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Davin Valkri
Apr 8, 2011

Maybe you're weighing the moral pros and cons but let me assure you that OH MY GOD
SHOOT ME IN THE GODDAMNED FACE
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!


"Sure, no problem, Christie," I nod as I pat the seat next to me. "Room for more. Hey, thanks for helping us with the classes earlier--" I stop talking as some girl comes right up to my table and looks at me. Is she wearing jester-wear? Was it costume day in Honey Bee or something.

"Can I...help you?"

As I try to lock eyes with her, she suddenly blanches and runs off.

"...what the hell was that?"

Davin Valkri fucked around with this message at 03:23 on Sep 21, 2016

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Antivehicular
Dec 30, 2011


I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give



That kid's the one? He doesn't look weird at all, and I can't feel anything weird coming off of him or anything, but... James and Viola don't look or feel weird either, I guess. Well, Viola looks weird, but just regular weird. And now she's being weird at the kid, and of course he doesn't know what the hell, because why would he? God knows I still don't know what the hell.

I say the first thing that comes to mind. "... foreign exchange student. She's new here, and wherever she comes from... I dunno, man."

Lurks With Wolves
Jan 14, 2013

At least I don't dance with them, right?
Sam Whittaker

"Eh. You're nice and I needed a place to sit. Seemed like a good idea at the-Oh, hey Chris. Funny how we keep running into each other." I give him a quick wave as he sits down. Really, this isn't that bad. Maybe Six Sisters isn't going to be that weird...

Why is a jester staring at us? Did... Does that jester recognize me? And also think I'm the antichrist instead of just a joke? Because that's... weird. That's really weird. And now her friends are coming over. That's great. That's just great.

"I'm new here too. I don't do that." I'm staring now, aren't I. That's good. I have reason to stare right now.

Please do not comment on the fact that Sam kind of did actually do that back when... you know.

TheFireMagi
Nov 6, 2011

...She's behind me, isn't she?
Christie Fairchild

"Well, we do kind of stand out in our uniforms, so I noticed you two even from across the cafeteria," I say offhandedly as I sit down beside Stefan. Humming as I unwrap my lunch, I'm about to say something when a girl comes up to us. In...jester wear? I thought we stood out, but I guess Honey Bee allows their drama club to wear costumes around campus?

Then she suddenly pales while looking over at us, and now two more kids are coming over. Did we do something wrong? Did I do something wrong? I hope not, because that'd be the third time today. Should I say something? I didn't know her though, so wouldn't it be awkward? Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Besides, at this point, what did I have to lose really. Other than looking like an idiot in front of everyone present, of course. That cheerful thought in my mind, I set down my lunch and walk towards the jester girl, hands opened in a peaceful gesture.

"Excuse me, but is something wrong? Are you okay? ...Please don't tell me we messed up somehow by sitting here."

OscarDiggs
Jun 1, 2011

Those sure are words on pages which are given in a sequential order!
James Morganson

Oh Jesus Viola! Damage control, damage control! “No no, it’s nothing any of you have done. Viola has a few quirks we’ve been trying to iron out. The school dropped her here with basically no support; didn’t even know what a cell phone was! She’s usually very…” An idea. Oh this is going to be so embarrassing if Viola went off half-cocked. Even more so then for the poor transfer student.”She’s usually very Persona-able is all. She has a very bubbly Persona most of the time. Maybe one of you has a friend with a Persona like that? That’s how Viola usually is. Laurel and I will go over and talk to her, maybe try and help her settle a bit.” I look directly at the boy Viola pointed out and try a very subtle hint. “Maybe you should come with us. Over to where Viola is. I’m sure she’ll want to apologise for freaking out. And then we can figure out why she freaked out in the first place. Just between us… Erm, I’m James. And this is Laurel.” I introduce the last member of our trio.

Davin Valkri
Apr 8, 2011

Maybe you're weighing the moral pros and cons but let me assure you that OH MY GOD
SHOOT ME IN THE GODDAMNED FACE
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!


"I don't think we screwed up," I tell Christie as even more strange people gather around motley-girl. "I mean, there are other people right--huh?!" As if on cue, the people sitting elsewhere at the table have all left, leaving me, Christie, Sam, and these three weirdos more or less alone. And why does this guy want me to go with him--Personas?! Wait, like Talos?!

"...you know, some seats just opened up here," I say in measured tones. "We can all have a nice little chat right here, James, Laurel, and Viola." Geez, even their names sound like a comedy act.

Atropha
Nov 17, 2010



"Actually, Meriteia isn't very bubbly at all." Viola 'helpfully' chimes in from where she is half hiding behind James. Not that she's scared or anything, just cautious as she's throwing glances at Stefan. "And I'm not an exchange student. At least I really hope nobody had to take my place for me to come here. B-but it's real important that we talk to you. We were told to seek you out. The one marked by Death." she says, doing her best to make it sound exactly as ominous as the message demands complete with pointing her finger at Stefan, even if it comes across as kind of dissonant to have a brightly dressed jester-girl deliver a gloomy message of doom over James' shoulder.

