Persona: Gardens and Graveyards (R)

[Skillfulness]

|~'~Persona: Gardens and Graveyards~'~|
Sign-up Thread - Discussion Thread
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If you turn back now,
Things could become dire.
Everything is up to you now.

Do not worry,
You will have people beside you.
You will be able to overcome any obstacles,
If you make the right decisions.

Do not falter,
Your path will be clear.
At times it may seem confusing,
But stay steadfast and determined.

Go and discover yourself.
It begins.

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It was a long first day of school. The hallways seem endless and it felt like each class was a mile away from the last. Going through all the syllabuses for each class was exhausting and not every teacher was as kind as the next. Some teachers were excited to welcome new students and old students alike while others looked like they were already anxious for the year to be over. Catching up with friends you didn't see over the summer was refreshing, though some of you are new to this school and meeting people for the first time which can be tiring. Plus, the rumors and gossip have sparked like wildfire and bullying is still ever present. The food is as bland as any school cafeteria, with questionable consistency, but at least the tables are cleaned from the gum of last year. There were armies of posters on each wall advertising classes and clubs and sports that all vied for your attention. Hopefully something will catch your eye and you'll find the time to visit some in the coming weeks.

After class is over, the students are free and it’s a beautiful day outside for the first day of school. They linger in the courtyard or some go off campus right away for food or a movie. Before midnight though, most students are back in the dorm, lest they get caught breaking school rules. While you had all weekend to unpack and set up things in your room, whether alone or with a roommate, there are probably still quite a few things scattered about. Some teachers even assigned homework on your first day which is just a cherry on top. Luckily you got a room with a window and you can let in the fresh air to stay focused. The evening comes to an end sooner than you'd like, unless you're excited for your next day of classes and may even get to bed early. At the end of the day, you crawled into bed and shut your eyes, falling quickly into a deep sleep.

Your dream is filled with a melody. It’s played on piano.

While unfamiliar, it feels like a song you've known all your life. It plays to every aspect of yourself; your past and present, where you've been and how you've become who you are now. It mingles with your heart and mind, teasing every emotion and thought you've ever had. It's bizarre, unlike any dream you've had before. Still, it's comforting somehow. You feel at peace with the cascade of notes as your consciousness floats in the abyss of sleep. It’s moving, in a way you can’t quite explain. It’s as if it speaks to you, almost. The tone and tempo come together with the harmony and melody playing in your head perfectly.

It’s an experience you will never forget, but you will never be able to explain how it felt. You will never relive this moment. And with one last chord, it ends.​

You hear a click, like a door opening and you feel an unusual draft. Awake now, you sit up in bed and notice both your door and window open. There's an unnatural, slight glow coming from the cracked door and the gusts from the window carry the scent of rain.

What will you do?
​

- Approach door -

Spoiler

Pushing it open enough to see through, you notice it no longer leads to the familiar hallway connected to the other dorm rooms. Instead, before you is a small, octagonal room of plain, grey walls. Directly across from the door is a hall that immediately branches to the right and left, where you cannot see unless you were to fully walk into the room. Along the wall next to the door is a simple, wooden chair just out of reach. On top is a folded piece of paper with your name written on the top in a glowing, golden script. There doesn't appear to be any source of light, but you can clearly see in the eerie, slightly dim room before you.

​

- Approach window -

Spoiler

Sure enough, there are storm clouds out to the west that are getting closer by the second. A roll of thunder sounds off in the distance. With it though, you hear a short cry echo down in the courtyard. Looking out, you see a figure. It looks normal, but there are other shapes around it that look out of place. As you watch, the strange figures dart around the human one, sometimes dashing towards the person before quickly retreating. The human figure lashes out in return, but they are only one against many. From what you can tell, it looks like this person is being attacked.

​

- Check roommate (if applicable) -

Spoiler

Your roommate isn't moving. You'd expect to see their chest rise and fall with their breathes in deep sleep, but watching for a moment, you see nothing. It's as if they're frozen. They don't respond if you jostle them around and no matter how strong you are, they won't budge out of bed. It's bizarre and unsettling, but you aren't quite sure what to do. Your window is still open and the door out of your room creaks ominously.

 

[InnerFlame]

Jamie Austin Moore
The Emperor

As Jamie lay in bed, she recalls her day, her first day at her new school. It was filled with... interesting... brand new experiences for her. Firstly, this school had no uniforms, bizarre. She was under the impression that was a public school custom. Next thoughts were about her new surroundings and school life, which she felt slight loneliness watching returning students greet friends and such. But that was to expected with her just being transferred into the school. What really threw her for a loop were the teachers. At her old school, all of her teachers were highly educated, studious, serious and a bit snobbish while the teachers here were... questionable if they were up to the job. The physics teacher was rambling on trying to make some point, the dance teacher gave off creeper vibes and the shop teacher was trying to be cool or something. At least some of her teachers seem to be more like she was accustomed to. The calculus teacher, Mr. Bestuvo spent the entire class lecturing them and then gave them homework to finish by the next class. There was groaning, but Jamie approved of his strictness. Calculus was currently her favorite of her classes. The students were also all over the place. The student that really stood out to her was this one guy in a few of her classes wearing all pink... and both girls and guys just swooned over him... He seemed oddly familiar though she couldn't quite place where from.

After class Jamie just walked by people chatting and hanging out, heading straight for her dorm room. It was orderly and neat despite her not fully unpacking all of her things. She spent the day finishing homework before returning to the cafeteria for food if you could call it that. It tasted awful, it's amazing that such negligence slipped through the cracks at a supposedly prestigious school. But beggars can't be choosers, she guessed, since she didn't know the area well enough to seek out other nourishment. After eating she again went back to the solitude of her room to study until dark. Which brings the story full circle back to her laying in her bed. As Jamie closed her eyes, she made a mental note to locate the library later for a quieter studying location.

That night the most unusual dream swim through her brain. There is a melody unfamiliar yet nostalgic as many feeling, thoughts, and experiences moved through her... Jamie of the past meets Jamie of the present or something like that... This whole dream is very indescribable to put into words or even feelings... yet it still seems to lull instead making her question everything... As the song ends and the thoughts, feelings, the experience she didn't know how to explain start to fade, a sudden click and breeze make Jamie's eyes snap open.

An unnatural light creeping in from the ajar door that should have been closed and locked and breeze carrying the scent of moisture from the window that should have been shut... Jamie whole room felt different to her for reasons she didn't know... is she still dreaming? It felt surprisingly real for one... a lucid dream maybe? The blonde gets up from her bed wearing only her black sports bra and blue basketball shorts. Her thoughts went to that she needs to close her window. As Jamie looked out she could see storm clouds rolling in. Thunder suddenly grumbles out from the distance before a cry reaches her ears.

Immediately Jamies eyes begin to scan the courtyard, eventually locating several silhouettes. Only one could be identified as possibly human while the other things... beings were unrecognizable at glance. The lone human is being swarmed and circled like prey being surrounded by a group of predators.

Without giving it much thought other than that person needs help, Jamie leaps out of her window and sprints toward them at lightning speed. Giving one being a swift punch as she ran by it and Jamie stood in front of the attacked person in a fighting stance.

"Think you're tough, ganging up one person! Well now, I'll be your opponent." Jamie clutches her hands into a tight fist and prepares herself for a fight or possibly fleeing depending on the situation.

 

[Monster Guy]

André Bellamy
The Lovers

In André's eyes, today was a good start to his senior year. He had been at this school for a few years, but this was the first year he would be here full time. Sometimes he would have to disappear for months to film a movie, and the school would send him his schoolwork. Now he can experience the life of a real student. Still, school was the same as it always was. All of his friends were there, following his every move. They were the best part of this whole day. The food in the cafeteria was... not up to his standards. That's why he bought his own. Classes were nothing new either. He did meet this interesting girl after being assigned as partners in dance class. Her name was Sofiya, and she was just as eccentric as some people claimed André himself is. They became friends almost the instant they met.

One of the nice things about being a full time student was the clubs. Before, he didn't have time to join any of them with his busy film career. Now though, things were different. There were so many different clubs to join. There was the theater club, the LGBT club, there was even an unofficial André Bellamy fan club, among others. Not to mention club leaders were begging him to join their clubs. Of course they were. Having a famous movie star such as himself among it's members would be a boon to any club. He knew he had to visit some of these clubs in the coming weeks and figure out which ones he wanted to join.

Even though André had the option to get a single room, he actually wanted a roommate. He appreciated having the company, and he preferred to not be alone. It was also nice that his roommate happened to be a cute boy. It was a fellow 4th year student named Daniel Cooper, or Danny as everyone liked to call him. He was a cheerful, friendly kid who tried to get along with everyone. His enthusiasm was adorable, and André just wanted to hug him. He was a talented artist, and he had a passion for animals. They had just moved into their dorm, and Danny had already pinned a bunch of drawings of animals he made to the walls. Some were realistic, and some were more cartoony looking.

André spent the evening doing his homework, then watching reruns of Friends with Danny. He seemed to enjoy watching all kinds of comedy shows for some reason. He says it's because he likes to have a good laugh at the end of a long day. André was indifferent, but it was nice sitting close to him watching TV on Danny's laptop. The closeness gave André an excuse to put his arm around his roommates shoulder.

Eventually, it was nighttime, and therefore time to go to bed. After changing into his pink silk pajamas, André went to sleep. As he slept, he had the strangest dream. Visions of his past and present flashed in his head. He experienced everything all at once. From the loneliness he felt when his parents had to go away on business for the umpteenth time, to the exhilaration of the applause he got at his first movie. It was all there. Through all of this a strange yet familiar melody played in the background. André was sure he had never heard this song before, yet it was somehow nostalgic and comforting. He couldn’t explain what was going on, all he knew was that it felt right somehow. Just as the song was ending, and all these emotions were starting to fade, André heard a click, and felt a draft, and suddenly he was jolted awake.

Now André was wide awake, and sitting up. He looked around the room, and saw that both the door and his window had been opened. He was certain both had been closed when he went to bed. There was a light coming from the open door, as well as the sound of wind and rain coming from the open window. “Daniel, mon ami. Are you awake?” André asked, thinking his roommate had something to do with this.

There was no response.

“Danny?” He asked a little louder this time.

Still nothing. He must have been a heavy sleeper.

André got out of his bed, and went to check on his roommate. He was still lying in bed, sleeping peacefully. He looked so cute when he was asleep, André thought. He took the opportunity to kiss his sleeping roommate on the forehead. Still no response. He must have been a heavy sleeper. It was strange though. If he were sleeping, wouldn't he have heard snoring? Or at least breathing? He wasn't moving at all. It was like he was frozen. It was absolutely bizarre.

