Persona: Dark Dreams (IC)

[Amaril]

Persona: Dark Dreams

Sunday, August 31, 2016
8:57 PM

The lights are down in the cabin of your airplane. Besides the low, dull roar of the wind rushing past outside, things are quiet--most of the passengers are either asleep or afraid to disturb those who are. Outside the window next to your cramped economy-class seat, the sky is dark, clouds reflecting the light of the crisp half moon above and blocking your view of the ground below.

Bing. Above your head, the orange seatbelt light flicks on as the chiming announcing an intercom message sounds through the cabin, followed a second later by the pilot's pleasant voice. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are now turning the seatbelt sign back on, as we are beginning our descent into the Greenbank area. Please return to your seats and ensure your seatbelts are securely fastened. We should be landing in just about twenty minutes. Thank you." With a soft click, the speaker switches off.

All of a sudden, as the plane begins to slowly drop, you feel your eyelids growing heavy, your head involuntarily starting to nod. Then, as though someone has simply flipped a switch, the feeling is gone--and your surroundings are different.

You're still on a plane...but it's not the same plane.

The cabin is empty but for your own seat, a long table bearing a blue velvet cloth before you, and directly across it, a sofa, upholstered with the same material. The floor is carpeted, also blue. The walls are hung with blue curtains; out of the corner of your eye, you can see windows spaced along both sides, through which nothing is visible except thick grey fog. Upon the sofa are seated two people. In the center sits an elderly man, his black suit the only break in the cabin's color scheme, with a fringe of white hair, eyes that look too large and round, and a cartoonishly long, pointed nose. At his left hand is a woman in a blue coat, her age impossible to tell, with long silver-blonde hair swept over her shoulder and golden eyes that watch you impassively.

The man regards you with obvious amusement over tented fingers as he speaks. You would expect a croak, but his voice is surprisingly melodious.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

OST: Aria of Everyone's Souls (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHxVo-WA9nA)

He chuckles and leans back in his seat. "My, my...it's been far too long since we've had a guest. And with such a fascinating destiny, as well." He inclines his head to you. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Igor; I am the proprietor of this place. Might I ask your name, young man?"

[NeoSeraphi]

For my own mental image, is the woman with Igor Margaret or Elizabeth?

Stark blinks in surprise as the world around him dissolves. A dream? He sees the long nose and winces. More like a nightmare.

"My name? It's...Stark," he mutters after a moment, his head swimming with disorientation. His gaze shifts to the woman, as he tries to discern the pair's intent.

[Amaril]

"Stark..." Igor is silent for a long moment, appearing to consider your introduction with great solemnity. Finally, he nods. "Well then, Stark, the pleasure of our meeting is mine." As he keeps talking, you notice something else about him--his ears are pointed, like some sort of elf's.
At his side, the blue-garbed woman clears her throat pointedly, the first sign of movement you've seen from her. Igor starts slightly, then chuckles again. "Ah, yes, of course, I nearly neglected to introduce my assistant. This is Margaret. She is a resident of this place, like myself."
Margaret gives you a nod of her own, more curt than Igor's. "It is a pleasure to have you as our guest, Mr. Stark."
Igor leans forward in his seat again, studying you. "I am sure you must have many questions. Allow me to put any fears you may have to rest--you are still on your journey, safe and sound, and have merely fallen asleep. This is a place that exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a place that only those who are bound by a Contract, or will become so in the near future, may enter." Something in the way he pronounces Contract gives you the impression it should be capitalized. "If you have come here, then you must have an important destiny ahead of you. My role is to provide assistance to people like yourself, to ensure that everything proceeds as it is meant to."
He pauses again, another amused smile spreading across his face. "Do you believe in fortune-telling, Stark?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark stares at Igor like he's lost it. "Whoa now, hold on! I never agreed to any Contract! ...Well, okay maybe I didn't read my last iTunes update all that closely but I definitely didn't sign up for anything like this!"

When Igor asks about fortune telling, Stark calms down for a moment. She had been really into occult stuff like that. "Belief has nothing to do with it. Fortune-telling is a combination of reading a person's body language and using intentionally vague language. Then the recipient applies what they hear however they want. It's beneficial only in that it draws our attention to our problems."

[Amaril]

Igor looks gravely back at you. "Your confusion is understandable. Perhaps you have not yet entered into the Contract that has brought you here. Nonetheless, your presence is a sure indication that you will do so, in time." His expression softens. "There is no need to worry. As I said, my role is to provide you with the assistance you will require to preserve your future, and I give you my word that I shall abide by that."
At your response to his question, he practically grins. "I see. From the sound of it, you are a man of reason--you refuse to trust what you cannot know and explain. That may serve you well, in pursuing your fate." He quirks an eyebrow. "So, if you believe divination to be mere fraud, surely there can be no harm in allowing me to attempt to read your future? If it is as you say, my findings will be meaningless, and will affect you in no way whatsoever."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark frowns. "See, now I know you're not listening to me. I didn't say it was a fraud. People who read fortunes are genuinely helping others. It's just by giving them the push to help themselves, not with any actual relevant information. But sure. Knock yourself out."

[Amaril]

Igor nods respectfully. "Of course. My mistake." Suddenly, he has a deck of cards in his hand--you didn't see him retrieve it from anywhere. He holds out the cards on his palm, and, with a flutter, they float into the air, apparently by themselves, and down to the velvet-covered surface of the table, where they begin efficiently shuffling.
"Every tarot reading is done with the same cards, yet the result is always different" Igor remarks as he supervises the process. After a few seconds, he waves his hand over the shuffling cards, and they immediately stop mixing and organize themselves into a neat pile. With another wave, the top four cards of the deck slide off and line up in order next to one another. With the cards lying still, you can now see the art on the back--a mask, one side black, the other white. "Let us see what comes up for you."
"The first card," he says, indicating the one furthest from the deck, "represents what has been." He gestures with his hand again, and the card flips itself over. "Hmm," Igor nods. "The Fool, in the upright position. This card represents a beginning, the start of a journey which may lead to any number of destinations. It would seem that you have recently begun such a journey, and have little idea of what to expect from it."
"The next card," he continues, "represents what is." Another gesture, and the card flips itself. Igor frowns. "The Sun, in the upright position. This is what represents your identity. The Sun signifies hope, wisdom, and understanding, all of which you seem to possess. But be cautious--hope only has meaning when tested by adversity, and greater wisdom is most swiftly gained through suffering. It may be that difficult times await you."
He turns to the third card, this one facing the opposite direction to the previous two. "The next card represents what will be." Flip. "The Moon, in the reversed position. This card in this position represents revealing deception and overcoming fear. It appears that you will soon need to face your fears somehow, and that the path to success will come only when you can conquer them and accept the truth about yourself."
"The final card," he indicates, pointing to the one closest to the deck, once again upright, "represents what may be." The last card flips over. Igor stares down at it worriedly; even Margaret's stony facade appears shaken by the sight of it. "The Tower, in the upright position. This is not a good card...it indicates disaster about to strike. You should be careful, Stark. If this card is appearing in such a way, your actions in the future may lead to calamity. It is fortunate, however, that the Tower has appeared to show what may be, rather than what will be--this means that you may also be able to avert the danger that is coming."
Igor spends another moment looking over the cards, then sighs and gives another wave of his hand, his cheer already seeming to return. The line of cards slides sideways and returns itself to the deck. "Well, that is certainly interesting. Now, unfortunately, we have little time remaining--you are already nearing your destination. But keep in mind what I have told you, and be careful. In the coming days, you will enter into your Contract; I will see you again shortly afterward, and will be able to tell you more about what awaits you." Sliding away from the table, he leans back in his couch and regards you with polite attention. "Have you any other questions before you depart? There is little more I can tell you now, but some small things I may be able to clarify. If I cannot answer, I will say so."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark looks at each card as it's turned over. He thinks for a long moment, absorbing everything that Igor has to say about his future. And that damn Contract...

His eyes raise up to meet the old man's. "Hope. Wisdom. Understanding. I see...Heh. It's funny. She used to say the same thing about me."

The boy reaches into the neckline of his shirt and pulls out a chain necklace. At the end of the chain, a small card has been attached to a clasp. That card...is a Major Arcana tarot card, depicting The Sun. "She gave me this, a while ago. Told me that it fit me to a T. Said that even when I was at fault, I never stopped hoping for a better tomorrow, and that it was almost naive of me to wish things were the way I wanted them to be all the time."

He puts the card away. "You clearly know at least something about me, as well as a few things that I don't. Whatever this Contract of yours is, it sounds like it will be interesting. But if my actions are the ones that will cause this ruin...then I guess the important thing is for me to be responsible for everything I do from now on. I need to look myself in the mirror every day and know what I have done. Acknowledge it. Learn from it. I won't let anything ruin this little vacation of mine, least of all me."

[Amaril]

The smile Igor gives you holds something within it that you haven't seen from him until now: sincerity. "Well-spoken, Stark. If you can keep up that attitude, I have every confidence that things will work out for the best."
The old man is cut off by a sudden chiming sound. Looking for the source, you finally notice another fixture of the room--a clock set into the wall near the roof of the cabin, above what looks like the door to the cockpit. Igor glances over his shoulder at it as it continues to ring, showing nine o'clock. "Ah, it seems we really are out of time. You're about to arrive." Even as he says so, his voice grows increasingly distant, as though heard from underwater, or the other end of a long tunnel. "I have a feeling you will be a most interesting guest, Stark. Until next time, farewell."
As one, Igor and Margaret both incline their heads to you once again, but you hardly notice. Everything is going dark, and your eyelids are so heavy...

9:00 PM

You are awoken from your dream by the sudden brightness of the newly-activated cabin lights. Around you, you hear other sleeping passengers grumble and shuffle in their seats, having received a similar treatment. As often happens after falling asleep only briefly, you can feel a headache beginning to build. The details of your dream are already starting to deteriorate in your memory, but some things stick with you--a man talking about a contract, a card with a sun on it, and lots and lots of blue...

9:27 PM

Greenbank's airport is by no means a large one, and boasts only a handful of baggage claim carousels. Several groups of locals loiter throughout the lobby, swiftly joined by the other passengers who walk beside you as you head down the escalator. Over the buzz of conversation and the clatter of carry-on luggage, you hear a slightly gravelly voice calling out. "Stark! Hey, Stark, this way!"
Roger Frostfell waves over the crowd, aided by his six-foot-four height. Your uncle looks much the same as you remember, salt-and-pepper hair balding only slightly, broad shoulders and obvious brawn counterbalanced by the noticeable hint of a gut he's had for ages, all held in by a crisp blue button-up. At his side stands a teenage boy, looking about your age or slightly younger, gangly, bespectacled, and grinning broadly. Though he's hardly recognizable, there's just enough resemblance to prevent doubt; it's your cousin, Max.
"Hey, good to see you again!" your uncle says cheerfully as you approach, reaching out to shake your hand. "Been a long time."
"No kidding," Max agrees, still grinning. "I don't remember you being this ugly."
Uncle Roger chuckles at his son's joking. "How's everything been? Anything wrong on the flight?"

[NeoSeraphi]

When Stark lands and walks over to the two of them, he gives them a look, hesitating. "Hello, Uncle. My mother wanted me to thank you for your help in her re-election campaign. Your endorsement gave her the edge she needed."

Stark's mother, Carol Frostfell, is a well-respected Senator in the state of Washington, though her stance against the legalization of marijuana for recreational use had caused her poll numbers to drop significantly after the legalization passed. Still, Stark was relieved she had managed to pull through, a lot of the policies she brought up legislation for were sincere and things she really cared about.

Stark hadn't seen his father's younger brother in quite some time, and Roger's son Max was even further away in his memory. Still, they were his family, and they were people that he was going to live with for the next year. Stark shakes Roger's hand and punches Max playfully on the shoulder.

Stark's attention is caught by the sound of an elevator opening. He glances behind him and his eyes widen as he spies a young woman with blonde hair in a blue suit. Was that...?

He tenses up, about to rush to the elevator, but as the passengers clamor out he realizes that she's just a simple elevator attendant, not anyone he knows. Frowning, Stark adjusts his coat and turns around. "Sorry. I'm a little on edge. Can we get going please? I need to lie down..."

[Amaril]

"Well, you can let her know I was happy to help," Roger says with a nod. "And yeah, we do need to get going before it gets later. You two start school tomorrow."
"Did you have to remind me?" Max groans.

OST: Heartbreak, Heartbreak (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3ue1JPFXEU)

Fortunately the bags are already on the carousel, and it only takes a second to retrieve yours. With your luggage safely in hand, Roger leads you through the rest of the airport toward the carpark. Outside of the baggage claim, the building is mostly quiet but for a few security staff. Screens and posters showing an array of ads line the hallways, hawking everything from motor oil to skincare products (the latter endorsed by the usual bikini-clad supermodel).
As you head for the exit, Max turns to you again. "So remind me again, you're starting as a junior, right?"

It's not a Persona game until you have a woman in a bikini advertising a product :smalltongue:

[NeoSeraphi]

Rise! Is Rise in this game? My third P4 waifu after Chie and Naoto!

Stark picks up his luggage, walking slowly as he tries to clear his head. Blue...what was going on with him? Something about a Contract...was there setting wrong with his iTunes agreement like in that one South Park episode?

He shakes his head and blinks as Roger announces he starts school in the morning. "That's pretty quick. There's a whole interview and tour process for our transfer students in the big city. But I guess all Greenbank needed was my transcript and I'm just in? ...Simple. I like simple."

Stark smiles a little. Maybe this vacation was a good idea. Hope. He had to stay positive and look on the bright side of things.

"Hope only has meaning when tested by adversity."

Stark blinks and grabs his head again in pain. What was that? That voice...those words...where had he heard them before?

"A junior...yes."

[Amaril]

"Yeah, I don't know anything about how it works in Seattle, but it wasn't all that complicated here," Roger explains. "We went and got you registered in advance, figured you wouldn't want to have to deal with it."
"Not like they could refuse to let you in, right?" Max adds. "I mean, it's a public school."
His face splits into another excited grin at your answer. "Nice! Seeya there, man! I'm finally a freshman this year." He gives you a playful clap on the shoulder. "I'll put in a good word for you with the ladies." Your uncle struggles to contain his laughter, but Max doesn't appear to notice. Unlocking their car, a dark green Subaru station wagon, with a keyless fob, he helps you hoist your luggage into the trunk. Max's attempt to call shotgun is met with a pointed look from his father, and he cedes the front seat to you.
The town passing by through the windows is visibly dwarfed in scale by a place like Seattle, but also far from a backwater, once you move from the open terrain surrounding the airport back into the urban city center. "We're about forty-five minutes from the airport," uncle Roger clarifies. The relatively short drive takes you past several familiar comforts; you count two Starbucks out the window, and spot the lit up sign of a Junes location. Off in the distance, the darkened silhouettes of the mountains rise from the horizon.
Max keeps up his attempts at conversation as the drive continues. "So hey, I still don't actually know--what are you doing out here, with us? I always thought you'd never leave Seattle." In the drive's seat next to you, you hear your uncle give an embarrassed sigh--it sounds as though this subject wasn't supposed to be brought up.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark frowns. "Mom said that there was a push to cut public school funds after the most recent tax breaks, so she didn't want me going back to an underfunded high school. Lots of political stuff, pretty boring really," he lies, figuring Max was not curious enough to push the subject.

"You guys have a Junes out here? That's pretty impressive. It's a bit smaller than the one back home, but still way more than I was expecting."

He thinks about his friends back home, wondering how they're doing. But he knows he can make new friends here. As for the ladies... He hadn't really paid any attention to the girls his own age after he met Elizabeth. She was mysterious, but that mystery was alluring, and had enraptured his attention while he had known her.

[Amaril]

"Yeah, it's pretty handy," Max agrees. "Even if it's not as big, they've still got, like, everything." He seems tempted to press the issue when you keep silent about your reason for being in Greenbank, but evidently thinks better of it.

10:22 PM

Eventually, the downtown area gives way to well-kept suburb with plenty of greenery. Your uncle pulls up to a single-story house painted white, reaching up to hit the button on the garage door opener. "Alright, we should try and be quiet," he warns you, "Becca's probably already asleep." Roger's wife wasn't with him the last time he came to visit, but you've met her a few times before. "You guys should get to bed right away, so you can get started tomorrow morning. Stark, I'll show you where your room is--it's a little bare-bones, but it should at least be ready to sleep in."
After helping you retrieve your bag again, Roger unlocks the garage door and cautiously pushes it open, flicking on the light in the entrance. Motioning to you, he leads you through the darkened house--a bit cluttered, but with plenty of squishy furniture, and a nice-looking TV visible through the doorway to the living room. Your bedroom is at the back of the house, the door standing ajar. The walls are bare, as your uncle said, but the bed is already made, and a dresser stands ready in the corner. "Bathroom's right across the hall," your uncle says, pointing at the door over his shoulder. "School starts at 8:30, and it's about a ten-minute walk, Max can show you the way. Do you have an alarm you can set on your phone or something?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark nods. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Thanks Uncle Roger. I know it's still a little early but I'm going to go ahead and hit the sack. Got a big day tomorrow. Thanks for letting me stay here. I really appreciate it."

He does a little unpacking, sets an alarm on his phone, and falls asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow.

[Amaril]

Roger favors you with a grin of his own, reminiscent of Max's. "It's our pleasure. Sleep well." Then he departs, closing the door.
As you drift off, you wonder what the future holds. What kind of life awaits you in this city? Perhaps tomorrow will hold answers...