Lurks With Wolves
Jan 14, 2013

At least I don't dance with them, right?
Sam Whittaker

Okay, so Viola's friends are only slightly less weird than her. That's okay. I'm just going to sit here and sip my milk and listen to what they have to say. After all, it's just a little conversation. I'll

OscarDiggs posted:

Persona-able

be

quote:

Persona

perfectly

quote:

Persona
fine

I slam my carton onto the table. Everything shakes, for a second.

"Okay. I get it. I know I'm 'that persona lady', you know I'm 'that persona lady', we can all stop beating around the bush about it." I scowl and hunch over in my chair. "I thought I could leave that reputation behind at Forrest, but I guess I was wrong."

(I'm not even going to touch on Viola going on about death. I mean, I know I'm weird, but I'm not marked by Death weird.)

OscarDiggs
Jun 1, 2011

Those sure are words on pages which are given in a sequential order!
James Morganson

I turn, horrified, toward Viola. “Viola!” I practically hiss “There’s a tactful way to go about this and it doesn’t involve talking about it out in the open where anyone can see how crazy you are!” I instantly regret saying it but I’m so shocked and appalled I don’t let it stop me. I can apologise later, after I stop the new girl getting her poo poo beaten in by the city kids. My fear’s are almost realised when I hear the table slamming. I turn defensively, trying to keep the clownish girl out of sight of the trio, preparing to defend her when the girl on the end starts going on at me.

“Forrest? What? You know about all this as well? Wh-why are you-” I stop, I breath a deep breath and then I sit down. As I sit, I pull at that special place, the one that has been there since that night months ago, a pocket stuck between real and unreal and I pull out my card. I feel oddly exposed, vulnerable, letting everyone see it so plainly, as if my entire existence could be summed up and judged into the existence of a single object. I can’t help but fiddle with it as I start talking. “I’m sorry if I’ve upset or annoyed you. I am, but I have no idea what you’re talking about. I haven’t had much of an idea of what’s been happening since I came to school this morning. All I know is a few months ago, I gained a Persona. Today, I met two others who had them as well.” I stop, pointing toward Viola and Laurel to emphasise my point. “We were speaking to someone else in class, a new friend, when suddenly we were… spoken to. A voice told us about Arcana and Devils, and then said to search for the one “Marked By Death” who will open the way. We figured, there’s too many coincidences today and that we should look for someone from Norton. When we can in, Viola saw you” I point at the boy in the centre “and freaked out, saying that you were the one marked. Now we might just be crazy, maybe Viola is wearing off on us too fast, but if the word Persona means something to you then we need to talk. To both of you. We’re already to public for all this crazy talk.” I finish, looking toward the last member of the trio. Hesitantly, I put the Card of the Chariot away, feeling incredibly embarrassed and shamed.

Davin Valkri
Apr 8, 2011

Maybe you're weighing the moral pros and cons but let me assure you that OH MY GOD
SHOOT ME IN THE GODDAMNED FACE
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!


SuddenConsequences posted:

"We were told to seek you out. The one marked by Death."

WHAT THE F--

Now it's my turn to blanche. And nearly choke on my food. And make all manner of noise to call everybody's attention towards the sextuple act going on at the table in the corner. Who is this girl and how does she know about my...condition?!

"Now you list--*hack hack* listen, lady!" I hiss as I try to catch my breath. "You can't just go around *hack hack* calling people *cough* dead men walking like that!" Even if she is right...but how does she know?! HOW?!

One of the boys--James, I think, pulls out a card from his pocket and I can't help but stare. Discreetly I pull out my phone and compare James' card to my wallpaper. The subject is definitely different--mine is a figure pouring something between two cups, shut up, it looks cool and better than a family picture with me in a hospital gown!--but the art is definitely similar. And the theme is obvious. And Sam's reaction makes it sound like she knows, too. I've never heard anything about Forrest, but it's obviously something she was hoping would stay buried.

Maybe there's something to this. But first I need to check something.

"Viola," I say with a deep breath and a quiet tone. "I need you to be honest with me. What makes you think I'm 'marked by death' or whatever?"

Depending on how outlandish the answer is, I may end up compelling "Stop Lying to Me!"

Atropha
Nov 17, 2010



Viola flinches when Sam slams down her drink. These Norton kids sure are different and a little bit scary. But Stefan shows them something on his phone and it's the Temperance Arcana and that means he can't possibly be that bad, right? Everyone is so... touchy about these things, maybe James is right and she needs to treat all of this as if it wasn't as normal? And maybe it isn't? Maybe she is the weird one. It's not like she really has much of a frame of reference.

"W-well, it's all this... stuff clinging to you." she starts gesturing at Stefan and the aura of smoke around him that seems to constantly shift and churn, never quite taking recognizable shapes. "It's swirling all around you and it just feels bad. Real bad. I don't wanna upset you or anything. I just thought maybe I can help but then I saw and I got spooked and I didn't mean to make anybody feel bad about being a Persona Lady, I swear! It's not a bad thing at all and I dunno what Forest you're from but if people where mean to you for having a Persona there then I'm glad you're not there anymore cause those people don't sound very nice at all and I'm real sorry!"

Antivehicular
Dec 30, 2011


I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give



Well, that's the cat out of the bag. Maybe that's for the best, though -- better than James's little word games, anyway. At least this way we can get somewhere.

