Persona: Through the Looking Glass

[Omnial]

"Well Leonard, what is your take on the matter? Is Eigo Haunted?" The inquisitive reporter shoved his microphone into the face of a man wearing what appeared to be a bright green jumpsuit and night vision goggles.

"Well Jerry, I could tell you or prove it to you!" Pulling off his goggles, his eyes wide opened, Jerry grabbed the camera and spoke directly into the device. "If ghosts of the ancient people of Eigo aren't real, why else would people go missing? Why would the fridge door open at night when no was up?"

The cameraman shuffling away from the eccentric man, caused the screen to bounce.

"All these mysteries and more! We will find out the answers!" Jerry pulled a business card of sorts from his pocket and shoved it on the lens, causing it to go blurry for a moment before refocusing. "If you see or find any paranormal activity, Call ME! JERRY FLIPTO-"

~~~Pzzzeeeeewww~


Placing clanked his spoon into the remaining bowl of milk, Lu let out a deep sigh. "Guess I'll need to get that fixed." Standing up, he took his bowl to the sink before throwing his bag to his side. "I'm gone!" He shouted into the small apartment before shutting the door behind him.

It was the to be the first of many experiences for Louis today. First full day living with only his elder brother, the first day at a new school, the first day he would get to ruin some first impressions of him.

Walking casually down the street towards Dodgson Academy. Lu started to notice other who would be his classmates, the rather plain black and green uniform giving them away.

Stopping for a moment to check himself out once more before entering the school grounds. Lu licked the palm of his hand, before running it across his bright red hair, causing it to stick up in front. "Yeahhaa!" He pumped himself up before running the rest of the way.

Shoving the doors open with both hands, He looked left, then right. Which way was he supposed to go again? How was he supposed to find his class? "Uhhmm..." He stood there, dumbfounded.

"The classroom assignment board is to your left." A silvery voice spoke.

"Thanks!" Louis waved his hand in gratitude as he charged onward without ever seeing the person who guided him.

OPEN SIGNUPS - Persona: Through the looking glass

 

[Iceydaze]

[bg=#000000]

Location:Home>School
Mentions/Interactions: None

Since the beginning of time, morning had always brought a sense of salvation, the gentle light soothing even the most hardened souls. In contrast, the night has always been known to bring forth things which incited fear upon most. This was especially true for the girl who was in a deep sleep on her queen sized bed. As morning rays shone through silk curtains, it fell upon her pale face making the thin layer of sweat to cause it to glisten in the gentle light. Still, this wasn't enough to awaken the girl who had been plagued by nightmares for as long as she could remember. As if on cue, two slow knocks rang from the door and a middle aged woman walked in, brows furrowed in concern. Not waiting for the wailing to start, the woman rushed over to the girl's bedside and held her trembling hand as she stroked her hair, soothing her with gentle whispers to remind her it was only a dream.

"It's alright, Dae"


It took some time but slowly, Dae's blue eyes fluttered open. For a bit she simply laid there as if in a daze but sure enough, she blinked away the nightmare and smiled up at her aunt completely forgetting about it as if it were nothing. "Good morning, mother." Like a child, she curled up and leaned into her aunt's embrace, taking comfort in it.

Pleased, her aunt pinched her cheek and tightened her hold on the girl as if she were afraid she'd disappear or fall back to sleep if she were to let her go. She cherished this child more than anything else and was very worried about how she'd do at school. For the past few months, she had relished in the time she spent with her while her husband was abroad working, To have to let her go now, it was truly heart wrenching to her. "Time to get ready, love. I'll have some good luck soup ready downstairs."Reluctantly, she released Dae and gave her one last loving pinch before retreating to the kitchen.

As soon as the door closed, Dae dropped the small smile she had plastered on her face before and head off to the bathroom where she showered and prepared for school. It didn't take long as she soon joined her aunt at the table. She wasn't one to talk much so she just got to eating as her aunt chatted away about how lovely she looked in her uniform and how to contact her if she were to run into trouble. Not wanting to be late, she rushed and soon enough slurped away the broth in the bowl before directing a kind smile towards her aunt. "Don't worry, mother. It's only a few hours. I'll return before you know it. It would be bad if I were late on the first day." Grabbing her bag, she stood to leave despite her aunt's attempts at stalling. To keep her happy, she strode over and gave her aunt a peck on the cheek before saying her farewells once more and rushing out the door.

Taking in a deep breath of fresh air, Dae set off to the unknown, following the directions on her cellphone. Along the way, she eventually noticed a group of people wearing the same uniform and decided to just follow them casually since they seemed to know where they were going. Sure enough, she soon arrived at school and separated from the group after noticing they were senior students and were going to look at another board. Naturally, the first years board was two rows down. Walking over, she stood in the small group that had formed there and looked for her name.


[/bg]

​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

"Where do you think you're going?" a voice would ring out behind Shinji, causing him to flinch and instantly stop walking toward the front door where he had been heading.

"Haha, you caught me, sis," the male replied, letting out a laugh. "I'm just on my way to school. Nothing like getting an early start to the day, huh?"

Shinji's sister, a small girl in a wheelchair, raised a skeptical eyebrow as she looked upon the teen before her. "Are you really going this early? You never go to school early! Just what are you up to? I saw you stuffing tubes of paint into your backpack! I hope you're not going to get yourself in any more trouble," she said with a frown, crossing her arms.

"Nahh," the boy responded, setting his school bag on the floor for a moment before approaching the girl. He kissed her on the forehead and smiled. "I just have a project to finish up. Nothing wrong with that, right? I love you, and I'll be home later," he said with a chuckle, looking rather relaxed. He would then quickly move to pick his backpack up, rushing out the door before his younger sister could even get another word in.