Monday, September 1, 2016
7:45 AM

The shrill beeping of your phone is the first thing you hear. Sunlight filters through the curtains on your window, bright and cheerful. You don't remember dreaming about anything special.
The bathroom is already vacant. The chime of a toaster sounds down the hall to the kitchen as you dress. Heading in, you find Max at the table spreading copious amounts of jam on a nearly-blackened slice. At the counter behind him, your aunt-by-marriage, Rebecca Frostfell, is busy pouring herself cereal. Dressed simply in a yellow-green t-shirt and blue jeans, her dark hair is gathered in a simple bun that keeps it out of her face. She turns to face you as you enter and smiles warmly, immediately putting down the cornflakes and crossing the distance between you. "Stark! It's been too long. How's everything?" She leans in to give you a brief hug as she speaks.
"Jeez, ma," Max chuckles from his seat, "the guy just woke up, give him a minute before you go full mom mode on him."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark quickly fixes his hair as his aunt comes over to grab him, a little embarrassed that he didn't take a moment to clean himself up before leaving his room. "It's nice to see you again as well, Aunt Becca. You have a lovely home. Thank you for letting me stay here." He glances at his watch. Too long of a shower. "Ah hell, I'm going to be late! I'll see you tonight!" He grabs his backpack and darts out the door, rushing to the school grounds.

[Amaril]

Max glances down at his watch and nearly chokes on his toast. "Oh crap, yeah! Hang on a sec!" Abandoning the rest of his food, he rushes to grab his own bag as you head for the door.
"Be careful, guys!" you hear aunt Becca call out behind you as you leave.
A few steps away from the front door, you hear Max run up behind you. "Dude, don't run off like that!" he complains. "Do you even know where the school is?" He beckons as he sets off down the sidewalk. "Come on, I'll show you. That way you can dash off like a lunatic whenever you want after today."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark looks around in confusion. "Where are all the street signs? There should be a sign that says where the school is, and where the police station is, and where the bus station is...what the hell? How do people in this town get around on foot if there's no street signs? And the sidewalk is barely raised off the ground! A car could easily fly off the road and hit someone!"

This is literally all based on how I felt moving from Seattle to a college town in Alabama.

[Amaril]

And it's fantastic. Keep it up, please, this is giving me tons to work with :smallbiggrin:
Max laughs out loud at your confusion. "Welcome to the country, cos! We don' truck wit' no fancy-pants street signs down in these here parts!" His fake hillbilly accent isn't quite the worst you've ever heard, but it ranks in the bottom ten. "Don't worry about it. You'll find your way to everything important soon. And we do have signs for bus stops, at least." He points out such a sign standing next to a worn wooden bench as you pass by. "This isn't one of the touristy parts of town, either. Those places have street signs for everything. You'll know you're in one when all the buildings start being built to look like log cabins and there are bear statues and crap everywhere." He continues to fill you in on the details of Greenbank as you head towards the school.

7:56 AM

As you draw close to the school grounds, you begin to spot other teenagers heading the same way, some alone, others chatting in groups. Finally, you round the corner at the end of a block, and there, just ahead, stands your new high school.
The two-story building is about equal parts brick, concrete, and large, broad windows, and surrounded by a spacious green field with stands of evergreens purposefully dotted here and there. The sidewalk turns through a gap in the chain-link fence and up a gentle slope towards the open front doors, though which other students enter in a steady flow.
Stopping at the entrance, Max turns to face you and throws out his arms as though making a great announcement. "Welcome, Stark Frostfell," he says imperiously, "to Northridge Public High School!"
A pair of passing girls turn to give odd looks. He doesn't appear to notice.

OST: When the Moon's Reaching Out to the Stars (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVcfwg_vXFY)

Max takes another look at his watch as you head through the doors. "Damn, we actually got here early. What a waste of breakfast..." His scowl quickly turns back to cheer. "Well hey, if we've got the time, I might as well start introducing you to people, right?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark scratches his head in confusion. "Introduce me to others? But...you're a freshman. You don't actually know anyone here other than your own grade, right? And I won't see any of them, I'm a junior. I appreciate the enthusiasm, but I think I'd better head to the office and get my schedule while I have the time. Maybe I'll see you at lunch? If we eat at the same time. At my old school, the seniors and juniors ate before the sophomores and freshmen." He gives Max a wave and heads to the office.

Stark enters the front office and pulls out his driver's license. "Hi, I'm a transfer student? My name is Stark Frostfell, can I have my schedule and a map of the school, please?" he asks politely, showing the receptionist or office assistant his license.

[Amaril]

"Well I actually do hang out with a few of the juniors aaand you're already leaving," Max trails off as you turn to leave. "Alright then," he calls after you, "catch you later, cos!"
The frumpy middle-aged woman at the front desk reaches over to accept your license. "Stark Frostfell? Hold on a second..." Letting you keep the card, she types rapidly on her desktop for a few seconds and scans the screen. "Gotcha. Actually, it's a good thing you're here, we were gonna call you down once the first bell rang anyway. You haven't been signed up for electives yet, but I can take care of that for you right now." She clicks over to another page. "Let me see...okay, the classes that still have spaces open are...drama, art, computer programming, psychology, and band. You can take two. What do you want to pick?"
It occurs to you that each class will have different students in it, so choosing one over another may mean you get to meet different people. You may also want to consider what skills each class will develop. Drama could help you become more courageous by forcing you to put yourself out there and learn to be confident as a performer. Studying art might help you become more expressive as you learn to explore and convey your emotions better; conversely, psychology may teach you to better understand those of others. Band would help you develop a diligent work ethic by requiring you to continually practice. And studying computer science sounds like something that requires strong logical skills and great ability to memorize information, and could help you become more knowledgeable.
The secretary looks at you expectantly. What classes will you choose?

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark considers his options for a moment. The best way for him to make new friends would be to get used to being outgoing, and he wanted to be able to show them the real him, too. "Drama and art sound good, ma'am. Thank you." After all, he was going to do lots of studying, so he'd probably have plenty of chances to get smarter.

[Amaril]

The secretary nods. "Sounds good. Unfortunately we don't have any maps of the school, but the room numbering is pretty simple. There's two floors; first floor rooms start with one, second with two. Going in through the front door, 101 will be on your right on the right side of the hall, 102 across from that, and then it alternates, going around counterclockwise. Second floor works the same way, starting at the stairs instead of the door." She pauses as she types for another couple seconds. "Anyway, I've got you on the attendance for both those classes, so just gimme a second and I'll have your schedule ready to go."
A moment later, schedule now in hand, you head back out into the hallway. Just as you step through the door, however, you run straight into another student, who is knocked flat on the floor, bag falling and exploding everywhere.
The girl lying at your feet has long, dark brown hair, pinned up on one side of her head and loose on the other. Her blue eyes match the loose-fitting wool sweater she wears, and are accented by a dusting of freckles across her cheekbones. "Oh God, sorry!" she hastily sputters--you catch just a faint hint of what sounds like an Irish accent. Hardly looking up, she scrambles to her knees and starts collecting her spilled effects.

If you want to make a good first impression, now's the time to try. Test any two of Courage, Expression, and Understanding.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark shakes his head and starts to pick up her things. "You shouldn't apologize when it wasn't your fault. I'm sorry for knocking you over. As an apology, please let me walk you to your first class. It's the least I can do, Miss...?" he trails off, letting her give her name.

Let's try Expression and Understanding here: [roll0] plus [roll1]

[Amaril]

"Kaitlyn Byrnes" the girl replies, smiling gratefully. "And that's awfully sweet of you," she continues, sounding amused, "but doesn't offering your company as repayment imply that your company is something I want?" Her tone makes it clear that she's kidding, and she regards you fondly as she finishes gathering up her things and gets back to her feet.
A second later, though, her expression changes from fondness to curiosity. "Hang on--what's your name?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark smiles and sweeps one hand dramatically beneath his stomach in a low bow. "I am Stark Frostfell. I'm a new student, today is my first day. ...I was only planning to stay in Greenbank for my junior year, but if all the girls here are as pretty as you I might have to extend it to graduation." He flashes her a winning smile.

Courage and Expression to flirt with her? [roll0] plus [roll1]

After that charming little line, Stark changes the subject as they walk down the hall. "So, Kaitlyn, what class do you have for first period?"

[Amaril]

Kaitlyn chuckles. "Okay, now I don't even need to ask. You're definitely Max Frostfell's cousin. He's a friend of mine, he mentioned you'd be coming." She extends her hand to shake. "Welcome to Greenbank. I promise we're not all as annoying as Max can be."
She glances down at her schedule. "I have history first period, with Durant." She pauses, then jokingly bonks herself on the head with the heel of her hand. "Wait, you don't know who Durant is. Derp. He's the best history teacher in this school. It's room 114, if you really want to walk me over there."
By happy coincidence, a look at your own schedule reveals that you have the very same class this period.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark grins and adds that he has the same class with her. He escorts the young lady to room 114 and goes in, finding two empty seats and sitting next to her.

9 on the First Impressions and she's instantly fond of him, but a 10 on Flirtation and she brushes him off? Rough system you got here.

[Amaril]

You don't know that the flirting didn't work. She still seems like she's enjoying your company. Maybe she's just not the type to flirt back aggressively. You'll have to figure this kind of stuff out for yourself.
8:14 AM

Kaitlyn graciously accepts your offer of a spot next to you, gathering up her skirt beneath her as she seats herself behind the desk. The room is still mostly empty, since there are still several minutes left until the period starts; Mr. Durant appears to be nowhere in sight.
"So, I hope I'm not prying," Kaitlyn says slowly, turning in her chair to face you, "but what brings you out here to Greenbank? Max told me you lived in Seattle before, and I can't think of much that's out here that you wouldn't have had there."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark thinks for a moment. "I met someone a while ago. She was very unique. She told me that this world was a large place with all kinds of wonders where you least expect it. So I decided to go out and explore a little bit."

"So, what electives are you taking this semester, Kaitlyn?"

[Amaril]

"How romantic," Kaitlyn says with a little sigh. "Well, I hope you find all the adventure you want here. It's a nice town, once you get settled in a little." She glances back down at her schedule. "I've got drama and psych. How about you?"

8:30 AM

The two of you continue to chat until the harsh ringing of the first period bell interrupts you. By now, almost all the desks in the class are filled. From what you can tell, about half of the other students are grumbling about having history for first period, while the other half are trying to console them by saying that at least it's with Durant.
Barely a second after the bell stops ringing, the door swings open again, and a man who you can only assume is your teacher enters the room. He's of unremarkable height and build and looks to be in his mid-thirties, with that hair color just between light brown and dark blond, rectangular wire-rimmed glasses, and a dark grey trench coat worn over slacks of the same color and a crisp white dress shirt. Stepping confidently up to the whiteboard, he turns to regard the class with a faint smile and an ingratiating presence.
"Good morning, everybody--glad to see you all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed," he starts in, his totally deadpan sarcasm only revealed by the fact that hardly a student in the room doesn't look like they need another several hours of sleep. "For anyone who doesn't know yet, my name is Edwin Durant, your history teacher for the next semester. You're welcome to just call me Mr. D if my surname is beyond you for some reason--or if you just think it sounds cool, which of course it does."
He pauses, inhaling deeply. "History," he announces slowly, "is basically an exercise in divination--sifting through vague and practically meaningless hints to find interpretations we like." He pauses again, apparently expecting some kind of reaction. "No, really," he continues when none is offered, "I'm serious. What's the most common saying about history? That it's written by the victors. That saying refers to how the survivors of a conflict will always bias their retelling of it to build themselves up as the heroes, and after long enough with that being the only existing record, everyone just stops questioning it and takes it as empirical fact. But it absolutely isn't. The reality of how that conflict played out could very well be unrecognizable in comparison. And the same thing happens for other reasons. The world we live in is constantly changing, with the advance of technology and science. Do you know the kind of disconnect that creates between how the people of ancient cultures saw things, and how we see the very same things they did?"
He closes his eyes and bows his head for a few seconds, as if deep in thought, then looks up again, scanning the faces of the class. "Let me see if I can illustrate my point better." His eyes fall on you. "Ah--you're new, aren't you, sir? Perfect, your answer to this will be a complete surprise to me. What's your name?"

[NeoSeraphi]

"Drama and art. I'm glad to have at least one familiar face in one of my other classes. I just got here last night, so I haven't even had time to explore the town yet, let alone make friends."

When Durant calls on him, Stark straightens up violently. The sound of jingling can be heard from his neck as he does so. "Sir! Stark Frostfell, Sir!" he replies with rapt attention.

[Amaril]

From the desks around you, you hear a couple of people snicker, though you're not sure whether it's at your response or just your name. For his part, Durant appears slightly taken aback, but quickly recovers, chuckling. "No need for 'sir', Mr. Frostfell. This isn't a military school." He gives you a steady, searching look. "Now, let me ask you a question. Why, in our society, do we differentiate our writing between fiction and non-fiction? What's the purpose of the distinction?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark rubs the back of his neck. Maybe he had spent a little too much time on his dad's base growing up. "Ah, ahem. Yes Sir."

At his question, Stark blinks in surprise. What, was this a philosophy class now? He gave it some thought. "The purpose of the distinction is to allow an outlet for a writer's creativity without it impacting the authority or weight of someone who actually does research. Without the distinction, books could either be fantasy and science fiction read strictly for pleasure or important works of historical and scientific research that inform the reader. It's all based on the consumer's trust. But there's an economic factor as well, there is a demand for both important research and autobiographies of famous people as well as trashy romance novels and stories about shirtless warriors cutting up dragons with axes. As long as people are willing to pay for it, then publishers will innovate to pander to both markets. That's how the distinction came about, to allow for a separate but equal free market of printed stories."

[Amaril]

"Good answer," Durant nods approvingly, "but see, you've proven my point. You seem to assume that fiction and non-fiction are valuable only in different contexts, for different purposes--at least, I don't hear you questioning that assumption in anything you're saying. But that's very much a modern idea." He returns to addressing the whole class. "Imagine, for a moment, that you're a European peasant in the middle ages. The most of the world you're likely to ever see is maybe a few miles away from your home village. Now, imagine that one day, a traveler comes from somewhere else and tells you a story about having encountered a dragon--something you've never seen where you live. You have no idea whether the story is true, and the only word you have to go on is the traveler's." He pauses, glancing around to give a few people significant looks. "But see, here's the thing: if you know you're never going to see it even if it is real, why would you even care? If you're living the life of a land-bound peasant, unable to travel to where the dragon is supposed to be, whether the dragon is real or not is of absolutely no significance--it will never affect you either way. And therein lies an excellent example of the dissonance of experience that the conditions of our world can produce over the course of history. Today, in our age of globalization and easy travel, we're raised to always question whether things are real--but that kind of thinking is a very new thing, in the long-term. Our hypothetical medieval peasant wouldn't think about whether dragons were real or not, because that wouldn't matter to them. The only thing they'd be concerned with was the lessons they could learn from the story, how it could help them learn to live their own life better. The idea of distinguishing so strictly between fiction and non-fiction would seem to them pointless and trivial."
Durant takes another deep breath, as though about to bring things to a conclusion. "All this should give you an idea of how unreliable our current understanding of history is. Shifts in human thinking, bias in accounting, loss of records, any number of other factors; all these things combine to obscure the truth of the past. To assume we know everything about our world, as we are so prone to do in our age of reason, is one of the greatest forms of arrogance. If you just want to pass this course, then by all means, feel free to just accept what the curriculum teaches you at face value and regurgitate it for tests--that's your decision. But if you really want to learn anything here, if you're in this class to improve yourself, then the first thing you need to accept is that you, I, and everyone else know very, very little about anything. There is far more out there than any of us are aware of, and if we aren't prepared to accept that, then we're all sure to come to a tragic end some day."
As Durant wraps up his speech, many of your classmates appear completely zoned out, or to be trying not to laugh--but your attention is drawn to Kaitlyn. From her seat, she watches Durant with a thoughtful, focused expression, nodding slightly in response to his point at the end, as though it contains some hidden meaning that she believes she understands.
Durant brings your focus back by clapping loudly. "Alright, that's enough of that. Let's see if everyone's here." Walking quickly over to his desk in the corner, he picks up the printed page that presumably shows the class list, and begins calling out names alphabetically.

10:00 AM

The rest of the period is spent going over the syllabus. Finally, the comparatively tedious discussion of grading is cut off by the ringing of the bell. "Thank you all for indulging my rambling," Durant says with a grin. "I promise we'll start on more concrete material tomorrow. Good luck in your other classes!"
Kaitlyn looks at you expectantly as you file out with the others. "That was a pretty impressive answer. Usually whoever gets his first class speech question is still too asleep to say more than three words."
"Hey, Kaitlyn!" a voice calls from just behind you. "Filling the new guy's head with songs of praise for our wise and beloved teacher?" From the group of students behind you emerges a broad-shouldered black boy with short, curly hair and pronounced cheekbones. "Don't let her build him up too much, soldier boy. The only reason we say he's the best is because it's hilarious watching him act like he's some kind of mystical sage."
"Would you rather have Sterling?" Kaitlyn counters, smirking. "Stark Frostfell, Jordan Tennant."
"Pleasure," Jordan nods, offering a handshake. "And yeah, I'm not complaining. At least Durant is funny. Sterling's lectures are boring as s***."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark accepts Jordan's hand, shaking it as he gives him a cold look. "'Soldier boy'? Is that supposed to be an insult? A playful jab? Are you mocking the noble profession of soldier?"