I don't recognize the symbols on the cards that James and Stefan show off, but I recognize the style and color palette, even if my own example is a little more muted. They're unquestionably a set, and... as much as I was a little hesitant to be honest about this, with Viola talking about Stefan being marked by Death, maybe it's time to reassure him that he's not the only one. I pull my card from my pocket and hold it up: a blue-grey design of a skull in front of a closed gate, the Roman numeral XIII.

"I don't know what Viola is seeing," I say. "You seem okay to me. But -- you're not the only one who drew Death, whatever that means. ... The problem is, I don't know what any of this means, just what I feel. Viola's, uh, the expert here." I fall silent, letting her speak or one of the others interject. There's the girl who hasn't mentioned her card yet -- wonder what she's got? And is their other friend just completely weirded out by now?

TheFireMagi
Nov 6, 2011

...She's behind me, isn't she?
Christie Fairchild

Tarot cards? Marked by Death? Persona? There was so much information being thrown at me that I was having a hard time keeping up with the conversation, and yet something about it all felt...right. Like I was meant to be here, listening to all this babble that to anyone else would have sounded like the ramblings of a madman. I fished out that familiar card, and held it up between my thumb and index finger. On it, the Roman numeral XIX, and the depiction of a sun with a small smile. Not unlike my usual expression, thinking about it.

"I'm not going to say that I entirely get what's going on here, because I really, really don't. But I have one of those cards too, for what it's worth."

Even as I said it, there was a sense of warmth that filled my body, although I still wasn't certain whether I was imagining that or not. The warmth, the comforting figure from back then, and...

"...And as crazy as it sounds, I've experienced an hour between midnight and one that shouldn't exist," I say out loud, though it's more to myself than anyone in particular. Please, I thought, let them have experienced it too.

Lurks With Wolves
Jan 14, 2013

At least I don't dance with them, right?
Sam Whittaker

This is a lot to take in. Most of this isn't news for me, but... now there's other people that know it too. That's big. That's bigger than I ever realized. And then there's all the talk about death. It's all so much, and I know so little about what's going on and no one really knows what's going on. And not knowing what's going on isn't what I do, y'know? But no one knows what's going on or where to find out, so... here I am. Guess I'm just going to be quiet and see what happens.

"Where were any of you three months ago?" Did that sound cool? I mumbled it, but maybe it was cool anyway? Whatever. That really doesn't matter right now.

OscarDiggs
Jun 1, 2011

Those sure are words on pages which are given in a sequential order!
James Morganson

It seems like the only thing I’m doing today is pissing people off somehow and then apologising to them. I’m sort of glad the attention isn’t on me as much as it is. Still, this is big. All those months thinking I’m on my own, then suddenly finding 5 others like me in the span of a day?

“If we’re all in the know, then we should at the very least know each others names. You already know ours, can we have yours?”

Davin Valkri
Apr 8, 2011

Maybe you're weighing the moral pros and cons but let me assure you that OH MY GOD
SHOOT ME IN THE GODDAMNED FACE
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!
FP5+1?/5

Okay, okay, seriously, what, what, WHAT?!

This is it. This is how I die. I'm going to die of a stroke because crazy jester lady thinks I'm covered in evil black goo. She doesn't even know my medical history and here she is throwing around visions of horrible death and is she actively TRYING TO MAKE MY HEADACHE WORSE OR--

My head lands on my sandwich with a muffled "thump." "Gyah!" It's enough to snap me out of my mental ranting, but not enough to make the pain go away. I need to get one of those travel packs of medicine and stuff it with aspirin...

"Ow, ow, ow, just...shut up, Viola, you're making my head hurt!" I hold my forehead in one hand as I start looking up again, continuing to babble in a hushed hiss. "I...okay, we all have tarot card thingies, but that doesn't mean anything about me!" I know full well I'm "marked by death" in my own way, but that's not what Viola seems to be talking about, not in the slightest. She's not talking about terminal illness, she's talking about some kind of spiritual thing. "I mean, Laurel over there--" I point at him aggressively with my phone. "--how come he doesn't have that black aura?!"

Atropha
Nov 17, 2010



"Sorry, sorry, sorry! I don't know why Laurel doesn't have it or what it is, but I do wanna help. There's gotta be something we can do. That's why we got these." she says and with a flick of her wrist produces a card of her own, letting it dance across her fingers until it rests in her palm. "To face and overcome hardship."

Davin Valkri
Apr 8, 2011

Maybe you're weighing the moral pros and cons but let me assure you that OH MY GOD
SHOOT ME IN THE GODDAMNED FACE
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!
FP5+1?/5

Okay, okay, seriously, what, what, WHAT?!

"I saw her card," I deadpan from just over the bread. "It's death. How come I'm marked by death and she's not?"

Edit, on one of UQ's suggestions

"You know what, to hell with it, I don't need this. What I need is a quiet place to take some painkillers. Where's the restroom?" I stomp off to exit the lunchroom and look for someplace blessedly free of jester girls.

