designed against Kyoko-san," Nono asked as she peers into the conversation Noembelu was having, "where's ours?"

@Yun Lee @Glostechk @LuckycoolHawk9 @Leon Moretti @thatguyinthestore @Bomb @etcetcetc​

He returns shaking his head, "Everyone I try to talk to just moves away." He runs his hand through his hair. "As weird as this sounds," he pauses for a moment before he continues, "Right now I think our only option is to see how this plays out."

Raven Darkholme

Raven moved over to the little girl and stood near her, somewhat on the balls of her feet.

" I too think this is not a time for action, but for more information, which may take time. "


@Verite @Atomyk @Josh M @Jeremi @Mason Moretti @Leon Moretti @thatguyinthestore @J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X @Takumi @Kaykay @Crow @Bomb@luckycoolhawk9 @anyone else

"Go with the flow, but stay on alert, at this point anything could happen." He says as he looks back at Makoto and Kirigiri.

@Verite @Atomyk @Josh M @Jeremi @Mason Moretti @Leon Moretti @thatguyinthestore @J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X @Takumi @Kaykay @Crow @Bomb @LuckycoolHawk9 @Gands

 

[Verite]

"..."

Kyoko's gaze seemed to actively avoid Makoto's as they danced together, the young woman seeming to look everywhere but Makoto's face, as though unable to even face him. If anything, she seemed to spend more time looking at his ring finger more than any other place on him. Even without the strange circumstances, which included having to hold hands with Makoto at all, no doubt some sort of effect of Wanda's power going haywire, the dance was an awkward scene for Kyoko. In all honesty, she had never danced so intimately before in her life.

In a sense, this was her first time.

And it showed. Her body and posture were normally so stiff and upright, especially with her knee-high boots and her dress shirt that she wore, it would have been a miracle if Makoto was enjoying himself at all with her. Not that she cared that much, of course. Her mind was focused on other things, such as how this had all happened, if Makoto, along with Jude, wherever the young doctor was, had become a part of this "family" Wanda spoke of in those journal entries, and... why Wanda had chosen to bend reality like this. By putting a ring on them.

As the two of them continued dancing silently, Kyoko occasionally stepping on Makoto's shoe by pure accident, the young woman felt her mind beginning to drift, a subtle happening that alarmed her, but she couldn't resist for whatever reason, being made more and more susceptible to whatever befell her. A part of her had to wonder... If she was allowed a semblance of what one could call a "normal life," is this where she would have ended up? Awkwardly dancing with a spouse, doing something new, having a chance to... get away. Her knees felt weak at the mere thought, or perhaps it was whatever this accursed influence was, and though Kyoko stood a good three inches taller than Makoto, helped by her boots at that, she found herself suddenly resting her head on Makoto's chest, taking comfort like a child would to their parent. His chest was... firm, one might almost say strong. Nothing like what she'd have expected from the skittish, almost wormy boy she'd met at Hope's Peak Academy all those years ago. He... really had grown since then.

But before she knew it, the dream ended.

Her eyes snapped open just as her mind snapped back to reality as she pulled away when Toffee, Shen, and Kiyohime approached, their voices causing her to blink as she remembered where she was. Clearing her throat, she looked toward the others' way, taking a breath.

"Yes, let's not... be too hasty, Shen. After all, a party's a party. There's no need to be rude," she said to Shen, subtly imploring him to be less direct if he had any interest in playing along with the illusion... which, of course, Kyoko had to wonder if he did have such an interest. In the meantime, she glanced towards the direction where Makoto pointed, the so-called exit, before looking to her... "husband" again when he answered Toffee's question concerning Wanda, her brow furrowed lightly. "Oh, she's not coming? Everyone was... expecting her. It's been a while, hasn't it? When was the last time we saw her again?" She inquired, also intent on probing information now that her mind was back in the game. For now.

"In any case, if you don't know anything, then... don't worry about it. Let's just enjoy ourselves..."

"... honey."

A bit too far? Perhaps. But she wanted to see just how far she could push in order to fit herself into this strange, new world cooked up for her.

@Atomyk @thatguyinthestore @Otto @Gummi Bunnies​

 

[thatguyinthestore]

Makoto briefly laughed and encouraged Kyoko to sway with him for a moment, but it wasn't the actual dance she had promised of course. He found it pretty cute to get her out of her usual environment and doing something as a couple with him. He was pulled away by Toffee and the others for a brief moment, where he made sure to introduce himself before he answered any questions.

"I don't think Wanda's coming, sorry." He shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe she'd bring Genji? To be honest, I didn't expect to see anyone here I knew. It was supposed to just be for... Kyoko and I." So bashful. "So, uh, I don't know what you mean. She's not hosting this dance, as far as I know. Is she having a party I wasn't invited to?"

His good-natured smile waned slightly when Shen so bluntly asked him where the exit was. Makoto shook his head and said, "Not sure why you'd show up to a dance and then want to leave right away..." He waved toward one end of the room, where a mass of people were casually chatting. "You should be able to get out that way? I think?"

Leon and Noembelu would find that wherever they went, the other dancers would avoid looking at them. They went out of their way to never show their face, even as they moved around them. Aside from that, there didn't appear to be anything to find at all.

@Verite @Josh M @thatguyinthestore @Crow @Mason Moretti @Leon Moretti @Glostechk @Yun Lee @Otto @LuckycoolHawk9 @Everyone

​

"It appears that way, yes." Toffee replied with a smile in an attempt to stay polite. "But let's not dwell on the unpleasantries, hmm?" Toffee said before clasping his hands together. He would have continued their conversation for more info, but then he saw Noembelu rush out into the crowd of people before rushing back into a smaller group consisting of a few people from their own parties.

Toffee's expression would change to one of annoyance for a split second before it returned to his warm smile. "Excuse me for a moment." Toffee said with a nod before walking over to the small group, glaring at Noembelu specifically.

"That was foolish and reckless. You're lucky that didn't draw more attention to us than we already have." Toffee then turned to Raven. "No. Taking any course of action aside from waiting things out will do harm then good. Even if we did know what was going on, then what? We're still without our powers, while Ms. Maximoff is a reality bending witch with powers beyond most of our comprehension, and who knows what her so called 'family' is capable of? I suggest that we let things play out for now. It's the most logical option at this point."​

Phil Connors

Phil looked around the room. " If I may make a suggestion, it might be better if we dance to not seem suspicious to the others. If we just stand idly around, while that might raise some eyebrows on why we seem so unhappy to be here," he said, offering a hand to anyone who was willing to take it.