He lets go of Jordan's hand. "You can only sit in this school and laugh about boring history classes because of 'soldier boys' like me."

[Amaril]

Jordan looks surprised at your reaction. "Sorry, I, uh...I didn't mean anything by it. Trust me, I totally respect the troops." He glances down at the floor and shuffles his feet awkwardly; Kaitlyn stands by silently, looking just as uncomfortable and a little disappointed in Jordan. "Well, uh, anyway, welcome to Northridge," he continues. "Just wanted to say hi. I've got PE, now, but I'll see you around, maybe. Later, Kait." He steps around the two of you and goes off on his way.
Kaitlyn glances worriedly at you. "Uh, sorry about that. Jordan can be kind of insensitive, but he really doesn't mean anything by it."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark sighs. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have snapped at him like that. I'll apologize to him next time I see him. I know I may act a little more disciplined than other kids my age, but I'm proud of my father's service to his country and I want to follow in his footsteps one day."

He looks up, surprised, and laughs with embarrassment. "Sorry. Didn't mean to ramble on there. So, you seem rather taken with history. Are you considering a history major in college?"

[Amaril]

"I don't really know," Kaitlyn says uncertainly. "I mean, yeah, I've considered it, but I'm still not sure what I'll eventually want to do. I might also want to do something with music, maybe musical theater if I can actually make that work." She glances at her watch. "Speaking of which, we should get to drama. Come on, I'll show you where the theater is."

11:30 AM

Drama class is spent in the school's small black-box theater. The teacher, an excitable young woman named Ms. Bradford, sets everyone to playing various icebreaker games to help the group get more comfortable working together. She also takes a few minutes to talk about the school's official theater production: apparently, the show has yet to be announced, but will be taking place just before winter break. Since it's an extracurricular and separate from the drama class, anyone can audition or apply to work on the tech crew, and drama students are encouraged, but not required, to participate.
Finally, second period ends, and your lunch break begins. As you head out into the hallway, Kaitlyn still following, you hear a familiar voice. "Hey, cos! How you liking your first day?" Twisting his way around passing students, Max emerges from the crowds and heads over to you. "Kaitlyn, I see you two have already met. I swear I was gonna introduce you, but this guy left me in the dust and I didn't get the chance."
"It's fine, Max. I believe you," Kaitlyn replies, smiling. "And we found each other anyway. It's all good."
"Hey, Kait!" another voice calls, a girl's. "Over here!"
Kaitlyn turns towards the call. "Oh, hey, there's Tess. I gotta run. Later, you two." With a smile and a nod to you, she turns to leave.
Max's eyes follow her as she goes. "God, she's gorgeous, huh?"

[NeoSeraphi]

The transfer student participates with excitement in the icebreaker games. When he hears about the possibility of participating in the school's theater production, he nods. "I'm going to audition," he tells Kaitlyn. "I bet I'll make plenty of friends if I make it into the group, and if not, well, it'll be a fun experience trying out at least."

Stark smiles as he meets up with his cousin. "Hey Max. How were your classes? Yeah, sorry for running off on you like that. The two of us kind of...bumped into each other anyway though."

When Kaitlyn turns to leave, Stark gives her a little wave. "She's pretty cute, yeah. And friendly. It was nice of her to hang with me for the first two periods. She's probably got a boyfriend already though. That's what sucks about being the new kid...no idea who's taken and who's not."

Turning to the younger boy, Stark sighs. "Alright, well, I'll make it up to you for running off earlier. Let's eat lunch together, and you can introduce me to everyone you were going to introduce me to this morning."

[Amaril]

"Sounds good," Max grins, beckoning and setting off. "Actually, she doesn't have a boyfriend," he says as he walks beside you. "Far as I know, at least. And she tells me pretty much everything, we've known each other forever. Crazy, isn't it?"
As the two of you pass by an intersection in the hall, you notice something. Around the corner stands another girl--five-foot-nothing and skinny, with dirty-blonde hair that hangs limp about her face, and wide brown eyes, which are staring straight at you with a look of fear.
Max spots her too, and stops. "Hey Jenna!" he says with a cheerful wave.
Jenna starts visibly as Max speaks, abruptly looking away from you and over at him. "Oh...uh, hey Max..." For a second, she just stands there, nervously hugging her books close to her chest, before turning around and practically running away.
Max shakes his head sadly. "Jenna's in my grade. She's nice, but, uh, well..." He gestures after her as if to say "well, you know, that".

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark stares at Max. "You've known a girl two years older than you forever, huh? What, did she babysit for you or something?" he chuckles.

The strange quiet girl gives Stark a look of fear. He hesitantly smiles and waves. "Hello, I'm St-" before she turns and runs away. He watches her go. "Did I do something to upset her? It's the black jacket, isn't it?"

[Amaril]

"Nah, her parents and mine are old friends,"" Max explains. "Granted, forever is a bit of an overstatement--she moved here, like, ten years ago, but it feels like a long-ass time."
Max frowns thoughtfully at your question about Jenna. "Nah, I don't think it was anything you did...but you're right, that was even shyer than she usually is." He shrugs uncertainly. "I don't know, maybe it's just been too long since I've seen her around anybody really new. Anyway, come on, let's go find the others. There are only a couple other people I know in your year besides Kait."
Searching through the building for a while, Max soon points out another student, an Asian boy with short hair that still manages to be unruly, in washed-out jeans and a white t-shirt that reveals muscular arms. "Hey, Aves! Somebody you need to meet!" He turns back to you. "This is Avery. He was in my woodshop class a couple years ago, it was mixed between years 'cause they didn't have enough people. Aves, this is my cousin Stark."
"Oh, hey, I think Max mentioned you," Avery says to you as he saunters up. "How are you liking Northridge?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark takes Avery's hand. "Stark Frostfell. Charmed. Well, my first two classes were more interesting than I was expecting them to be, and I met someone who's really nice already, so so far Northridge seems like a really great school. It's a lot smaller than the big city, so I feel like the teachers will be able to explain things better when they can answer every student's question."

First Impression time! I imagine Courage has little to do with interacting with other guys, so I'll just go with Expression and Understanding again: [roll0] plus [roll1]

[Amaril]

"Yeah, it's pretty cool like that," Avery nods, returning the handshake. "I used to live in Denver, and it was way different being in a huge school. People are a lot closer here."
"I wouldn't know," Max says with a shrug, "I've never been anywhere else. Anyway, I'm giving Stark a tour of the building. Wanna tag along?"
"Thanks, but I need to head to the office--they messed up my schedule," Avery says, shaking his head. "Good to meet you, Stark. I'll be around if we share any classes." He turns to leave. You can't be sure, but it seems as though he's walking with a bit of a slouch, as though sad about something.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark makes a note to ask Avery if anything is wrong if they share a class together. He heads on the tour with his cousin. Avery, Jordan, Jenna and Kaitlyn. They were all so different from each other, but they still all seemed connected. Friends beyond personalities...or in spite of them? Well, Elizabeth had told him something like that.

"After everything I have seen, I believe that human connections are a great source of strength. Why else would people who are so different from each other stay friends?"

Stark had replied, "Well, in our case, it's mostly because I'm afraid if I stop hanging out with you you'll wander off and end up mugged in an alley somewhere."

Elizabeth had seemed amused, at the time. Stark subconsciously reaches for his chest and grips her card through his shirt. He hoped she was okay...where ever she was.

[Amaril]

Max continues to lead you on your grand tour as you reminisce, pointing out important school locations like the computer lab, art studio, and gymnasium. Finally, he successfully locates the last person he's mentioned wanting you to meet. As it happens, that person is none other than Jordan Tennant, who looks a little worried as you approach.
"Oh, uh, hey Stark," he says to you, sounding artificially at ease. "I figured you were a relative of Max's. Never met anyone else named Frostfell."
"Uh, hang on," Max interjects, "did you guys already meet, or something?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark nods. "We have history together. Listen, Jordan, I need to apologize to you for what I said to you this morning. I shouldn't have gotten so upset it's just...well, I know this sounds like an excuse but my dad's been in the hospital for the last four years. He was hurt really badly in Iraq."

[Amaril]

Jordan's eyes widen. "Holy crap...man, that does not sound like an excuse. I definitely wouldn't have said anything if I'd known." He sighs and reaches up to run his fingers through his hair. "Jeez, now I feel like an even bigger d***. I'm glad you're not still sore about it, at least."
Max stands there awkwardly. "So, uh...are you guys cool now?"
Jordan shrugs. "I think that's up to Stark."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark laughs and nods. "It's fine, man. Off the cuff comments are a dime a dozen where I'm from. That one in particular just hit a little hard. But if Max thinks you're alright, and Kaitlyn vouches for you, then I have no reason to think this was anything serious." He smiles and offers Jordan his hand. "So let's start over, aye? I'm Stark Frostfell. Soldier boy in-training."

[Amaril]

Jordan laughs and clasps your hand tightly. "And I'm Jordan Tennant, a guy who apparently worries too much."
Max lets out an audible sigh of relief. "Okay, awesome. Everything's happy fun times."

3:46 PM

The rest of the day passes uneventfully, meeting your teachers for algebra and English and spending a pair of boring periods going over the syllabus for each. Finally, the last bell announces the end of the day. Max accompanies you back along the same route from the morning, the day now warmer than before, but still pleasantly cool, a hint of the imminent advance of fall.
The TV is on as you reenter the house; from the doorway, you hear the buzz of a commercial ("every day's great at your Junes!"). Aunt Becca looks up from her seat on the couch as the two of you enter.
"Hey guys," she calls over, sounding preoccupied. "It'll just be the three of us for dinner, I think--Roger won't be home until late."
The reason for this is made clear before she can explain it, when the TV switches back to the news broadcast she's evidently been watching. "And now," the anchor reads, "back to our report on the unusual death reported this morning in the city of Greenbank, the latest in a series of similar cases that has been ongoing throughout the past five weeks." Across the bottom of the screen flashes the caption "'Krueger deaths' continue."
Max sighs and hangs his head, seeming unusually solemn. "Dammit, not another one."
The report goes on to recap how the victim, identified as one George Delaney, was found dead in his bed this morning by his roommate. According to the anchor, no illness or other apparent cause of death can yet be discerned, and there's no evidence of foul play.
Finally, Becca sighs and picks up the remote to turn the TV off. "He called just after you left for school," she explains. "Apparently they've really got all hands on deck now, with this being the second case in Greenbank." She's silent for another second, then perks up again. "Well, anyway, I was thinking we'd just order a pizza for tonight. That okay with you two?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark reads the report with shock. "'Kreuger deaths'?" he asks Max. "This has been going on for five weeks and my Uncle didn't think to let me or my mother know about it? That probably would have affected her decision to have me sent here..."

He sighs and stands up. Keeping things from Carol Frostfell never went well. He pulls out his cell phone and walks into his room, dialing his mother up. He hadn't called her yesterday to let her know that he had landed safely, so he figured calling her now was probably the best thing to do.

[Amaril]

"Stark, wait!" Becca follows after you, stopping in your doorway as the phone rings. "Please, calm down. Look, I know the news makes it sound bad, but we're all confident that you're safe here--yes, including your mother, of course we told her about it. But it really isn't a big deal. The publicity around these cases is just the media sensationalizing anything even slightly out of the ordinary, like--"
The ringing on the other end of the line stops, and your mother's familiar voice filters through the speaker. "Hello? Stark? I was going to call you later...what's going on, is something wrong?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark gives Becca a look and sighs. "Hi Mom. I was just calling to tell you that I had a good first day at school and Aunt Becca and Uncle Roger are taking good care of me."

[Amaril]

"Oh..." Mom doesn't sound entirely reassured, but evidently decides not to press the issue; Becca smiles and flashes you a thumbs-up. "Well, that's good to hear. Sorry, sweetie, but do you mind if I call you back later? I do want to hear about it, but I'm a little busy at the moment..."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark frowns. "Yeah Mom. Sorry to bug you. Let's talk later okay." He hangs up.

Stark crosses his arms. "Fine. Then give me the non-sensationalized version. What is a 'Krueger death'?"

[Amaril]

Becca heaves a sigh. "Well, that part at least is pretty much what they reported. It's a stupid name people gave to these cases that have cropped up around Colorado, where someone is found dead in their bed in the morning with nobody able to figure out what the cause is. The part that's sensationalized is the actual risk of it happening. Even with the weirdness of the deaths, they're still only a tiny number of occurrences on the statewide population scale--it's really no different than those flu seasons you get some years where the vaccines aren't completely effective. Stuff like this happens all the time, and people always get scared over it, but you're at practically no increased risk of actually being affected. Besides, like I said, this is only the second case here in Greenbank. Most of them have been in Aspen and Denver so far. Even comparing the numbers by city, this is one of the safest places to be."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark frowns and shakes his head. "Where is the police station? I'm going to go talk to Uncle Roger myself."

[Amaril]

Becca is obviously quite concerned, sucking in air through her teeth. "I...don't know if that's really practical right this second, Stark. He will probably be pretty busy right now sorting out all this stuff...if you really want to talk to him, it'd probably be better to try and call him at the station." She hesitates for a second, then slowly approaches to lay a hand on your shoulder. "Sweetie, please, trust us. We wouldn't have invited you here if we didn't honestly believe you'd be completely safe, and we still believe that. We can try and get in touch with Roger, but he'll tell you the same thing, I promise."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark sighs and nods. "Alright. I guess that's fine. But you can order that pizza for two. I'm going out to clear my head. Please don't try and stop me, Aunt Becca. I only accept being told 'no' so many times in a row." He brushes past her and heads out the door, ready to explore his new home town.

[Amaril]

Becca almost looks like she wants to protest further, but appears to decide that she's done all she can. As you pass by, you hear her softly say "just be careful..."
As you pass through the living room, you see Max sitting on the couch. While you'd expect him to be playing games or watching a show, surprisingly, he sits in silence, eyes closed and head bowed, and doesn't even acknowledge your passage.

4:12 PM

The neighborhood you wander through is comprised of houses much like your aunt and uncle's, through a range of different colors. The end of summer is marked by abundant greenery, with evergreens and aspens flourishing in people's yards and the numerous small parks you pass, most complete with playgrounds. With the school day over, and many people's work days likewise, several residents go about their business outside; you pass by a few dog walkers, and spy parents watching over their kids as they play on swingsets and dig around in sandboxes.
It looks, for all the world, like the very image of a suburban paradise.
Time continues to pass as you explore. How long will you stay out? And will you look for anything in particular to do before you head back?

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark walks along the pathway. At first he thinks that he might just sightsee, but then he remembers that this town has a Junes! Maybe there'll be some kids his age over there. If not, he can at least go looking for a TV for his room. He stops someone and asks them about the store's location, and heads over to Junes to see what's going on there.

[Amaril]

5:34 PM

The familiar jingle greets your ears as the sliding doors open into the entrance of Junes. Though indeed smaller than the one you're used to back home, the directory just inside the door seems to indicate that they have all the same sections--probably just scaled down and with a reduced selection.
If there are any other students around, odds are they'll be at the food court; consulting the signs, you head over there to check. To your disappointment, the seating area is empty of company your age. However, just as you're about to leave, you notice who's working at the cash register--a girl your own age or slightly older, with short auburn hair sticking out from under the cap of her employee's uniform, and green eyes surveying the few customers with bored disinterest. With no one approaching to order anything, she seems to be occupying herself drumming her fingers on the counter and blowing impressive bubbles with the gum she's chewing.
Now that you think about it, you vaguely remember seeing her face pass by in the hall at school, though you definitely haven't yet spoken.

Time for another test if you want to get her to talk to you. Any two of Courage, Expression, and Understanding, as before.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark decides to break her boredom with some boldness. He strides right over to her and gives her a smile. "Not a whole lot happening today huh? But you look like the type of person who knows how to have fun. Maybe after your shift ends you and I can liven up this quiet town a little. I'm Stark."

Courage and Expression here: [roll0] plus [roll1]
I'm due for some bad luck here, so shooting for broke. Edit: And I get my highest roll yet! Wow, that's a little ridiculous how good the dice are being to me.

[Amaril]

The girl doesn't turn her head as you talk, but gives you an appraising once-over, blowing and popping another bubble. "Huh," she says, not really sounding like she's talking directly to you. "Walking up to a complete stranger and asking her on a date. Didn't think guys really did that." Abruptly, her face splits into a crooked-toothed grin. "But I'm super bored and you're cute as hell, so sure, why not? I'm Lavender. My shift ends at six."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark raises an eyebrow. "Accepting an offer from a complete stranger to go on a date? I didn't think girls really did that either," he shoots back, smiling. "I'm new to the city, and I'm trying to find a crowd I can hang with. But I'll be looking forward to tonight, Lavender." He gives her a wave and heads off to the electronics department to see if he can find a TV in his price range.

[Amaril]

Browsing through the (slightly smaller) selection of TVs, you manage to find a few of the very cheapest within your range, with a bit of extra left over. There's a 19-inch model available for $80, and a 22-inch for your entire net worth of $100. The choice comes down to whether you want to save a little, or go for broke and get the best you can afford.
Of course, you have no idea whether Lavender will expect you to pay for anything on your date later...

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark jots the model numbers down and makes a mental note to see if he can get a part time job while he's in Greenbank. Then he leaves the section without purchasing anything.

He browses some teen fashion until six PM rolls around before heading back to the area he met Lavender at.