Davin Valkri fucked around with this message at 04:25 on Sep 23, 2016

Unknown Quantity
Sep 2, 2011

!
Steven? Steven?!
STEEEEEEVEEEEEEEN!
Stefan Falco

Running to the only place a girl won't be able to follow you, you look for the men's restrooms. Thankfully, they're only about a short run away from the cafeteria. From the direction you're coming in, first you pass by the lady's room, then the janitor's room, then the blue door with the glowy outline to it that is seemingly attached to the wall, then the men's room...Wait, what?



Sure enough, it exists. It definitely has a definite sensation when you touch it, and the light does glare a bit with your lenses. No one else seems to acknowledge it's there, and any search on a map of this place doesn't show an extra door here. It seems to be locked, though...Though whether you have time to try to open it depends on how much you want to get away from the crass class clown.

Davin Valkri
Apr 8, 2011

Maybe you're weighing the moral pros and cons but let me assure you that OH MY GOD
SHOOT ME IN THE GODDAMNED FACE
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!
FP5+1?/5

Bathroom, closet, glowy door, men's room--what?!

Okay...okay, Stefan, let's stop and think about this. There's a big glowing door in front of you right where the join between the men's room and the janitor's room is. Obviously this place is using bad bread--you're tripping balls. Great. That's great.

Oh, and now that thing in your pocket is practically burning a hole in it, it's so bright and warm. Okay, maybe Courtney gave you something a little stronger than aspirin and it took two periods and lunch to kick in. Great, just great. Fan-loving-tastic.

...You know what, gently caress it, in real life this is probably a locker or something and I can hide there while jester girl skips by looking for me. I'll stay in there, check on Talos maybe, and be out by next period with less of a headache. Now where's the drat key...

If anybody's concerned about Stefan, feel free to try and follow.

Lurks With Wolves
Jan 14, 2013

At least I don't dance with them, right?
Sam Whittaker

"That was... kind of worrying." I suck my breath through my teeth. "We should probably follow him."

"Okay, fine. I'll go make sure Stefan doesn't jump off the roof or something. Feel free to tag along." I stand up and turn around. Time to...

"Oh. I'm Sam, by the way. We can talk more when we're not chasing a rogue prettyboy."

TheFireMagi
Nov 6, 2011

...She's behind me, isn't she?
Christie Fairchild
And...there Stefan went. Well, that could have gone better. I give a nod at Sam as she stands up from the table.

"We should definitely check up on him. ...And maybe we don't bring up this whole 'Persona' thing until we're sure he's okay."

"Right, and I'm Christie. Christie Fairchild. Nice to meet all of you, despite all the weirdness going on."

Antivehicular
Dec 30, 2011


I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give



"Laurel Wilde," I say, tucking my card back into my pocket. "You're right that we should check on him, but... I'm not sure I'd want to corner that guy right now. Maybe he needs a few minutes to calm down? Still... better make sure he's not doing anything crazy." Well, crazier.

Atropha
Nov 17, 2010



"Oh this is all my fault..." Viola laments as she follows the others, sticking to the back of the group out of guilt and because taking point on things is clearly not working so well right now.

Unknown Quantity
Sep 2, 2011

!
Steven? Steven?!
STEEEEEEVEEEEEEEN!
Everyone Else

Four (well, presumably five) sets of feet clambering along out of the cafeteria and to the halls becomes six shortly after. They sound like they're trying to match yours, but the pace is irregular. Not to mention them constantly making little "should I or shouldn't I" noises as they keep trying to catch up, then stopping, then trying to catch up again, until they finally exclaim a "H-hold on a minute!" as you round the fateful corner.



"Jeez you all are fast...Anyway, um...What was that all about? Well, I mean, I think I know. You were showing off your Arcana to one another, right? The one you think you are, anyway. Me and my friends do that all the time. I didn't think I'd find new fellow hobbyists on my first day, though."

She fishes through her pockets until she produces a deck of cards. And then another deck. She takes the second one out of its protective leather pouch. Sure enough, out comes a set of cards with similar, but more dated, imagery to the cards you passed around earlier. "Where'd you get those, though? They're cool!"

OscarDiggs
Jun 1, 2011

Those sure are words on pages which are given in a sequential order!
James Morganson

“James Morganson” I introduce myself surreptitiously, looking away and covering my mouth. I mean hey, you’re concerned for your friend so no ones fault if you didn’t catch my surname.

As our new group slowly trails behind Stefan I keep close to Viola. I don’t really want to be the girls keeper but if I don’t it seems that no one will. Maybe I’m the crazy one but a lot of what she’s been saying is far too on point compared to how… well… ditzy she is where everything else is concerned. And that stuff she said before Stefan stormed off? Not an exchange student? Hoping no one took her place? Something isn't adding up and like dad always says, if it’s not adding up it's time to do an audit.

I’m busy thinking of ways to keep Viola from making the Stefan situation any worse when we’re ambushed from behind. The girl looks to be from Norton so I’m sure one of the two city kids hand- oh god Viola’s right at the back, she’s going to be the first person to talk, tag in tag in tag in!