After that, André went to shut the door. He took a quick peek out to see what that strange glow was all about. What he saw... surprised him to say the least.
"Qu'est-ce que ç'est??" In front of him was not the standard hallway that led to the other rooms, but instead, something else entirely. It was a small, octagonal room of plain, gray walls. There was a hallway ahead of him, but it was too dark to see where the hallway led to. Along the wall next to his door is a wooden chair. On top of this chair, is a folded piece of paper with his name on it in eerie glowing, golden writing. The chair was just a little out of reach from where he was standing.

The young movie star didn't know what to make of any of this. Was he in fact still dreaming, and he hadn't actually woken up at all? André couldn't say for sure. He thought about it for a moment, and decided to make his way to the chair, and reached for the paper with his name on it, and opened it up to see the contents written inside. If this were truly still a dream, then the worst that could happen was that he would wake up for real this time, and everything would return to normal.

 

[TheSequelReturns]

~ Cassandra Winter ~
- Cassandra's Dorm Room -


The first day back at school went about as well as Cassandra could have hoped. She was able to snag a dorm with a friend this time, that was a plus. And her class schedule wasn't entirely terrible. But honestly, photography? Better than dance, but why couldn't she just get a second elective? If only. Tech Education? Probably gonna be a cakewalk. They even let her have a whole period for study hall. Or, as Cassandra liked to call it, Homework Class. Was it still homework if you did most of it at school?

Lunch had been... edible. Unfortunately, that hadn't changed at all over the summer. Unlike the class rosters. New faces galore. That one rich kid and his fan club was still around, so Cassandra could look forward to a small crowd blocking her locker on occasion. And there were a few familiar faces in her morning classes as well. Even if the school seemed to enjoy shuffling schedules around.

Really, the biggest issue she had now was Study Hall wasn't her last class for the day. Leave it to Literature class to disrupt her perfect daily schedule. No homework today, but it was only a matter of time before Mrs. Wesley gave them something to do at home. Or rather, in their dorm rooms. Out of everything about Cantillion Academy, the whole dorm living situation had surprised Cassandra the most. Wasn't that usually reserved for colleges? Private schools had all the perks apparently.

"Hey, are you still listening?" her roommate asked.

Cassandra snapped out of her inner monologue and looked across the room where her roommate, Noel Fitzgerald, was staring at her with mild annoyance. The first and best friend Cassandra had made all of last year, Noel was another Chess Club member. On the outside, they didn't share many traits. Noel was a solid three inches shorter than Cassandra, with curly strawberry blond hair, green eyes, and a much more athletic build. It was Noel that convinced Cassandra to try for the Badminton Club when it started up, and it was Cassandra who had gotten Noel into the Chess Club.

"Sorry, I zoned out. Long day." Cassandra offered.

"Sure." Noel held up one hand, finger raised, and started an impression of the school's Principal. "Students must always pay attention."

"Very funny. You don't have to deal with Mrs. Nyko rambling on first thing in the morning."

"And you didn't have Calculus homework on the first day." Noel looked down at her halfway completed math homework and sighed deeply.

Cassandra laughed. "Hey, sometimes it pays to be behind on your math education."

"When I'm making twice as much money as you five years from now, I'll be the one laughing." Noel shot back.

The two stayed up for a while, chatting until Noel finally made it through her homework before winding down for the night. That was another good thing about having Noel as a roommate. She didn't snore. Unlike the girl she'd been stuck with last year. That had been a very, very long year.

And today had been a very long day. It didn't take long for Cassandra to lull off to sleep. But as she would soon find out, this year was going to be anything but ordinary. And her day wasn't over yet.

-+-+-+


- Cassandra's Dorm Room? -


A soft piano melody floated into Cassandra's dreaming mind.

It started slowly, but soon it became all encompassing. The dream became the music. It was like nothing Cassandra had ever heard.

The music carried her mind away on its notes. Harmonies danced through her soul.

If the song had gone on forever, Cassandra would have never wanted to wake. It was beautiful and haunting. A song of beginnings, endings, possibilities. A chord would strike and dive deep into the depths of sorrow and then gloriously cascade back into joyful harmony.

It ended far too soon. And when Cassandra awoke, she was surprised to find that she had tears in her eyes. What had that been? She wasn't sure how long she lay there in bed, struggling to process what she had just experienced, before she noticed the familiar scent of rain. She never opened the window. Slowly, Cassandra sat up in bed.

The window was wide open, letting the cool air waft in. Had Noel done that? But stranger still was the door. It was cracked open, and a weird looking light was shining through the small space. Noel definitely wasn't doing that. In fact, she was still in bed.

"Hey, Noel. Are you seeing this?" Cassandra asked. There was no reply. Was she still asleep?

Cassandra rolled out of bed, dressed head to toe in her fuzzy pajamas, and walked over to her friend's bed. Noel was barely moving. In fact, she wasn't moving at all. Cassandra tried for several minutes, but she couldn't get a response of any kind from Noel. She couldn't even roll her over. It was like she was in a movie where someone had hit pause. What in the world was happening? First that strange dream, and now time freezing? Was she still dreaming or was this real?

If this was a dream... then she just had to play it out and she would wake up right?

Slowly, Cassandra turned towards the door. It creaked ominously, but that was probably because of the draft from the window. Right?

The door opened easily when Cassandra pushed it. But it didn't go to the usual dorm hallway. Instead, it connected to a strange grey room. Now, Cassandra was completely sure she was dreaming. Things like this just didn't happen in the waking world. Her courage increased slightly by that thought, Cassandra edged further into the room. and approached the only thing she could see in it. A small table and chair.

On the table was a letter with her name on it. In golden letters. It looked like something out of a movie. Nowhere to go but forward now. Cassandra reached out and gently, hesitantly, picked up the letter and opened it.

 

[Skillfulness]

|~ Kat Dyson ~| and |~ Jaime Moore ~|
'~ Location: Courtyard ~'

Kat stood in the middle of the group of goblin-like Shadows and gripped her weapon more comfortably. With the start of the school year she expected a minor infestation, but there were more than she had thought. Still, nothing she couldn't handle for now. Nyx could heal her up or help out if things started to get out of hand.

One Shadow came at her front and another from behind. She shifted and used her twin hook swords to deflect the claws that reached out at her. She heaved to push them away, but there was one Shadow she didn't account for. It dashed in from the side and slid it's claw along her chest before dancing out of range. Kat yelped from the pain and glared at it with fresh anger.

Careful Kat, and call if you need me. These are a little stronger.

Yeah Nyx, Kat responded to the voice in her head, I'll be fine for now. Just be ready fo-

Before she could finish the thought, a girl came running towards the circling Shadows. She ran past them, hurling a punch at one and stood defensively in front of Kat. The Shadow crumpled slightly, clearly affected by the punch, but in a moment it was back on its feet.

“Think you're tough, ganging up one person! Well now, I'll be your opponent,” the girl declared. Kat was just shocked. It had been years since she fought Shadows with anyone and the first day of school she found another Persona user.

Hey, listen! Earth to Kat! You're still fighting! Nyx nagged.

“Ah, right!” Kat said aloud, her Cockney accent slipping through as she addressed the student. “Hey, watch out for these, bit stronger ’n most. But ah, wait, have you-” she was cut off as another Shadow lunged at the new prey. Kat quickly pulled her out of reach and slashed at a different Shadow trying to attack while she was distracted. There really were more of them than she anticipated.

“Sorry, to the point, do you have yer Persona yet? You'll probably need them right now.” Kat took a stance that allowed her to watch the Shadows from behind and keep an eye on the girl. She almost couldn't believe it worked so quickly and hoped any others would do what they needed to do soon. The Shadows continued to circle them, but what the pair of girls didn’t notice was that a door had appeared on a tree out past the courtyard. No light shown from under the crack.

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|~ André Bellamy ~| and |~ Cassandra Winters ~|

The letter reads as follows;

Dear person,
We are terribly sorry for troubling you, but my associates and I require your help. You have a talent a rare few have and soon you will be able to unlock it. Ahead of you is a testing chamber of sorts. Find your way and overcome what you must in order to achieve your potential. Unfortunately no one will be able to help you, even if you run into others during your testing. This is something you must do on your own. Also unfortunate, we will not know your identity and you will need to come to us if you want answers. You should be able to find my contact, a bookish young woman that I cannot name for her privacy and safety. She should not be difficult to locate and she will be able to tell you more. See you soon.
Igor

There is a click, similar to the one that woke you up. The door you came in from was now closed and inspecting it shows it to be locked. The only way to go now is forward.

- Go forward -

Spoiler

You wander through the maze of hallways. They zig zag and wind, and occasionally open up into large rooms. There is minimal furniture; featureless desks, more wooden chairs, the frame of a bed, empty shelves. Some hallways end in doors, locked or unlocked, others have gates that you can see past through more hallways. But most simply lead to more halls. Is there any end to it? Through it all, you still never notice any light source, yet can easily see. You can’t shake the feeling that something bad is coming. As you turn into another room, before you stands a figure.

- Stay in the first room -

Spoiler

It’s now that you notice there’s nearly no sound. There is some sort of background, white noise, but it’s nondescript. It doesn’t sound like a fan or static or anything, it sounds like nothing. The chair isn’t very comfortable, if you choose to sit in it. Examining the door further shows there is no lock mechanism on it. You’re unsure of how the door refuses to open now and frankly, it is a little terrifying. Alone in the featureless room, you hear soft footsteps come from the hallway.

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|~ André Bellamy ~|
'~ Location: ??? ~'

The figure leans against a wall or doorway. He looks nearly exactly like you, though there are noticeable differences. None of his clothing is pink and his hair isn’t blonde. Instead, everything is grey, as if someone made a copy of you and dunked it in grey ink. The only source of color are his glowing, golden eyes. He stares at you with them, grinning in a menacing manner.

“André, chéri, look at you all alone here. Where are your adoring fans?” He even has your voice, a teasing tone to it. “Ah that’s right, they never really liked you. You’ll never be able to live up to their expectations. This is probably just your future, alone in a white room.”

He begins taking steps towards you and makes a clicking sound with his tongue. “Tsk, and so selfish too! Stealing a kiss from your innocent roommate before meeting here with me. You ought to be punished, chaton.” He grins wider and his body seems to smoke slightly as he continues to advance.


|~ Cassandra Winter ~|
'~ Location: ??? ~'

The figure locks eyes with you. It’s shocking how every detail of her looks just like you. The dark hair is present, but instead of fair skin and grey eyes, she has smooth grey skin and golden yellow eyes. Her clothes are grey too. There is not a sign of color besides the gold eyes that continue to stare from her calm face.