@Takumi @Yun Lee @Glostechk @Gands @Crow

"That's a good idea." Before she could respond, Toffee had taken Noembelu's hand and began to dance with her in rythm with whatever song was playing. He did this for many reasons actually. One, to blend in and not draw suspiscion. Two, to get some alone time with her so he could find out what she knew. And three, to be a dick to Phil.

Once he got the opportunity to speak, Toffee did just that. "Before you ask, no, I have no interest in you. But you seem to be more aware of what's going on here than you let on. Tell me, who exactly is your friend that knows Wanda? What's his name?" Toffee asked, making sure to keep things subtle as to not draw attention to him and Noembelu.


@Yun Lee @Gands @Crow @LuckycoolHawk9 @Takumi @Atomyk @Verite​

​

 

[Gands]

Raven Darkholme

Looking around, she gently puts a hand on Six's shoulder.

" Should we Dance ? "

@Glostechk

 

[York]

Replies

"Ah, that's nice to hear. As long as we're getting closer to resolving this predicament, I'm fine with that to bear..."

Kiyohime was eased a bit with what the Batter had to say. That would explain why the others had gone off to somewhere else in the household.

"Oh? I'll keep that in mind then, anything can prove to be useful in a scenario like this..."

The Heroic Spirit nodded towards Reiner as she took the coin. She did remember seeing the slot machine before being knocked out, and she could tell that the slot machine could be good or bad given on how the Batter had sustained an injury...

@York @The Batter​

"Indeed. Splitting up would be the most effective way, it seems." Toffee replied before heading downstairs and into the kitchen. Toffee didn't say anything about the phone call, as it appeared that they had heard most of it on their own. They had more important things to be worrying about right now, anyways.

Toffee arrived in the kitchen just in time to hear Kyoko mention bolt cutters, causing him to nod his head.

"Yes, there are indeed a pair of bolt cutters down in the basement, though that Batter fellow has them." Toffee replied before heading down into the basement to retrieve the bolt cutters himself. Once he was down there, Toffee held out his hand towards the Batter. "The group upstairs requires the bolt cutters. So, if you would be so kind..." Toffee requested, hoping that he wouldn't try anything stupid and would just hand him the cutters as requested.​

@The Batter @Verite @people
​

Before The Batter even had a chance to respond, Toffee saw that he didn't exactly keep the bolt cutters well hidden. Deciding that they didn't have time to waste, Toffee quickly took the bolt cutters from him and made his way back up the stairs.

Once he returned, Toffee held up the bolt cutters and showed them to the group. "Here. Now, what did you need these for again?" Toffee asked, having not heard what exactly she needed them for.​

@Verite @The Batter @York @Gummi Bunnies @Josh M @Mason Moretti @Crow @ShiroKiyoshi @Kaykay @Otto @Krieg @Jeremi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Basement/Kitchen
​

The Batter is now even more pissed off at Toffee. He probably would have gave it to them anyways to just help the others out. The Batter then sighed and looked towards Kiyohime and Reiner.

View attachment 142686

Before he could say anything to them, something caught The Batter's eye. When Reiner gave the coin to Kiyohime, the coin reminded him of something. It reminded of his son's lucky coin. Suddenly, The Batter was having a flashback. He was in a dark room, with one of son's favorite comics. He was halfway done with when he stopped. 'This is stupid.' He said in his flashback. He left the room and went down a red hall. His bat was already dripping with the Queen's blood.There was a music box playing in another room. When he enters into the other room, He saw a little boy in white clothing messing with a music box. The boy then looked at The Batter. The Batter then clutched his bat. Everything was blurry after that. When he regained his vision, he saw his son, Hugo, lying on the ground, with his head cracked opened and blood dripping out of it. The Batter then wide eyed and dropped his bat. He quickly moved towards his son. 'Hugo? Hugo are you ok? Please say something.' The Batter then picks up his son and holds him in his arms

View attachment 142691

'No, not my son....no...no no no no no... not Hugo.... nooo...' A few tears begins to run down his face as his continue holding his son in his arms.....He then saw his son holding his lucky coin in his hand. The Batter held his son even tighter than before after seeing the coin. The flashback ended. He put his hand on his heart as a single tear runs down his face. He then wipe his tear away his sleeve. The Batter then gets up from the mattress. He grabs his bat and puts it on his shoulders. "Hey Reiner...Kiyohime....where do you think we should go now? No one is in the basement now except us three. I think we should go upstairs...unless you want to go to the passage I saw earlier. It's you and Kiyohime's choice now. What do you want to do?"

@York @Gummi Bunnies @Basement

Pushing through the door, the secret passage group knocked over debris and furniture that had been blocking the door from the other side. They could see now that they were now in the basement, where the Batter, Reiner, and Kiyhime still were. The group was now free to join the others.

@Yun Lee @Glostechk @Takumi @Minerva @Gands @Cromartie Sarkissian @York @The Batter @Gummi Bunnies @Basement

---

When turned in that order, there was a click behind the wheel and it swung open to reveal a small keypad where one could input four numbers for a passcode.

@Verite @Jeremi @ShiroKiyoshi @Krieg @Crow @Otto @Kaykay @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Josh M @Mason Moretti @thatguyinthestore @Ryu Keiko @Leon Moretti @J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X @Attic

---

"It's, uhh... I think it's a bit long. If you have trouble swimming, then maybe..." Teddy thought about it for a moment. "... I still have the little girl's lighter, so we should be safe, at least."

@LuckycoolHawk9 @LivingRoom ​

Continued from here.

Mid-Chapter Update
"Heart-Throbbing Dance"

As the tree sapling statuette pressed into the indent, raucous laughter could be heard in the room above. It sounded like a whole group of people, their tone indicating a party or cheerful atmosphere. The door began to move on its own, flipping down to reveal a light so bright and blinding, no one could see what was in the room above.

The light began to press outward, enveloping the crawl space and moving throughout the attic. It carried on throughout the entire house, bathing everyone in an endless light.

For several seconds, nothing could be seen. It was blinding.