[Amaril]

6:01 PM

You find Lavender leaning against the front of the till counter as you return to the food court, evidently having dispensed with the gum, and scanning around for the sight of your return. She flashes you another grin as she spots you. "Hey, cutie! Just give me one minute, I need to go get changed," she gestures down at her uniform, reaching behind the counter to pull out a backpack. "I'll be quick, I promise." She turns to head towards the signs marking the restrooms. True to her word, it's just a short minute before she returns, now dressed in a baggy yellow hoodie and wearing a Colorado Rockies baseball cap instead of the Junes one.
"Okay," she says cheerfully, standing close enough now for you to notice she has a couple inches of height on you, "so, what did you have planned? Anywhere you wanna go?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark grins in appreciation as she returns. "You're pretty cute yourself. Hmm...well like I said before, I just moved here. If this was Seattle, I'd take you to Pike Place Market or the Space Needle, but I honestly have no clue what's around here. But you don't seem like the type of girl who would mind taking the lead if it was offered, do you?"

[Amaril]

Surprisingly, Lavender actually looks a little disapproving. "You know, in some cultures, asking a lady out without having any idea of what to do with her is considered bad manners." She quickly recovers, however. "I'll forgive you this time, though, since you evidently are new around here." She beckons and starts walking towards the store exit. "Come on, there's this one place I know of that's close by. We can go there."
Dusk is drawing closer as the two of you step outside. "So," Lavender continues, "I guess we should get to know each other on the way over. At the risk of finding out I've made a huge mistake here, I'll start with the basics: how old are you?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark winces as she points out the flaw. He didn't even mean to ask her out in the first place, he was just looking for someone to hang out with. But still, he had to adapt to the situation he was in, not try and force it off the rails.

"You're right. That was rude of me. Maybe if things go well, I can do some research and ask you out again with a foolproof plan to give you the best night of your life."

Relieved that she doesn't just drop the whole date, he walks beside the taller girl, smiling when she suggests they get to know each other. Now they were getting somewhere.

"I'm seventeen, and I'm a junior at Northridge High School. What do you like to do in your spare time, Lavender?"

[Amaril]

"Oh really?" she answers, sounding intrigued. "I'm at Northridge too--senior year." She answers your question with a noncommittal shrug. "When I'm not at work? Video games, mostly. I do a lot of let's plays for YouTube. Ever watch a channel called TheLavs where some chick screams at horror games a lot? That's me."

If you want, you can test your Knowledge and Understanding in the OOC before your next post to see if you recognize her channel.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark laughs. "I love that channel! I thought you were seriously going to put an axe through the screen the first time you played Five Nights at Freddy's." He makes a mental note to see if there's an arcade in the area that he can take her to.

"When I'm not working out, I play lots of RPGs. Final Fantasy, Pokemon, Persona .//hack. The idea of playing a game about playing a game is just so meta it's funny."

[Amaril]

"Quality titles all, or so I've heard," Lavender nods approvingly. "I've gotta say my favorite lately is a three-way tie between Outlast, Demon's Souls, and Alan Wake. And please," she grimaces and holds up a forestalling hand. "Do not mention FnaF in my presence. Literally none of that was acting. I'm completely convinced that thing isn't a game, but a prototype government torture device that Scott Cawthon picked up when it got leaked online."

6:23 PM

As it happens, the cheerful neon sign on the building Lavender walks up to reads "Dan's Arcade and Pizzeria". The discordant sounds of an array of consoles and the aroma of baking pizza greet your senses as you step through the entrance. The arcade area on the left is dark, lit mostly by black lights and electronics, while the dining space on the right is pleasantly bright. The whole place has an appealingly retro aesthetic.
"Here we are," Lavender announces, looking around fondly. "What do you think? Can you see yourself spending an evening here?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark grins. "Pizza, video games, and the company of a beautiful girl? I'm starting to wonder if my plane crashed and I went to Heaven."

He eagerly walks in with her, grabbing $10 worth of arcade tokens and splitting them with Lavender. He orders a large pizza for them to split, and a couple of sodas, and relaxes. He enjoys his evening with the young lady, doing what he can to impress her but also trying not to show off too much.

"Hey, so...Do you know anything about fortune-telling?" he asks her, pulling out the deck of Tarot cards Elizabeth gave him.

[Amaril]

"Jack s***," Lavender answers between sips at her second soda. "Gonna try and read my future, Doctor Strange?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark chuckles. "Not if you're not interested," he replies, removing The Sun from the deck and putting it back around his neck, then returning the other cards to his jacket pocket.

"So, which electives are you taking this semester?" Asking her about that would be an easy way to figure out what this seemingly apathetic girl was really interested in.

[Amaril]

Lavender finally puts her cup down on the table as you return the cards to their place. "Just programming. I've gotta repeat algebra from last year, so that takes up an extra period. And I didn't say I wasn't interested in the fortune-telling thing. It actually sounds kinda fun."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark grins and gets the deck and his Sun card back out. He shuffles the cards up and deals them in a nine cars array, 3 rows of 3. He gestures over them. "My role is merely to interpret your fate. It is you that the cards call to. Close your eyes, and try to sense the guardians from beyond guiding you. Choose three cards and I will reveal them and explain to you. The first card you choose is your past, the second is your present, and the third is your future. Now, choose!"

Just tell me which Arcana she flips in what order and I can interpret.

[Amaril]

Chuckling at your showmanship, Lavender makes a great production of hemming and hawing over which cards to turn over...before just tapping the three closest to her. Flipping them over in the order she touched them, you reveal Temperance, Judgment, and The World.
Lavender raises an eyebrow at the cards. "So, does this mean I'm gonna die horribly tomorrow?"

Since you're not Igor and don't have magical divination powers, I used a random number generator to pick from the Major Arcana. Hope you can roll with it :smalltongue:

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark's grin widens. "Very interesting....We shall start with your past. Temperance, the sign of balance. You walk through each day feeling listless and bored...bored enough to go on a date with a complete stranger. Yet you are a high school senior with a bright future and a hobby you have used to make money while doing something you love. This card suggests to me that your life has been a mixture of hardship and joy...a perfect balance of good and bad that has left you neither optimistic nor cynical. Just...apathetic."

He moves on. "Judgment. An appropriate card for you given your age. This card suggests you are unsure about a major decision you face in your life...perhaps you're considering leaving home to attend an out of state school for college? Hoping to inject a bit of fresh excitement into your life, but you're afraid of the consequences?"

He places his hand on the last card. "The World. A terrifying card indeed. This suggests your future will impact not only you, but everyone around you. Perhaps you will become a major politician, or a judge with the power to hand down a verdict. The future is always unclear, but one thing is certain: your name will be known by others."

Stark sits back and smiles. "So? How was that?"

[Amaril]

As you describe the first two cards, Lavender starts to look more and more intrigued, and a little bit worried--like she's hearing some truth in your words. When you get to the last, though, the look fades, and her air of idle amusement returns. "Not bad," she says with an appreciative nod. "Although I'm mostly just glad to know I won't run into an axe murderer as soon as I walk out the door."
The mood is broken by a sudden insistent beeping coming from Lavender. She pulls out her phone, and her eyes widen as she sees the screen. "Oh s***, I've gotta get home! Sorry, I should've warned you, I completely forgot about this, but I really have to go right now." As she stands up, her attitude of haste is dispelled somewhat when she pauses and looks back at you expectantly. "You gonna ask me for my number, or what?" she asks, grinning widely.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark smiles. He stands up. "Well, you can give me your number in a moment, but I think there's something else we need to do first." He steps forward, one arm reaching around the girl's waist, pulling her closer for a kiss.

Courage to see if Stark has the guts and Expression to see if Lavender tries to duck out of the way: [roll0] and [roll1]

Stark freezes up and pulls his arm away, smiling apologetically. "Sorry. That was a little bold of me. So, what's your number? I look forward to seeing you again."

[Amaril]

As you lean in, Lavender suddenly looks a lot like a deer caught in a pair of headlights, her eyes going as wide as the pizza you just finished. She stays frozen as you step back, staring straight at you. "Um...yeah..." she says slowly, "that...might have been a bit too much."
With a deep breath, she finally unfreezes, though she still seems quite uncomfortable. "I'll, uh...I'll see you around, I guess," she mumbles, then quickly turns and heads for the door, apparently having forgotten about exchanging numbers.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark sighs and rubs the back of his head. "Damn. Messed it up. Oh well. As far as first dates go, that one went pretty well. Sure I screwed up the end, but we had a lot more fun than we did awkwardness. I'll give her a few days and then see if I can catch her at Junes and apologize."

He pays the bill and checks his phone. "Time flies when you're having fun, I guess. Better get back home before Aunt Becca really starts to worry about me."

Stark heads back to the Frostfell residence.

[Amaril]

9:03 PM

Departing Dan's, you start heading back towards your relatives' house, the night darkening and growing cool around you as you walk. Along the way, your phone buzzes--the caller ID shows that it's your mother. She seems less preoccupied now, and interested in hearing about your day.
Finally, you reach the front door. Max appears to have recovered from his earlier bout of melancholy, and is playing the reboot of Devil May Cry while sprawled across the couch, glancing over his shoulder only briefly as you enter. Aunt Becca is at the table in the kitchen, sitting in one of the chairs and propping her feet up on another while flipping through a paperback. Your uncle has also returned; he has apparently been waiting for you, as he immediately gets up from his own seat on the couch to approach you as you enter the house.
"Hey Stark," he says, voice full of concern. "Listen, Becca was telling me you were worried earlier about the cases we've been getting. Sorry I wasn't around to talk to you about it. Are you okay now, or was there still anything you wanted to ask?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark talks to his mother for a little bit about his day, telling her that he met some nice kids and that he's thinking about auditioning for the school play. That cheers him up a little, but when he walks into the house the upset feeling he gets over the end of his date returns. "I'm fine, Uncle," he mutters. "Good night."

Stark heads to his room and goes to sleep without another thought.

[Amaril]

Uncle Roger nods understandingly. "Okay. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Stark," aunt Becca calls from her seat. "Sleep well."
Falling into bed, you find yourself suddenly exhausted from your day, and fall asleep practically as soon as your head hits the pillow.

Web of Dreams

The lights are out in the hallways of Northridge High. Sunset glow filters through the windows, bathing everything in orange light. The building is silent--you're the only one present.
You can't remember how you got here.
You stand in the front entrance hall, the door to the office on your left. As you register this, you hear a soft creaking as said door slowly swings open. No one stands behind it to have pushed it.
As it often is in dreams, you suddenly know, for no reason you can explain, that that's where you need to go.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark looks around. "Hello? Anyone there?" he calls. After a moment of silence, he pulls out his phone and checks it. No service. That's weird, he had plenty of bars yesterday. He flips it shut and heads towards the open door.

[Amaril]

The office appears as empty and silent as the entrance hall outside. The only thing visible outside the windows is an orange haze, with no horizon or terrain in sight.
Behind, you hear a click--turning to look, you see that the office door has shut behind you.
When you turn back to the inside of the office, you are no longer alone.
Behind the secretary's desk sits a girl, by all appearances about your age. It occurs to you that she looks a lot like Kaitlyn--same color hair, though hers is bound up in a long braid, and the same freckles. Her eyes are what end the similarity, though. While they're the same shade of blue, they hold a look you've never seen in any teenager. It's the same look you've seen in your own father's eyes, since he returned from that disastrous mission. Haunted, pained, and tired beyond belief.
Despite this, she smiles and sighs with what sounds like relief. "It worked. You're here." She beckons you over, indicating the chair in front of the desk. "Come on--sit down, please."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark looks confused as he sits down in front of the girl. "What worked? Why did you call me here? ...And for that matter, who are you? Is that you, Kaitlyn?"

[Amaril]

The girl shakes her head. "I don't know any Kaitlyn--that's definitely not my name. Anyway, that doesn't matter now."
On the desk in front of you, you notice a stack of papers. At the bottom is a blank line, to mark a space where something should be written. The girl reaches across the desk and taps the papers with a pen, which she sets down in front of you. "I called you here because I need you to sign this. Don't worry, it's nothing unorthodox. It just says that you'll accept full responsibility for your actions."

[NeoSeraphi]

As Stark looks down at the papers, a voice echoes in his mind. "This room is only open to those who have entered into a Contract..."

He grabs his face and winces. "Argh...my head?" Shaking the pain off, he looks down at the Contract and tries to read it before he signs it. Looking back up at the woman, he frowns. "Before I agree to anything, who are you? What is this place? And why are you calling me specifically?"

[Amaril]

The girl gives you a curious look. "Who am I..." She sighs deeply, hanging her head. "It's been a long time since I've thought about that. I don't even know if I remember anymore. Tired...that's what I am." She appears to recover, and raises her eyes back to you. "You'll find out what this place is, soon--though I think you already know better than you realize. As for why I called you, that's easy. It's because you're the only one with a chance to fix this. To really fix it. That's what I could never do."

[NeoSeraphi]

"She sounds a lot older than she looks," Stark thinks, raising his hands quickly. "No need to get upset! Here, look, I'm signing it, okay?" He quickly grabs the pen and signs "Stark Frostfell" on the blank line. "I hereby swear to take full responsibility for all of my actions, and if something bad should happen because of me, I will do all I can to set it right. Okay?" He forces a smile, trying to make the girl feel better.

[Amaril]

The smile she gives you is the most sincere and thankful you've ever received. "Thank you."
She turns to look out the blank window. "We're out of time, now. You have to wake up soon. We won't see each other again." She points towards the door behind you. "Go. The Door is open."
When you look again, both she and the Contract on the desk are gone.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark looks confused. "If we won't see each other again, why did you appear in the first place?" he asks, only to turn and find she's already gone. He frowns, and reaches for his neck. "This whole thing is...scary. But I can deal with the fear. I have hope. Right. As long as I do my best, and never forget who I am, everything will turn out okay. I have to keep believing that. Until my last breath."

He inhales for a long moment, and then exhales softly and grins to himself. He hops off the chair and charges through the door.

If going through the door causes Stark to wake up, he'll quickly get dressed and walk with Max to school.

[Amaril]

Though it previously led back into the entrance hall of the school, as you open the door again, bright light floods through, obscuring what lies through it. Without pausing, you step through into the unknown...

Tuesday, September 2, 2016
7:45 AM

Beep. Beep. Beep.
The harsh sound of your alarm greets you once again as you open your eyes. You have apparently slept well, and feel rested and ready to start the day. The light filtering through your curtains is a little dim--the sun lies behind pale grey clouds.
You feel as though you were dreaming about something important. The details are infuriatingly fuzzy...something about Kaitlyn, and the school...and the word "contract", again, sticking in your head just like before.
Your new life in the city of Greenbank has begun. What kind of year will this be for you? Who else will you meet as new days arrive?
You pull the covers aside and leave your bed behind as you return to the waking world...

End of Episode 1
OST: Haunted (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSbHvOxrEy8)



Episode 2

Tuesday, September 9, 2016
10:03 PM

It's been just over a week since you started your junior year of high school. The days at school have passed with little of significance to report. The work is mostly the same you're accustomed to, other than the textbooks looking different. You have now had your first art class, in addition to drama; the first few lessons have kept it simple, with perspective being the main topic of the first unit. You feel as though your electives are steadily helping develop your courage and understanding, though you may need more time for it to really be noticeable.
Max has divided his free time fairly evenly between his junior friends and his fellow freshmen, so you've continued to see him regularly between periods. He seems to make a habit of jokingly asking Kaitlyn on dates once every few days, to which she has so far always laughed and responded "keep trying". You have the sense that this is a long-standing tradition between them, since neither seems to take it seriously in the least.
Kaitlyn, for her part, has continued to seek your company during the classes you share, but mostly spends her lunch break with her circle of female friends, whom you've spoken to only briefly, or sitting alone in the hallway, reading. Most of her material seems to be scripts; she's confirmed that plays are her favorite thing to read.
Jordan has taken the most care to spend time with you, and has seemed much more relaxed in your presence since the end of your first day. You share no classes besides history, which, true to both Kaitlyn's word and Jordan's, Mr. Durant has kept as interesting as you've ever seen the subject be while simultaneously keeping up his air of mysterious sagacity.
With his schedule straightened out, Avery now shares your algebra class in third period. Most days, he's seemed perfectly content, if a little reserved, without showing the depressed attitude you thought you saw in him before. Once or twice, though, you do catch another glimpse of it, but he vehemently insists that everything is fine, at which point his mood promptly clears up and then some.
Lavender greets you with mixed cheer and embarrassment when you find her on Friday evening. She apologizes for how she acted before, saying that while your advance did make her uncomfortable, she wishes she hadn't run away so abruptly in response, or neglected to exchange contact information. She offers to correct the last mistake now, and to spend more time with you after her shift ends.
Now, your second Tuesday has come and gone, and the hour is late. You could go to sleep now, or stay up longer if you have something else to do in mind...

Okay, so here's how I'll handle this timeskip (not sure if I'll keep setting it up this way, but at least this time). I've given a brief overview of the week, none of which I'd think of as requiring a full scene, but if you want to go back and play out any of the above events, like fixing things up with Lavender, I'll frame it as Stark reminiscing about how it went. Feel free to dive in with that set-up if you want.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark pulls out his phone and checks his contacts. His first week of school has gone fairly well, though he still can't text anyone other than the pretty gamer. He resolves to ask his friends for their contact info tomorrow, though he figures maybe just Jordan and Avery to start. He'd give Kaitlyn another week to get to know him better. With that decision made, he finishes his homework and goes to sleep.

Did Stark find a place to work out? Will that affect his Diligence at all?