“Well Cassandra, look at you waking up in the middle of the night, wasting time here. You could be studying for your classes or sleeping so you don’t wake up a mess in the morning.” Her voice is like yours, though it is rising in volume as she speaks. She speaks faster, with anxiety apparent in each word.

“But no, you’re here with me, so how about we play a little game?” She walks towards you, arms open and ethereal smoke beginning to come off of her form. “I bet I can take your head off in less than five minutes. Promise you won’t cheat.”

 

[Vern]

Morgan Valentine
The Moon
Morgan & Sofiya's Dorm Room

Morgan awoke to a strange melody, and tears in her eyes.

It’s a strange song, a beautiful song. A song that seemed at once lonely and forlorn, but also hopeful, somehow. It was like being with a good friend who’d grown distant, like being understood by something she could never understand. It was like being embraced, and she could almost feel her sister’s arms around her like they used to be so often — but it wasn’t quite the same. There was an emptiness to them now, a lack of... truth. But even so, for a moment, as she looked up at the ceiling that was painted a dark, rich blue by the moonlight, she felt almost... content.

And then her vision blurred with tears and the magic of the melody seemed to fade, and she was alone again. Letting out a shaky sigh, Morgan wiped away the tears with the sleeve of her pyjamas and sat up.

How pathetic. She thought to herself — although unlike usual, her heart wasn’t in it.

Sighing again and taking in a deep, uneven breath, she stood up and put on her slippers, sliding into her customary blue sweater. She wasn’t going to get any sleep tonight, not after that. Maybe she’d take the chance to paint something — no, on second thought, she was't in the mood. The first day had been uneventful and about as tiring as she expected, but compared to her previous too years, it was far less stressful. Even so, it had certainly been a long day, but despite that, she felt strangely energised, like she’d slept better than she had in years. The window and door were both open — although she didn't remember opening them herself.

Come to think of it... where was that music coming from? Was I hallucinating? Had I finally gone mad? Such a beautiful song... maybe it was Hope, calling out to her from — no, no, it’s not good to think like that. Stop thinking like that, Morgan.

Shaking her head to clear it, she sat down on her bed and looked out the window. The wind blowing through it is strong but still calming, and it smelt faintly of rain. She could see storm clouds on the horizon, and she smiled — she’d always loved rain, and loved storms. Nothing quite beat the feeling of watching from a dry place as rain fell outside, and the air would always be pleasantly cool and fresh.

Then, there was a cry in the courtyard. A cry of pain.

Her eyes widened in surprise, and she stood up and quickly ran to the window, looking down at the courtyard below. Strange, shadowy figures were darting around a human, who was trying to fend them off with a reasonable amount of success. More surprised than afraid or worried — this was probably just a dream, after all — Morgan stepped back, sitting back down on her bed. The most likely would be that she was going mad from the stress or something — maybe it’d be best to check with someone else.

Thankfully, Sofiya wasn’t the kind of person to get mad about being woken up in the middle of the night. That made the decision easier, and she quickly got up, moving to her roommate’s bed and tapping her on the shoulder. “Hey — wake up. I think something’s happening.”

 

[TheSequelReturns]

~ Cassandra Winter ~
- ??? -

The letter felt heavy in her hands as she read it. Heavier than paper should be, as though the words themselves carried tangible weight. That was almost certainly a result of her addled mind trying to process this insane situation and failing miserably.

Your brain didn't tend to fail miserably at understanding a dream you were in. Your brain was making the dream world after all. If she was this confused, then...

Cassandra shook her head. Focus. Maybe this was just one of those lucid dreams. The kind where you could control what happens. Those were supposed to feel real. People could fly, or travel through space, or fight dragons or whatever they wanted to do in a dream. But Cassandra did not feel in control right now. She felt very much at the mercy of something strange. Something far more real than a lucid dream. She was reminded of a rumor she heard once. About how if you found yourself in a dream and you began to fall you had to wake up before you hit the bottom. If you didn't then you'd die in your sleep and never wake up.

Now she was confused and terrified. Great. Good job brain.

Time to read the letter and see if it had any clues on howto get out of this mess before her brain came up with an ever scarier theory.

Dear person,
We are terribly sorry for troubling you, but my associates and I require your help. You have a talent a rare few have and soon you will be able to unlock it. Ahead of you is a testing chamber of sorts. Find your way and overcome what you must in order to achieve your potential.

Dear person? Did the letter writer not know her name? Or worse, was this a generic letter? Both of those sounded equally insane given that she was currently in an impossible room while her best friend was paused in time. Cassandra pressed on.

Unfortunately no one will be able to help you, even if you run into others during your testing. This is something you must do on your own. Also unfortunate, we will not know your identity and you will need to come to us if you want answers. You should be able to find my contact, a bookish young woman that I cannot name for her privacy and safety. She should not be difficult to locate and she will be able to tell you more. See you soon.
Igor

There were others here? How was that even possible? Slowly, Cassandra's eyes turned towards the two diverging hallways up ahead. How far did this room go? Did it connect to any of the other dorm rooms? Did it connect somewhere else entirely? More importantly, who was this contact? Why couldn't this "Igor" person tell her something that important?

A soft, disturbingly final sounding click came from behind her and Cassandra's heart sank. The door was closed. The door back to her dorm was closed shut. Somehow, she knew that it wouldn't open. The feeling was like a soft whisper in the back of her mind, telling her to ignore the door. Telling her her to press on. What other choice did she have?

Cassandra picked the right hallway, she had a bad feeling about the left one, and pressed on despite her growing apprehension. This was by far the strangest thing that had ever happened to her, and that included the time she thought she saw a shadow crawl across her ceiling when she was little. The path split again up ahead, and Cassandra took the right path again. Best to stick with the same option lest she get hopelessly lost. Survival basics, right? Another chair was sitting in the middle of the hallway, knocked over. Odd, but not too concerning all things considered. Next she found a bookshelf, totally empty and laying flat across the path. Then another split. And another that split three ways. She tried to take the right path again, but it curved and dead ended at a gate. Beyond the gate, the path split even more, and Cassandra was starting to get the impression that the paths of the hallways were not physically possible if they all occupied the same space.

Cassandra doubled back and took the middle path this time and came to a door. It was closed, but when she tried the handle it opened without a fight. Cassandra stepped through the doorway and came face to face with herself. Sort of. It looked like Cassandra. Exactly like her actually. Like a reflection, but without the mirror. But the most disturbing thing, more disturbing than the yellow eyes in fact, was the fact that her reflection was drained of all color. It was Cassandra as she would appear on one of those late night reruns of the old TV sitcoms where everything was black and white and gray. Gray like the featureless walls of this strange place.

Her Shadow turned its yellow eyes on her and Cassandra's blood ran cold. Those eyes were filled with such contempt and arrogance. It was like staring into the eyes of a demon. A demon wearing your own skin.

And then, to her horror, the Shadow spoke. “Well Cassandra, look at you waking up in the middle of the night, wasting time here. You could be studying for your classes or sleeping so you don’t wake up a mess in the morning.”

It knew her name. Cassandra gulped. This felt very, very wrong. The Shadow's voice was like hers as well, but louder. Faster. She felt like a rabbit that had locked eyes with a wolf.

“But no, you’re here with me, so how about we play a little game?”

Cassandra's heart was racing so fast, she felt like it might explode. She opened her mouth to respond and her voice cracked. Finally ,she struggled out the words, forcing them through her panic. "What kind of game?" Was it too much to hope for a round of Chess?

The Shadow grinned and began to step closer, its arms open. Smoke began to billow up off and around its form, as if it were evaporating. Or revealing its true nature. “I bet I can take your head off in less than five minutes." It said with predatory glee, "Promise you won’t cheat.”

"That doesn't sound like a game." Cassandra offered weakly, painfully aware of how stupid that sounded in the moment. Some part of her mind was shouting at her to find a weapon but the room was empty. Another instinct of hers was telling her to run, but she had a sinking feeling that the door would close itself like the one at the entrance had and she'd be cornered. There had to be something she could do. But what? Stall?

"How about something less violent?" she offered, unable to think of anything but trying to talk her way out of this. "A card game? Maybe a riddle?"

 

[Schade]

Eirik Sollien
Devil Arcana

All right, so it was the first day of school. The day where all the students ran about with their hopes and dreams, only for said inspirational fire to be extinguished the next day. People dressing just slightly fancier than normal because they didn't want to pack a full set of formal clothing to bring to their dorms only to use this one time before never touching them again. Eirik was one such person. He was wearing the schools official uniform, and seemed to be the only one doing so. Apparently the school didn't really care whether you used the uniform or not? Eh he looked sleek and that was honestly good enough for him for now. He had already been to his dorm and dropped off his belongings and said hi to his roommate. Eirik didn't really jump in excitement over having a roommate, but Victoire seemed like a decent enough guy. Decent as in, he didn't charge after him trying to slither up to him and force a friendship. Besides the formal introductions, they mostly communicated in one-liners and nods. Regardless, Eirik had decided to explore the campus a bit more before getting too comfortable on his bed. It was something he had been dreading to do, considering he was literally all alone there. heck, his family had just arrived at -Undisclosed Location- 3 days ago, sending him off almost before he could sit down and relax in his parents new house.

There seemed to be people from all over in the world at this school, and Eirik spotted everything from a flock of hipsters to the pinkest guy he had ever seen. It all seemed bothersome to him, but he had already decided he would stick to himself most of the time. If anything popped up he could always hang with Victoire, who he now spotted with the hipster flock.. Great. Getting to the cafeteria, he was amazed by how great the food was. Whatever this strange pink paste was, it did taste edible, and that was better than some of the other schools he had looked at online before deciding on this one could say. He sat with the hipster crew, and even though they were surprisingly snobby and nice to him, he didn't really feel at home there. He had his walls up, talking only when spoken to, letting Victoire do the talking considering he had already been at the school for a year already. Eirik was studying a thicc bunch of pamphlets he had gathered from somewhere, looking over what clubs were available. He had always been interested in the physical activities, and had therefore decided to join both the track and Field club, as well as the Dancing club. he had been in the track and field club back in his old school in Norway, and figured it would be a smooth transfer to keep doing it, even though dance was fairly new to him.

One of the most important things for Eirik to get done throughout the day was, of course, to get to know the school building. He had seen enough TV shows where the protagonist got lost in the halls and ended up late, therefore branding themselves as the ditzy foreign exchange student the clique of popular girls started to pick on, and quite honestly that's a stress he didn't want to deal with. Formal introductions wouldn't happen until the next day for him though, and he dreaded how he had to stand in front of a class and introduce himself. Was he a side character in this school? Nothing indicated as such just yet, and he hoped it would all go smoothly, and that he would be able to blend in with the class and fade from everyone's radars. Considering the diversity among students at this academy, he figured his Norwegian heritage would get boring in aproximately 12 and a half minutes, if he played his cards right.