“Hi” I sidestep to the back of the group. No plan except “keep Viola from clowning around”. I can do this, as much as it pains me to. “Now I don’t mean to be rude but we’ve got a bit of a situation here.” Make it personal. “My names James and if you noticed us showing off our Arcana, you probably also noticed Stefan running off to the bathroom, something about a bad headache. Now I only met him a few minutes ago, but his friends Sam and Christie seem pretty concerned about this and I’m inclined to trust them.” Let her think she's got her foot in the door. “As fun as it would be to chat with someone a bit more knowledgeable about this stuff, like yourself, I’m more worried about Stefan; our school may be small, but I’m sure none of you city folk know you’re way around here yet. If he needs to go to the Nurses office, we’re going to have to take him there.” And seal the deal. “Again, I don’t want to just blow you off. Maybe we can all have a chat about this later? Today’s lunch is almost over, but I’m sure there’ll be time over at the Norton campus tomorrow.” Done, just like Dad taught me. Ugh, I feel slimy all over. Let's hope she buys it.

Let’s distract and fob this new girl off with an excuse. We’ll have a way more plausible alibi this time tomorrow. Like I said in the application this is my first time with FATE Accelerated, so I’m not sure if this would count as a clever or a careful approach. We’ll chat in Discord about it then I can make the roll afterwards, assuming no one else intervenes in the meantime.

Edit: Spoke to Unknown, Careful approach used.

Oscar_Diggs !r 4df+3
Krysmbot Oscar_Diggs, /---+3 = 0

OscarDiggs fucked around with this message at 15:07 on Sep 23, 2016

Lurks With Wolves
Jan 14, 2013

At least I don't dance with them, right?
Sam Whittaker
FP: 4

Oh James. You're trying, but that's never going to work. She's a curious nerd, she's not going to just leave because someone asked. Trust me, I'm a curious nerd who would have totally followed us if I saw all this. I would know. No, someone's going to have to give her something else to pay attention to. Something someone who's enough of a nerd to make business cards for her hobby club would be interested in. Something that is up to me to do, because I don't think anyone else here has actually met her before just now. Great.

"Hey, Sabrina! Fancy meeting you here." I'm suddenly standing next to Sabrina, a smile plastered on my face. "Don't worry too much about those cards. This new RPG was doing a mail-in campaign, they sent everyone a tarot card as a promo. You can't really get them now, but hey, what are you going to do with a single tarot card anyway? Nothing, that's what." My hand's on her shoulder now, and I slowly turn her away from the rest of the gang. Just before we're fully faced away, I mouth "I got this" at James.

"Remind me to show you that game sometime, by the way. It's kind of like the next Sixth World set thematically, with the iconic spirits and the urban fantasy and all that. I think you'd like it. Or at least more than those new Aztech cards they've been previewing. I just don't get how Catalyst keeps missing the point of lifetap in a proper Aztech deck, y'know? It's..."

I'm trying to get Sabrina to turn around and pay attention to something besides all of us standing around and about to talk about persona stuff by distracting her with a bunch of nerd poo poo. UQ ruled that I'd roll with Clever if Sam actually knows about said nerd poo poo, thus here is my roll. Distracting Sabrina: 4dF+3 3

That's less than Sabrina's roll in response, which was resolved in Discord, and so after discussion I will succeed at a major cost. In this case, I'm going to take a moderate consequence due to anime hijinks that will happen in the next GM post, but I will successfully distract her from the Persona business I'm sure you all want to settle right now.

Unknown Quantity
Sep 2, 2011

!
Steven? Steven?!
STEEEEEEVEEEEEEEN!
Sam Whittaker

She tilts her head in response. "Well yeah. They're certainly great for me. Forgive me for saying this, but I didn't think you'd GM Sixth World when playing a runner seems more up your alley. Oh! But if you're interested in the previews I can get the pics I snapped from my camera real quick!" After putting away the deck, she begins looking for the camera in in her left pocket and fails to locate it. Then she goes for the right, and considering the way she and Sam are walking together...



Your noggins collide. Off go the glasses as she stumbles backwards and starts to fall over. Her leg hooks around, flailing to try to get balance. It finds something to grab on to: the back of Sam's right thigh. Which drags the poor soul down in the same direction. Sam finds herself within inches of Sabrina's face when a click goes off. The camera evidently has captured the moment. Sabrina remains still for several further moments. Well, not quite perfectly still, considering she's shaking like a leaf in a hurricane. Eventually, however, she comes to terms with what's happened, squirms her way out, and runs off...And then sprints back to get her glasses before just going off to the ladies' room. She may be gone now, but two things still linger around for Sam: the awkward tension of the moment, and a brief glimpse into what Sabrina might be.




Sam is going to take the Medium Consequence "Awkward Tension" for this catastrophic failure. It will go away by tomorrow morning.

Davin Valkri
Apr 8, 2011

Maybe you're weighing the moral pros and cons but let me assure you that OH MY GOD
SHOOT ME IN THE GODDAMNED FACE
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!
FP4/4

poo poo, someone's coming. Gotta hurry up and get inside, Stefan! Key's in the lock, open it up and make sure you close it behind you!

*SLAM*

Unknown Quantity
Sep 2, 2011

!
Steven? Steven?!
STEEEEEEVEEEEEEEN!
Everyone Else

For those who weren't involved or actively watching the fiasco, IE, everything up to when Sabrina finally called out to you all, you see Stefan shove a key at a wall. And then walk through it, vanishing into thin air.