[Amaril]

Nah, working out will be more of a combat stats thing, once that comes into play. You'll have other chances to increase your Diligence, don't worry.

Also, I don't know what Stark's subconscious is like as well as you do, so since this is a normal dream (for now :smallamused:), I'm leaving it up to you to describe whatever dream you want him to be having.
Web of Dreams

Drifting off, as you sometimes do, you find yourself wandering through a dream. What do you dream about?

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark walks through a lush green park with a white haired woman wearing a strange blue outfit. She adjusts her hat and looks up at the sky.

"I don't like the sky as much as I thought I would. I thought after being inside for so long that the outside world would be freedom, but when I'm surrounded by blue...it feels like I never left 'that place' at all."

Stark chuckles, used to Elizabeth rambling to herself. He had learned long ago that prying for information got him nowhere so he just changed the subject. "Want to swim in the lake after our picnic?"

[Amaril]

Elizabeth laughs. "That sounds lovely, Stark. Oh--but I haven't brought a swimsuit," she says, sounding disappointed. "And the only time I went without one, a number of people were very upset. I think it would be best not to do that again."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark shrugs. "Suit yourself. I'm going to take a dip though. It's pretty hot today." He finds a place to set a blanket down in the grass and takes his jacket off, revealing a tight-fitting red shirt that outlines his form well. With his jacket gone the chain around his neck is quite visible, though the card remains hidden beneath his shirt.

Stark sits down on the blanket and opens the basket, pulling out a fresh loaf of bread, peanut butter, and a jar of jelly. He was never certain if Elizabeth was a vegetarian or not, but to be safe he just avoided meat entirely around her. He spreads the contents of the two jars across four slices of bread, handing one sandwich to the woman across from him while he takes another bite for himself.

"Hi Stark!" A female voice from behind him. Stark turns slowly. The Irish tinted voice sounds familiar...

[Amaril]

The peanut butter turns to silver glitter as it spreads across the bright red bread slices. The sandwich tastes like sucking on a quarter.
Kaitlyn stands on the grassy slope behind you, wearing a wedding dress; Jordan is beside her, arm linked with hers, in a bright orange tuxedo with a vivid pink tie. They wave cheerfully as you turn to look.
"Friends of yours?" Elizabeth asks, the autotune distorting her words.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark gasps. "Oh no! Your wedding was today?? But I didn't get you...wait a second. Something's not right here..."

Everything was off. Was this some kind of dream?

[Amaril]

"What are you talking about, Stark?" says Jordan's second head, sounding confused.
Elizabeth leans across the blanket to lay a hand on your forehead. "Ah, I see," she says in her synthesized voice. "You've come down with ennui. We'll need to get you to the hospital for surgery right away."
Abruptly, you feel a chill run down your spine. A gust of cold wind blows across the park, fluttering the edges of the blanket; Kaitlyn yelps and holds down her dress' flowing skirt.
A voice cuts into your thoughts, sounding like it's coming from everywhere and nowhere. "Hello? Are you there? Can you hear me?" It sounds vaguely familiar, but you can't quite remember where you've heard it, or even if you actually have.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark groans. "Things are starting to come back to me now...I can hear you. Get me out of here before things get weirder."

[Amaril]

"Oh, thank God." The voice resolves itself more clearly, as though obscuring static is fading away. It sounds like a girl, and she's clearly agitated. "Right, get you out of here. That's exactly what we need to do. Right now, you're in danger. I can help you, but you need to do exactly as I tell you, okay?"

[NeoSeraphi]

"Danger? Okay fine. I'm listening, just tell me what I need to do," Stark replies, standing up and putting some distance between himself and the three dream friends.

[Amaril]

As you stand up and walk away from your friends, who stand there watching you with curious expressions, you feel the air grow cold again, and the wind begin to pick up. Your skin begins to crawl, and you have a sense that you're being watched.
"Okay," the voice continues. "Just ahead of you, there should be a path." Even as she says this, one emerges from the thick park greenery. "At the end of that path is an exit Door. You need to get to it to escape the dream, and you've got to move fast--you're being hunted. Got it?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark starts to run down the path. "Hunted by what? Who is this? How do I know this isn't a trap?"

[Amaril]

OST: Crisis (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNGQ7BL0BGI)

"I...I can't tell you who I am," the voice says hesitantly. "And I can't prove to you that this isn't a trap, but please, you have to trust me. I'm your only chance at getting out of this. As for the thing hunting you," she continues, "it's called a Shadow, and I don't have time to explain anything else about it other than that you can't fight it, and if it catches you, it will kill you--for real, not just in the dream. If you want to live, you're going to have to run. Now please, move."
The path winds around the thickening trees, forcing you to twist and turn and rapidly adjust your balance. The air continues to get colder as you run; your breath begins to fog in front of your face. Another abrupt gust of freezing wind passes, and a soft rustling is all the warning you have before something cold, white, and wet smacks you in the face--a snowdrift, fallen off a branch. Looking around, you notice that the trees are covered in snow, their trunks frosted over.
"It's catching up!" the voice cries. "Come on, faster!"
Suddenly, the path turns around another bend--and the forest abruptly ends. Ahead of you, the ground slopes sharply downward, and is covered in a thick blanket of heavy snow. Dark clouds block the sky, and wind blows swirling eddies into your face, obscuring the way ahead. "The Door is ahead that way," the voice calls sharply. "You have to get down there!"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark almost stops in his tracks when he sees the snow. He begins to shiver and it gets harder to breathe...he's going to die here, alone and frozen in the snow. He keeps moving, but his speed is cut in half as he walks through this Silent Hill rip off.

He trips and falls, rolling down the snowy hill, and something snaps inside him. This is a dream. It isn't real! He hops to his feet and takes off through the ice bank, looking for the door.

[Amaril]

Struggling to your feet, you pull yourself up out of the snow and start running again--but within a second, your legs have already sunk back into the powder. The snow acts like quicksand; your struggling only makes you sink deeper. The cold eats into your flesh, causing your teeth to chatter.
Suddenly, the voice cries out, terrified. "It's here!"
Above you, you hear a titanic crash, and then the start of a rumbling roar, growing louder every second. Twisting around, you can see back up to the top of the slope. An avalanche barrels down towards you, tons upon tons of snow and broken ice tumbling along the hill, picking up speed and growing larger even as you watch. Through the confusing jumble, you can see a single, cohesive figure at the center, riding within the avalanche--a huge, hulking beast with teeth of ice crystals and fists like frozen boulders, as white as the snow around it, almost seeming to be made of the stuff, and you can sense that its attention and its hunger are fixed directly on you.
"It's bl...e out" the voice says, suddenly sounding distant again, obscured by static even worse than before. "R...ave to g..." Then, with a last burst of static, it cuts out entirely.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark struggles against the ice but he can't free himself. There's only one thing he can do...the most terrifying thing imaginable. Stark takes a deep breath and dives head first into the snow, feeling around for any kind of door and trying to crawl forward.

[Amaril]

Diving into the snow, your hand closes on something, but it doesn't feel like a door.
It feels like a card.
Abruptly, pain lances through your skull--were your vision not obscured beneath the snow, you're sure it would be blurred.
A voice resounds in your thoughts again, but this one is different. It sounds masculine rather than feminine, and where the previous voice sounded like it was coming to you externally, this one seems like it comes from you, as though you're feeling the words more than hearing them.
I am thou...
The pain recedes quickly, leaving you free to withdraw your head and hand from the snow to see what you've found. You recognize it. It's the second card Igor turned over when he read your future in the Velvet Room, the one he said represented your identity. The Sun.
Thou art I...
The eponymous sun on the face of the card seems to glow softly, releasing warmth that dispels the chill of the snow. Above, the rumbling of the avalanche has grown deafening, joined by that of the creature that drives it.
Thou shalt not be caged by dreams...
A word coalesces on your tongue, urging you to speak.
You know what you must do.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark grasps the card in his hand. "Per...so...na!" he chokes out through the snow.

[Amaril]

OST: Awakening (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvPlN4P56sA)

Fire erupts from The Sun, burning the card away, leaving you holding a fistful of burning energy that does nothing to hurt your hand. Heat explodes around you, blasting the snow away and creating a clear circle of grass on which you are left standing in the avalanche's path. The tidal wall of ice rushes down toward you, but none of it touches you--that which gets close fizzles into steam and vanishes, while the rest just diverts around you.
The Shadow at the center of the avalanche is left skidding to a halt on the hill just above you. Closer up, you can make out its form better. It looks vaguely humanoid, but is covered in shaggy white fur thick with frost; its face is consumed by a black, gaping mouth ringed with icicle teeth. Above the mouth is situated a mask, like one you'd see an actor wear in an old theater production, plain black with a cartoonishly exaggerated fixed expression of rage. The additional mouth on the mask is unnerving when placed just above the more realistic one.
The creature lets out a roar of fury, but rather than leap at you, it shrinks back. Looking at the spot in the mask where its eyes should be, you realize that its gaze is fixed not on you, but on something above your head.
From that direction, you hear a deep, resonant voice call out. "I am thou; thou art I. From the sea of thy soul I come. I am Tam Lin, knight of the fae court!"

Tutorial fight! Tutorial fight! :smalltongue:

I'll give you the next post to describe Tam Lin if you want it. If not, let me know in the OOC and I'll start the battle right away.

[NeoSeraphi]

Floating above Stark is a knight wearing animal hide and holding a spear. Stark gazes at the creature in awe. "Did you say...you're me? Whoa. Now this is my kind of dream!"

He gets to his feet and points energetically at the Shadow. "Alright, Tam Lin! Let's tear this monster to shreds!"

[Amaril]

As you command Tam Lin forward, the Shadow appears to regain its nerve. With another roar, it leaps forward, straight at your new ally, and Tam Lin meets it, spear raised.

Combat begins!
OST: Reach Out to the Hoop (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPHVNMefUT0)

Stark: [roll0]
Crushing Frost: [roll1]

If the enemy goes first, I'll edit its action into this post. Check back.

Welcome to the Space Jam :smalltongue:
As the two combatants collide, the voice from before abruptly reappears in your head. "Whoa, hey, the interference just cleared up, what...wait...something's different..." The mysterious woman pauses, then you sense a gasp. "You...you have a Persona! You can fight it now!"
There is another pause. "Alright, listen. That thing is still dangerous, but with a Persona, at least you stand a chance. The easiest way to kill Shadows is to hit them with something they're weak to. That thing seems to go in for ice, and I can sense you've got lots of fire abilities--try those, see if it helps." The next second, your attention is drawn back to the battle.

[NeoSeraphi]

The voice sounds clearer now. "You're the girl from my dream earlier aren't you? If you don't tell me your name I'm going to make one up!"

Stark raises his hand. "Bow before the power of The Sun! Agi!"

Tam Lin blasts the creature with flames.

I'm on my phone in the middle of nowhere so you'll have to handle this. You have the formula and Stark's stats, here's the d100
[roll0]

[Amaril]

"What are you talking about?" the voice says with agitation. "I've never contacted you like this before. Now come on, focus on fighting!"
Tam Lin's blast of fire strikes the Shadow straight in its midsection, and it recoils again, howling in pain. Steam billows from where the attack hit as the ice clinging to the creature's fur evaporates.
"Nice one!" the voice calls in your head.
The Shadow recovers quickly, however, and leaps back into the fray, striking out at Tam Lin with its huge fists. The blows strike home, sending your ally reeling, its form wavering. As the hit connects, you feel a sudden, pounding pain in your skull, as though you're feeling the injury inflicted on your Persona.

Take 21 damage from the Crushing Frost's Bash attack, and spend 5 SP on your Agi.

It's now your turn again.

[NeoSeraphi]

I thought the wiki said my innate skills didn't cost SP?

Stark winces as he feels the creatures claws dig in to Tam Lin. "We can take him! Agi!"

Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

[Amaril]

Again, the blast strikes the Shadow squarely, and again it howls in agony as its substance boils away. Stumbling forward, it lashes out at Tam Lin again, but as you instinctively will him to move out of the way, he does, responding to your thought like an extension of your body. The creature's fists whoosh harmlessly through the air in front of his face.

Spend 5 SP on your Agi (I'm gonna keep taking note of that until we resolve the issue definitively, just because it's easier to have the total expenditure written down and not need it than to hunt back through all the posts to count it up later).

It's now your turn again.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark starts to feel his mind drain away. He raises one hand and commands Tam Lin to blast the creature with fire.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Amaril]

Despite your growing mental exhaustion, Tam Lin's third blast still connects, though not as squarely as the other two--it burns past the Shadow's shoulder, singeing it, but not injuring it as severely. Nonetheless, it's looking more and more battered, and you can hear heavy, panting breaths.
"Come on, it's hurting!" the voice calls. "You can do it with more more good hit!"
The Shadow apparently thinks this is a good time to change up its tactics. Instead of going in for another swing, it darts back, hunkering down on its knuckles. You hear it suck in a deep breath, and then a cloud of freezing vapor erupts from its jaws, straight towards your Persona. Tam Lin throws up an arm to ward off the attack, but it does no good--a shocking, unbelievable cold stabs into you, colder than anything you've ever experienced before.
"No! Your Persona must be vulnerable to ice too!" the voice cries out in alarm. "Finish it off before it gets off another Bufu!"

Take 29 damage from the Crushing Frost's Bufu attack, and spend 5 SP on your Agi.

It's now your turn again.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark groans and clutches his chest. Another hit like that and he's finished. "I'm seriously going to die here...I'm going to freeze to death..."

He drops to his knees, clutching his shoulders as he shivers. But he looks up at Tam Lin and finds the strength to go on inside him. Stark stands up and gathers what is left of his strength, shooting off one last Agi.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Amaril]

The final blast burns a hole straight through the Shadow's chest.
For what feels like forever, it stands there stock-still, smoke and steam billowing around it. Then, with almost comical slowness, it falls to the ground. By the time it hits, its whole body is nothing more than wisps of black smoke, fading into the air.
There is another long silence. Then you hear the voice let out a sigh of relief. "Okay...it's gone...you're okay..."
As the last of the smoke blows off, the biting cold around you quickly begins to recede, and the snow stops falling, the last of it settling onto the ground. Tam Lin turns back towards you and gives a reassuring nod, then flickers and fades away.

You feel a sudden surge of energy within you.
You have reached Level 2!
Your HP and SP have increased!
You have gained 6 Attribute Points!

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark smiles as the Persona fades away. "Thank you, Tam Lin." He looks around. Now that the snow is gone he should be able to find that door.

[Amaril]

With the snow gone, it's easy to see the Door--just a little further down the hill, where it begins to level off. It looks exactly like an emergency fire exit that you'd see in any big building, complete with the glowing red "EXIT" sign above it. Which is suspended in midair, since there's no wall for the door to fit into.
"Alright," the voice says, sounding steadier again, "just head through the Door to get out. My job here is done."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark shakes his head. "Don't go yet! Who are you? Where are you? Why have you and this Shadow invaded my dreams?"

[Amaril]

"I didn't invade your dream," the voice snaps. "The Web is all interconnected already, it--" She cuts off, pausing for several seconds. "Look. I know you're confused right now, I know you have questions, and I'm sorry, really, but I can't help you any more than I have already. Except to give you one piece of advice." Another pause; you have the sense that if this conversation were happening face-to-face, this would be where she stares straight into your eyes to let you know she's dead serious. "This isn't over for you. Awakening your Persona was your only chance of surviving tonight, once the Shadow got to you, but it's also made you a target. They're going to be drawn to you, now, and you'd better be ready to outrun them, because you can't fight them forever. Trust me. I know. From here on in, you're on your own."
And with that, you feel the connection severed.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark looks around after the voice falls silent. "Damn. I have never hit a woman but that chick is pressing the wife beater button in my brain with both hands. Hope I don't ever hear from her again."

He reaches out and opens the exit door.

[Amaril]

Bright light floods through the door as it opens, forcing you to shield your eyes as you step through...

Wednesday, September 10, 2016
7:45 AM

Beep. Beep. Beep.
Reaching for your phone, you swiftly shut off your alarm. From the light shining through the curtains, it looks like a sunny day, though you can hear a strong breeze blowing around the house.
As you leave your bed, something occurs to you--you can remember your dream from last night perfectly. All of it.
You feel...different, too, in a way, though it's hard to describe. It's as though a veil has been lifted from your eyes; like all your life, you'd been walking around in the dark, never really able to see where you were, and now, suddenly, someone has turned on the lights.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark stands up. He blinks as he remembers the nightmare from the previous night. He looks down at his hand. "Persona...huh? A Shadow, and that stalker girl. ...A Contract. What is going on here?" He looks up at the ceiling and shakes his head. "No. I don't have time to worry about this now. Whatever happened last night, it's over now. I need to get to school."

Stark grabs his bag and walks to school with Max. On the way, he glances at the younger boy. "So...erm...did you sleep well?"

[Amaril]

8:02 AM

"Huh?" Max glances over curiously. "Oh, yeah, I slept great." His face grows concerned. "Hey, what about you? You don't look so hot, cos..."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark yawns. "Yeah. Bit of a crazy nightmare. I'll be okay though."

As he sits down in History, Stark pulls out his cell and asks Jordan for his number. He also invites the boy to play basketball with him in the gym after school.

[Amaril]

8:26 AM

"Oh, yeah, right, we should probably swap numbers," Jordan agrees as he pulls out his own phone and relays his info to you. He grins broadly at your invitation. "Hell yeah! I didn't know you played. You planning on joining the team? All the athletics stuff usually starts up towards the end of the second week."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark shrugs. "I figured the team would be full, but I guess there's no harm in me trying out."