Having been at the orientations for each of his classes, as well as being handed a schedule, Eirik decided it was time for him to retreat to his dorm. Not a minute too early either, as a trio of very pink-clad blonde girls were patrolling through the hallways as if... hunting. Eirik had never really been good with directions, and trying to navigate through the school, he manage to find himself on the roof of the building. Wait, when did he walk up a staircase? Walking down again, he then suddenly found himself in the teachers lounge, being met with stares ranging from the friendly to "Get out of here right now". Why did directions have to be so difficult.. He had obtained a map from a busty older teacher in one of the classrooms earlier, who clocked him for walking around looking like he was lost in a cornmaze, which, to be fair, this school was starting to look like for him anyway. The cafeteria again? He snatched more pink paste to go and quickly got out of there. aha! This was the courtyard! Why is that flock of people surrounding the pink person.. Best to avoid them, he thought before finding signs guiding towards the dorms. The girls bathroom? How did he end up here? he was hit in the face with what felt like a pointy heeled shoe before being tossed out. Great.. Wait i recognize that building! The teachers lounge again...? What? Luckily, he managed to find Victoire and the hipster crew again, and without him even saying anything Victoire said. "You're lost aren't you. Come here, we'll go back together." Bless this young man.

~~~

Later that evening, after having unpacked, Eirik was looking over some of the books related to his schedule for the following day. He had some homework to get done, which was simple enough for him to breeze through it. Victoire was playing a guitar, jamming to a background tune from his computer. Eirik had been slightly unsettled by the sound of cracking bones first, but added with the smooth guitar it started to grow on him, like a rash. They didn't speak much, but got the formal introductions out of the way with brief summaries of where they were from. Before long, however, Eirik decided it was time to hit the hay. Surprising himself, he would fall asleep quickly to the relaxing tunes of possible murder that was Victoire's next track.

That night, Eirik had the most curious dream. A wave of nostalgia packed with the hopeless sensation of being alone in a new place. Ironically, his ability to slip into cruise control emotionally manifested itself as walls in his dreams. Walls towering as far up he could see. Something in him wanted to climb them, to see what was on the other side. Is the grass actually greener on the other side? The stone is cracked, split, jagged. The hawk would have been safe if it had stayed, but that isn't what hawks do. Glittering to gloss a hidden hurt. Unlearning not to hope for more. Stumbling steps where the wall used to be. Eirik stopped in his tracks. The walls were there for a reason, right? Old pain, shadows forgotten from dreams too real. This side is slow and heavy, but here is what can change. Focusing on the strangely nostalgic yet foreign tune playing in his head, Eirik became more aware of his surroundings.

Suddenly, he woke up. It was dark, so probably still late at night. The first thing he was made aware of was that the window was open. did Victoire open it after he fell asleep? No.. Victoire was still sitting on the floor, leaned back towards his bed, guitar in hand. He looked like he was mid-sneeze, but he did seem.. off. He didn't move? As a logical conclusion to what he was witnessing, it would seem time had stopped for poor Victoire. That's what Eirik thought at least. confirming he was, in fact still dreaming, he walked over to the window to shut it. Looking outside, he was then made aware of some sort of commotion down below. It looked like a person being ganged up by other people? It was hard to see in the dark like this, but it did look that way. Quickly getting dressed and grabbing his coat, Eirik sprinted towards the door. If this was a dream then there was nothing stopping him from helping said person out, right? running through the door, he was... not in Kansas anymore Barbara. He was now in a grey room. Looking behind him, the door was nowhere to be seen. Great, a dream about isolation. He was going to be very groggy in the morning. The only other things in the room was a desk and a chair some feet ahead of him. On the table was a letter with his name on it in golden letters. He quietly reached out his arm and opened the letter, scared it would suddenly come alive and bite his hand or something.

 

[InnerFlame]

Jamie Austin Moore
The Emperor
Courtyard???

After getting closer, Jamie could get a better look at the silhouettes that was hard to distinguish at a distance. It seems to be some kind of mythical being... a demon maybe? This isn't really her expertise. The person she came to help was indeed human appearance wise. It is a curly haired girl who obviously shorter than Jamie. That is all the info that she is able gathers with everything that's happening. Is she a student here? What is she doing out here alone? Why are these monsters attacking her? Those questions that flash through her mind as she continues to attack to keep the demons beings away. While they did respond to her strikes, they would quickly recover and return for more punishment.

As the girl spoke to her, Jamie picks up on an accent, British most likely. There were loads of England foreigners like that who went to her old school so it wasn't anything unusual to hear. She evades an attack aimed at her and returns with a power kick... This is not working, it's probably time to retreat and draw up a new plan but the person with her seem knowledgable, used to this. She even had a weapon to hack at the demon creatures. Just who exactly was this person?

“Sorry, to the point, do you have yer Persona yet? You'll probably need them right now.” The girl asks with urgency. Persona, noun, an assumed identity or role that a person takes; that is what the word meant to her. But with how she asked that question, persona appears to be something like an object that could be obtained and used. Was there something like that back in her room that she should have picked up at the beginning of this dream-like situation? It is definitely too late for her to go back and find out now.

"Not likely, since I don't know really what you mean by persona," Jamie replied as she fends off yet another assault. Her words gave off the impression that if she had a persona that she would know. "What do you do to get a persona?"

 

[Monster Guy]

André Bellamy
The Lovers
???

André read the letter, and it still didn't answer anything about what was happening here. He liked being told he had a rare talent few possessed, even if he knew that already, but the letter was addressed "Dear person?" What? Whoever this Igor didn't know who he was? They must have considering the paper had his name on it. And then there was something about a testing chamber of some sort? It was all very confusing.

Then he heard the same clicking sound that he had heard when he woke up this morning. He looked behind him, and saw the door to his room had closed all on it's own. He pulled the knob, and tried to open it, but it was locked... somehow... The lock was on the inside, and there wasn't a locking mechanism on the outside. How on Earth did this door just lock itself? Did Danny wake up finally? André knocked loudly on the door trying to wake his roommate. "Danny! Danny! I have been locked out! Can you open the door, sil vous plaît?" Nothing.

André just collapsed on to the chair, and buried his face in his hand. Now what was he supposed to do? Here he was, trapped all alone in a strange and eerily silent room, sitting in an uncomfortable wooden chair. He didn't It was unnerving to say the least. If all of this was indeed a dream, then why was it taking so long to wake up?

He supposed he could go ahead into the mysterious hallway, but why? He didn't know where he was. He was cetain he would just get lost. Besides, that letter did mention something about other people being here. Maybe one of them would find him, and help him get out of here. All he had to do was stay put. Alone. In this creepy place. "Is there anyone here?!" André called out to no one. "I have been locked out. Aide moi s'il vous plaît!"

Sure enough, André did hear the sound of soft footsteps coming from down the hallway. André let out a sigh of relief at first. Finally, something to break the silence, and he finally had another person to talk to and potentially help him out of this awful situation. His relief turned to dread when he finally got a look at who it was coming down the hallway.

The mystery person had a devious grin on his face as he leaned against the wall of the hallway. As though he wanted André to get a clear look at him. He looked almost exactly like André himself. Normally, this would have been a good thing. André would have loved to meet an impersonator of his, but not this one. This guy was creepy. The only thing missing from his André impression was the colors. André Bellamy just wasn't André Bellamy without something pink on him. Instead, this person was completely gray. His hair, clothes, skin, everything. The only thing not gray on him was the glowing golden eyes. They really stood out amongst all the gray. It was rather unsettling, and the young movie star couldn't help shuddering.

And then the person spoke. “André, chéri, look at you all alone here. Where are your adoring fans?” He said with a teasing tone. He even sounded like André. French accent and all. It was chilling. “Ah that’s right, they never really liked you. You’ll never be able to live up to their expectations. This is probably just your future, alone in a white room.”

André cringed. He didn't like what he had just heard. What he just said couldn't be true could it?

The doppelganger began taking steps towards André, making clicking sounds with his tongue. “Tsk, and so selfish too! Stealing a kiss from your innocent roommate before meeting here with me. You ought to be punished, chaton.” His grin became wider and his body seemed to smoke as he made his way foward.

Ok, that was it. André couldn’t bear to hear more of this. He stood up from the chair. "Tu es un menteur! My friends love me!" He angrily shot back. "And there is nothing wrong with an innocent kiss between friends. Are you trying to scare me? It will not work. Your impersonation of me is terrible." He flicked his wrist at his shadow. "Now, begone with you."

 

[GoldenHouou]

Sofiya Mikhailovna Ignatova
The Sun
Morgan & Sofiya's Dorm Room

Sofiya's first day of school had went by in a blur. The moment she'd set foot onto the school's premises, she'd made it her personal goal to befriend each and every person she came across. By lunch, she'd understood how impossible her mission truly was - and when she finally slipped into her nightgown for some well-deserved rest come evening, the details of the day had become foggy and distant. Her mind was a mess of names, voices and disembodied features of so many students that she could no longer piece them together in any sensible way. She could barely remember what classes she'd taken, the teachers that taught them, or the homework she may or may not have gotten. She recalled dancing, running, and nearly setting her souffle on fire in home economics, but everything else might've as well happened to someone else.

Needless to say, it didn't take long for her to fall asleep.

If she dreamt of anything before the melody begun, she could not recall it. It felt as though nothing existed before the music, and nothing could ever exist after; it was everything and everywhere, the here and the now, the past and the present. It was soothing at first, caressing Sofiya's every sense as it passed through her being. She was floating in a sea of music, her every emotion laid bare. But... the longer it continued, the less she found comfort in it. Eventually, she started to feel exposed, like the music knew all her thoughts and could see all the worries she thought she'd tucked away forever. It knew the past she was running from and the future she feared to face. It knew her, when she did not want to be know. Sofiya wanted to run from it, but it felt like trying to run from air - it filled her lungs, mind and soul. It was everywhere.

And then, it ended.

She couldn't tell what came first; a click in the distance, or a tap on her shoulder.

"... nk something’s happening.”

A voice. Morgan?

"M... mh?"