~~~

A few hours later, Shinji could be found washing his red paint stained hands in the boy's bathroom at school. He laughed to himself with a smirk on his lips, seeming rather amusing. It was almost needless to stay he had come to school early just to look up his class on the board and pull some kind of prank on his new classmates.

"Just wait until some of the students walk into class and sit in the front row of desks. They'll be greeted with a fresh coat of red paint on their asses. What a great way to start the school year! Haha!" he thought to himself.

After the boy had finished washing his hands, Shinji would leave the bathroom and begin to mingle with the other students, pretending to look up his classroom on the board even though, in truth, he already knew where it was.​

 

[Moogle-Girl]

Ahh, the first day of school! Ever since he was very little, Red loved going into a new school. Old friends mixing with new faces, brand new experiences, it was all so much fun. This time was a little different, since there, uh, weren't actually any old friends... But Red knew that even though they couldn't talk to each other, his friend Gabe would want him to set all that aside and try to enjoy the first day. After all, it was a whole new school for everyone!

It didn't take Red long to shower, get dressed, have his sugary cereal breakfast, and grab his things. "See you later guys, I'm off!" he called out to his parents, who wished him a cheery, if somewhat tired, goodbye.

First things first: walk to school. He was used to taking the bus, so he was already faced with a new experience and a chance to say hello to his future classmates. He'd never worn a uniform for school either, and he couldn't help personalizing it slightly by hanging his white headphones around his neck. A few people looked his way, and he smiled at anyone who made eye contact and waved at anyone who smiled back. A young man with bright red hair ran through the crowd, nearly barreling a few people over, but Red just laughed and kept going on his way.

As he approached the school, Red took a moment to stop and look up at the front entrance. "Dodgson Academy, here I come!" he quipped to himself before stepping inside. Groups of students were already forming around the respective class assignment boards, and after a moment of figuring out which one was for first-years, Red joined the crowd and began scanning for his name.

 

[Kiririn]

Addisu's morning began at 3:00 AM on the dot when he awoke, on accident. He then, very deliberately, and after filling himself a large bowl of porridge (a hint of syrup and cinnamon mixed in with banana slices and grapes,) climbed out the window and past the nest of sleeping crows to sit on the roof and stare out to the horizon, awaiting dawn in silence as he ate. It took its time to come, but he did not mind, he had no reason to mind, time spent sitting was precious, time spent with sleeping crows just as magical, and the porridge? He would savor its taste in memory, (such was the gift of a living wage and nearly free room and board). Still, he could not help but feel that something was amiss.