The laughter returned, just as the light began to dissipate. When it was cleared, the group could see they were in a ballroom, a few of which would recognize it as the one encountered just before dinner.

"Kyoko... why'd you run off like that?"

Dressed in a fancy suit and tie was Makoto, the boy everyone would recognize from the tape. He smiled brightly and walked over to Kyoko to pull her into a hug.

Captain America looked around, perplexed, before focusing on Kyoko. "You ran off? What is he talking about?"

Agatha frowned. "Not everything is what it seems."

"Wha--?!"

Kyoko froze dead in her tracks when Makoto Naegi suddenly appeared before her, looking... rather different from the last time she had seen him, as in, compared to the tape she saw him in just moments ago. Even as Makoto walked up and pulled her into a sudden hug -- no, almost practically because of it -- her body was as stiff as a statue. It was only from the physical stimulation and the captain's voice that managed to snap her back to her senses, her first instinct being to push Makoto away from her, as she took a step back.

"Makoto, what... What's going on here? What are you doing here?"

Calm, graceful music played from somewhere in the distance with the accompaniment of the piano, though no one sat playing it. Men and women who were dressed fancifully danced and milled about the ballroom. For whatever reason, not one of these men and women ever looked the group's way.

Makoto laughed at what Kyoko said and moved to hold her hands. He stared into her eyes and said, "Kyoko, come on... I didn't invite you so you could embarrass me." He said it lightheartedly as if to suggest he wasn't all that embarrassed. "I know this isn't really your thing, but... I-I just thought it would be nice. For us."

He reached up, rubbing at his neck, his skin flushed. "I'm sorry if this is too much."

Kyoko could only continue to be puzzled by this strange new behavior Makoto had adopted. Ever since... certain circumstances, Makoto would never have dared to even look Kyoko's way for too long, and yet here he was, smiling and laughing, and holding her hands like it was no big deal. And Makoto knew how sensitive Kyoko's hands were. As in, so much so that the minute Makoto took them in his, Kyoko damn well nearly yanked away from him, but found herself... oddly drawn in by his gaze. It was true that normally, he never would have dared to look at her like this... and now, here he was, gazing into her eyes like he never had before.

She couldn't even look at him.

Her mind raced as it struggled to process so many thoughts, remembering what had happened in the tape, remembering just being in an old house and now suddenly being in a strange ballroom, like they were back in the home Wanda had invited everyone to before. This cognitive dissonance clashed with what she was seeing before her eyes now, and as she briefly looked back at the rest of the group to ensure she had not fallen down some hallucinatory rabbit hole, she cleared her throat, and perhaps against her better judgment, spoke again, in the name of investigating.

"... F-Fine," Kyoko said with a breath, deciding to play along for now, just like with Wanda, a rare stammer intruding in her voice, "Just... Just one dance."

She would have made the move onto the ballroom, had she not been rendered frozen once again, by the sight of her gloved finger, as well as Makoto's, both having a horrifying object wrapped around them.

A wedding ring.

Makoto didn't seem to notice Kyoko's horror. Instead, he looked around her to talk to the others. "Oh, hey, I think I missed you guys this evening. I don't think I've met very many of you... Oh! Hello, Mason! I hope you're enjoying yourself!"

"I don't really like how this looks," Billy said quietly.

Teddy responded with, "I think I'm a little underdressed for this."

"Eh, could be worse," Tommy said. "You think they have food around here, I'm starving for some reason..."

---

Cast List
@Takumi as Amir Halgal [Otoyomegatari]
@Cromartie Sarkissian as Arno Victor Dorian [Assassin's Creed]
@Kaykay as Beatrice Waltrud von Kircheisen [Dies Irae]
@Midnight Maiden as Belle French [Once Upon a Time]
@dalecOoOoOoOoOper as Dale Bartholomew Cooper [Twin Peaks]
@Gummi Bunnies as Kiyohime [Fate/Grand Order]
@Ryu Keiko as Koriand'r [DC Comics]
@Verite as Kyoko Kirigiri [Danganronpa]
@Leon Moretti as Leon Moretti [OC]
@Bomb as Lola [Fairy Fencer F]
@dark as Marcus Wright [Terminator]
@Mason Moretti as Mason Travis Moretti [OC]
@Krieg as Nancy Wheeler [Stranger Things]
@Yun Lee as Noembelu [Street Fighter]
@Crow as Nono Morikubo [The Idolmaster]
@Archmage Jeremiah as Percival of the Round Table [Sonic and the Black Knight]
@LuckycoolHawk9 as Phil Connors [Groundhog Day The Musical]
@ShiroKiyoshi as Rant T. Mouse [OC]
@Gands as Raven Darkholme [X-Men Cinematic Universe]
@York as Reiner Braun [Attack on Titan]
@Klutzy Ninja Kitty as Rumpelstiltskin [Once Upon a Time]
@Minerva as Saeko Busujima [Highschool of the Dead]
@Otto as Shen [League of Legends]
@Glostechk as Six [Little Nightmares]
@Seishin Ryuu as Spartan-B312 [Halo]
@Jeremi as T'Challa [Marvel Comics]
@CrunchyCHEEZIT as Tekhartha Zenyatta [Overwatch]
@J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X as Teth Adam [DC Comics]
@The Batter as The Batter [OFF]
@thatguyinthestore as Toffee [Star vs the Forces of Evil]​

"I... was not expecting this to be our next location."

If it weren't for the fact that they were tumbling down into more trouble ever since accepting those invitations, Kiyohime would've enjoyed the setting of a ballroom. She had only been in a ballroom for a short time, given on where she was summoned last as a Servant. Weddings were a whole different story, and to think that this would be where they'll be at until later... it somewhat bothered her. Just like how it was with Wanda, Kiyohime didn't like how such falseness could formulate into pleasant events. It was worse than seeing the truth of unpleasant events...

"I don't believe we've met, my name is Kiyohime. I've only gotten to know Kyoko shortly before now. If you don't mind me asking this, how did all of the planning for this go? Nothing warms my heart than seeing love go towards far places."

... except if the love is all a lie.

While Kyoko may be a bit unnerved by the developments given her reactions to Makoto, Kiyohime intended to squeeze out a bit of info disguised as small talk.

@Verite @Josh M @thatguyinthestore @Crow @Mason Moretti @Leon Moretti @Glostechk @Yun Lee @Otto @LuckycoolHawk9 @The Batter @York @Everyone​

"..."