[Amaril]

"Nah," Jordan shakes his head, "they always have tryouts at the beginning of the year. Always got at least a couple people graduating and leaving, so they have to fill up the spots somehow."

8:35 AM

True to Jordan's word, Mr. Durant's lesson is interrupted five minutes in, as per usual, by the morning PA announcements.
"Good morning, Northridge!" the announcer says with forced-sounding cheer. "Just a few quick announcements today. Starting this coming Monday, the school's basketball and indoor soccer teams will be hosting tryouts for juniors and seniors. Anyone interested should drop by the PE office before then to sign up. Registration will also be opening for intramural mixed doubles badminton, which can be signed up for either alone or with a partner--be warned, though, people who sign up alone might not get in if there aren't enough players for everyone to be paired. Also, a personally requested announcement from Ms. Parsons, who would like whoever keeps putting bowties on all the anatomical models in her bio classroom to stop, please. And it looks like that's everything. Thanks, and have an excellent day!"
Kaitlyn leans over towards you during the announcements. "Hey, Stark, you okay? You look like you barely slept last night..."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark smiles weakly. "I appreciate your concern. But I'm fine, really. Just a bad nightmare. So, are you going to try out for the play this year?"

If Stark thinks Durant won't notice, he stealthily flips open his phone and sends Lavender a quick text, asking if she'd like to eat lunch with him today.

[Amaril]

"Yeah, I think so," Kaitlyn nods as you send off your text. "They still haven't announced what it'll be yet, but that should happen soon."
From the front of the class, Durant gives a pointed cough. "Ms. Byrnes, Mr. Frostfell, if we might return to the lesson, please?"
Kaitlyn gives a sheepish look and falls silent. A few seconds later, your phone buzzes softly as you receive your response from Lavender. u bet :D seeya in a bit cutie

10:00 AM

Durant's class files out into the hall. As you leave, Kaitlyn turns to you again, seeming a little nervous, but genuinely concerned. "So hey, uh...can I ask about the nightmare you mentioned? Must have been bad, if it kept you from resting..."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark chuckles in embarrassment and nods to Mr. Durant, paying close attention to the rest of the lesson.

When Kaitlyn asks him about the nightmare, Stark mulls over his options. He didn't want to lie to her, but he couldn't just tell her he was attacked by a real monster and saved by a faerie knight and a stalker girl. She'd think he was insane.

Middle ground it is then. "A bad memory. Something that happened to me when I was a kid. The kind of trauma that follows you your whole life. I'm used to the nightmares by now." Smooth. Not a lie, but not enough of the truth to seem crazy.

[Amaril]

"Hmm..." Kaitlyn appears to ponder your answer for an almost inordinate amount of time, looking at you searchingly. Finally, she shakes her head and forces a smile. "Well, that's good, at least. And it was just a dream."
You have the strong impression that she's lying, badly, but about what, you can't say.
"Anyway, we should get to drama," she says abruptly, turning and beckoning you. "Coming?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark gives her a look. "I know I just met you, Kaitlyn, but you don't need to hide anything from me. If something's on your mind, you can talk about it freely. I won't judge."

[Amaril]

"What?" Kaitlyn sounds puzzled. "No, it's fine. Nothing's wrong." She at least sounds genuine this time, but quickly changes the subject as you head towards the theater.

11:33 AM

Drama is spent on improv exercises. Ms. Bradford compliments everyone on their progress in the short few lessons so far, and says she hopes to see everyone try out for parts in the play.
Lunch rolls around. Surprisingly, you find Lavender leaning against the wall outside the theater when you leave. She perks up as she sees you, waving and approaching. "Yo! Figured I'd just come meet you here, save us both the trouble of searching the halls." She takes note of your company. "Hey. It's...sorry, I wanna say Katherine?"
"Kaitlyn," she corrects.
"Right, sorry," Lavender says sincerely. "Don't think we've been introduced. Lavender Cormack."
Lavender offers a handshake, which Kaitlyn accepts. You catch her giving you a sly look. "Well," she says, "I'll leave you two alone, then. See you later, Stark." With a nod to Lavender, she turns to leave.
Lavender grins and chuckles at you. "Wow, should I be jealous?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark laughs a bit at that. "That depends. Do you like me enough to be jealous?" he shoots back, checking the time on his phone.

"Its fine. She's just a friend. So, did you pick up any games lately? Maybe I could guest star in one of your LPs," he offers, smiling as he walks with her to the cafeteria.

[Amaril]

"Actually, yeah," Lavender nods as you search for a place to sit. "My viewers have been pestering me to do Bloodborne, and I finally picked it up last weekend. I was gonna start it on Friday night." She grins at you again. "And since I apparently like you enough to be jealous, yeah, that actually sounds cool. Hell, we could even do the whole thing as a duo, if you've got the time. Maybe switch off whenever one of us dies?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Its hilarious that you've based this game in 2016 but have her playing all these 2015 titles.

Also does Lav wear a hat at school? If not, what does she look like without her hat?

Stark raises his eyebrows as the normally cool and apathetic girl bluntly states her feelings. "As far as I know, Kaitlyn isn't interested. We don't even have each other's cell numbers. But if you feel threatened by her I won't get upset if you 'mark your territory' or however girls deal with each other these days."

At her invitation, Stark pulls out his day planner and rips Saturday and Sunday out, crumpling them up. "Look at that. My whole weekend just freed itself up. I'm happy to play with you as much as you'd like."

[Amaril]

Actually, yeah, I didn't even think of that. Though in fairness, of the five games she's specifically named (Demon's Souls, FnaF, Alan Wake, Outlast, and Bloodborne, only the last is a 2015 release, with the others being even older than that. Anyway, just roll with it :smalltongue:

Also, yes, she does wear a hat at school. You haven't yet seen her without one.
Lavender looks taken aback. "Whoa, no, hang on, I don't mean I am jealous. Just, like, I could be if you two were actually a thing...like, if you say you're not then I trust you...it was a joke." She trails off awkwardly, but recovers when you accept her invitation. "Seriously? Awesome, we should totally make this happen! You wanna just come over straight from school on Friday?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark smiles. "You're pretty cute when you're embarrassed. Relax, I'm not upset. I'm flattered. If you feel that way about me then I'll make sure to deflect any interest from any other girls at the school. I will only have eyes for you." He smiles warmly at her.

"Right after school on Friday. Sure, we can meet up outside by the gate and walk there together. I'll let my aunt know I won't be getting in until late that day."

He sits and enjoys his lunch with the senior, before the bell rings and they part ways. Stark heads off to Algebra. When he gets there, he sits next to Avery and glances sideways at him. "Hey man. How's it going? Jordan and I are going to play some basketball after school. You in?"

[Amaril]

Lavender blushes scarlet, but doesn't stop grinning. "Jeez...I'm the cool upperclasswoman, I should be the one making you embarrassed..."
As you spend your lunch together, you feel a deepening bond between the two of you. Suddenly, a voice rings in your head, though you have no idea where it could be coming from.
Thou art I...and I am thou...thou hast forged a new bond, the reason for true existence...thou shalt have our blessing when thou dost create a Persona of the Star Arcana...

You have established a Social Link of the Star Arcana!

Social Link, go! :smalltongue:

This is a little awkward, since you picked up this Link before I really expected you to. While normally I'll let you choose your new Persona right away, in this case I'm gonna ask you to hold off, since you haven't been back to the Velvet Room (which is where you'll be creating your Personas) and don't yet know how Social Links work. I'll let you know as soon as that changes.
12:24 PM

Avery waves as you sit down. At your invitation, he sighs and shakes his head, frowning. "Sorry, I've gotta pass tonight. Tons of homework to do. Maybe some other time."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark listens to Tam Lin's voice in confusion. Tam Lin existed outside the dream world? He frowns as he thinks about this. What is a Social Link?

As he sits next to Avery, he nods. "That's cool. Want to give me your number? Maybe we can work out another time some day."

[Amaril]

"Yeah, sounds good," Avery says with a nod, pulling out his phone and reading you his number while typing in yours.

3:34 PM

The end of the day rolls around, and you find Jordan in the otherwise empty gym, already dribbling a ball by himself. "'Sup!" he calls over, grinning. "Ready to get served like a dude on Butler Island?"

Test any two of Courage, Understanding, and Diligence to see how well you play--Courage to seize opportunities, Understanding to anticipate Jordan's movements, and Diligence to keep pushing yourself without getting tired.

[NeoSeraphi]

Go Time. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RKF6gqCXiM)

Stark grins and dribbles the ball, expertly dodging Jordan's moves as he lays down a hustle. He goes for every risky shot he can, and puts them up in the basket. Stark even spins past Jordan and charges for the hoop, going up for a righteous slam dunk.

[Amaril]

You score your share of points, and even pull off that ballin' dunk in excellent fashion, but for every shot you make, Jordan seems to make two, dodging around you expertly and hardly seeming to tire no matter how hard you force him to keep up.

4:47 PM

Finally, Jordan waves to you to call it. "Not bad, Stark. Looks to me like you've got a hell of a chance of making the team if you go for it." He sounds genuine, despite having consistently outplayed you.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark pants and nods. "You're really good! I guess I need to practice more if we're going to play on the same court. I don't want to slow you down."

After properly hydrating, Stark turns and glances at the other boy. "Hey, I need to talk to Kaitlyn about something that happened today. Do you know where she hangs out?"

[Amaril]

"Kaitlyn?" Jordan raises an eyebrow curiously. "Uh, far as I know she should've gone home at the end of the day. Why, something wrong?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark shakes his head. He parts with Jordan and heads off to Junes hoping to run into Kaitlyn.

[Amaril]

Jordan looks concerned, but waves to you as you leave. "Alright, man. See you tomorrow!"

4:49 pm

The chill breeze has yet to die down as you step outside the school. Nobody else is around--all your fellow students have either left, or are pursuing their various activities inside the building.
You set off towards Junes, encountering few pedestrians in the less-than-perfect weather. Just as you get out of sight of the school, however, someone in particular catches your attention.
From around a corner, a man steps into your path. Middle-aged, with a short, scraggly beard, he has the look of a transient, his clothes unwashed and his cheeks hollowed by hunger. There is a strange, distant look in his eyes, as though he's not really seeing what he's looking at, but he fixes his gaze on you nonetheless.
Slowly, he raises his hand, extending a finger and pointing it at you. "You...come...here..." His speech is slightly slurred and weirdly drawn-out; it takes him about three times as long to pronounce the simple words as it should.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark tenses up. His recent experience and the man's odd appearance both make the sight very unnerving but he's still a city boy from Seattle. He calmly says, "I don't have any cash on me," and continues on his way without making eye contact.

[Amaril]

The man doesn't even appear to register your protest. "Here...now..." He begins to walk towards you, a slight shuffle to his gait, as though he's not completely in control of his movements. When you try to move past him, his hand suddenly darts out, grabbing at you.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark dodges out of the way. "Hey man, what's your problem?" He grits his teeth and adrenaline takes hold. He lashes out and punches the vagrant in the face.

[Amaril]

The vagrant's head whips back as your punch connects; you feel the crunch that means you've done damage. He stumbles back, then appears to regain some balance. For a second or two, he just stands there, before lifting his head back up and looking straight at you again. Though you've bloodied his nose, his expression doesn't change at all, still looking just as vacant.
The punch he throws back knocks you flying fifteen feet through the air. Before you know what's happening, you find yourself skidding along the sidewalk, staring up at the sky. From nearby, you hear his shuffling footsteps approaching again, though he no longer says anything.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark looks up in shock. This strength wasn't human. But then...no!

"A Shadow? In the real world? And seriously, what is with this whole focus on my personalized fears? No one likes Silent Hill!" He grits his teeth and reaches for the card around his neck. "Fine! If you're here, then that means...Bring the pain, Tam Lin!" He grips the card and tries to summon his Persona.

[Amaril]

OST: Darkness (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APF5FPDQi04)

Just like in the dream, the card is consumed by flames in your hand, and Tam Lin flickers into existence before you. He sets his spear, ready to face an attack.
Abruptly, the man doubles over, clutching at his stomach, coughing and gagging as though about to vomit up his innards. From his open mouth pours a black mass, a substance that looks like half oil, half smoke. Where it falls on the ground, it pools, growing as the vagrant, now collapsed on all fours, vomits up more than could possibly fit inside a human body.
The black stuff swiftly coalesces into a shape, a tangle of arms with clawed hands emerging from the pooled center. From the middle of the thing's mass emerges a mask, like the one worn by the first Shadow you encountered, but with a vacant, staring expression. You sense its attention has shifted to focus on your Persona, and it draws back its many limbs, readying to attack.
Before it can, though, you hear another set of footsteps behind it, these ones running. They skid to a halt on the sidewalk, and a familiar voice calls out.
"Sirona!"
There is a flash of blue light, nearly blinding you. When your vision clears, another figure has appeared behind the Shadow. Floating in the air is a woman with long, flowing black hair and blue-green skin the color of river water, wrapped in a gown that looks to be made of aquatic plants. In one hand, she holds a bowl; in the other, a wooden rod carved in the likeness of a serpent.
Kaitlyn stands at her feet, clutching a fistful of energy like yours. "Hey!" she calls. "Want some help?"
The Shadow spins to face the second Persona, then turns back to Tam Lin, appearing conflicted. The hesitation lasts only a second, though, as it rounds on you and rushes forward, crawling along the ground like a slug.

Combat begins!

Stark: [roll0]
Kaitlyn: [roll1]
Cowardly Maya: [roll2]

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark looks confused. "Kaitlyn? Another Persona?"

He only has a moment to react though, and he quickly surrounds himself and Tam Lin in a ring of orange power. "I need to concentrate. Makakaja!"

[Amaril]

"Yeah!" Kaitlyn calls in agreement. "Come on, you take it down, I'll back you up! Samakaja!" Kaitlyn's blue light surrounds Tam Lin as your orange fades away, and you feel your strength redouble again. A second later, the Shadow and your Persona clash, the creature raking at Tam Lin with its many claws. You feel the claws dig into you as the attacks connect, but it's not a serious hit, and Tam Lin barely wavers.

Spend 4 SP on your Makakaja.

Gain +20 Elemental Defense and +20% Elemental Resistance from Kaitlyn's Samakaja.

Take 10 damage from the Cowardly Maya's Slash attack.

It's now your turn again.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark blasts the creature with fire.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Amaril]

The creature recoils from Tam Lin's blast of flames, many of its arms retreating to clutch at its mask as the oily smoke of its form boils away in the heat.
"Dia!" Kaitlyn commands, gesturing towards you. Sirona tosses a splash of water from the bowl in her hand onto Tam Lin, which shines with light and disappears as it touches your Persona. You feel the sensory feedback from Tam Lin's injury recede, the pain disappearing.
Shrinking away from Tam Lin, the Shadow instead rounds on Kaitlyn's Persona. With a series of gestures, it conjures flames of its own and tosses them towards the green-skinned woman. Sirona is too slow to get out of the way, and Kaitlyn grunts in pain, stumbling back.

Spend 5 SP on your Agi.

Regain 24 HP from Kaitlyn's Dia.

It's now your turn again.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark glares at the Shadow. "Hey! Leave her alone! She didn't do anything to you!" He dashes past the Shadow and scoops Kaitlyn up in his arms, jumping back to give him some distance. At the same time, Tam Lin does the same to Sinora, setting the female Persona down behind him.

With Kaitlyn still nestled securely in his arms, Stark raises one hand and it glows blue with light. "Dia!" Tam Lin pulls out a pan flute and serenades Sirona with some Celtic music, healing her wounds. The fae knight spins back around and draws his spear, planting himself squarely between the Maya and Sirona. "Come on, freak! Your target is right here!" Stark yells.

His hand glows red this time and Stark yells, "Agi!" Tam Lin thrusts his spear forward and shoots a piercing blast of fire directly into the Maya's chest.

Sirona is healed for 20 health.
Dia is a minor action to cast, and I get two minors (one for the movement and one for the healing) so I can still use my standard to cast Agi.

[Amaril]

Kaitlyn twists out of your grasp, regaining her footing. "Hey, don't worry about me, I'm fine! Focus on the--"
Tam Lin's attack interrupts her, incinerating what's left of the Shadow. Just as in your dream, the black smoke that makes up its being swiftly disperses as it dies, leaving behind no trace of its presence.
"...Oh," Kaitlyn says awkwardly. "Well, uh...okay, I guess that's taken care of." At her gesture, Sirona flickers away and vanishes; Tam Lin does the same a second later.

You feel a sudden surge of energy within you.
You have reached Level 3!
Your HP and SP have increased!
You have gained 3 Attribute Points!

So now's a good time to mention something I noticed when I was looking at the wiki--when you increase your attributes by leveling, you can't put more than one point per level into a single attribute. So, before, spending four of your points on Luck wouldn't have worked. Don't worry about changing Tam Lin's stats retroactively, but keep that in mind from now on.
As the Personas fade away, you notice that the vagrant the Shadow originally came out of is still lying on the sidewalk. He doesn't appear to be moving.
Kaitlyn swiftly approaches him, beckoning to you. "Come on, get his legs. We have to move him." She herself kneels down and starts hoisting the man's limp form up by his underarms.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark lets her go when she starts squirming. He grins and waves to Tam Lin as the Persona disappears, and picks the guy up by his legs. "So, you have a Persona too? And it seems like you've been doing this longer than I have. I had no idea Shadows could show up in the real world!"

