Reality Shift

[shinryou]

Kazuya had his eyes closed, trying to take in everything his familiar was experiencing where the other group was, so he didn't answer.

Kirino noted this and quickly answered for him, "We're fine thanks... everything was good..." she replied, smiling weakly.

[Bigmouthstrikes]

"That was a really special case, actually." Carl said. "It's only the second time anything inside one of those realities ever came out of it."

"Mia" He clarified. "Mia was the second."

"What was the first time? Or was Mia the first time?" asked Mike as he was listening. He then stood outside the shop before slowly going inside.

Serenity led the group into a separate room of the studio. A banner above it denoted it as the Masterpiece Gallery.

"This is where I keep my finest works." She said. "The one's I'm the most proud of. There are exactly 8 worlds in here. I choose them based on whether or not I think they're interesting. The ones I find the most fascinating go here."

She finally led the group to a display in the back corner. There were three pictures

"So there's the answer to your question, Blaze." Nathan answered.

[Blaze]

Blaze looks at the painting as the pin finally drops.

"Julia came from one of these paintings?"

[Bigmouthstrikes]

Serenity nodded. "I created her."

"Which is why I came here. She has a connection to her." Nathan said.

"Julia was the first time anything had ever made it from one of my paintings to the real world. To this day, I have no idea how it happened." She explained.

[Maiden Miki]

"And Julia was the first?" asked Mike as he looked at the painting that Serenity had shown them. He looked at them and nods. "I can see why Julia got out. Still interesting. Explain a lot about the girl."

[Blaze]

Blaze nods her head slowly.

"So, you think she changed Julia somehow Nathan?"

She then looks at Serenity, glaring angrily.

"Did you?"

[Bigmouthstrikes]

"Of course not!" Serenity said, sounding offended. "She was among my finest creations. Why would I go turn her into some boring baker?"

"And Julia was the first?" asked Mike as he looked at the painting that Serenity had shown them. He looked at them and nods. "I can see why Julia got out. Still interesting. Explain a lot about the girl."

"Mia escaped through a loophole. She found an interdimesional species in the faeries." She said. "What's even more curious about Julia's case is that she did not even come from the painting. The original is still in there. Somehow, though, a duplicate just appeared in this world one day with her mind, body and skills. It was the exact same person...just a duplicate of the one I"d created. I'll never understand it."

[Blaze]

Blaze stares at Serenity, looking for any trace of a lie.

"... I believe you."

[Maiden Miki]

"Mia escaped through a loophole. She found an interdimesional species in the faeries." She said. "What's even more curious about Julia's case is that she did not even come from the painting. The original is still in there. Somehow, though, a duplicate just appeared in this world one day with her mind, body and skills. It was the exact same person...just a duplicate of the one I"d created. I'll never understand it."

"I see. I guess Mia got lucky in a way but glad to see she wasn't stuck in a painting," said Mike as he was glad to be getting some sort of explanation concerning Mia. "Is it possible that maybe there is somebody else like you who is pulling the strings here?"

[shinryou]

Blaze stares at Serenity, looking for any trace of a lie.

"... I believe you."

"How can you tell?" Kazuya's familiar asked Blaze with his voice, "I think she's lying..."

[Bigmouthstrikes]

"Mia escaped through a loophole. She found an interdimesional species in the faeries." She said. "What's even more curious about Julia's case is that she did not even come from the painting. The original is still in there. Somehow, though, a duplicate just appeared in this world one day with her mind, body and skills. It was the exact same person...just a duplicate of the one I"d created. I'll never understand it."

"I see. I guess Mia got lucky in a way but glad to see she wasn't stuck in a painting," said Mike as he was glad to be getting some sort of explanation concerning Mia. "Is it possible that maybe there is somebody else like you who is pulling the strings here?"

"Actually...." Serenity said. "There's a bar across town. Something very strange was going on there, and it led to a A very unusual place. There's someone there with some serious interdimensional powers."

Nathan's head perked up at this. "I remember that place! And I know Julia and her boyfriends had been spotted around there recently. That place has bad mojo."

Blaze stares at Serenity, looking for any trace of a lie.

"... I believe you."

"How can you tell?" Kazuya's familiar asked Blaze with his voice, "I think she's lying..."

"Think what you want, but keep this in mind." She said. "My power doesn't allow me to transform someone's mind, which has clearly happened to her. I can only create realities. I don't have a ton of control over the one I'm in. It's pretty much limited to cosmetics."

[Blaze]

Blaze nods and glances at the Kazuya sprite.

"Tell you later. But for now, we should check out that bar."

[Maiden Miki]

"I see. So if anything this bar is the source of what is happening. Based on what you are saying," said Mike as he nods.

[Harri-chan]

Elliot had followed the group, keeping rather quiet at the back as Nathan and Serenity explained Julia's origins through the paintings. "Hey, Julia isn't boring, and she is kind of cute this way... ", said the teenage baking assistant.

[Bigmouthstrikes]

"Well, she's not making any money for me this way." Nathan snapped. "And besides, she would be furious if she saw herself like this."

Carl looked nervous as the tempers flared. "Why don't we just go to that bar, guys."