Kyoko's gaze seemed to actively avoid Makoto's as they danced together, the young woman seeming to look everywhere but Makoto's face, as though unable to even face him. If anything, she seemed to spend more time looking at his ring finger more than any other place on him. Even without the strange circumstances, which included having to hold hands with Makoto at all, no doubt some sort of effect of Wanda's power going haywire, the dance was an awkward scene for Kyoko. In all honesty, she had never danced so intimately before in her life.

In a sense, this was her first time.

And it showed. Her body and posture were normally so stiff and upright, especially with her knee-high boots and her dress shirt that she wore, it would have been a miracle if Makoto was enjoying himself at all with her. Not that she cared that much, of course. Her mind was focused on other things, such as how this had all happened, if Makoto, along with Jude, wherever the young doctor was, had become a part of this "family" Wanda spoke of in those journal entries, and... why Wanda had chosen to bend reality like this. By putting a ring on them.

As the two of them continued dancing silently, Kyoko occasionally stepping on Makoto's shoe by pure accident, the young woman felt her mind beginning to drift, a subtle happening that alarmed her, but she couldn't resist for whatever reason, being made more and more susceptible to whatever befell her. A part of her had to wonder... If she was allowed a semblance of what one could call a "normal life," is this where she would have ended up? Awkwardly dancing with a spouse, doing something new, having a chance to... get away. Her knees felt weak at the mere thought, or perhaps it was whatever this accursed influence was, and though Kyoko stood a good three inches taller than Makoto, helped by her boots at that, she found herself suddenly resting her head on Makoto's chest, taking comfort like a child would to their parent. His chest was... firm, one might almost say strong. Nothing like what she'd have expected from the skittish, almost wormy boy she'd met at Hope's Peak Academy all those years ago. He... really had grown since then.

But before she knew it, the dream ended.

Her eyes snapped open just as her mind snapped back to reality as she pulled away when Toffee, Shen, and Kiyohime approached, their voices causing her to blink as she remembered where she was. Clearing her throat, she looked toward the others' way, taking a breath.

"Yes, let's not... be too hasty, Shen. After all, a party's a party. There's no need to be rude," she said to Shen, subtly imploring him to be less direct if he had any interest in playing along with the illusion... which, of course, Kyoko had to wonder if he did have such an interest. In the meantime, she glanced towards the direction where Makoto pointed, the so-called exit, before looking to her... "husband" again when he answered Toffee's question concerning Wanda, her brow furrowed lightly. "Oh, she's not coming? Everyone was... expecting her. It's been a while, hasn't it? When was the last time we saw her again?" She inquired, also intent on probing information now that her mind was back in the game. For now.

"In any case, if you don't know anything, then... don't worry about it. Let's just enjoy ourselves..."

"... honey."

A bit too far? Perhaps. But she wanted to see just how far she could push in order to fit herself into this strange, new world cooked up for her.

@Atomyk @thatguyinthestore @Otto @Gummi Bunnies​

Reiner Braun
@The Batter @Gummi Bunnies @Atomyk
@Others?

There was a pause when Toffee came in and asked for some pliers, which Reiner instantly looked towards the Batter in response... However, before anything else could be done, it seemed that Toffee straight up took the pliers, which made Reiner jump up with a start.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're-..." Reiner protested.

Unfortunately, before he could really do anything, Toffee was out of the room, and he was sort of left hanging... With Batter and Kiyohime at least, but it seemed that the pliers were already gone... Maybe they'd at least be of some use to whatever was going on in the rest of the house?

Speaking of which, it looks like the others had stumbled into the basement through some secret passage, right on cue when Batter asked where they should go... And Reiner had prepared to say something witty, but before he could, a bright light filled the room, and soon enough, he ended up in a... Ballroom, or so it seemed.

Instantly, he noticed that there appeared to be some sort of romance going on between Kyoko, and... Makoto, someone who had greeted her in this strange ballroom.

As calming as the environment seemed to be, it looked like he wasn't the only one at least a little suspicious of his surroundings; Kiyohime herself seemed to question the romance... And while that seemed genuine, Reiner seemed a little suspicious of the circumstances.

"... I don't know about this romance... But... Do you know why we're here?" He asked, raising a brow as he turned towards Makoto.

This entire situation was just... Confusing to him; he still couldn't quite figure out what had happened in that house that transported them here... But he had a feeling it was a similar thing that had transported them from that dining room in the first place...​

 

[Takumi]

@Takumi @Glostechk @LuckycoolHawk9 @Crow

Noembelu walked back to the little group. "This isn't right." She swallowed to keep her throat from drying up. "No one will look at me. I don't know who anyone is. I...I don't know what's going on." She started trembling ever so slightly. For the first time since seeing Usami...she was scared. What was happening...?​

Amir would place a hand on Noembelu's shoulder.

"We're here, and we're all together which is better than being alone." she assured.

Phil Connors

Phil looked around the room. " If I may make a suggestion, it might be better if we dance to not seem suspicious to the others. If we just stand idly around, while that might raise some eyebrows on why we seem so unhappy to be here," he said, offering a hand to anyone who was willing to take it.

@Takumi @Yun Lee @Glostechk @Gands @Crow

"It appears that way, yes." Toffee replied with a smile in an attempt to stay polite. "But let's not dwell on the unpleasantries, hmm?" Toffee said before clasping his hands together. He would have continued their conversation for more info, but then he saw Noembelu rush out into the crowd of people before rushing back into a smaller group consisting of a few people from their own parties.

Toffee's expression would change to one of annoyance for a split second before it returned to his warm smile. "Excuse me for a moment." Toffee said with a nod before walking over to the small group, glaring at Noembelu specifically.

"That was foolish and reckless. You're lucky that didn't draw more attention to us than we already have." Toffee then turned to Raven. "No. Taking any course of action aside from waiting things out will do harm then good. Even if we did know what was going on, then what? We're still without our powers, while Ms. Maximoff is a reality bending witch with powers beyond most of our comprehension, and who knows what her so called 'family' is capable of? I suggest that we let things play out for now. It's the most logical option at this point."​

"That's a good idea." Before she could respond, Toffee had taken Noembelu's hand and began to dance with her in rythm with whatever song was playing. He did this for many reasons actually. One, to blend in and not draw suspiscion. Two, to get some alone time with her so he could find out what she knew. And three, to be a dick to Phil.

