Persona 4 Regression ULTIMAX! Part 13

With Ms. Nami out of the room Naoto stood up straight, showing that she still held the same confident attitude gained through her detective work. Rise and Yukiko looked shocked at the dark haired young woman with her legs spread steadily and her hand on her hip. She radiated maturity despite her babyish outfit.


Chie scrambled up after her, trying to follow her example, though she lacked the pose to match her adult intensity.


“Wha-?” Yukiko started, followed by Rise saying something that Chie didn’t quite pay attention to.


“I’m hoping there is a television in here,” Naoto explained, “If we can find one I bet we can still go through it like we used to do at Junes.”


Chie looked around the nursery again, hoping that her eyes would fall on the dark gray screen that gave a dull reflection of the room. Nothing caught her eye. “Maybe in the cabinets?” she suggested.


Naoto nodded in agreement, moving toward the closet in the far corner of the room. Chie moved to follow but was stopped by Rise’s protests.


The redhead had her hands on her hips and a stern look on her face while Yukiko simply remained sitting on the floor looking confused. “What are you doing?” Rise asked. She had that very bratty 'I’m going to tattle on you’ tone in her voice.


Naoto ignored her, throwing open the door. “It’s here.” she proclaimed flatly.


Chie turned away from Rise to see a square CRT television sitting on a metal cart. It was strapped securely to the top shelf with a VCR sitting on the shelf below it. The detective had already started pulling it out, working it through the doorframe on its immovable wheels.


It’d obviously sat unused for an extended duration because the brakes locking the wheels in place wouldn’t so much as budge when Naoto stepped on them, having rusted to an unfortunate degree. Chie, seeing the struggle, waddled over to help, taking the other side of the cart and helping her friend drag it across the soft mats that covered the entirety of the nursery’s floor.


Chie’s movements were much less natural in a diaper, so she lifted and pulled her end awkwardly across the room to the only visible outlet, one right next to the potty charts. Rise followed behind the pair, spouting off various threats like she was going to tell Ms. Nami and that Chie and Naoto were going to be in so much trouble.


This brought a concerned look to Chie’s eyes, but Naoto told her to ignore the threats.


“It doesn’t matter,” she said, “if I’m right we might be able to fix this. We don’t have much help but in the T.V. world I think I can still summon Yamato Sumeragi. I’m willing to bet you can feel Haraedo-no-Okami with you.


Chie could, in fact, still feel her persona. Sometimes she even heard her speak, attempting to give her guiding advice. The manifestation had been silent since she'd fallen more into babyish behaviors, but she was still there ready to aid Chie whenever she needed to call upon her Persona.


The brunette nodded, placing her end of the cart down. “I think this is close enough,” she said, pointing to the power outlet.


The electrical outlets were covered by plastic safety plugs that were meant to stop crawling toddlers from electrocuting themselves. Naoto pulled it out without incident, replacing it with the television’s plug.


There was a moment when Chie wasn’t confident the box would turn on, but the power button thankfully ignited old cathode tubes within and filled the T.V. with static.


Chie and Naoto let out simultaneous sighs of relief at seeing it work. “So who’s going in?” Chie asked, putting her hand through the set as a test. The surface rippled in black and white spirals that represented the portal to the other side.


Naoto dug through a small pocket on the back of her onesie, producing the fog-clearing glasses that Teddy had made for her during the original investigation. Chie couldn’t help but be amazed. Of course the most mature member of the group of four had come prepared.


“I’ll go in. I just want to try and find Teddy to see if he can tell me more about what is happening. I doubt Rise is going to be much help.”


At this the redhead crossed her arms and pouted, disappointed in being called out.


Just like before Naoto ignored her, speaking directly to Chie instead. “Here, give me a boost. I’ll have to go in head first.”


Chie cupped her hands for Naoto to step into and lifted her up as steadily as she could. Naoto’s head disappeared into the television, then her torso, and finally her waist started to slip through the plastic frame of the small set. The detective seemed to be pulling herself along steadily while Chie supported from behind.


A problem arose when the back of Naoto’s diaper hit the frame of the television, rubbing up against it. The plastic scrunched against the device, wedging the girl halfway in and halfway out of the swirling portal to the T.V. World.


Chie pushed a little harder, trying to force her friend through. Sadly, she only succeeded in wedging her friend more firmly inside the square plastic frame. Her eyes went wide as she stepped back leaving Naoto hanging out of the T.V. with her legs kicking impotently. It seemed she was stuck on her end too and though Chie couldn’t hear her, she was sure the detective was begging to be released from the small space.


“Oooooh, you’re going to be in so much trouble!” Rise said with a snicker.


Chie shot her a fierce look. “If you’re not going to help just zip it—we don’t have a lot of time before Ms. Nami comes back.”


As gently as she could Chie grabbed one of Naoto’s flailing legs. It calmed down as soon as Chie’s hand gripped it which greatly reassured her that she wasn’t going to receive a flying mary jane to the solar plexus. Yukiko joined her on the other leg, still confused but eager to help.


“Ok,” Chie said, “we pull together on the count of three.”


“1…”


“2…”


“3…”


“Pull!”