Stefan Falco

???

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbt0SNphd6s

As you shut the door behind you, you find yourself in a place that seems to have been disused for at least a decade. It appears to be the remains of a bedroom converted from...the inside of an elevator? It definitely has that Blue velvet vibe. The room definitely has an air of...thoughtfulness. Just being here feels like meditation. Your headache either numbs or is doing its best to subside at the moment as you regain focus on what's in the room. Bookshelves, a chandelier, wall lights, a table, and on the other end of the table, a man in a suit with a very long nose.



In spite of his appearance, he seems happy to see you, and gestures for you to take a seat at the other end of the table.

"Welcome to the...a, Velvet Room, a place that exists between dream and reality, and is only accessible to those who have, in some form, made a contract. We apologize for the disheveled appearance. This room was made on quite short notice. But that's not important at this moment. What matters is you. I am Igor, the caretaker of this place, and I am here to help you. It is quite obvious that several questions have been racing through your mind ever since today began, and I apologize for my own contributions to them. It was hoped that you would find time later today to come to us on your own, but it seems fate wanted to give you quite the scare. Think of this visit as a courtesy, a reprieve, if you will, however temporary; the door will not be there once you leave. Now, as for answering your questions I will begin by explaining what a Persona is, or at least, what yours is. "

He puts down a card on the table. It is the Temperance, the same one that represents Talos.

"Temperance, the middle road. A clear vision of the future. An inner peace with your current conditions. But also a desire to seek a higher meaning, a greater purpose for your abilities. Your desires to create something that would extend far beyond your own limitations resulted in your awakening to a trained manifestation of some part of your personality. Almost everyone puts on some manner of facade to handle the hardships of life, and yours is no different...To an extent. A Persona is more literal, a quite tangible iteration of said thoughts. Each Persona is connected to an Arcana, a kind of generalized 'archetype' of a person's personality. However, only certain people, usually those with particular spiritual awareness or affinity, manifest an Arcana, let alone a Persona, which comes as a result of reaching an emotional peak or overcoming one's own inner demons, metaphorically and in some cases quite literally. Yours is...different, for reasons that will come to light soon enough."

The card in question now has a black, semi-transparent skull and crossbones over the center.

"...I am sure I know what your next question is, but I think I'll let you ask it. Feel free to ask me as many questions as you wish. I will answer them all to the best of my ability. More importantly, take your time and catch your breath while you're here. Time is convoluted within the Velvet Room: what might be a half-hour in here would be no more than a minute on the other side. So just relax, assemble your thoughts, and present any queries you have to me."

With that, his stance eases back a bit as he gestures for you to respond.

Davin Valkri
Apr 8, 2011

Maybe you're weighing the moral pros and cons but let me assure you that OH MY GOD
SHOOT ME IN THE GODDAMNED FACE
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!
FP4/4

The minute the door slams, everything feels...well...I feel the least pressure in my head I've felt since I was ten. It's...nice. Really nice. I think its the decor--I should get some translucent blue curtains or something for my room.

I turn around and take a deep, deep breath. It almost looks like someone turned an elevator into a guest room, and the guest was a ten year old girl who set the place up for a tea party. Igor doesn't look like a ten year old girl, though.

"Hello Igor," I nod in response as he puts down the card. The design is a little more intricate, but it's definitely based on my phone's wallpaper. That doesn't have the Jolly Roger watermark, though. Is that--!

As soon as Igor gives the go ahead, I can't help myself. My mouth starts running as my brain pours out everything I've been thinking of since the day started.

"How did you email me a key? What's the deal with the jester girl? Assuming this Persona is a manifestation of my emotional state why did I name it Talos and not Robbie or R. Daneel Olivaw? Is this magic? Is fate real? Are all of the people I've met today with the tarot cards also magic Persona people? One of them talked about an hour between midnight and one, is that tied to this too--?"

I run out of breath at the end of that barrage and start gasping for air. Once I've gotten my breath back, I ask the big question.

"...What does it mean to be marked by death?"

And after thinking about it, I ask one more, in more of a muttered train of thought than an actual question.

"...and will you ever lie to me for what you think is my own good?"

Davin Valkri fucked around with this message at 04:12 on Sep 24, 2016

Unknown Quantity
Sep 2, 2011

!
Steven? Steven?!
STEEEEEEVEEEEEEEN!
The Velvet Room

Igor retains his smile as he nods with each question given. He seems unfazed by your questions, as if he's gotten similar ones in the past. When you've exhausted yourself of current questions, he checks to see if you've any more, then continues.

"I suppose I should answer your questions in order. To begin with, your key...that would be the result of a collaboration between myself and another person who may yet help you, a Doctor Victor von Frankenstein. It was also this collaboration that allowed us to create this temporary Velvet Room for you. Unfortunately, his office is not available in this temporary space. If you'd like to meet with him, I would suggest you visit us at the locations listed on the back of your key."

He gestures towards the key, now on the table. It has the familiar mask image that'd be on the back of the cards on the front of the handle, but on the back of it...a pair of addresses. You definitely recognize the Norton one as one of those buildings that just seems to exist with no real listed purpose.