Once he got the opportunity to speak, Toffee did just that. "Before you ask, no, I have no interest in you. But you seem to be more aware of what's going on here than you let on. Tell me, who exactly is your friend that knows Wanda? What's his name?" Toffee asked, making sure to keep things subtle as to not draw attention to him and Noembelu.


@Yun Lee @Gands @Crow @LuckycoolHawk9 @Takumi @Atomyk @Verite​

​

Amir was surprised to see Toffee suddenly whisk Noembelu away. Well, that was a bit startling and sudden. She was even a bit confused on why he was so quick to do so.

@Atomyk @Yun Lee @Gands @Crow @LuckycoolHawk9 @thatguyinthestore

 

[Ryu Keiko]

Continued from here.

Mid-Chapter Update
"Heart-Throbbing Dance"

As the tree sapling statuette pressed into the indent, raucous laughter could be heard in the room above. It sounded like a whole group of people, their tone indicating a party or cheerful atmosphere. The door began to move on its own, flipping down to reveal a light so bright and blinding, no one could see what was in the room above.

The light began to press outward, enveloping the crawl space and moving throughout the attic. It carried on throughout the entire house, bathing everyone in an endless light.

For several seconds, nothing could be seen. It was blinding.

The laughter returned, just as the light began to dissipate. When it was cleared, the group could see they were in a ballroom, a few of which would recognize it as the one encountered just before dinner.

"Kyoko... why'd you run off like that?"

Dressed in a fancy suit and tie was Makoto, the boy everyone would recognize from the tape. He smiled brightly and walked over to Kyoko to pull her into a hug.

Captain America looked around, perplexed, before focusing on Kyoko. "You ran off? What is he talking about?"

Agatha frowned. "Not everything is what it seems."

"Wha--?!"

Kyoko froze dead in her tracks when Makoto Naegi suddenly appeared before her, looking... rather different from the last time she had seen him, as in, compared to the tape she saw him in just moments ago. Even as Makoto walked up and pulled her into a sudden hug -- no, almost practically because of it -- her body was as stiff as a statue. It was only from the physical stimulation and the captain's voice that managed to snap her back to her senses, her first instinct being to push Makoto away from her, as she took a step back.

"Makoto, what... What's going on here? What are you doing here?"

Calm, graceful music played from somewhere in the distance with the accompaniment of the piano, though no one sat playing it. Men and women who were dressed fancifully danced and milled about the ballroom. For whatever reason, not one of these men and women ever looked the group's way.

Makoto laughed at what Kyoko said and moved to hold her hands. He stared into her eyes and said, "Kyoko, come on... I didn't invite you so you could embarrass me." He said it lightheartedly as if to suggest he wasn't all that embarrassed. "I know this isn't really your thing, but... I-I just thought it would be nice. For us."

He reached up, rubbing at his neck, his skin flushed. "I'm sorry if this is too much."

Kyoko could only continue to be puzzled by this strange new behavior Makoto had adopted. Ever since... certain circumstances, Makoto would never have dared to even look Kyoko's way for too long, and yet here he was, smiling and laughing, and holding her hands like it was no big deal. And Makoto knew how sensitive Kyoko's hands were. As in, so much so that the minute Makoto took them in his, Kyoko damn well nearly yanked away from him, but found herself... oddly drawn in by his gaze. It was true that normally, he never would have dared to look at her like this... and now, here he was, gazing into her eyes like he never had before.

She couldn't even look at him.

Her mind raced as it struggled to process so many thoughts, remembering what had happened in the tape, remembering just being in an old house and now suddenly being in a strange ballroom, like they were back in the home Wanda had invited everyone to before. This cognitive dissonance clashed with what she was seeing before her eyes now, and as she briefly looked back at the rest of the group to ensure she had not fallen down some hallucinatory rabbit hole, she cleared her throat, and perhaps against her better judgment, spoke again, in the name of investigating.

"... F-Fine," Kyoko said with a breath, deciding to play along for now, just like with Wanda, a rare stammer intruding in her voice, "Just... Just one dance."

She would have made the move onto the ballroom, had she not been rendered frozen once again, by the sight of her gloved finger, as well as Makoto's, both having a horrifying object wrapped around them.

A wedding ring.

Makoto didn't seem to notice Kyoko's horror. Instead, he looked around her to talk to the others. "Oh, hey, I think I missed you guys this evening. I don't think I've met very many of you... Oh! Hello, Mason! I hope you're enjoying yourself!"

"I don't really like how this looks," Billy said quietly.

Teddy responded with, "I think I'm a little underdressed for this."

"Eh, could be worse," Tommy said. "You think they have food around here, I'm starving for some reason..."

---

Cast List
@Takumi as Amir Halgal [Otoyomegatari]
@Cromartie Sarkissian as Arno Victor Dorian [Assassin's Creed]
@Kaykay as Beatrice Waltrud von Kircheisen [Dies Irae]
@Midnight Maiden as Belle French [Once Upon a Time]
@dalecOoOoOoOoOper as Dale Bartholomew Cooper [Twin Peaks]
@Gummi Bunnies as Kiyohime [Fate/Grand Order]
@Ryu Keiko as Koriand'r [DC Comics]
@Verite as Kyoko Kirigiri [Danganronpa]
@Leon Moretti as Leon Moretti [OC]
@Bomb as Lola [Fairy Fencer F]
@dark as Marcus Wright [Terminator]
@Mason Moretti as Mason Travis Moretti [OC]
@Krieg as Nancy Wheeler [Stranger Things]
@Yun Lee as Noembelu [Street Fighter]
@Crow as Nono Morikubo [The Idolmaster]
@Archmage Jeremiah as Percival of the Round Table [Sonic and the Black Knight]
@LuckycoolHawk9 as Phil Connors [Groundhog Day The Musical]
@ShiroKiyoshi as Rant T. Mouse [OC]
@Gands as Raven Darkholme [X-Men Cinematic Universe]
@York as Reiner Braun [Attack on Titan]
@Klutzy Ninja Kitty as Rumpelstiltskin [Once Upon a Time]
@Minerva as Saeko Busujima [Highschool of the Dead]
@Otto as Shen [League of Legends]
@Glostechk as Six [Little Nightmares]
@Seishin Ryuu as Spartan-B312 [Halo]
@Jeremi as T'Challa [Marvel Comics]
@CrunchyCHEEZIT as Tekhartha Zenyatta [Overwatch]
@J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X as Teth Adam [DC Comics]
@The Batter as The Batter [OFF]
@thatguyinthestore as Toffee [Star vs the Forces of Evil]​

After the blinding light had finally died down, Starfire blinked, her green eyes shining bright as they adjusted to their new surroundings. "What the..." She said to herself, watching the scene unveil before her and the others. She was just... Confused. And she thought the Earth world she was from was confusing.