He glanced to his left, on accident, and into the skylight he sat beside, the very one which illuminated his room. 4:00 AM, on the dot, he swore he saw something vanish in the window panel's reflection. A shimmer of the rising sun, perhaps? Perhaps that's all he would have thought had he not spent months prior observing a mysterious stalker purely through reflection; he was paranoid now, irrationally so, and as much as he told himself it was nothing, a shiver climbed up his back. He left the beautiful view of the Flower Shop's roof one last glance as he climbed his way back into his room of the attic.

By the time he had finished checking up on the plants below, making sure to impart a caring word on each flower or bunch, it was 5:00 AM on the dot, purely on accident. He pulled his switchblade from the dirt of a plant-less flower pot, wiped it clean, and hid it back in the usual spot within the stitching of his leather jacket before taking that and his school uniform to the next-door motel, who agreed to allow him access to the showers for a small, reasonable monthly fee. He changed into his school uniform, donned the leather jacket over it, returned his pajamas to their proper place beneath his bunk, bid adieu to the then waking crows, and snagged a banana from the fridge as he departed. He arrived at the train station at precisely 5:58 AM on the dot, emerging from the stairwell to find that his train to school had just arrived. He knew it would arrive, this was not on accident, he had charted his route out well in advance, and was thankful his commute was short.

So short, infact, it allowed him a moment of respite on a bench within the school campus. He'd arrived early, identified his classroom number before there was a crowd of students around each board, and had taken up a seat before the boards to enjoy the fresh air. He watched them file in, the strange boy with a paint bucket, the stranger fellow with strange red hair, and the girl with purple hair who did not seem to fear branches - or simply did not enjoy walking in forests. He suspected the latter, chuckling to himself in judgment towards the naiveties of people in this nation. They seemed to love their machines more than nature - but the peace of morning was no time to ruminate on a culture he'd yet to fully understand, Addisu knew this, and he knew that there was much he didn't know of each student. Birds chirped in the sky. The switchblade well-hidden in his jacket began to feel less and less necessary, and he wished the glass panel windows did not remind him of the exact opposite.

"Time to learn what I don't know," he thought to himself in his native tongue, referring both to his stalker and the students yet to be known as he pushed off the bench and turned about to examine himself in the glass reflection before he headed off to class. No shadowy stalker, good. Perhaps he would stand there abit longer, he looked nice, he liked looking at himself.

 

[Omnial]

Slithering his way to the board, Lu plastered his finger on it and slid it down, then up again, searching for his name. I am at the right school right? this is the uniform, I got signed up? Why can't I find my na- There it is! "Bammm!" Wiggling his fingers as he pulled his hand away from the paper, "2 - 3, So that should be on the second floor, and the last one down this- wrong turn, that hall annnd here!"

Thrusting open the doors, it was the long awaited time that Lu prepared mentally for. Which seat to take.

As one who looks like a delinquent, I should do my best to avoid the back row, as that seems like the place that would judged instantly. The window seats are always cool, but usually th people that sit there have no interest in their surroundings, or feel like they are the star of their own story. the middle is bland, but I could dig that...the front is usually brown nosers and preps. No punks willingly sit there!

Walking to the front row, Lu grabbed a chair and was about to pull it back, but felt it being tugged in a slightly different angle.

"Oh, sorry!" A tender voice spoke, it came from a girl with blonde hair and big blue eyes.

"Oh no, I'm sorry, by all means, you take this spot." With the girl letting go of the chair, Lu pulled it out for her like a perfect gentleman. Though as history repeats itself, so would Lu's luck.

The moment the girl sat down. Her expression changed. From pleased that someone was performing such a kind act, to a slightly puzzled expression as she felt something was off with her seat, followed quickly with horror of the realization as she observed her hand coated in red after touching her bottom. Matched only as swiftly with the final emotion. Anger.

Louis eyes shot open. Not again! Why does this always happen! "It wasn't me..." The words slipped out between his lips as he took the brunt of a highschool girl's glare of death. "I-I didn't know!" Lu backed away slowly his hands raised like a criminal at gun point. Beads of sweat building up, Lu glanced around, trying to determine the real culprit.