Sofiya's eyes fluttered open softly, and she instinctively turned to face the source of the voice. She felt a shiver run down her spine as she shifted on the sheets; they were cold to the touch. There was a breeze, too, and Sofiya was pretty sure she could smell rain. "Mor...?"

She stood up groggily, long hair falling onto her shoulders like a blanket. "What's... going on?" Though her mind was not yet fully awake, she did take note of the open window. Aw, geez. No wonder it was so chilly.

Sofiya rubbed at her eyes. "Why'd you open th..."

She caught herself mid-sentence, nearly punching herself in the eye mid-rub. Oh no, she couldn't just ask that! That'd sound like she was accusing her of something. If Morrey wanted the window open, there had to be a reason. She didn't really know the other that well yet, but-- she was convinced Morrey was a good person. They were roommates - that meant they were basically best friends! And friends... trusted friends. Especially best ones. Maybe she had just been feeling hot?

All sleep now gone from her being, Sofiya jumped to her feet like a startled rabbit. "I- I mean, phew, it sure is hot in here! Boy am I glad you opened the window." In an attempt to appear more convincing, she marched up to the window in question and pushed it fully open. "Mmm, such a nice bree-- eh?"

Down in the dimly lit courtyard, she could see two distinctively humans figures, fighting what seemed to be... not human figures. And the odds weren't in their favour.

"Ah! Morrey, someone's in trouble!" Sofiya skid back to her bed, dropped onto her knees and pulled her suitcase from under the bed. She rummaged through it for a second, until her fingers brushed against a familiar grip. Bingo! Her military knife. She pulled it out, grabbed her brother's jacket from the side of her bed, tied her hair up in the messiest bun known to human history, and then rushed back to the window. "Wait here, I'll be right back! Don't do anything I wouldn't do, and definitely don't do anything I would do!"

She stuck the knife between her teeth and then maneuvered her way out the window and down onto the pavement, landing with a soft thud. The ground felt incredibly cold against her bare feet, but she had no time to waste on worrying about that.

-​

Courtyard

"Hey!" the girl called out as she approached the two humans and-- whoa, what were those? What was this? Was that some strange gang with super, super weird costume tastes? Well, whatever, baddies were baddies! Sofiya jabbed a finger their way. "Why don't you fight someone your own size! Like--- like me! E-even though I'm... not really your size..." abrupt as the realization was, it did not seem to faze her for long, "But I'll kick your butts anyway!"

Although, if she used a knife, wasn't it more like stabbing their butts? Actually-- did they even have butts?!

These monsters were better than she thought; her plan was already falling apart. She couldn't have that. And so, she cast away all thought and simply dashed forth, knife held at ready.

 

[Skillfulness]

|~ Cassandra Winter ~|
'~ Location: ??? ~'

“How about something less violent? A card game? Maybe a riddle?” you offer. The Shadow tilts her head, thinking for a moment with a ponderous expression.

“You know, you aren’t very good at stalling and you won’t find your way out of this. Though, I do have a good riddle for you so let’s start with that. What is always with you and never leaves, a part of you but never seen, something that has always belonged to you, even if you’ve only just met?” Shadow Cassandra held a finger up and wagged it back and forth like a metronome. She seemed impatient as she glares at you.

“Answer quickly, but no pressure. I’ll only kill you faster if you don’t get it right.”

|~ Eirik Sollien ~|
'~ Location: ??? ~'

The letter reads as follows;

Spoiler

Dear person,
We are terribly sorry for troubling you, but my associates and I require your help. You have a talent a rare few have and soon you will be able to unlock it. Ahead of you is a testing chamber of sorts. Find your way and overcome what you must in order to achieve your potential. Unfortunately no one will be able to help you, even if you run into others during your testing. This is something you must do on your own. Also unfortunate, we will not know your identity and you will need to come to us if you want answers. You should be able to find my contact, a bookish young woman that I cannot name for her privacy and safety. She should not be difficult to locate and she will be able to tell you more. See you soon.
Igor

There is a click, similar to the one that woke you up. The door you came in from was now closed and inspecting it shows it to be locked. The only way to go now is forward.

- Go forward -

Spoiler

You wander through the maze of hallways. They zig zag and wind, and occasionally open up into large rooms. There is minimal furniture; featureless desks, more wooden chairs, the frame of a bed, empty shelves. Some hallways end in doors, locked or unlocked, others have gates that you can see past through more hallways. But most simply lead to more halls. Is there any end to it? Through it all, you still never notice any light source, yet can easily see. You can’t shake the feeling that something bad is coming. As you turn into another room, before you stands a figure.

- Stay in the first room -

Spoiler

It’s now that you notice there’s nearly no sound. There is some sort of background, white noise, but it’s nondescript. It doesn’t sound like a fan or static or anything, it sounds like nothing. The chair isn’t very comfortable, if you choose to sit in it. Examining the door further shows there is no lock mechanism on it. You’re unsure of how the door refuses to open now and frankly, it is a little terrifying. Alone in the featureless room, you hear soft footsteps come from the hallway.

--- Later ---

In front of you is, well, you. He has your face and hair, your clothes and body, but every part of him is grey. His eyes dart quickly to you when he notices and he lets out a short laugh. You notice now that not everything about him is grey; the eyes are glowing bright gold. Those eyes stay locked on you as he begins to speak in a voice the same as yours.

“Eirik! So good to see you! I’ve been so lonely, but now you’re here. Even if you are breaking school rules by leaving the dorms after midnight. Who cares about the rules?” He looks you up and down multiple times and takes a few, slow steps towards you.

“But we love being lonely, don’t we? Push people away, can’t trust them. You can't trust anyone, Eirik. Heh, I would say you could trust me, but we both know I would be lying. I'm going to rip you to pieces and no one will ever care.” He pounds a fist into the wall, leaving a sizable crack. His form now smokes slightly and he smiles, waiting to pounce if you move.

|~ André Bellamy ~|
'~ Location: ??? ~'

“Tu es un menteur! My friends love me! And there is nothing wrong with an innocent kiss between friends. Are you trying to scare me? It will not work. Your impersonation of me is terrible. Now, begone with you,” you say, dismissing him.

“Be careful who you call un menteur. And an impersonation? Ha! Now that is a good one, petite souris. If anything, I look better than you and you are just jealous. I think I do scare you, but you are too proud to admit it.” The Shadow Andre licks his lips and marches forward.

“You try to send me away, but you cannot. I have always been a part of you, but now, I can be rid of you, I can be free.” As Shadow André stalks closer, a hunger in his eyes, you hear a soft voice inside your head.

You aren't alone, call on me and we will face this together! He won't be able to handle us.

|~ Kat Dyson ~| and |~ Jamie Moore ~| and |~ Sofiya Ignatova ~|
'~ Location: Courtyard ~'

“Not likely, since I don't know really what you mean by persona. What do you do to get a persona?” Kat felt her stomach drop and almost got slashed again in her moment of surprise and fear.

“Aw hell,” she exclaimed. “That’s not good, that is not good. Aye, you got to get that before you start running in and punching Shadows. Now where the hell is yer Shadow Self.” She mumbled the last bit as they continued fending off the gang of Shadows. They seemed more agitated and hungry with the girls arrival.

“Hey!” There was a cry that the Shadows reacted to and now another girl was approaching them. Kat noticed the fear in her eyes as she was able to take in the creatures that surrounded her and the first student.

“Ah fuck, bet she doesn’t ‘ave hers yet either! This was so much easier back when we did it.” Kat transitioned her speech to thought and told Nyx to be prepared for when the girls’ Shadow Selves appeared, relaying the plan she had.

“Why don't you fight someone your own size!” The new girl called out. “Like--- like me! E-even though I'm... not really your size… But I'll kick your butts anyway!” Across the courtyard, the door creaked open to reveal a dark emptiness and a figure stepping out.

-------------------------------------------

“Well, well, well, isn’t this a party? Why wasn’t I invited?” A voice familiar to you, Jaime, echoes over the courtyard. A tall, familiar figure comes forward from one of the grassy areas of the courtyard. As it steps into the moonlight, you immediately recognize it as yourself. The muscular build and short hair are there, but all color is drained from this being. Though that’s not quite right. Her eyes open and the gold glow is apparent immediately, trained on you in the middle of so many other potential targets.

“Since when have we needed others to fight our battles for us? You’re pathetic, weak. Even with these people helping you, it won’t be a difficult fight for me. Come on then, let’s make me look good as I pound you into the ground.” She holds up a hand and beckons you, a confident smirk painted on her lips.

-------------------------------------------

“Now Nyx!” Kat calls out and there is a brief flash of light. The instant it fades there is a small, fairy creature now in existence hovering around Kat’s head. She reaches back quickly and pulls three arrows from her quiver, knocking one smoothly. She fires all three in quick succession, finding their target in three of the Shadows. The slight yellow trace is barely noticeable, but the effect of the powders she applied is instant. The three Shadows slump, completely paralyzed for a moment. Kat grabs the arm of the first girl and pulls her through the opening and towards her Shadow Self. Nyx darts in the opposite direction to protect the second girl.

“Hiya! I’m Nyx, and I’ll protect you until, well, I guess it depends.” The little fairy thinks a moment about all the different possible outcomes of the battle. “Well, it doesn’t matter. Don’t be afraid because you’ll soon have your very own Persona to help you fight!” She cheers and begins rapidly firing small arrows to fend off the Shadows.

“Alright, go fight her," Kat tells the other girl, “carefully, she looks strong. Also words work better ‘n weapons with those ones. When you hear the voice inside yer head, listen to it. Take this,” she held out one of her hook swords. “Yer Shadow looks nasty, but don’t kill it. Bad things happen when ya kill ‘em.” Kat focused her attention back on the Shadows, but kept her eyes on the girl, ready to jump in if things were looking bad.

|~ Morgan Valentine ~|
'~ Location: Dorm Room ~'

As Sofiya darts off, you feel a chill from behind. It’s odd, considering the open window is in front of you, but you hear a voice and realize even though Sofiya left, you aren’t alone in the room.

“Well Morgan, look at that. Your new friend has already abandoned you. Looks like you weren’t good enough for her, and it’s only the first day of school.” The door to your room is now open and dark, a shape standing in the frame. It looks so much like you, even down to your skin condition and messy hair. But one thing makes it all so wrong. She has no color to her except the eyes. While almost the same, the eyes are a deeper shade of gold and instead of the usual white seen in vitiligo, her skin glows gold as well. Her eyes look almost sad as she looks at you, almost like she is looking through you.

“You made me come out here to get you myself. That’s not very considerate of you. Now, you could make it up to me by giving up and letting me kill you quickly. Then you could join your dear, dead sister.” Her eyes change as she suddenly looks like a predator, ready to strike. Her body emits small trails of smoke and she starts to walk across the room to you.

 

[Monster Guy]

André Bellamy
The Lovers
???