@Atomyk @J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X @Leon Moretti @Mason Moretti @thatguyinthestore

 

[Atomyk]

"Kiyohime, huh..."

"Kyoko, where'd you go and make all these friends?" He smiled at, well, his wife, before looking back to Kiyo. "It was sort of a spur of the moment thing, you know? I'm not the best at planning stuff like this, so I... It's really... lovely. Isn't it?" He reached out to take Kyoko's hand once again, listening intently to her as she spoke. Every time Kyoko opened her mouth, no one else may as well have existed to Makoto.

He blushed profusely at being called "honey." "K-Kyoko... you don't say that very often, do you?" He cleared his throat. "I really can't recall when we last saw her. We're all so busy... We both have children now, so I'd call it a miracle if we all happened to have a night out at the same time."

He said it so casually, even ending it with a small laugh. To Reiner, he said, "You're here to enjoy the dance...? I'm sorry, if we met somewhere, I can't quite remember you. Do you have a date?" He looked around a bit at the others. "Not many people seem to be enjoying themselves..."

@Verite @Josh M @thatguyinthestore @Crow @Mason Moretti @Leon Moretti @Glostechk @Yun Lee @Otto @LuckycoolHawk9 @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @York @Ryu Keiko @Everyone​

 

[Crow]

@Crow @LuckycoolHawk9 @Glostechk @Atomyk @Verite @Josh M

"I don't know." Noembelu looked around the party. "But I know Makoto was attacked, from what Phil told me." A sudden thought hit her, one that downright terrified her. "...look after Six." Noembelu would rush off into the crowd, looking for Honda, or anyone she recognized. What if what happened to Makoto...no. No way.​

Makoto briefly laughed and encouraged Kyoko to sway with him for a moment, but it wasn't the actual dance she had promised of course. He found it pretty cute to get her out of her usual environment and doing something as a couple with him. He was pulled away by Toffee and the others for a brief moment, where he made sure to introduce himself before he answered any questions.

"I don't think Wanda's coming, sorry." He shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe she'd bring Genji? To be honest, I didn't expect to see anyone here I knew. It was supposed to just be for... Kyoko and I." So bashful. "So, uh, I don't know what you mean. She's not hosting this dance, as far as I know. Is she having a party I wasn't invited to?"

His good-natured smile waned slightly when Shen so bluntly asked him where the exit was. Makoto shook his head and said, "Not sure why you'd show up to a dance and then want to leave right away..." He waved toward one end of the room, where a mass of people were casually chatting. "You should be able to get out that way? I think?"

Leon and Noembelu would find that wherever they went, the other dancers would avoid looking at them. They went out of their way to never show their face, even as they moved around them. Aside from that, there didn't appear to be anything to find at all.

@Verite @Josh M @thatguyinthestore @Crow @Mason Moretti @Leon Moretti @Glostechk @Yun Lee @Otto @LuckycoolHawk9 @Everyone

​

Amir stuck close to the three, a hand placed on Six's shoulder in comfort as she gave the girl a small smile, while her other hand gently rested on Noembelu's arm.





"Waiting out is the only--" Amir stopped when Nono spoke, turning to glance at the idol, before suddenly a look of horror began to show at the mere thought of what was implied. Karluk came to mind momentarily, before she quickly shook her head to rid of him. Now was the worst time to think of seeing him again!

"That is something I wouldn't like to find out." she spoke after a moment of reigning in her composure.



"!" Amir was almost caught off guard by her sudden mad dash, and quickly grew worried.

"Noembelu stay safe..." she called.

@Atomyk @Verite @Josh M @Yun Lee @Glostechk @LuckycoolHawk9 @Crow @everybody

@Takumi @Glostechk @LuckycoolHawk9 @Crow

Noembelu walked back to the little group. "This isn't right." She swallowed to keep her throat from drying up. "No one will look at me. I don't know who anyone is. I...I don't know what's going on." She started trembling ever so slightly. For the first time since seeing Usami...she was scared. What was happening...?​

Phil Connors

Phil looked around the room. " If I may make a suggestion, it might be better if we dance to not seem suspicious to the others. If we just stand idly around, while that might raise some eyebrows on why we seem so unhappy to be here," he said, offering a hand to anyone who was willing to take it.

@Takumi @Yun Lee @Glostechk @Gands @Crow

"..."

Kyoko's gaze seemed to actively avoid Makoto's as they danced together, the young woman seeming to look everywhere but Makoto's face, as though unable to even face him. If anything, she seemed to spend more time looking at his ring finger more than any other place on him. Even without the strange circumstances, which included having to hold hands with Makoto at all, no doubt some sort of effect of Wanda's power going haywire, the dance was an awkward scene for Kyoko. In all honesty, she had never danced so intimately before in her life.

In a sense, this was her first time.

And it showed. Her body and posture were normally so stiff and upright, especially with her knee-high boots and her dress shirt that she wore, it would have been a miracle if Makoto was enjoying himself at all with her. Not that she cared that much, of course. Her mind was focused on other things, such as how this had all happened, if Makoto, along with Jude, wherever the young doctor was, had become a part of this "family" Wanda spoke of in those journal entries, and... why Wanda had chosen to bend reality like this. By putting a ring on them.

As the two of them continued dancing silently, Kyoko occasionally stepping on Makoto's shoe by pure accident, the young woman felt her mind beginning to drift, a subtle happening that alarmed her, but she couldn't resist for whatever reason, being made more and more susceptible to whatever befell her. A part of her had to wonder... If she was allowed a semblance of what one could call a "normal life," is this where she would have ended up? Awkwardly dancing with a spouse, doing something new, having a chance to... get away. Her knees felt weak at the mere thought, or perhaps it was whatever this accursed influence was, and though Kyoko stood a good three inches taller than Makoto, helped by her boots at that, she found herself suddenly resting her head on Makoto's chest, taking comfort like a child would to their parent. His chest was... firm, one might almost say strong. Nothing like what she'd have expected from the skittish, almost wormy boy she'd met at Hope's Peak Academy all those years ago. He... really had grown since then.

