Chapter Text
Yuu walks through the rose maze with a heavy sense of dread following her, Grims staying by her side, faking confidence even though he visibly shakes at each shadow moving in the corners. Behind her, Ace and Deuce follow, trailing behind as they slowly take in the new world around them.
The new outfits they’ve been given are… Odd, to say the least. Yuu’s is more fitting to that of a stereotypical thief, a face mask laced with white curls, almost equivalent to smoke that obscures her entire face, a black jumpsuit- adorned with feathers, of all things - all accompanied with a little flare here and there. Better for obscuring herself, she supposes, even if it’s not as extravagant.
Grim sports a cute (Though, don’t tell him Yuu said that, he’d blow up), Black hood, a ribbon tying it together, falling over his ears as a thin, white mask obscures his eyes. Somewhat, truthfully, a little silly, but Yuu was always there to assure him of its perks.
Ace’s outfit is more accurately described as an odd mix between a magician’s gear, and that of an extravagant thief, red flares tracing the robes he dawns, gold lacing his black gloves as a red and gold face mask obscures the upper half of his face, curling up almost whimsically. He, out of them all, seemed the most satisfied with his new outfit. Its sleeves dangle low, following his arms in a way that could almost be considered obscuring, a smoke screen built into his outfit, making his movements difficult to track. Not exactly hidden, like Yuu’s, but she figures that its perks way outweigh the gift of staying hidden.
Deuce donned an outfit reminiscent of a typical delinquent, crossed with a true gentlemen’s outfit, if you will. Hot pink and blood red tracing his white tuxedo, lacing his arms in a fashion oddly between formal and informal, a true fit. He was a little embarrassed, initially (no help to Ace’s teasing remarks,) but Yuu can tell he likes it. Most interestingly, is his mask, hiding three quarters of his face, gold rim curling around his features in a beautiful display.
Enough of that, Yuu thinks, hiding her flush with an awkward cough. This world, the metaverse, as they've begun to call it, shows the worst of each person held captive in it. Except, of course, those with a persona. Yuu presumed personas had been a natural cause of the world, something the others would know about, but when they first arrived, and their personas burst out in a blaze of rage, hurt, and pride, Deuce and Ace had seemed just as surprised as she had. They screamed, and panicked just as Yuu had when she first crossed a shadow.
It seems as if this world shouldn’t exist, and Yuu doesn’t know what to think of that. Crowley, of course, hadn’t the slightest clue of what she was thinking of, and even suggested she get a check-up with a hospital. “Ah,” He’d awkwardly began, mouth curling down with concern, and if Yuu was correct, judgement, “Perhaps, travelling between worlds has done you more harm than I’d initially thought possible?”
Yuu, of course, pulled her phone out, ready to prove herself, only for nothing to happen. With frustration and embarrassment burning in her face, she’d run out, only to get involved in yet another incident. Grim and Ace’s fault, of course.
In the metaverse, they’d stumbled upon the true parts- or worst parts, if Yuu was beginning to get this right - of their schoolmates, a tired Trey, a bored Cater, until Grim had come up with the brilliant idea to check out Riddle Rosehearts, a boy only a year older (or a month older) than them. He, however, didn’t show up at the school, but rather in his own castle, as Grim dubbed it, confused even with his own choice of naming.
Castle, Yuu thinks as she looks away from the rosebush curling impossibly closer, isn’t exactly an unfit name. Looking up at the red-brick castle looming in front of them, she hears a distant cry, tortured souls, those of which she doesn’t quite recognise the voices of. It echoes through the wind, hidden under the sound of the card soldiers as they march through the maze, weapons at the ready.
The castle is oppressive, stark, white walls built high into the sky, the ceiling nearly out of view as large portraits of a strict looking woman hangs above them, her face obscured in a golden frame, its large and impressive embellishment hiding her face, but Yuu can still feel her glare following their group. Shuddering, she hurries on.
Riddle, or something like him, with glowing yellow eyes appears in front of them, smug, angry and taunting as he dismisses their every effort. It continues like this for the rest of the week. Riddle, just barely out of reach, and their group inching closer and closer, until they were in his study, ambushing him suddenly, as his hand protectively covers a collection of books.
They send their calling card, and the boy explodes in rage, his shadow deforming until he looms impossibly large in front of them.
The most troubling feature of the metaverse is that magic doesn't work here. Traditional magic, anyway. Their personas take its place. The battle takes longer than Yuu would like to admit, but at the end of it, Riddle’s shadow dissolves into the boy they knew, no extravagant, torn ballgown billowing behind him. Instead, it’s an exhausted boy, twisted with anger and a desire to be the best.
The return to the real world reveals the real Riddle's condition to be… Pitiful, to say the least. He’s exhausted, eyebags hanging under his eyes, a defeated tone dancing on the edge of his every word. His shoulders are more relaxed, and as the days continue he lifts himself up. He’s no longer the Red-Rose Tyrant, but he still keeps his ruling, though not as strict.
In the middle of the night, Yuu talks to herself. Grims sleeps beside her, so she’s alone, but Yuu can feel her true self listening in. She wonders, aloud, if it’s right. She wonders if entering someone's mind and forcing a change is the right way to go about it. Before she can think about it more, another event approaches, another castle found and Yu prepares herself to do it all over again.