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Hands in his pockets, Shinji would stroll away from the class assignment boards and casually follow the crowd of students heading for the same class as himself. He allowed a few people to pass him up and enter the room first, careful not to draw attention to himself. When he would finally enter, the boy would be pleased to see his prank was already being realized. He feigned a look of surprise when he would see the paint on the back of the girl, stifling a chuckle afterwards.

"That's unlucky," Shinji commented, walking past them. "You'd think the school's staff would have this place cleaned up before classes on the very first day. I feel bad for the people who have to clean that up."

Slipping past them, Shinji would pretend to check a chair before sitting down in the back row. Of course, he knew that only the chairs in the front row had been painted, but was only checking the other chairs to try and seem as if he didn't know what could be going on.​

 

[Kiririn]

He followed the path to his classroom reminiscing on what he remembered school to be like, pieces came to him here and there, a figure standing before a blackboard, a child getting spanked, an English teacher who seemed kind and was poetic in three languages - what was the man's name? Addisu couldn't remember, and neither did the grave-stone marking the buried carcass, a bullet still lodged in its gullet, similar to many of other dead that surrounded the dead teacher in a geological zone that seemed to only exist just under graveyards. The dirt had a special quality.

Memory was an odd thing, and Addisu felt it course through him as he walked those halls, bits and pieces came to him more and more - and then he found his classroom, stepped within, and was greeted with an odd scene.

Of course, taking account what he'd seen, chiefly Shinji holding the incriminating paint can that he now remembered was dotted with red, it did not take Addisu long to realize the nature of the prank Lu was being accused of, and it was not a moment after he'd sent a stern gaze Shinji's way that Addisu, with a sigh, shrugged off his jacket, draped it over his arm like it was as heavy as a paperweight, and approached the two, the victim and the "guilty".

"Miss, excuse me," he gently tapped her shoulder with his spare hand, waiting for her attention, "I don't know what Mr.Red-Hair did to make you think he did this--" his accent was thicker than he'd prefer, but he spoke decently enough, "--but I was here early, and only saw him come in the campus but a few moments ago. Trust me, I'd know, he has a look one doesn't forget. And, with that look I'd never forget, I never once saw him leave the main courtyard before going to class, and he didn't have time to paint all this--"

He gestured with his hand to the red marked chairs he could see, "--before anyone else came in -- even if he rushed to class immediately after I stopped noticing him in the crowd. If he was really the culprit, wouldn't he need to come in earlier? Besides, look at him, he looks like a lost child being barked at by a dog - don't you think that he'd have more confidence if he was the culprit?" He'd wait for a moment to let his words sink in, briefly glancing to Shinji just to see how he was enjoying the show, "I think whoever did this isn't our red-haired friend here, but someone else, someone who doesn't want to seem guilty so that they can watch and enjoy the mess they created boil and catch poor innocents...like Mr.Red-Hair and you. Why else would someone do a prank? To get in trouble?" He smiled, shaking his head abit too mechanically - as his cultural integration class had taught him, "No -- And this is nothing to be upset about, the Administrative Office must have some spares on hand, all you need to do is ask!" Unfortunately, for all the integration classes he might have attended, he had yet to grasp the concepts of shame and status, and how tight their hold was over native children, adults, and the nation he now called home, so he failed to realize how horrid walking through a hall with a red ass was.

(Please knock him on his ass :y)

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Even after Addisu would shoot a stern gaze in his direction, Shinji would continue to hold onto his poker face. He was, however, a bit more alarmed now than he had been before.

That guy knows something. Ugh, maybe I was so excited about the paint that someone saw me. I should've known I wouldn't be the only one early to school on the first day. Darn it...

While Addisu continued to speak with the pair before him, Shinji would continue to watch. He averted his gaze, however, when the male would yet again look in his direction.

Yeah, I'm sure he knows something.

Trying to seem uninterested now, Shinji yawned and stretched his arms before dropping his head down onto his desk. It wouldn't be completely obvious to everyone that he was trying not to be obvious, but someone like Addisu--who knew what he was up to--would probably realize that he was trying to ignore them now.