But before she knew it, the dream ended.

Her eyes snapped open just as her mind snapped back to reality as she pulled away when Toffee, Shen, and Kiyohime approached, their voices causing her to blink as she remembered where she was. Clearing her throat, she looked toward the others' way, taking a breath.

"Yes, let's not... be too hasty, Shen. After all, a party's a party. There's no need to be rude," she said to Shen, subtly imploring him to be less direct if he had any interest in playing along with the illusion... which, of course, Kyoko had to wonder if he did have such an interest. In the meantime, she glanced towards the direction where Makoto pointed, the so-called exit, before looking to her... "husband" again when he answered Toffee's question concerning Wanda, her brow furrowed lightly. "Oh, she's not coming? Everyone was... expecting her. It's been a while, hasn't it? When was the last time we saw her again?" She inquired, also intent on probing information now that her mind was back in the game. For now.

"In any case, if you don't know anything, then... don't worry about it. Let's just enjoy ourselves..."

"... honey."

A bit too far? Perhaps. But she wanted to see just how far she could push in order to fit herself into this strange, new world cooked up for her.

@Atomyk @thatguyinthestore @Otto @Gummi Bunnies​

"Everything is so confusing. Is there nothing to do but just... dance?"

Nono looked at Phil.

"... apparently so... apparently so..."

Kyoko was acting a bit off. Was this who she was inside? A maiden altered by true love? Or for that matter... idealized love.

Nevertheless, Nono started to hum a tune as she twirled a solo-dance for a short while. It was best to blend in, as was said, while Kyoko gets hypnotized.

"Un deux trois~ Un deux trois~ our secret waltz~"

Nono's hand was extended towards Kiyohime. By accident, surely, but ultimately, it was what it was.

"Uuuuhhh..."

@Yun Lee @Mason Moretti @Leon Moretti @thatguyinthestore @Otto @Gummi Bunnies @York​

 

[Yun Lee]

@thatguyinthestore

Before Noembelu could even respond to Toffee scolding her like a child, he suddenly yanked her away into a dance. Her original misgivings about not trusting the lizard were well founded. Not one for dancing, she let him lead, but at his demand for information, she gave him nothing but a stone cold glare and silence.



He would have to do a little better than that.​

 

[Leon Moretti]

Leon looked around and noticed that everyone was dancing, well almost everyone. He saw that Saeko was all alone and leaning against a wall. He walked up to her did something even he wouldn't expect himself to do. "Excuse me," he said as he slightly bowed while holding a hand out, "May I have this dance?"​

@Minerva

 

[thatguyinthestore]

@thatguyinthestore

Before Noembelu could even respond to Toffee scolding her like a child, he suddenly yanked her away into a dance. Her original misgivings about not trusting the lizard were well founded. Not one for dancing, she let him lead, but at his demand for information, she gave him nothing but a stone cold glare and silence.

View attachment 142706

He would have to do a little better than that.​

So, Toffee was getting angry with Noembelu at this point. Not because she refused to give him info, but because of her constant mistrust of him. Sure, Toffee didn't exactly scream trustworthy, but after years of prejudice based off of his appearance and the fact that he was a monster back on Mewni, anyone would get ticked off. But, letting out a sigh, he continued to speak calmly.

"Listen, I know you don't trust me, but I'm trying to peace together what is truly going on here. I have no malicious intent towards you or anyone in the group. I only have the group's best interests at heart. But in order to gather more information, and in turn help protect the group, I need you to trust me." Toffee said, looking Noembelu dead in the eyes as he continued to dance with her. It also didn't help that Toffee considered himself the smartest one here, with the only ones he even considered possessing intelligence even close to his own being Kyoko, T'Challa, Zenyatta, and Noembelu.

@Yun Lee​

 

[Minerva]

Leon looked around and noticed that everyone was dancing, well almost everyone. He saw that Saeko was all alone and leaning against a wall. He walked up to her did something even he wouldn't expect himself to do. "Excuse me," he said as he slightly bowed while holding a hand out, "May I have this dance?"​

@Minerva

Saeko looked at the man who wanbted to dance. He wasn't Tadashi, but he wasn't that bad looking either. She respectfully nodded. "Sure." She said. She pushed her sword back to make room.

 

[Yun Lee]

@thatguyinthestore

"..............Edmond Honda." She still didn't trust him. Trying to coax info from her with alcohol, taunting her if her plans didn't exactly work the way he hoped...no, Toffee was not an ally. But if they were to get out of here, she needed to give him an inch. "His name's Edmond Honda. He met Wanda here in the Dark Place."​

 

[ShiroKiyoshi]

Continued from here.

Mid-Chapter Update
"Heart-Throbbing Dance"

As the tree sapling statuette pressed into the indent, raucous laughter could be heard in the room above. It sounded like a whole group of people, their tone indicating a party or cheerful atmosphere. The door began to move on its own, flipping down to reveal a light so bright and blinding, no one could see what was in the room above.

The light began to press outward, enveloping the crawl space and moving throughout the attic. It carried on throughout the entire house, bathing everyone in an endless light.

For several seconds, nothing could be seen. It was blinding.

The laughter returned, just as the light began to dissipate. When it was cleared, the group could see they were in a ballroom, a few of which would recognize it as the one encountered just before dinner.

"Kyoko... why'd you run off like that?"

Dressed in a fancy suit and tie was Makoto, the boy everyone would recognize from the tape. He smiled brightly and walked over to Kyoko to pull her into a hug.

Captain America looked around, perplexed, before focusing on Kyoko. "You ran off? What is he talking about?"

Agatha frowned. "Not everything is what it seems."

"Wha--?!"

Kyoko froze dead in her tracks when Makoto Naegi suddenly appeared before her, looking... rather different from the last time she had seen him, as in, compared to the tape she saw him in just moments ago. Even as Makoto walked up and pulled her into a sudden hug -- no, almost practically because of it -- her body was as stiff as a statue. It was only from the physical stimulation and the captain's voice that managed to snap her back to her senses, her first instinct being to push Makoto away from her, as she took a step back.