“Be careful who you call un menteur. And an impersonation? Ha! Now that is a good one, petite souris. If anything, I look better than you and you are just jealous. I think I do scare you, but you are too proud to admit it.” The Shadow André licked his lips and continued strutting forward. As if to build up anticipation before a grand performance.

André furrowed his brows. Why on Earth would he be jealous of a scary looking creature that tried to pass itself off as him? He knew it was only saying that to mess with him. He hated to admit it, but it was working... The shadow wasn't exactly wrong about that last sentence either... Did his friends really only like him because he was famous? Were they really his friends? Did this thing speak the truth? André shook his head. No, there was no way he was going to stand there and prove this... thing right.

“You try to send me away, but you cannot. I have always been a part of you, but now, I can be rid of you, I can be free.” As Shadow André creept closer, the real André could see a hunger in his golden glowing eyes. Did this thing want to eat him? That disturbed him greatly... And what did he mean by being free? Did he mean to take his place after eating him? André knew he couldn't let that happen. But was he going to do? He didn't have weapons. Even if he did, fighting wasn't exactly his forte. Not to mention this thing didn't seem phased by anything André said,

As André struggled to figure out what to do or say next, he heard a soft voice inside his head that was not his own. You aren't alone, call on me and we will face this together! He won't be able to handle us.

It was reassuring to know he wasn't alone with that dark doppelganger, but he couldn't see anyone else. Who was it that was speaking, and how was he supposed to call him if he didn't even know his name. And then... one word just popped into his head. Seeing no other alternative, André spoke the name. "Narcissus"

As soon as the word left his lips, André felt a pleasant breeze around him. Then, with a flourish and a bow, a stunningly attractive man appeared by André's side. He had long blonde hair that flowed in the wind he made, and a toned body that was on full display since the only thing covering him was a long maroon colored silk sash around his waist. There were also yellow flowers growing where his feet should be, as well as on top of his head, but they only added to his beauty. "Oh là là là là!" André exclaimed, in awe of this strange man's beauty.

Narcissus wasn't done yet. He extended his arm, and summoned a strong gust of wind at the approaching shadow.

"Ha! It looks like you were wrong, monstre! I am not alone after all!" André smirked. "If you are truly a part of me as you say, then you cannot get rid of me either."

 

[TheSequelReturns]

~ Cassandra Winter ~
- ??? -


The Shadow tilts her head, thinking for a moment with a ponderous expression. Cassandra knew that expression. It was hers. She'd seen that face a hundred times in photos of herself. It was the face she made when she was just a single move away from cornering her opponent and waiting for them to make that last fatal move. And then?

Checkmate.

“You know, you aren’t very good at stalling and you won’t find your way out of this." Right. She wasn't very good at stalling. Stalling required you to improvise a plan on the spot. To read things in real time and react instantly. That wasn't her style. She needed time to plan. Time to prepare. Time to analyze. But... how did the other her know that? She said it with such certainty. Was that... thing inside her head?

"Though," the Shadow continued, "I do have a good riddle for you so let’s start with that. What is always with you and never leaves, a part of you but never seen, something that has always belonged to you, even if you’ve only just met?” Shadow Cassandra held a finger up and wagged it back and forth like a metronome, an impatient glare on her face.

That gesture was familiar too. That smug grin. That wagging finger. How many times had she unleashed that combo on her younger siblings? Was this what it was like on the other end? No, probably not. She didn't have an impossibly sinister glow in her eyes. She didn't have colorless skin or a strange warble in her voice.

But... she wasn't expecting an actual riddle.

“Answer quickly, but no pressure. I’ll only kill you faster if you don’t get it right.” her Shadow taunted. Still, her finger kept wagging. Like a perfect metronome. Too perfect. It was like watching a machine. A machine that was counting down to her death. Only Cassandra couldn't see the numbers.

Think. Think. Think. The Shadow just sat there, watching. Taunting. She had to come up with an answer.

What is always with you and never leaves? A lot of things. A name. A birthday. A fingerprint maybe. She needed more. A part of you but never seen? Similar. Could still be a name. A heart maybe? A soul? Something that has always belonged to you, even if you've only just met? Just met? You can't meet a name. Or a heart. Or a date. And how can you meet something that is never seen?

Cassandra stared back at the other her with a growing desperation. Time was running out. The other her had said to answer quickly. Time to flip her thinking. What was a part of her, unseen, belonged to her, and something you could meet. In other words, an immutable part of her unseen self. That she could meet. But to meet an aspect of herself would require something supernatural to...

She took one look at the impossible place she was in, the impossible figure before her, and knew what she would risk her guess on.

"Is it you?" Cassandra asked the Shadow. "My answer, is you."

 

[Vern]

Morgan Valentine
The Moon
Morgan and Sofiya’s Dorm Room


Morgan let out a soft yelp of surprise as her roommate sprung upwards, yelling something about being hot. She hastily backed away as Sofiya jumped out of bed and ran over to the window, and let out a yell: “Ah! Morrey, someone’s in trouble!”

Despite the ridiculousness of the nickname her roommate had chosen, Morgan felt the colour drain from her face a little. Either the dream was far too realistic… or she wasn’t dreaming, and there really were dark shadows prancing around the courtyard. “Hey, Sofiya —”

Before she could finish her sentence, the girl reached into her trunk and pulled out a military knife before jumping out the window to help the woman there fight off the shadows. “Wait here, I’ll be right back! Don't do anything I wouldn't do, and definitely don't do anything I would do!”

Morgan remained standing there for a while, and then shook her head, quickly putting on her gloves and sneakers. She probably wouldn’t be much help, but she couldn’t just sit around — not when people were being attacked, and her roommate was out there fighting monstrous creatures with a knife. She had to help, somehow. She couldn’t just be a dead weight, to be left behind and protected. Not when she’d been a burden for all her life.

Maybe if she could get her hands on a weapon of some sort, like her bow… but the storage room where the archery team kept their equipment was far away, and she didn’t have the key. But still, she had to do something — What would Hope do?

The question stopped her dead for a moment, then she shook her head and turned around — only to come face to face with… herself.

It was leaning against the frame of the open door, a shadow, a colourless ghost — it looked like her, but at the same time, it did not. Its eyes shone in a piercing gold, and those patterns — those creeping, disgusting patches of discoloured skin that crawled on her body, no longer hidden by long sleeves — glowed as well. Its eyes looked at her, through her, like it could see deep into her soul.

“Well Morgan, look at that.” It said, and its voice was hers, but also not, “Your new friend has already abandoned you. Looks like you weren’t good enough for her, and it’s only the first day of school.”

“I — You don’t have to tell me that.” She stammers, taking a step back, the rest of her sentence dying in her throat. That’s how it is all the time, after all. But you’re wrong about one thing — I can’t say we really were friends to begin with.

“You made me come out here to get you myself. That’s not very considerate of you.” Her shadowy self continues, her expression shifting from a knowing smirk to an almost vicious grin, “Now, you could make it up to me by giving up and letting me kill you quickly. Then you could join your dear, dead sister.”

Morgan blinked in surprise as her shadow self begins walking almost lazily towards her, the violent — murderous — gleam in its eyes now accompanied by an ominous trail of smoke.

What is this… can’t you at least… let me know what’s going on? She thought to herself, suddenly overcome by a strange sort of despair. Is this it? Am I going to die here? Without even knowing why?

Her shadow self suddenly seemed to speed up, and Morgan found her fear overcome by desperation. She couldn’t die here. With Hope gone, if she were to go too… her parents. The rest of her family. Everyone who had ever loved her sister — they would be left with nothing. Even if she herself was only a pale imitation, a bad actress, and a hollow fake, she was still something, wasn’t she? She was at least better than nothing, wasn’t she?

Well, maybe not. Maybe she wasn’t. But even so… “— I don’t want to die.”

The shadow sneered. “What as that?”

Mustering up her courage, Morgan whirled around and latched onto a jacket she'd left lying at the foot of her bed, throwing it at the shadow's face in a desperate attempt to stall it for even a moment. Without looking back, she sprinted the few short steps to the window and swung herself over the ledge. If Sofiya could make her way down there from that route — then surely, there was the possibility she could too.

 

[InnerFlame]

Jamie Austin Moore
The Emperor
Courtyard (It seems)

The smaller girl curses, out loud letting Jamie know the for certain that the persona was something she should have gotten before coming. But even if that was the case, Jamie simply couldn't see someone that needed help and ignore it. An interesting phrase left her mouth about a Shadow Self. Before she could ask another girl came dashing in, knife in hand. It is another quite small girl. Not only that she was positive this one was in a class with her. She was being extra friendly to everyone. After newly arriving on the scene she threatens them and stumbles over her words in a single statement. Jamie wonders if she would be ok...

“Well, well, well, isn’t this a party? Why wasn’t I invited?” A voice echo in the courtyard. It was startling and strange since it was her voice but it wasn't Jamie talking. The blonde turned to meet a similar height, physique, and hairstyle move into the moonlight. Not only that, her face perfectly resembles her own. The biggest difference is the lack of color, a dark shadowy body and a pair of glowing gold eyes locked on her. Could this what the curly-hair girl was talking about, a shadow self?

“Since when have we needed others to fight our battles for us? You’re pathetic, weak. Even with these people helping you, it won’t be a difficult fight for me. Come on then, let’s make me look good as I pound you into the ground.” This doppelganger taunts her, beckons her, and challenges her; with a smirk. This shadow has her confident face down. Jamie attention is on this lookalike forgetting the monsters that she was just fighting. Her atmosphere and body language became standoffish, defensive, and defiant. She didn't need anyone's help. She... never needed anyone 's help. She stands on her own just fine and fights using her own strength. She is strong... She is strong and she wasn't going to lose to this shadow self. Suddenly Jamie was being pulled closer to the grayscale version of herself in a more isolated location.

“Alright, go fight her carefully, she looks strong. Also words work better ‘n weapons with those ones. When you hear the voice inside yer head, listen to it. Take this,” After saying that, she held out one of the swords that she was using to fight the other demons. “Yer Shadow looks nasty, but don’t kill it. Bad things happen when ya kill ‘em.” Jamie heard her message fully even though her focus remained in the same place toward that resembles of herself. Strong, and undeterred eyes locked on to the opponent in front of her.

"No thanks," Jamie refuse taking the sword from the curly-haired girl. She glances down at her with a confident look. There is no fear in her body language and no hesitation in her voice. Just overwhelming air of determination to face what's in front of her. "I prefer using my own hands and feet as weapons. Thanks for the advice."