"As for one of your new companions...She is what we would refer to as a Shadow, a manifestation of the unconscious thoughts hidden away in the mind. Your Persona is one and the same as a Shadow, albeit tamed and focused, unlike the shapeless or often bizarre forms a Shadow may normally take. Sometimes, these Shadows gain proper sentience and an identity, usually in the image of whoever's thoughts they represent. This 'Viola' on the other hand, is something of a rare occurrence: sometimes a Shadow will achieve sentience without being born of any one person's thoughts, with their thoughts becoming their own. For them to then awaken to a Persona is quite a feat, though I assume this is not why you asked that question. As a Shadow, born of the forces that have allowed them to rise again, she naturally has an affinity for sensing Arcana and of things involving the Dark Hour. What she sensed off of you was...I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me get to your next question."

"With regards to the name taken by your Persona, mythology has a deep history with humanity. People would create deities in order to explain the unexplained, or fashion gods in their own flawed image to tell stories and teach lessons to others. It is this deep and storied history of gods and their resonance within the human spirit that has given them such staying power, and to that end, why a Persona, the vast majority of the time, will take on the name and aspects of a mythological figure. After all, legends can be quite powerful."

"Magic is most definitely real, as are the beings that can wield it. Shadows, Demons, yourselves, all the magic you cast is quite tangible. I would not recommend trying to cast magic at just any time, however: while it is quite possible to do so, without a device to make the summoning process easier or proper training, it would likely be quite an exhausting experience for ultimately weak results."

"Fate is a force that is powered by belief. If you believe in fate, then it guides you along a predestined path or series of possible branches. However, the power of the human will is quite strong, and you can overcome fate if you assert yourself strongly enough."

"Everyone who has shown you their Persona's card is most definitely a practitioner of magic and a wielder of a Persona. There are others within this region, but their identities and locations are not known to me. It is possible for others to awaken to a Persona as well, though they would need to already have enough spiritual awareness to be aware of the supernatural, at least on an unconscious level, and have a powerful enough personality to shape into a Persona. Moving on..."

He raises an eyebrow for a moment, but then seems to understand. "Ah, that would be, as humanity has referred to it as, "The Dark Hour." A moment of high spiritual and magical power between midnight and one in the morning. It is a time that allows for Shadows and most demons to manifest within your world, rather than being stuck within the subconscious. There are exceptions to this, as some things are strong enough or have some form of external means of arriving or staying within your world beyond that, but that is extraordinarily uncommon. You needn't worry about the lives of the average person: they are not aware of The Dark Hour, and thus are not there for it. This also makes them unable to be affected by it. This is also why your electronic devices fail to function during it: as machines with rudimentary AIs, they would not be capable of perceiving or comprehending The Dark Hour, and thus are simply shut off. If you wish to explore deeper into what may be causing this to occur, then you would need to explore both cities during this time. I would highly recommend that you visit the Velvet Room proper if you intend to do so, however, so that you and those who wish to join you may make use of our services. Services that I'm afraid are not available in this current iteration of it."

"Speaking of service, your ability to use one of the services is tied to this...curse, we'll call it. You have a unique gift, known as the Wild Card. You may find yourself accumulating multiple aspects of yourself and wielding them, in effect having multiple Personae. Unlike some of our guests in the past, however, you may be able to grant this, to an extent, to others as well. However, being the Wild Card comes at a cost: Death does not like those who have an innate ability to walk any path they choose, and doggedly hunts those blessed and cursed with this power. Unlike your compatriot's Death Arcana, this manifestation of Death is quite literal: it is the Grim Reaper themselves, and they likely have placed themselves within your hometown. However, they can only appear during The Dark Hour, and desire only you and those who get in the way of their goal: were you to stay home for the night or be on the other side of the tunnel from it, you will be safe. Speaking of which...I would not recommend attempting to fight it. While it is certainly possible to defeat The Reaper, it is only a temporary victory. Death cannot be permanently destroyed, after all. You will recognize Death's presence nearby if you hear a rattling of chains and feel your blood run cold."

He lets loose a 'heh' before responding to your final question. "My purpose, as given to me by my master, is to assist you. Lying to you would not be conducive to helping you, especially for one who seeks the truth. Now then, if there are any more questions, do ask them. Otherwise, you may leave when you feel ready to step back out and greet your allies."

Antivehicular
Dec 30, 2011


I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give



I didn't have the slightest idea what to do with Sabrina, so I tried to focus straight ahead, on Stefan -- and then Stefan swerves away, into nothing. What is up with this guy? I mean, I guess stuff like this isn't really a surprise now... someone else mentioned the Dark Hour, so it's definitely not just me experiencing stuff like this, but somehow it can still surprise me sometimes.

The first thing I do is mutter "did anyone else see that?", trying to keep my voice low. The second thing I do is step towards the wall where Stefan vanished and look it over. I'm pretty sure this is blank wall, but... you can't be too careful.

Davin Valkri
Apr 8, 2011

Maybe you're weighing the moral pros and cons but let me assure you that OH MY GOD
SHOOT ME IN THE GODDAMNED FACE
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!
FP4/4

I nod and sigh as I listen to Igor answer my questions. Victor von Frankenstein is a name I'll have to tuck in my back pocket with the key proper...well, that explains jester girl...I guess if I wanted a Daneel Olivaw Persona I'd have named it asimov.exe instead of talos.exe...magic is real and fate can be punch, oh thank god...I can trust the rest of the tarot card people, okay...wait, how did I program Talos if my computer wasn't supposed to work?...