"Makoto, what... What's going on here? What are you doing here?"

Calm, graceful music played from somewhere in the distance with the accompaniment of the piano, though no one sat playing it. Men and women who were dressed fancifully danced and milled about the ballroom. For whatever reason, not one of these men and women ever looked the group's way.

Makoto laughed at what Kyoko said and moved to hold her hands. He stared into her eyes and said, "Kyoko, come on... I didn't invite you so you could embarrass me." He said it lightheartedly as if to suggest he wasn't all that embarrassed. "I know this isn't really your thing, but... I-I just thought it would be nice. For us."

He reached up, rubbing at his neck, his skin flushed. "I'm sorry if this is too much."

Kyoko could only continue to be puzzled by this strange new behavior Makoto had adopted. Ever since... certain circumstances, Makoto would never have dared to even look Kyoko's way for too long, and yet here he was, smiling and laughing, and holding her hands like it was no big deal. And Makoto knew how sensitive Kyoko's hands were. As in, so much so that the minute Makoto took them in his, Kyoko damn well nearly yanked away from him, but found herself... oddly drawn in by his gaze. It was true that normally, he never would have dared to look at her like this... and now, here he was, gazing into her eyes like he never had before.

She couldn't even look at him.

Her mind raced as it struggled to process so many thoughts, remembering what had happened in the tape, remembering just being in an old house and now suddenly being in a strange ballroom, like they were back in the home Wanda had invited everyone to before. This cognitive dissonance clashed with what she was seeing before her eyes now, and as she briefly looked back at the rest of the group to ensure she had not fallen down some hallucinatory rabbit hole, she cleared her throat, and perhaps against her better judgment, spoke again, in the name of investigating.

"... F-Fine," Kyoko said with a breath, deciding to play along for now, just like with Wanda, a rare stammer intruding in her voice, "Just... Just one dance."

She would have made the move onto the ballroom, had she not been rendered frozen once again, by the sight of her gloved finger, as well as Makoto's, both having a horrifying object wrapped around them.

A wedding ring.

Makoto didn't seem to notice Kyoko's horror. Instead, he looked around her to talk to the others. "Oh, hey, I think I missed you guys this evening. I don't think I've met very many of you... Oh! Hello, Mason! I hope you're enjoying yourself!"

"I don't really like how this looks," Billy said quietly.

Teddy responded with, "I think I'm a little underdressed for this."

"Eh, could be worse," Tommy said. "You think they have food around here, I'm starving for some reason..."

---

Cast List
@Takumi as Amir Halgal [Otoyomegatari]
@Cromartie Sarkissian as Arno Victor Dorian [Assassin's Creed]
@Kaykay as Beatrice Waltrud von Kircheisen [Dies Irae]
@Midnight Maiden as Belle French [Once Upon a Time]
@dalecOoOoOoOoOper as Dale Bartholomew Cooper [Twin Peaks]
@Gummi Bunnies as Kiyohime [Fate/Grand Order]
@Ryu Keiko as Koriand'r [DC Comics]
@Verite as Kyoko Kirigiri [Danganronpa]
@Leon Moretti as Leon Moretti [OC]
@Bomb as Lola [Fairy Fencer F]
@dark as Marcus Wright [Terminator]
@Mason Moretti as Mason Travis Moretti [OC]
@Krieg as Nancy Wheeler [Stranger Things]
@Yun Lee as Noembelu [Street Fighter]
@Crow as Nono Morikubo [The Idolmaster]
@Archmage Jeremiah as Percival of the Round Table [Sonic and the Black Knight]
@LuckycoolHawk9 as Phil Connors [Groundhog Day The Musical]
@ShiroKiyoshi as Rant T. Mouse [OC]
@Gands as Raven Darkholme [X-Men Cinematic Universe]
@York as Reiner Braun [Attack on Titan]
@Klutzy Ninja Kitty as Rumpelstiltskin [Once Upon a Time]
@Minerva as Saeko Busujima [Highschool of the Dead]
@Otto as Shen [League of Legends]
@Glostechk as Six [Little Nightmares]
@Seishin Ryuu as Spartan-B312 [Halo]
@Jeremi as T'Challa [Marvel Comics]
@CrunchyCHEEZIT as Tekhartha Zenyatta [Overwatch]
@J A Y F R OM T H E 6 I X as Teth Adam [DC Comics]
@The Batter as The Batter [OFF]
@thatguyinthestore as Toffee [Star vs the Forces of Evil]​

"Ah, what the heck is it with the blinding lights and magic? Couldn't think of another special effect." Rant groaned as he blinked his eyes, getting them adjusted to their new setting. He looked around and noticed he was in a ballroom. He took a minute to examine the area more thoroughly, ignoring Kyoko's run in with Makoto for a bit. He went over to the piano and tapped a key once, a smile came to his face. He then brought his hands up and slammed them down on several keys. "That's right... no strength..." Then something unexpected happened, the mouse stopped to take a moment to sit down, he stared at the keys as he raised his hands, motioning above them the action he was about to take before he started playing.

A song the mouse had learned in his hard times. He merely hummed the lyrics, feeling much more comfortable playing now that everyone's attention was focused on looking for Wanda. However, he had been at the height of his nerves since arriving, given no chance to relax, and had reached a point where he was just emotionally exhausted. As the song started he reached into his utility belt to pull out a lock pick and slid it into his mouth, holding it there like a cigar. "Ah, hell yeah, I can play." At that moment the mouse had gotten really into it and jumped up on the seat. He slammed his fingers on the keys as he finished and climbed on top of the instrument, laying down with one hand behind his head, the other twirled the little pick between his fingers as he continued to whistle the song.

@People

 

[thatguyinthestore]

@thatguyinthestore

"..............Edmond Honda." She still didn't trust him. Trying to coax info from her with alcohol, taunting her if her plans didn't exactly work the way he hoped...no, Toffee was not an ally. But if they were to get out of here, she needed to give him an inch. "His name's Edmond Honda. He met Wanda here in the Dark Place."​

"I see. And..." Toffee began before spinning her around. Once she faced him again, he continued. "What of that bear girl? Usami? You appeared to be startled by her appearance." Toffee paused for a moment, then he continued. "What is the Dark Place?"

@Yun Lee
​