After expressing a bit of gratitude, she walks in deeper toward her dark doppelganger. Alone and without assistance, like always. Jamie never had someone to watch her back, she solves her problems alone using her own will and methods. Stopping outside of a typical fighting range. Jamie stares fearlessly into the golden eyes of her grayscale double.

"Don't worry about those girls over there, I will be your solo opponent." Jamie throws out her own challenge, "So, shall we see who truly is the weak and pathetic one between us?"

 

[Schade]

Eirik Sollien
Devil Arcana
That place, you know the one

Reading the letter laying on the desk in front of him, it looked like one of those very basic acceptance letters into that one fancy school you really didn't want to apply to but was forced to by your parents. Speaking of hidden talents, achieving ones full potential and all that kind of jazz. Despite the letter having his name on it though, the letter itself claimed to not know who he was. It also gave vague directions to find some woman with glasses if he wanted to learn more. Well no, he didn't want to learn more, he wanted to go to bed, he had early classes tomorrow! Alas, it would seem life had different plans in store for him, as a clicking sound, revealing a door appeared. Yup, appeared.

Walking in the door, he was presented with some sort of strange hallway. There were rooms on either side, though the layout reminded him more of a labyrinth that anything else. He had had this dream before now that he thought about it. However, the Hamburglar was hiding behind every other corner that time while Eirik was armed with a bottle of Ketchup, and none of that seemed to be happening now. It was an eerie atmosphere, and on several occasions he pinched himself in the arm, his cheek and rubbed his eyes more than his sister during pollen season. But nope. This all seemed real. Either that or he was so fast asleep nothing would work. Was he dead? Is this was afterlife is? He could see just fine, even despite the total lack of any actual light sources, and while there were no signs indicating where led where, he somehow knew where to go. Oh please don't let there be a light in the end of this tunnel.

To his partial surprise and relief, there was no light in the end of th tunnel. This was the end of the tunnel, right? How long had he been here now? Nothing indicated that the tunnel would stop, besides the figure now standing in front of him. At first it was like looking into a funhouse mirror. A slightly scary one, but still. He was Eirik all right. Same height, build, clothing, hair and everything. Except he looked more lik he was taken out of a film noire, as he was completely black and white. Like one of those old polaroid photos. Only exception to this was his eerie golden eyes, which seemed to have a weak pulsating glow to them. This one also had a slightly off-putting grin to him, making Eirik realize why he ever smile so much, that's just creepy. “Eirik! So good to see you! I’ve been so lonely, but now you’re here. Even if you are breaking school rules by leaving the dorms after midnight. Who cares about the rules?” it sopke. He spoke? This clone is not going to be offended by the use of wrong pronouncs, would it?

So besides stating the obvious, this thing hadn't really given him much to work with. It didn't seem like it knew the way out of this place, or even if it did, it was not telling. It spoke with a certain arrogance too, as if it was toying with him, it was creepy. “But we love being lonely, don’t we? Push people away, can’t trust them. You can't trust anyone, Eirik. Heh, I would say you could trust me, but we both know I would be lying. I'm going to rip you to pieces and no one will ever care.” it then spoke, before slamming a fist in the wall, making very visible cracks. Well, Eirik was not that strong, and quite frankly, this power display was very unsettling, to say the least.It was also strange how he taunted Eirik about being alone as if that was a bad thing. Sure he wanted to make friends, but he wouldn't focus his entire character plotline for it.

The hallway went dead silent, as if the thing was waiting for Eirik to mov. Its grin was widening ever so slowly, and it ooked like some sort of feral cat about to jump at the tniest sign of movement. Eirik was standing completely still, rapidly repeating the word "****" in his head as if that would somehoe form into a full sentence with any idea on how to escape this situation.

 

[Skillfulness]

|~ André Bellamy ~|
'~ Location: ??? ~'

“Ha! It looks like you were wrong, monstre! I am not alone after all! If you are truly a part of me as you say, then you cannot get rid of me either." Narcissus standing by your side fills you with confidence, but your Shadow self simply smiles in the face of your new ally.

“Hmph, it seems like I am just wasting my time now, but I will consider the progress we have made today worth it,” he says playfully, “Think on what we talked about tonight, mon coeur. If you slip up, I may have to make another visit. Not that I mind the view.” Shadow André winks at you and steps backwards.

“Now go, help your petits amis.” After saying this, his body seems to melt. He rapidly falls into the floor until nothing is left but a dark spot that fades away.

From behind, you hear a click for a third time tonight. The door has unlocked and opened itself, leading back into your dorm room. The hallway in front of you remains present though and the man beside you does not vanish like your Shadow.

|~ Cassandra Winter ~|
'~ Location: ??? ~'

“Is it you? My answer, is you.” As you say this, your Shadow self looks disappointed for a second. She then waves her hand and scoffs.

“Lucky guess. Since you were technically correct though, I guess I’ll let you live a little longer. I’ll pull your limbs off one at a time instead. We can enjoy each others company as you bleed out on the floor. Looks like you still lose. Say hello to mother, won't you?” It doesn’t seem like Shadow Cassandra is interested in talking anymore. She begins taking eager steps in your direction. As she gets closer, eyes glowing and body smoking, a voice rings out in your head.

We must strike down this foe. Call out and bring me forth so we can make things right.

|~ Morgan Valentine ~|
'~ Location: Courtyard ~'

“— I don’t want to die.”

“What was that?” The thing that looks like you seems confused for a second. Either she didn’t hear you, or she did and was surprised by what you said. You take the chance, distract her, and jump out the short window. Unfortunately, you only get a few steps outside towards the courtyard before your legs are knocked out from under you and you hit the ground hard. The creepy copy was quick and tackled your feet before you could get very far. She rolls and uprights herself in a smooth motion.

“How dare you, you sniveling nobody. Did you think you could just run away from me?” Shadow Morgan is looming over you with a look of pure rage on her face. She gives a strong kick to your side and begins walking around you.

“You’re a fake, inadequate. You’ll never be good enough and you know.” She stops and takes a breath, calming herself and standing taller over your form on the ground. “And that is why I will kill you. I can do such a better job of living your life. Now, will you give up willingly or will you show some pathetic attempt at resistance?”

Her gaze is cold and furious at the same time. Despite the terrifying, glowing eyes that glare down on you, a clear voice rings out in your head. Two voices...

Heh heh, let me shred it to pieces- -Please, call out for me, I can help you.

|~ Jamie Moore ~|
'~ Location: Courtyard ~'

“Don't worry about those girls over there, I will be your solo opponent. So, shall we see who truly is the weak and pathetic one between us?” You say so fearlessly as you stand against your doppelganger. Shadow Jaime smirks in return and lifts her chin.

“Just how I like it, let’s have a fight.” The two of you spar intensely. Your Shadow self is fast and powerful. Even when you get a hit in, she barely flinches before coming back at you. Her hits are relentless, but it feels as if she’s holding back. She has a permanent smug look on her face as she dodges and delivers hits. You’re starting to lose and she can tell. She begins taunting you.

“Have you always been this slow?” A hit to your jaw. “I knew I was stronger, but this is just too easy.” A jab to your midsection, knocking the air out of your chest for a second. She laughs, clearly enjoying herself. “I am obviously the superior part of you!” She shouts the last part while delivering a kick that knocks you on your back. Quickly, Shadow Jaime jumps over and holds you down with her foot on your chest.

“Any last words?” Her grin widens as she reaches for your neck. You hear the woman from earlier say something, but there’s another voice. You hear it in your mind and feel like you know what to do.

We cannot back down! Call me forth and follow my lead so we can win the fight.

|~ Sofiya Ignatova ~|
'~ Location: Courtyard ~'

A door manifests on the side of the school building and immediately bursts open. A girl emerges, jumping joyfully with arms spread wide to announce her presence. The enthusiasm and body language are familiar to you. She also looks familiar to you. Her face is a face you see in the mirror, your face, if the mirror made you look grey with gold eyes. But mirrors aren’t supposed to do that and this is no reflection.

“Looks like I’m late, but I was just doing that so no one else was later than me and that they didn’t feel embarrassed. I’m just a good friend like that.” She looks just overjoyed, unnaturally so. Her smile reaches her eyes and just seems to keep going, giving her a manic look. A look that never leaves you.

“Are you a good friend, Sofiya? I don’t mean to be mean, but I really don't think you are. You just abandoned your new roommate and everything! That’s just a terrible thing to do and I think you should die for that. And I really want to kill you. I’ll try to make sure you’re happy when you die. I know I will be.” She begins running at you and giggling like a gleeful child.

|~ Kat Dyson ~|
'~ Location: Courtyard ~'

Kat shrugs as the girl refutes her offer. She hopes her advice was good enough for her to get through the process. Memories of facing down her own Shadow begin to surface and she remembers the strong fear she felt. She looks across the still present group of Shadows and sees Nyx firing off arrows while chattering away. Meeting her for the first time had been such a joy and Kat smiles at the much happier memory.

“Good luck,” she mutters to the girl who turns away to fight her own Shadow. Kat in turn dashes towards the crowd of minor Shadows and begins slashing. She first targets the ones Nyx hit, being either slowed, poisoned, or otherwise disabled. Most of them fall quickly, her sword cutting through easily, and she puts her training to use. Keeping track of her footwork, she deflects and attacks, always looking out for the two students in the courtyard. For a moment, things are going well, but then she turns to see the Shadow winning the fight against the taller girl. She’s lying on the ground as her Shadow is leaned over her. The fear Kat remembers bubbles back up to the surface.

“No! Yer Persona! C’mon, you can do it!” Kat starts heading towards her, but a Shadow gets in her way. Then another. She feels desperate and helpless, especially when she hears a door slam and sees the Shadow of the second girl.

“Nyx, protect her. Damn it!” Kat tries fighting through the Shadows again, but there are just as many as when she first started, multiplied by her own negative feelings. She thought she could handle this. It was only two people and a few Shadows, but her and Nyx are getting overwhelmed.

~Well, isn’t this a pickle? Thought you were so quick on your feet, hm?~ A familiar voice, her own, taunts her. While quiet most days, in moments of true despair, she could still hear her Shadow. It was sickening, hearing her own voice filled with such vitriol.

Shut up you, I’m doin’ the best I can. And I already know what yer gonna say so seriously, stuff it. She focuses on fighting the Shadows, what she was first out here to do. Before the words were even in her head, she knew what it was telling her.