[Amaril]

"Yup," Kaitlyn nods, grimacing down at the body as she helps you carry it. "Got mine before the start of school. When you mentioned you'd been kept up by a nightmare, I figured it had happened to you too, so I hung around the school until you left and followed. Sorry, but I thought it'd be better for you to not be alone when this happened."
She shakes her head as you mention Shadows showing up in the real world. "They can't on their own--the only way is by hijacking the body of somebody they kill in their dreams. Like this guy..." Her face falls. It occurs to you that the man isn't breathing.
An alleyway stands a few feet away; she leads you into it. Gesturing for you to set the body down against the wall, she sits it up and rearranges it a little. "There. It'll look like he fell asleep here. Or passed out after a fight," she adds, noticing the bloodied nose.
Heaving a deep, regretful sigh, she bows her head over the body; you hear her mutter something that sounds like a prayer. She glances sideways at you. "You're taking all this remarkably well..."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark stares in shock at the dead body. "Wait, so all those deaths that have been mysterious with no cause on the news...they're because Shadows have killed people in their dreams? But...why is it only happening in Colorado?"

[Amaril]

"We don't know why that is," Kaitlyn says with a shake of her head. She turns back towards the street and beckons you again. "Come on, we need to get off the street. They probably won't try again tonight, but it's best to be safe. I'll walk you back to your place and then take the bus back to mine. I can explain more on the way." Suddenly, she gives you a searching look. "Wait a second, though--how did you already know what Shadows were? I thought you'd only gotten your Persona last night."

[NeoSeraphi]

"Who is this 'we'?" Stark counters. "There are other Persona-users besides the two of us? Like who? And...this chick invaded my dream last night. She was the one who told me about Shadows. And you're pretty confident for someone who sat on the sidelines. Your Persona seems more suited for healing and supporting than fighting. I should be the one who rides the bus home alone."

[Amaril]

"Yeah, there's others," Kaitlyn agrees. "A few of us have been working together to try and figure out what's going on with all this dream stuff, and stop the Shadows from killing people as much as possible. And yeah, you're right, most of Sirona's powers are support stuff, healing and making others stronger. That doesn't matter, though--as long as I'm surrounded by people on the bus, I'll be fine. The Shadows don't seem to be all that smart, but apparently they at least know enough not to attack when there are lots of witnesses. Besides, I've got more experience, and it's not like Sirona can't protect me if I need her to."
She raises an eyebrow at your mention of the mystery woman. "Invaded your dream? Like, you saw her? What did she look like?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark shakes his head. "And you're a total idiot if you think I'm going to let you go home alone after what I just saw. I'm not budging on this, Kaitlyn. So you might as well start leading the way to your place."

When she asks about the woman, Stark shakes his head. "I could hear her voice everywhere around me. She said the Web was already connected or something like that."

[Amaril]

Kaitlyn is silent for a second, frowning in contemplation. "A voice from nowhere giving you advice...that sounds like something someone else mentioned..." She's silent for a bit again, then shakes her head, apparently dismissing the issue.
At your suggestion of going back to her house, Kaitlyn gives you a defiant look. "You know, I hadn't noticed how arrogant you could be. Fine. If you think I'm too incompetent to make it home by myself, I won't go alone--but I'm not bringing you there. I'm going to call our group's leader and ask him to drive me from your house back to mine." Before you can say anything about it, she pulls out her phone and dials a number. "Hi, it's Kaitlyn. Listen, sorry to bother you, but I need a ride from Max's place to mine...no, nothing like that...uh, it's sort of complicated, I can tell you when I see you...alright, thanks. ...We should be there in about twenty minutes. ...Perfect. Thanks again."
She hangs up. "There. Satisfied?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark opens his mouth to object but then shakes his head. He turns and starts to walk back to his place.

[Amaril]

5:48 PM

Kaitlyn is stubbornly silent throughout the walk back, evidently no longer in any mood to answer questions. Luckily, it's only a short distance back to your house, and no other threats emerge.
Max answers the doorbell, looking surprised to see you. "Hey, Stark, where have you been? Did you and Jordan seriously play for that long? And Kait, what..."
At the sight of the look she's giving him, he trails off. A second later, his eyes widen in shock, flicking over to you. "You have got to be s***ting me."
"Nope," Kaitlyn says dryly.
Max takes a slow, deep breath, reaching out to brace himself against the doorframe. "Okay," he says at length. "Well...this was not a thing I expected to happen."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark pushes his cousin out of the way. "I'm going to sleep." he mutters, not caring what time it was. He heads into his room and flops down on the bed. God damn that woman pissed him off. Him? Arrogant? Just because he wanted to make sure she didn't get killed like he almost did?

Stark opens his phone. His dad's cell number sits in his contacts, as it has done for the last four years. Stark flips the phone closed angrily. "A soldier never leaves a man behind," he says to no one in particular, then passes out.

[Amaril]

Before you can fall asleep, you hear a pounding on the door of your room. "Stark? It's me! Come on, man, you've gotta let me in, this is really important!"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark opens the door, glaring at Max. "What?"

[Amaril]

Max flinches back from the door as you open it, but quickly recovers. "Here." In his hand, he holds out an oblong white pill. "Before you sleep, you have to take this."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark picks up the pill and looks at it. "Why? The only way to conquer your fears is to face them. Running from my nightmares won't solve anything, and Tam Lin and I are strong enough to fight back."

[Amaril]

Max's other hand clenches into a fist; you can see him gritting his teeth. But he takes another deep breath, and relaxes.
"Stark," he says patiently, "I totally get what you're saying. Believe me, I really do. But you have to think about this. Look...think back to the nightmare you had last night. I won't ask you for every detail, but just for yourself, think--how close did you come to not being able to beat the Shadow that attacked you? To actually getting killed?" He looks unblinkingly straight at you. "If it was anything for you like it was for the rest of us, it would have been damn close. And that was just one Shadow. Sure, not all of them are that strong, but there are sure as hell enough like that and worse that that doesn't make much difference. And see, here's the thing: now that you've got your Persona--Tam Lin, did you say it was called? Now that it's awake, it won't be just one coming after you. They're drawn to you, to all of us. Kait and I, we've been doing this longer than you have, and the very first rule we agreed on was to never go in alone and unprepared. If you do that, you die."
He points to the pill in your hand. "Neither of us would be here if we didn't have those. They knock you out hard enough that you don't dream--the Shadows can't touch you. Please, just...just trust me on this. Take it." He hesitates. "If you want to fight...we know who to bring you to. We can do it tomorrow. But I don't want to see you get your ass killed before we even have the chance to show you what we're all about."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark sighs and nods. "Fine, I'll take it. But if you think I'm going anywhere with you, you have another thing coming. You know about this, and don't tell me. I ask about the murders and you say nothing. You don't warn me, don't give me these pills from the start? I could have died last night, Max. I thought you were my family. Guess keeping secrets is more important to you than keeping me alive."

He slams the door in the boy's face, takes the pill and lies down.

[Amaril]

No further protest comes from outside the door. A few seconds later, you hear footsteps receding down the hall.

???

You are greeted by blue decor and a pair of familiar faces.
"Welcome back," says Igor with a knowing smile.
He leans back into his couch, tenting his fingers. "My, my...your life has taken quite the turn, has it not?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark looks around, confused. "If I had known the side effects of those pills including nightmare fuel hallucinations, I would have mixed them with whiskey," he remarks drily, clearly not in the mood for any cryptic nonsense.

"To answer the question, yeah. Seems like all my friends have a secret club that knows how to stop people from being murdered in their sleep and they decided not to tell me about it. Hell, Max won't even tell his own dad about it. Guess we should just let everyone in the state die, one by one!"

Stark sighs and looks at the woman sitting next to Igor. "And you? Nothing to say huh?"

[Amaril]

Margaret looks levelly back at you. "No, as a matter of fact. Nothing whatsoever."
Igor chuckles, then gives you a curious look. "So, Stark, you are angry with your friends for keeping their powers of Persona secret, is that right?" He leans forward in his seat. "If I might ask you a question...had they told you, as soon as you arrived, would you have believed them?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark sighs. "No, no I would not have. But it's easy to prove. I can summon Tam Lin in the real world. Come to think of it, how are these guys keeping this a secret if they're walking around fighting off Shadows in broad daylight anyway?"

[Amaril]

"That is not for me to say," Igor replies, spreading his hands. "Perhaps you should ask them, when you awaken."
His expression becomes serious. "However, there is other important information I can provide--indeed, that is why I have summoned you here tonight. But first, I have another question. Do you remember the Contract you recently signed?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark nods. "You know about that? In that case, who was the girl who gave it to me? What happened to her?"

[Amaril]

Igor shakes his head slowly with a tsk. "I fear that is another subject on which I may not speak. However, I will say that you may come to learn the truth of that on your own, in time. In any case, I will take that answer to mean that you do, indeed, remember the nature of your Contract. Therefore..."
As before with the deck of tarot cards, Igor somehow suddenly has an object in his hand. He reaches forward to set it down on the table in front of you; it's a key, made of some iridescent blue material.
"From this night forth," he proclaims, "you may carry this. As long as you possess it, you are our guest in the Velvet Room, and shall be permitted to enter this place at any time you choose. Additionally, I may now provide you with answers to many of the questions that I was unable to address during your last visit, and more. I ask only one thing in return: that you abide by your Contract, and assume full responsibility for all decisions you may make."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark picks up the key. "Answers, huh? Now we're talking. Why are the Shadows attacking people in their dreams? Why is it only happening in Colorado? How can dying in your dreams kill you? At the worst, it sounds like it should leave you in a coma. Oh, and Tam Lin said something to me about a Star and being blessed..."

[Amaril]

Igor is silent for a moment, watching you with interest. "You are indeed an unusual guest, Stark. Most in your position are interested chiefly in learning the nature of their new Persona abilities. Either you believe you already understand all you need to about them, or you simply view the problems of the current situation as more important." He sighs. "I fear I must continue to disappoint you, for most of your questions must fall to you to answer yourself. My role is not to show you your path, but to give you the tools you will need to follow it. Fortunately, your last question is one I am more than able to address."
He leans forward again. "While it may seem to you that you already have full command of your powers of Persona, you have only just begun to scratch the surface of your potential. You see, Stark, you possess a very rare and special power, even by the standards of those who call on Personas. While most such individuals can command only a single Persona, you have been gifted with an ability known as the Wild Card--the power to create and summon multiple different Personas, to better meet varying challenges. And the path to developing this ability is what it appears you have already begun to discover: the bonds you share with those you care about. Your Social Links." He gives you another searching look. "You said that you heard a voice speak of the Star. Try to recall what circumstances brought this on. Focus on the feeling you experienced at that moment..."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark frowns. "My Persona can speak for himself. If I have any questions about Tam Lin or what he can do, I'd ask him before I asked you. My Persona has his own personality and intelligence, and I won't disrespect him." He isn't angry, but he's definitely displeased by Igor's aloof attitude.

Stark looks confused. "'The Wild Card'? Why would I have been given this power? Erm...let's see...the moment I heard Tam Lin talk about the Star? That was...I was eating lunch together with Lavender. We were alone, and we were having a good time. She was cute...and she blushed a little. I remember thinking to myself that her showing a little emotion towards me instead of remaining her normal apathetic self might be a sign that she was opening up to me a little. That made me happy."

Looking down at his hand, Stark calls upon the burning energy of his Persona. "You're saying I can use more than one Persona? I can see the usefulness of that, after all Sirona is completely different from Tam Lin. Heh...it's like I'm a tactical officer and the Personas are my soldiers on the ground. So I just have to learn each of their strengths and weaknesses and harness those to make the best of any situation? Flexibility and power. I like it."

Stark puts the hand back in his pocket and gives Igor a serious look. "I may not have read that Contract, but I meant every word I said when I signed it. My actions represent me. If I make mistakes, it's my duty to correct them. I won't end up like my father! I will not spend the rest of my life looking for ways to blame others so that I don't drown in sorrow and regret. I am the embodiment of The Sun itself! Hope. That is what I have to offer. And as long as I do not give in to fear, then I believe Tam Lin will follow me into any danger and protect me no matter what. The two of us, together with the other Personas I collect along the way, will fix this problem. It's gotta be a recent event, there's no way this has been going on for more than a few months without me hearing about it even in another state. If that's the case, then someone's probably behind this. I think there's someone out there who made the Shadows, either by accident or on purpose. If it was an accident, then all I have to do is find him. He's probably looking for a way to fix his mistake as we speak, and if I help him, it'll happen twice as fast. If it was on purpose..."

Stark clenches his fist and lowers his head, his bangs covering his face. "If it was on purpose, then this guy is an indiscriminate serial killer, and he deserves no mercy. I can summon my Persona in the real world..." The Sun card on his chest starts to glow red, and the symbol flips upside down, "so if I find out that this is an intentional attack on the people of Colorado...on me and my family...then I'll have Tam Lin roast him alive!"

[Amaril]

Igor looks a little taken aback by your outburst, though his only visible reaction is to lean back a little and raise his eyebrows. A second later, though, he appears to recover, chuckling. "My, my...your fervor is certainly impressive. It may serve you well, but take care it does not lead you to act rashly. As I have said, you path is yours to determine, not mine, but you seem to realize fully that you will bear complete responsibility for where it takes you."
His previous enthusiasm seems to return as you move back to the subject of Tam Lin. "You are only partially correct about Tam Lin possessing his own intelligence. In a sense, he does--but that intelligence is the same as your own. His nature is that of every Persona; a facet of yourself representing all of your greatest strengths, which you can call upon to better face the challenges and hardships of your life. So while he can indeed understand your will and carry it out, he cannot tell you anything that you do not, on some level, already understand. I, however, can--as I have said, that is my purpose."
As you recall the moment with Lavender when you heard the voice, a grin spreads across Igor's face. "Perfect. Hold onto that memory; keep in fixed in your mind." His deck of tarot cards appears in his hand again, the cards fluttering into the air and down onto the table. "Now," he announces, "let me show you what the power of Social Links can accomplish!"
The top card of the deck flips over onto the table: The Star. Igor raises his hands above it, his expression one of intense focus. As you watch, the card begins to glow, just like when you use The Sun to call Tam Lin; glowing blue lines appear on the tablecloth, weaving around The Star, forming a complex circular design. Then, abruptly, the lights flare to blinding brightness and disappear.
When your vision clears, a figure floats above the table, looking down at you: another Persona. Igor and Margaret both raise their eyes to regard it, Igor's excited grin widening, Margaret simply nodding in acknowledgement.

You have gained your first Star Persona. Go ahead and write it up and add it to your character sheet when you get the chance, and feel free to describe it in your next IC post.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark nods. "A portion of myself...I see. Very well then. I have but one question for you: What will happen to the two of us if Tam Lin were to fall in battle?"

http://www.angelsandmasters.net/images/A4_1.jpg

The woman in a blue dress appears before Stark. Stark chuckles as he gazes at her, feeling the same warmth and affection he feels when he's with Lavender. "My name is Aine," the Persona announces.

[Amaril]

Having announced herself, Aine flickers and fades away. As she does, you feel a change in the feeling of Tam Lin's presence--as though there are two powers there now, both waiting to be called.
Across the table, Margaret retrieves a heavy, leather-bound book from somewhere beneath the table. Prising it open, she pulls an inkpen from an attached holder and begins rapidly scribbling on the page, though you can't see what she's writing.
Igor claps his hands excitedly. "Excellent! You now have control over both your original Persona and your new one, and will be able to summon either as you choose."
His face grows more serious again. "Now, as I am sure you can see, the creation of your various Personas is dependent upon your Social Links. You have already established one such bond, the one used to create Aine just now, but that bond is still weak, just beginning to be developed. In order to fully realize the potential of you power, it is vital that you continue to seek out new Social Links, and to nurture the ones you have already created. As you do so, you should return here, so that I may bring the power of your Social Links to life in the form of new and stronger Personas. Only with their strength will you stand a chance against the dangers that lie ahead."
He leans forward again, his bulbous eyes fixed unblinkingly on you. "And to answer your last question: should you fail to overcome those dangers...well, it is as I have explained. Your Personas are parts of your own being, and should they be destroyed, your own life will almost certainly be lost as well."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark's eyes widen in fear. After a moment of shock, the feeling registers and he nods firmly. "That's fine. I already said I'd take responsibility for everything that happens. If I fail, the price is my life. The ultimate responsibility. I just have to make sure that I don't lose." He nods to Igor. "Margaret, always a pleasure. Try not to talk my ear off so much next time." He turns to face the door behind him and opens it, ready to wake up.

[Amaril]

Margaret's only response to your jab is a dismissive sniff. Igor simply gives you another amused smile. "Very well, then. The next time you come here, you will do so of your own free will. I look forward to that meeting. Until then, farewell."
The door opens, and you step into the light beyond.

End of Episode 2



Episode 3

Thursday, September 11, 2016
7:45 AM

The familiar alarm tone draws you from your sleep, as usual.
As you return to consciousness, you find yourself feeling far more rested than when you woke up yesterday. The light from outside indicates more clouds. For the second time, every detail of your dream remains fixed in your mind as clearly as any of your real memories. The new presence of Aine remains beside that of Tam Lin, both awaiting your call.
You shouldn't drag your feet--school still starts in forty-five minutes.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark wakes up and rolls out of bed. He sighs as he looks down at his floor. He stands up and opens one of the boxes he brought. Reaching in, he pulls out its contents, a loaded revolver. His father had given him this pistol when he was five years old, because Stark had seen his father polishing and cleaning his weapon and wanted to do it too. Of course, his father had kept the safety on at all times and never bought him any ammunition, but Stark had a lot of fun cleaning his gun next to his dad.