...THAT'S what marked by death means?! I...not...

...oh thank god! I find myself reaching forward to hug Igor. I can trust him. I can absolutely trust him, oh, yes, finally!

"...thank you," I manage to whisper before the hug gets a little too awkward and I break off. "Uh...just one last question. When I first heard jester girl--Viola--talk about my being marked by death, I thought she was referring to, uh, something completely different. You mentioned that this Wild Card thing has happened to other people? Did they all, uhm...die young? And unnaturally? Of brain tumors?" Maybe that last one gave it away a bit, but now I need to hear this from the mouth of the Oracle himself.

Unknown Quantity
Sep 2, 2011

!
Steven? Steven?!
STEEEEEEVEEEEEEEN!
The Velvet Room

Igor remains ramrod still as you express your gratitude, and then looks a bit quizzical at your last question before grinning a bit more than usual.

"In my time as proprietor of the Velvet Room, we have had multiple people make use of our services. Of them, only one has met an end similar to the one you describe. Granted, while they may have left this mortal coil, they still live on in other ways. Theirs was a conscious decision to accept death. You, on the other hand, may yet find a means to overcome even that which seems inevitable. Such is the power of belief and the collective unconscious. Now, if that is all, I believe your friends are waiting for you. I will hopefully see you and your guests in the near future, where myself, my assistant and Victor can provide more substantial assistance. I would suggest opening the door slowly and inwardly."

Assuming you do so, when you open the door back to the outside world, you see Laurel standing partially in the way of the doorway, still unaware of your presence. You can either slip past him seamlessly or shove the door outwards to get them out of the way and give them a good fright as you step back into the physical world from, as far as they seem to be aware of, the wall itself. Once you step out and shut the door behind you, regardless of your method of exit, the door, with a flash, ceases to exist.

Lurks With Wolves
Jan 14, 2013

At least I don't dance with them, right?
Sam Whittaker
FP: 4, Boost: Quick To Deny, Moderate Consequence: Awkward Tension

Thanks to All Part Of The Plan!, I get a boost. In this case, I'm taking Quick To Deny, because Sam is pretty much ready to deny literally anything anyone says about her right now.

Well. That was... something. That was definitely something. So. Things I learned. One, those Honey Bee folks weren't kidding about seeing cards. I didn't get the person talking, but at least I can verify half of it. Two, Sabrina looks nice without glasses, but that may be the head injury talking. Three, I am very hot right now. Maybe Honey Bee has underfloor heating or something. Whatever. I did what I was trying to do and Sabrina probably isn't going to share the pics, so I'm fine. I'm just going to get up and...

"Where did Stefan go?"

Atropha
Nov 17, 2010



Viola's about to open her mouth and either have an excellent excuse or blurt out more craziness when James and Sam step in. She doesn't quite understand why their approach of rambling on and then tackling the girl to the floor is better, but it seems to work. Plus the pratfall is kind of funny in an adorable kind of way, so when Sam pulls herself off of Sabrina Viola gives her a big thumbs up, smiling broadly. "Well done!" she cheers. "I don't think she noticed Stefan stepping right through the wall over there. Also, Stefan seems to have walked through the wall. It's possible he is a ghost."

Davin Valkri
Apr 8, 2011

Maybe you're weighing the moral pros and cons but let me assure you that OH MY GOD
SHOOT ME IN THE GODDAMNED FACE
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!
FP4/4

It's a slim hope, but it's still more than the doctors gave when they weren't lying through their teeth. I want to hug Igor again, but instead I give a little bow, another "thank you", and a smile. "Y-you're right, I've got people who can help me waiting for me. I'll see you at...these addresses on the key, then." With one more nod, I turn to the door, and open the door the same way I opened it coming in, slowly and out into the hall, before stumbling out.

"...oh." I wasn't expecting them to come after me...and almost certainly they saw me coming out of the glowy door...which isn't there anymore. "Uh...hi?"

Antivehicular
Dec 30, 2011


I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give



It only takes the slightest nudge from the... door-that's-not-there?... to get me backpedaling to the other wall, still watching Stefan the entire time. "Okay, so there was a door there, right? Or kinda there? Because the other theory is that you're a ghost."

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TheFireMagi
Nov 6, 2011

...She's behind me, isn't she?
Christie Fairchild
FP 4/4

The girl with the glasses was... Sabrina, was it? She was in our class, if I remembered right. Before I can say anything, James and Sam step in and... well, they managed to get her to leave anyways. Not that I could say anything with how all of my recent conversations had been going. Instead, I decided to focus on pursuing Stefan, who apparently just vanished into a wall. Wait, what?

"I... don't think he's a ghost. But he definitely just somehow walked through that wall."

Then, moments later, he comes walking out, Laurel just managing to step out of the way as he does so. Somehow even more confused at this whole situation than I was earlier, I follow up on Laurel by saying,

"If you are a ghost, please say so now, because I honestly don't think I'd be surprised at this point."

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