~You’re still doing things without considering the consequences. And here I had thought you were all grown up. Are you giving me another chance?~ Kat sighed and, again, focused on her fight. As right as her Shadow was, she knew that listening to it was a mistake. If anything, it was a good reminder she still had to work on improving herself and here was the perfect chance. Looking once more to Nyx, her companion and sometimes her better half, Kat was invigorated and began to take down more Shadows. Their numbers thinned, and less were showing up from dark pools in the ground. She desperately wanted to check on the students and their own fights, but doing so would only spread her attention and set her back again. Soon enough she was down to barely five Shadows and took a moment to reorient herself. She spared a glance at the others to see how their fights were progressing.

POST ADDITION

|~ Eirik Sollien ~|
'~ Location: ??? ~'

“What's this Eirik, no sassy comeback? Is your barbed tongue stuck? This isn't a dream. I’m as real as you are, heh.” He punches the wall again and twitches. Shadow Eirik acts erratically as he walks towards you, stumbling every few steps and waving his arms wildly. His voice comes out a little cracked, as if he hasn’t spoken in a long time.

“I know how badly you want to be friends with people, but you're terrible at it. How can they be friends with you if you never talk about yourself? Being rude doesn’t help either. You think being stoic and a loner will make you friends, but it won’t. You can’t have it both ways, I know.” He runs his hands through his hair a few times. His behavior is unsettling, like a caged animal. His eyes actually dart all over the room as he speaks, as if he’s distracted.

“Look, I haven't had friends for a while now, why don’t you give me a chance to be free? I'm sure I'll do a much better job, just let me kill you and it'll all be over.” He actually seems desperate, but you also feel like giving this thing what it wants would not end well. First of all he is threatening your life, but he also gives off a sense of darkness, almost evil. Behind the desperation you can tell he would actually enjoy killing you and wouldn’t hesitate to harm other people too. As you wonder what to do next, you hear a strange voice in your head.

This scrap is hardly worth the fight. Call forth my presence and we'll take care of this mess.

 

[Vern]

Morgan Valentine
The Moon
Courtyard

Before Morgan could get any further something locked onto her legs, and brought her crashing down painfully into the ground. Wincing, she rolled into her back and attempted to get up, but to no avail. Something was on top of her, pinning her down.

“How dare you, you sniveling nobody.” Her shadow said, pulling itself off of her and standing to loom over her prone form, it’s eyes filled with hateful rage, “Did you think you could just run away from me?”

“I — “ Before she could finish her sentence, the shadow kicked her in the ribs and sent her crashing down onto the ground again, gasping for breath.

“You’re a fake. Inadequate. You’ll never be good enough and you know.” The shadows voice shifted from anger to a strange sort of calm, “And that is why I will kill you.”

Morgan blinked in surprise, lowering the arms she’d instinctively held up to protect herself. Somehow, despite its words, it seemed like it had more to say.

“I can do such a better job at living your life.” It continued. The rage and frustration in the Shadow’s voice seemed to cut at her flesh as she lay on the ground, confused and scared and aching from the fall. What had she done wrong? She had never been good enough, and she knew that, but at least... I tried my best, didn’t I? Surely that’s good enough for — no, I guess it’s not.

The shadow continued to glower at her, those disgusting, glowing patterns leaving golden trails of faint light as it moved. “Now, will you give up willingly, or will you show some pathetic attempt at resistance?”

Heh, heh, let me shred it to pieces~

The first voice in her head is gleeful and manic, springing out from the same wounds the shadow’s words had gouged in her mind.

Please, call out to me, I can help you.

The second voice is gentle, caring, but also a little unsure of itself. It springs out from inside the first, it’s softness merging with the sharpness of the other.

And then a word — no, three — came swimming out of the darkness, imprinting themselves far too clearly on her mind.

As the shadow loomed over her, having taken an abnormally long time to prepare to strike her down, she whispers the name: “Jekyll and Hyde.”

I’m sorry, child. The second voice said, sounding almost sad, before it was drowned out by the manic laughter of the first — it’s about time you let me out, Henry. How about I show it to you once more? Your TRUE self.

The figure of a large, vaguely inhuman man seemed to materialise out of nothing behind her, laughing as it slashed viciously at the shadow with long fingers and nails that looked like talons. It’s face was too pale and it’s mouth and teeth too triangular, it’s wild black hair dancing in the air as it’s red eyes glowed with a light just as vicious as the shadow’s.

It feels good, doesn’t it, Morgan? The figure laughed. Lashing out, finally. You’ve been waiting for this.

And then the man’s features seemed to shift, becoming a little more human, and a little less crazed. It leant protectively over her as it placed itself between her and the shadow, which had jumped back to avoid the attacks.

Morgan pulled herself up from the ground, allowing the... thing to shield her. She faced the shadow from behind it, scared and confused, the sounds of other battles ringing in the back of her head as the others in the courtyard faced down their own demons. But even though she wanted to help them, something about her shadow’s eyes made it impossible for her to look away.

“I’m sorry.” She said weakly, forcing herself to continue staring into her shadow’s golden eyes, “For you to hate me so much... I must have done something unforgivable.”

It’s all right. The softer voice said, comforting, empathetic, It’s all right.

Hell yes you did. The harsher one laughed, Now embrace it. You are evil, and that is to be relished.

“But... I can’t let you kill me.” She said, “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid.”

Don’t be afraid. The softer voice said. I’ll be here for you.

We will. The harsher one corrected it.

“I know I’m inadequate, and a failure, but I’ll try to fix things. I’ll try to make it up to you.” She said, “So please... tell me how.”

 

[Schade]

Eirik Sollien
Devil Arcana
Somewhere in Detriot? Dunno...

“What's this Eirik, no sassy comeback? Is your barbed tongue stuck? This isn't a dream. I’m as real as you are, heh.”, the twisted figure said as it forced its way onward. It seemed... out of place? Ironically so, considering where they were. Where even were they? This was obviously not the hallways of the dorm, and if it was, Eirik would have to write a very angry letter to the school after he got out of this..

After he got out of this. The thing said it was real, but if it was would he still be able to do... This? Mimicking the things approach, Eirik found a certain confidence. Wait, was it confidence? It was something at least. Whatever would help him. As the creature before him, Eirik himself was getting to the point of desperation. If this was, in fact, real, he would need some sort of advantage, And the creature said so itself, No snarky comebacks? That wasn't like him. He took a deep breath, and chuckled. This was going to end badly for one of them, this he was certain of.

“I know how badly you want to be friends with people, but you're terrible at it. How can they be friends with you if you never talk about yourself? Being rude doesn’t help either. You think being stoic and a loner will make you friends, but it won’t. You can’t have it both ways, I know.”, the creature said, making gestures Eirik himself would, yet not. His seemed... Off. The words stung, there was a truth to them. but so what? When did loneliness kill somebody? Until it manifested as a shadowy evil and threatened to literally actually kill you. It was very difficult not to succumb to the inner voice telling him to "YEET TF OUTTA THERE BOY TF ARE YOU WAITING FOR RUN NOW", you know the ones, the kinds of voices always kinda knowing the answers to your issues. But nooo, you just had to get yourself into this situation, and when some sort of evil entity is talking smack, evil entity is gonna get it.

“Look, I haven't had friends for a while now, why don’t you give me a chance to be free? I'm sure I'll do a much better job, just let me kill you and it'll all be over.” it said. It looked like a drug addict going through some serious withdrawals. It was sad and honestly very scary. This thing meant business. but if smack-talking was its way of getting its due, maybe smack-talking was how to beat it? Worth a shot. However, Eirik was going to try something he had noticed his supposedly evil clone had not done already.

Faking a surprisingly convincing attitude, Eirik started talking. "Hva vet vel du? Om du påstår å være en version av meg, burde du først forstå hvordan jeg, hvordan vi fungerer, Du trenger venner? Kanskje se deg om et annet sted? Fordi i motsetning til deg, klarer jeg meg fint uten venner. Ja visst, jeg har lyst til å skape vennskaper her på skolen, men det er ikke en prioritet, det er ikke en drivkraft for meg, og hvis du er så desperat, prøv et annet sted, for fu kommer aldri til å klare å beseire meg!", his voicegot progressively louder as he exclaimed his feelings on the matter. It felt good not doing so to a mirror for once, and it was obvious on the fake's face it was surprised by this outburst. This felt good. This felt right.

This scrap is hardly worth the fight. Call forth my presence and we'll take care of this mess. a voice spoke from somewhere. It was calm, serene, as confident as Eirik had faked being just mere moments ago. Had he heard this voice before? A vision flashed before his eyes. Beautiful, dark, Kinda messed up to be honest. Eiriks pulse calmed down as a new warmth bloomed within him. This was nothing. He'd make it out of here, no problem. He couldn't really put his finger on why, nor how. Whoever, or whatever this new voice was, it gave him the confidence he needed.

The creature staggered for a short moment, taken aback by this development. Seeing the glimmer of weakness in his adversary, Eirik grinned, matching the creatures evil grin from earlier, before he spoke but one word: "Fire"

As soon as he spoke, a new glimmer of light appeared between him and the creature. It was weak at first, resembling a candlelight more than anything. However, before long, it developed and grew in size, and as the flame grew higher, a dark figure appeared within it. As the flames dispatched, a pair of pitch black wings spread, as another creature entered the verbal battlefield. This one was different, supernatural, wrong. A nude being of sickly grey sin appeared, donning the feminine body of a female, partially nude except a dark red sash donning intricate symbols Eirik didn't understand. A bright red flame burned with the intensity of a dying creatures desperate wish to live, decorating the black horns that donned the creatures head. Her head was a goat. Plain and simple. A goats head with blood-red eyes. She was sitting cross-legged, yet levitated a few feet off the ground even without moving her wings.

"What the..." Eirik and his hellish counterpart said in unison. Baphomet's eyes glowed brightly as flames surrounded Eiriks doppelganger before engulfing him completely. He screamed. Apparently flames affected him. Strange. Eirik kept his posture, even though it was very difficult for him not to cover in fear. While this creature seemed to be on his side for now, there was no telling what might happened next. Eirik regained his confidence, and decided to speak once more.

"Well, they do say you find friends in even the most unlikely of places. Looks like I'm not alone after all. We're not alone after all." he spoke. The flames grew higher. It took a lot for Eirik to not crumble under the shrieks of agony his counterpart was suffering right now. "You tried. you tried bringing me down like this. But unlike me, you failed. I don't do failiure. I set my goal and i see it through, no matter the costs. Anyone opposing me shall burn". He said with a confident genuine grin. this was exciting and somewhat revolutionary for him. He had been so self-conscious about his loneliness lately, with moving to a new country and all, but it was not that bad. Loneliness doesn't need to be an enemy. Loneliness can be a worthy companion, a trusted ally and mos of all; a part of you you needen't be ashamed of. While Eirik feared his counterpart might somehow get back up, he felt secure now. In himself, in his trust to both himself and this new scary creature aiding him. Good boy. I am so proud of you. the satanic creature spoke to him. Now, let's scorch this creature. Together.