When he was eleven, Stark's father taught him to shoot, and now he kept that gun loaded and with him at all times. But it was a heavy weight to bear...

Three years ago, at the hospital, Stark had faced his father lying in that bed, a shell of his former self...the gun in his pocket. He had removed it, and pointed it at his father's face, ready to end the man's pain.

Stark puts the gun in a holster on his belt and covers it with his shirt, then heads to school.

[Amaril]

Max is uncomfortably quiet as he walks alongside you. Several times during the walk, he opens his mouth, looking like he's about to say something, but loses his nerve and shuts it again. When you arrive at the building, he hesitates one last time, then just gives you a half-hearted wave and goes on his way.

8:21 AM

The door to Durant's classroom is already open; most of the early arrivals are heading inside to their seats. However, as you reach the door, you see Kaitlyn standing outside it, looking deeply nervous. When she sees you arrive, she swallows and approaches. "Stark? Can I...talk to you for a second?" She doesn't appear upset, just worried, fidgeting distractedly at the folds of her long skirt and quickly looking away when she meets your eye.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark stops in front of her and crosses his arms. "What? Look, I didn't mean that you were incompetent when I wanted you to get home safely last night. I just didn't think it was worth the risk. I'm glad that you came up with the idea that you did...it made sure neither of us were alone."

[Amaril]

"I know, I know," Kaitlyn says hastily. "I...wanted to apologize about that. I shouldn't have freaked out like I did, I just...I tend to get overly sensitive when I feel like I'm not doing as much as everyone else. But I know you just wanted me to be safe. So...yeah, I was a bitch about it, and I'm sorry." She's hardly even looking up at you now.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark sighs and nods. "Okay. I accept your apology. I got upset too, and I could have handled your attitude better than I did."

[Amaril]

"No, it's okay," Kaitlyn replies. For a second, she hesitates, bouncing nervously on the balls of her feet, then finally looks back at you, smiling faintly. "Uh...thanks for worrying about me, though. I know we haven't known each other long, but...it means a lot."
Suddenly, a voice rings in your thoughts, just like before with Lavender. This time, though, there's a slight difference, as though a second tone has been blended into the voice. Thou art I...and I am thou...thou hast established a new bond, the reason for true existence...thou shalt have our blessing when thou dost create a Persona of the Priestess Arcana...

You have established a Social Link of the Priestess Arcana!

Create your Priestess Persona at Level 3, if you please.
Still smiling, Kaitlyn beckons towards the door. "Come on, we may as well get to our seats."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark relaxes a bit. "I'm glad you're okay too. I just met you but I can already tell you're a good person." He smiles and walks in with her.

[Amaril]

10:00 PM

History passes as usual, with Kaitlyn seeming back to her old self. At the expected time, the bell rings. "Have an excellent day, everyone," Durant says cheerfully.
Just as you're getting up to leave, however, he waves you over. "Mr. Frostfell? Could I talk to you for a moment?" Beside you, Kaitlyn gives a knowing look and tilts her head over towards your teacher before picking up her bag and turning to leave.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark sighs. Of course, the "Leader" Kaitlyn called yesterday was Durant. He pulls his shirt lower to make sure his gun is concealed, and stays behind. "Yes Mr D?"

[Amaril]

Durant holds up a hand for silence, his eyes following the other students. When the last person has left, he gets up and crosses the room towards the door. "Do you mind if I close this? I'd like this conversation to be as private as possible."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark crosses his arms. "It is against the law to accost a minor without another adult present. If I'm in trouble for something, that is a discussion we can have in front of the vice principal."

[Amaril]

Durant shakes his head. "Stark, I assure you, you aren't in trouble for anything. This has nothing to do with school. But I can leave the door open, if you'd prefer it."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark sighs and closes the door. After he does that, he turns to the man and mutters, "Thank you for getting Kaitlyn home safely last night."

[Amaril]

Durant inclines his head. "It was no trouble, I promise. From what she tells me, it was your concern for her safety that prompted her to call me, so I applaud you for that." He pauses, giving you a questioning look. "So, I assume it's true what she told me? That you recently acquired a Persona, and were attacked by a second Shadow yesterday?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark hesitates. This guy was their leader. Was it safe to trust him? He might be the person behind everything. That's how it worked in the movies. Plot twists and secret motives and all.

Stark remembers that Tam Lin is a symbol of hope. Trusting that this person was good would be better than automatically assuming he was bad.

The card around Stark's neck returns to normal. He extends his hand and shows Durant the two different types of energy emanating from his hand. "Actually, I am currently in possession of three Personas."

[Amaril]

Durant raises an eyebrow. "More than one? Really?" He is silent for a few seconds, resting his chin on his hand, frowning in thought. "In that case," he finally says, "would you mind summoning them for me? Not that I doubt you, but, well, I've never encountered anyone who had multiple Personas..."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark focuses on the hope inside him. "Play us a tune, Tam Lin!"

After summoning the fey knight, he dismisses him and closes his eyes. He pictures Lavender smiling at him. "Shine bright for me when all other lights go out! Aine!"

[Amaril]

Durant watches in silence until Aine fades away, his expression fascinated. "Interesting...I hadn't known that was possible." He shakes off the daze and gives you an approving nod. "Well, thank you for sating my curiosity, Stark. And now that you've shown me yours, I think it only fair that I show you mine."
From the pocket of his coat, he withdraws a card of his own. You catch a glimpse of its Arcana--The Hierophant. "Runatyr," he speaks clearly, and light shimmers around him.
The figure that emerges might be the spitting image of Gandalf the Grey, complete with staff and pointy hat, but for one detail--a cloth tied over one of his eyes. Durant smiles and closes his fist; the figure flickers and vanishes again.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark observes him as he summons his Persona. "I appreciate you taking the time to do this, but do you have a point? I'm going to be late for drama."

[Amaril]

Durant nods understandingly. "I won't keep you long now--just wanted to make sure we were on the same page. But could you come by here again after school? There is more I want to talk to you about, when we have the time. I think you'll be interested to hear what I have to say."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark hesitates. "Fine. But I will only say this once: the power of the Wild Card belongs to me. I'll hear you out, but if I don't like what you have to say, then I'm going to walk out and I don't want you or any of the other kids to follow me."

He turns and opens the door, running to drama.

[Amaril]

11:30 PM

Halfway to the theater, you remember that you actually have art today, since it's a Thursday. You make it just in time--the teacher, Mr. Selleck, is just about to call your name on attendance when you walk in. He chuckles, but offers no complaint.
As you leave the class, you hear a familiar call. "Hey, cutie!" Lavender emerges from the flow of passing students, grinning as she adjusts her hat. "You hanging out with anyone else for lunch?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Her appearance reminds Stark that he actually forgot to tell Kaitlyn about the two of them. With the Shadow and Igor and Max everything had just spun out of control.

Stark considers going to find Kaitlyn and make sure everything was okay between them, but she was likely going to hang out with her girlfriends anyway.

Stark shakes his head and forces a smile. "No, I'm totally free. Let's go."

[Amaril]

Lavender's grin widens. "Sweet! Come on, let's get seats."
Fortunately, you two make it to the cafeteria early, and there's no shortage of good places to sit. However, you've barely managed to get comfortable before you're interrupted. A group of three girls walking by on the other side of the table stop briefly, looking darkly at the two of you. The one in front, a suntanned blonde with slanting brown eyes, mutters something to the two behind her; they shake their heads, and the three continue.
Lavender keeps a death-glare trained on them throughout the entire process. "Aw hell naw," she growls, standing up from her seat and walking swiftly around the table, stepping right up to the blonde girl and getting right in her face. "Hey, you have a f***ing problem, Mona? What the hell can I possibly have done to offend your sensibilities this time?"
Mona steps back, looking embarrassed. "What? No! What are you even talking about?"
"Don't give me that," Lavender snaps. "I can tell when someone's talking s*** about me. Not like you bother to be subtle about it."
Mona glares back, shoving Lavender out of the way. "Jeez, what the f*** is wrong with you?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark stands up and firmly pushes the girls apart. He holds tightly onto each of their shoulders as he gives Mona a polite smile. "Stark Frostfell. A pleasure to meet you, Miss. Please excuse my friend's aggressive behavior. She's just a little on edge. Lavender, please apologize to the young lady for accosting her and then the two of us can return to our pleasant lunch."

[Amaril]

"Don't get involved in this, Stark," Lavender says as she steps back. "You don't know Mona. I guarantee she was insulting one of us, or both."
Mona's eyes narrow. "Actually, I think Stark here deserves to know what it was I said." She doesn't take her eyes off Lavender. "I was saying how profoundly disappointed he's going to be to find out what a f***up you are, and that he'd be better served pursuing someone who doesn't go after younger students because they're desperate for a relationship and can't keep one with anyone their own age."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark chuckles. "Is that so?" He winds up and slams his fist into Mona's face, knocking the girl down to the ground. "Who the hell are you to judge others and look down on them? Lavender is my girlfriend, and you would dare insult her in front of me? Go on, say something else about her, I dare you! I don't care if you are a woman, she's with me, and anyone who upsets her is going to regret it."

After Mona and her friends leave, Stark wipes some dirt off his knuckles and tells Lavender to enjoy her lunch, before heading to the principal's office to turn himself in.

[Amaril]

"Jesus!" one of Mona's friends cries as she's knocked back, the two catching her before she falls. Immediately, they both turn shocked, angry looks on you, Mona doing the same as she stands back up and dusts herself off. "I-I'm getting someone," the girl on the left stutters as she turns to leave.
Mona's glare darkens. "You know what? I take back what I said. You two deserve each other." Then she turns and angrily follows her friend the third girl trailing behind.
Lavender just stands there, her eyes wide as she watches. "Hooooooly f***, that was awesome...oh man, you are gonna be in so much s***...but Goddamn that was badass..." She nods silently as you bid her farewell, still looking stunned.
Evidently, Mona's friend is faster to report you than you are to reach the office. An announcement sounds over the PA. "Stark Frostfell, please come to the main office immediately. Stark Frostfell, to the main office." A moment later, you reach the door and enter. The vice principal, a late-thirties-looking woman you haven't met yet with her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail and a stern expression on her face, greets you at the door. "Well, at least you're punctual," she says coldly. "Come on."
After leading you to an office with a nameplate that identifies her as Ms. Baxter, where you find Mona and the friend who left first already waiting, the next several minutes are spent alternately listening to Mona's accusation and being lectured on maturity and appropriate conflict resolution. However, when she hears your explanation of the circumstances that led to the incident (Mona giving a derisive sniff and refusing to look at you, but admitting to what she said), Ms. Baxter finally settles on two days of in-school suspension, to be carried out tomorrow and Monday. With a warning that this will remain on your record, and that further incidents will carry more severe penalties, the vice principal finally dismisses you.
Lavender is waiting for you when you leave the office, hardly seeming to notice Mona and her friend walking out beside you, her expression worried. Once the other girls are safely out of earshot, she moves in to stand quite close to you. "Hey," she says in a low voice, "would you be mad if I kissed you really hard right now?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark listens calmly as he is read the riot act. When it's his turn to speak he stated plainly that Mona's statement about Lavender was unprovoked and that he has a zero tolerance policy for students bullying other students. He accepts the two day suspension with a polite smile, thanking Ms Baxter for giving him the opportunity to explain himself.

When Stark runs into Lavender he raises an eyebrow. "No I wouldn't be mad, but what brought all this on, all of a sudden?"

[Amaril]

Lavender looks on the point of grabbing you, but hesitates. "Because that was incredibly badass and super awesome of you to get that upset about someone insulting me and now I'm pretty sure I like you about fifteen times more than before? I woulda thought that was pretty obvious..."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark grins and gently takes her hand, pulling her close and pressing his lips against hers.

[Amaril]

Lavender reciprocates enthusiastically, and holds on for a long time.
As she finally breaks it off, you hear the voices of Tam Lin and Aine in your head again. Thou art I...and I am thou...thou shalt have our blessing when thou dost create a Persona of the Star Arcana...

The Star Social Link has reached Rank 2!

Lavender grins and chuckles as she lets go of you and steps back to a more usual distance. Her face falls quickly, though. "God, she is such a judgmental ass," she mutters darkly, glancing after the way Mona left.

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out his tarot deck. Shuffling through it, he produces The Star and hands it to Lavender. "Here. I want you to have this. If I am The Sun, shining brightly in the sky, then you are my Star, working hard to keep the sky bright when I'm feeling down."

He smiles and squeezes her hand before heading off to Algebra. Gossiping wasn't right on either side. If Mona had a problem with Lavender, he'd ask her about it directly.

[Amaril]

Lavender laughs out loud as she accepts the card. "Well, that takes the cake for the cheesiest line anyone's ever seriously said to me. But thanks." She returns your smile and turns to head the opposite way as you leave.

3:32 PM

The end of the day finally rolls around--as does the appointed time for your meeting with Durant.
You arrive at the classroom to find the door standing ajar. Inside, Durant waits at his desk, watching the entrance. Beside him, Max sits atop a desk in the front row with his feet on the chair, with Kaitlyn seated more properly at another. Both turn to look anxiously at you as you arrive.
Durant, for his part, doesn't seem worried in the least, beckoning from his chair. "Thank you for coming again, Stark. Close the door, please, and have a seat."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark closes the door. At this point, he's more confused about how Lavender's been acting than he is worried about Shadows. Man, things were happening so quickly around here it was hard to keep track of which was the bigger crisis.

The boy takes a seat next to his cousin. He closes his eyes, and then draws the revolver from his hip and points it at Durant, pulling the hammer back and hearing a shell click into place. His finger rests on the trigger.

[Amaril]

With your eyes closed, you have only sound to show you the others' reactions. From Max's direction, you hear a gasp and the sound of his feet hitting the floor as he jumps back; from Kaitlyn, you hear a startled cry and the sound of a chair scraping along the floor. Durant, however, makes no obvious sound of reaction.
"Stark," you hear him say levelly. "Please put that away."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark smiles and puts the gun away. "No sign of fear. Good. Tam Lin would respect that. Then we can talk. What do you have to say?"

[Amaril]

Beside you, Max lets out a sigh of relief, head falling into his hands. "Jesus, man, what the f*** was that about? Why do you even have that thing? Have you been carrying it all day?" Kaitlyn just watches, sinking back into her chair.
Durant does not, indeed, appear afraid. He watches you from behind his desk, face impassive behind his glasses. As Max begins talking, he holds up a hand for silence. "Max, please. It's alright. Your cousin doesn't seem intent on hurting anyone." His expression hardens. "That said, Stark, before we can have any sort of discussion, I have to let you know that that kind of stunt is not acceptable. If you can't promise me not do anything like that again, you can leave now."

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark looks at Max. "I've been shooting guns a lot longer than I've been using Personas. If a possessed corpse comes after me in the real world, I trust my trigger finger a lot more than I trust myself to win through magic."

Looking sideways at Durant, Stark narrows his eyes. "You're right. I'm not intending to hurt anyone. But your theatrics aren't appreciated either. So I was just giving you a taste of what it feels like to be strung along like you're doing to me. I promise I won't threaten anyone, so why don't you cut the bulls*** and tell me what you want to tell me?"

[Amaril]

Durant watches you for another second, then sighs and bows his head. "Alright. I suppose we have been keeping you in the dark, to an extent, and I apologize for that, though some of it was necessary. I promise, from this point forward, there will be no secrets between us. But first, to avoid repeating anything unnecessarily, let me ask you, how much do you already know about the situation here?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark crosses his arms. "I know enough to consider changing my name to 'Alex Shepherd'. In the state of Colorado, people are going to sleep and while in their sleep, someone is connecting their dreams in some kind of Web. While your dreams are connected, they distort and change, resulting in a nightmare formed of your darkest fears. Then a Shadow appears and attempts to kill you. If you are killed in your sleep by a Shadow, no one can tell how you died, and your body becomes a tool for the Shadow to use, allowing it to wreak havoc in the real world. Shadows are drawn to Personas, and so those of us who have them need to take those white pills to prevent us from entering the Web of Dreams."

He continues. "A Persona is a culmination of all your inner strength, released when you face your darkest fears head on. This strength manifests itself in the form of a spectral warrior with about the same size and strength as the Shadows themselves. They are capable of drawing on your mental state to perform feats of amazing magic, though consuming too much will result in damage to your mind. If the Persona is slain by a Shadow, you die."

Lifting his hand into the air, he summons Aine. "Unlike Max, Kaitlyn, or you, I have the ability to summon multiple types of Personas, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. This also gives me access to a wide variety of magic."

He decides to leave Igor, Margaret, the Contract, and the Velvet Room to himself.

[Amaril]

Durant and the others seem a little surprised. "Well," says Durant, raising an eyebrow, "that actually is quite an accurate and comprehensive summary. In fact, there seems to be very little I have to explain that you don't already know."
"Yeah, sheesh," Max agrees, sounding a bit humbled. "Even got a cool name for the dreamspace. The Web of Dreams. It really is like a web, isn't it? We should start using that."
"Uh, hold on," Kaitlyn cuts in. "Did you say you could summon more than one Persona?" Her eyes widen again as she sees Aine. "Whoa, seriously? That's possible?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Stark dismisses Aine. "Alright then. Enough. You called me here. I want to know why."