​

 

[Iceydaze]

[bg=000000]

Location:School-Homeroom
Interacted with/Mentioned: Npcs and "the coward" [/bg][bg=000000]

It didn't take Dae long to find her name but she couldn't help but worry she'd forget. So as a precaution, she took out her journal and turned to the page that her school map was messily glued and taped to. Carefully jotting down the directions, she reviewed it multiple times to make sure there were no errors before happily making her way to homeroom. Once there, she didn't really bother to look around since she'd have all the time in the world to etch this room into her mind. Lacking common sense, she carelessly plopped down in the nearest seat as a nearby student who had witnessed the prior scene tried to warn her.

Squelch

A rather unpleasant sound could be heard by anyone in close proximity. Dae's brows lifted, her mouth agape with shock. She didn't need to stand to know she had sat in paint since the smell was pretty noticeable now that she noticed it was actually there. Although her cheeks and ears were faintly painted a light shade of red, she was rather calm.

"Oh."

Snapping out of her own thoughts, she finally surveyed her surroundings and locked her curious gaze onto the other victim and the odd group that grouped around her. Although she was no longer embarrassed, she was still sympathetic. Dae casually stood and made her way over. Despite the red paint dripping off her skirt and running down her legs, she had a regal air around her as if she were completely uninvolved. Gently, Dae extended her hand and placed it on the girl's shoulder . "Do you wish to go to the nurse's office together? I'm sure we can find a solution. Ah! My name is Dae. Dae Stryker. Pardon my rudeness." Pausing, Dae took this time to look at the rest of her classmates in the room but failed to find any trace of guilt on anyone's face.

"It was probably someone from another class anyway. No need to hold grudges against a coward."

Shrugging it off, Dae lightly pulled at the female's arm to beckon her to stand and get it done and over with. The sooner they got this fixed, the sooner they'd be able to return to class. [/bg]

OOC

Shots fired.

​

 

[Moogle-Girl]

No school ever used his nickname, and Red wasn't used to seeing his given name, so he scanned the board for "Japster" instead, a unique name that was always easy to spot in a list. Jackson, James, ah, Japster! Right on cue. 2-3 was his assignment, on the second floor. Perfect! He could get some extra exercise in the mornings going up the stairs. He already knew where he would sit, too -- right smack in the middle, surrounded by as many people as possible. Red was never all that great in school, so he just wanted to sit where he could hear the most gossip.

After asking a passing student for directions, Red made his way to the classroom. A group of students had already formed near the front. Not wanting to miss out on the conversation, Red headed their way... and spotted a girl with red paint all over the seat of her pants, and another with similar paint dripping off her skirt. The color was on the chairs as well; the nature of the prank was pretty clear. "Oh man," he said, grimacing. "Hang on, I'll go get a towel or something!" He could only hope that once he introduced himself, the others wouldn't assume it was him.

One trip to the boy's bathroom later, Red returned with a handful of dampened paper towels and handed some to each of the girls. "Hopefully that'll get the worst of it off... I bet you could pass the stain off as a fashion statement." He laughed a bit at that. A friend of his back home would've killed to have a pair of jeans with a red butt like that.

 

[Omnial]

With students coming to the aid very quickly, Lu felt that the pressure on him as first suspect had been dropped. A feeling he was not used to.

Nodding in agreement to everything that foreign boy had to say, and wincing as he noticed another girl had done the exact same thing and sat in the paint, though she seemed to handle it much better than most people would have. Did she do it on purpose? Lu had no idea of how to tell, but was simply grateful to see so many people stand up and try to help this poor girl out.

First accepting the wet paper towel, the girl did her best wipe herself before fully standing so as to not leave a streak of paint trickling down her legs as well. She then turned to the other girl who had sat in paint and introduced herself as Dae. "Alice." She responded, forcing a smile. "Sounds like a plan." Standing up, she stood by Dae, waiting for her to lead the way.

Lu seeing that the commotion was at an end, tossed his stuff onto a free desk in the second row, "I'll go and try to find some clean chairs, anyone want to help?" His first choices of people to look to where the ones who had helped the most already.

 

[Iceydaze]

Location: School-Homeroom->Nurse's office
Mentioned/Interacted with: @Omnial, @Moogle-Girl

"Thank you."
After greeting the thoughtful male who had rushed out for paper towels with a gentle smile, she took her half and carefully wiped away at the paint until only light stains remained. While the towels left tiny bits of paper from rubbing the paint off, it was still better than nothing. After taking care of the small drops that dripped onto the floor from when she moved earlier, she tossed the dirty towels away and turned back to the small group.
"Going out of your way like this.. I appreciate it. Though, I'm pretty sure the teacher wouldn't appreciate such a strange fashion statement. It'd still be best to borrow a replacement of some sort from the nurse's office." With that said, Dea turned to her desk to grab her notebook and gestured for Alice to follow. She didn't want to dawdle so with a brief wave, she swiftly exited the classroom.

After taking a few steps forward, she remembered that someone was following her. "Oh. Alice, right?" As she spoke, Dea opened her notebook and quickly jotted her name down along with what she knew of her so far. It wouldn't be good if she forgot her own classmates later on down the road after all.

Notes

Alice
Blonde with blue eyes, met on the first day of school. Fellow victim of the paint incident.

Satisfied by the brief note, Dae turned to the page with the map and looked for a short route she could easily remember. Luckily, the nurse's office was a quick trip down the hall and she didn't have to waste time. "It's this way apparently..." Despite the hesitation, the pair arrived to their destination safe and sound.

As they walked in, the nurse could be seen pouring herself a steaming cup of coffee. Dea could only wonder if it was really strong stuff as the strong scent was enough to overpower morning drowsiness and make her fully alert. Wait.. Wasn't this supposed to be a nurse's office? A coffeemaker wasn't exactly something she expected to find here. While she pondered, the nurse took notice of the two visitors and sluggishly made her way over. Dae calmly introduced herself and the situation. The nurse shook her head in disapproval before issuing them backups and returning to her coffee break. ​

 

[Moogle-Girl]

"No problem!" Red said, breaking out into a wide smile. Despite the commotion, he was happy to be of service on the first day of school. It would be a day to remember, that was for sure! "Good luck, I hope the rest of your day goes better."

Following Lu's lead, Red set his things down on the desk in the very middle. "Sure, I'm with you." He offered his hand. "My name's Richard Japster, but my friends call me Red. Nice to meet you!" The other classrooms were bound to have at least a couple spare chairs each, and with any luck they could gather up enough to replace the entire front row. The hallway was starting to fill up with students as everyone filtered into their respective rooms. "Was all that paint there when you showed up?" Red asked, heading out to scan through the open doors. "That's nuts. We're lucky, huh?"

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Tired from his early morning antics, Shinji actually managed to fall asleep while his head was down on his desk. He nodded off just long enough to have a brief dream, one that he had every so often. In the dream, he stood in a hospital room, watching his sister lying in a bed. She was injured beyond belief, yet he would not take his eyes away from her as he grasped loosely onto her frail hand. He would look at her, guilt whirling in his chest as he repeatedly muttered an apology to her. This was his fault.

Amidst his apologizing, Shinji would be interrupted by doctors rushing into the room in a panic. They would push him away from his sister, shoving him out of the room. Something was wrong, but they wouldn't tell him what it was. He yelled at the top of his voice for them to let him stay, but they didn't seem to hear a single syllable that escaped his lips. He wouldn't have long to catch their attention either before he awoke from the dream, it's world vanishing from his grasp in an instant.

Shinji sat up, smoothing his hair back and letting out a sigh. He looked a bit pale and honestly didn't feel well after the dream. Although, it wasn't exactly the dream that had caused him to feel ill, but his lack of being well rested. He had been out late at night for his part-time job and had gone straight to school to pull his prank afterwards.

"Ugh, when does class start?" he asked nobody in particular, but still hoped someone in the room might answer him.

@Omnial @Moogle-Girl @Iceydaze @Big Buddy​