I've always wanted to write fiction. Many times in the past, I've tried creating my own stories, usually based on a menagerie of some of my favorite franchises. In the end, these always ended up falling through...but not this time. This time, I am going to finish the story...why, you ask? Because I'm sure of it. I'm sure I can do this...okay, pointless self-convincing aside, this is Persona GIO, or PG/PGIO for short. It's an original story based in the Persona universe, starring various people I know through Game Informer Online. Please, don't ask to be put in; I've already got enough characters, and I'm including people I know well enough that I can sort of capture their personalities. In any case...let's just do it. Let's start a brand new adventure!
This is the protagonist in the style of Persona Q. The story will be updated, at the least, once a week. All art is mine originally.
People like to speak about dreams being “lucid”; surreal experiences that somehow end up feeling very real. You end up being present in the manifestations of your unconscious, and you can shape them to your liking. I’ve been able to recall my dreams at various points in my life, but I never had anything that could really be deemed “lucid”. They felt like fleeting images, as if the movie I was watching kept stuttering at the good parts. After various attempts, I found that lucid dreaming seemed like a dream in-of-itself for me; the broken cinematics kept playing, and I kept relying on those few stills to help me recall the events of my dreams.
That’s why I’m sure I’m having some sort of episode right now. Just a second ago, my eyes were closing after a long day of travel, but now I feel awake. In fact, I feel more awake than ever. Most of the time, there’s a certain weight on my shoulders: not a burden...something different. Maybe a more appropriate way to describe it would be saying that I’m always wearing a heavy coat...something both weighing me down and making me a bit drowsy at the same time.
My eyes aren’t open, but I can tell I’m not in my seat anymore. My ears pick up a soft, repeating set of sounds...that seem to be clicking and clacking. It sounds like a train moving, but there’s no way a train could be that quiet. As I contemplate what could be producing the noise, a voice creeps its way into my brain, and, startled, my eyes finally flash open.
“Welcome, to the Velvet Room” the voice greets, and immediately the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Several feet in front of me, an old man is staring directly at me, his gaze unwavering. He’s hunched over, with a suit and tie, and a crown of white hair that goes around his bald pate and reaches his shoulders. His eyes are haunting; they look as though they’re ready to fall out of their sockets, and they’re accompanied by thick, black eyebrows. The mouth on his face is twisted into an odd grin, with his teeth bared...but it’s the thing in the center of his face that gets all my attention: an impossibly long nose, maybe a foot in length, sticks out. I blink a couple times to make sure I’m not just imagining it, but it’s still there afterwards.
The man blinks once, and proceeds to speak again; “It seems we once again have a guest here in our Velvet Room...and one with an important role to play”. The man’s smile grows a bit, and I manage to break our eye contact to get a look at our surroundings. We appear to be seated in a moving train car...and everything certainly is velvet. The man sits in his hunched position on an armchair that, for some reason, is placed in front of the door to the next car. There are windows, but they’re covered by blinds that have been pulled down. Along the sides of the car are couches adorned with various pillows of all shapes and sizes; all various shades of velvet.
As I take all of this in, it comes to my attention that the man and I are not alone. To his left (my right) sits a young woman who looks basically as old as me...maybe nineteen or twenty. Her platinum blonde hair falls just a little bit past her shoulders, and ends in a few curls. She’s wearing a dress that’s sort of a velvet color, but in my mind I’m seeing it as more of a blue. It ends a little before her knees, and the sleeves run to her elbows, and has one yellow circle just below her breasts. Her legs are hidden beneath long, black stockings, and her feet are slipped into short blue heels. She’s also looking at me, with a look that’s...hard to describe. It’s like she’s trying to not smile...or really display any emotion at all, and is having trouble doing so.
I somehow process all of this in a few seconds, and then turn my attention back to the old man. Finally, I manage to choke something out (I’ve had a lump in my throat since I saw those eyes); “Im-important role?”.
The man’s head nods just enough to count as a ‘yes’; anything less would have been unnoticeable. “Yes, of course. Although, it would seem as though you have arrived to our Velvet room early; normally, only those who have forged a contract are able to enter. However, the room seems to have an exception in your case. It does not do this often”.
I hear all of this, but it doesn’t seem to register in my brain. I did just fall asleep, didn’t I? I ponder, and then assume I’m dreaming. However, it seems like the man is able to read my mind, as he suddenly chuckles.
“Make no mistake, this is not something to be taken lightly. You are currently fast asleep, in the real world...but this is no dream. You are here because you are about to embark a long journey, and where that journey takes you is very much tied to this Velvet Room”. The man gestures around, as if something important changed in the room.
“I don’t understand...how could I have an important role? I’m not special…” as I say these words, I’m surprised that I’m not even denying the fact that this is real. I’m acknowledging the fact that I’m with two complete strangers, and that this man’s nose is somehow a real thing.
“In due time, you will come to understand your role; our previous guests have reacted very similarly, and all went on to...well, maybe I should save that story for another time” he finishes, chuckling again. “Excuse me, let me introduce myself. My name is Igor, and I am a resident of this Velvet Room”. Igor then proceeds to gesture to his left; “And this is my assistant, Charlotte”.
I turn my attention back to the girl, and feel heat start to rise in my cheeks; she’s smiling, ever so-slightly...and I haven’t had a lot of girls smile at me before in my life. “Yes, welcome to the Velvet Room” she says...but her words seem to contrast her appearance. I detect the slightest hint of...boredom? Igor seems to have taken note of it also, as his smile lessens a bit and I catch his eyes darting to look at her for the briefest moment. All three of us ignore what has happened, though, and Igor speaks again.
“You may be doubtful now, but trust me; very soon, you will be presented with a great burden, and you will need to accept it; if you don’t, a great calamity could occur”. My head starts swimming; a great calamity? A great burden? I thought I had enough to deal with already in my life, but apparently I didn’t.
For some reason, my eyes turn towards Charlotte, as though she’ll be sympathetic to me; in reality, it’s probably just me wanting to see her smile again. She still is, but her eyes are also saying something. She nods her head and speaks gently; “You are our guest...this can only indicate you are important to the future of the world”.
Before I can interject again, Igor speaks. “We will see you again once you have forged your contract; until then, farewell”. My vision starts growing cloudy, and Igor and Charlotte fade away. I try to get some last word out, but nothing comes out; soon, everything is white.
I jolt awake, sitting up in my seat. The faces of Igor and Charlotte (her in particular) still linger in my mind, and I rub my eyes as if that will get them out of it. More than anything, I’m confused, and I want to believe that whatever just happened...didn’t. Well, part of me wants to remember Charlotte, but the other part wants to deny the “great burden” Igor mentioned.
What’s special about me? I’m just a teenager...heck, I haven’t even technically started college yet. “Pull yourself together, Troy” I murmur to myself, rubbing my eyes once again. “It was...just some sort of weird episode. You ate too much yakisoba last night...that’s all. Yeah, that’s it.”
I shake my head a bit, and look at my reflection in the window. My blond, messy hair is dangling in front of my eyes again, just like my mom hates...well, she can’t really fuss over that anymore, I think. Glancing around, I see that the traincar I’m in is empty, just like when I got on. Of course, this one isn’t covered in velvet...everything. The red seats are faded, and some of them are peeling. There are stains lining the arm rests, and trash is littered on the floor. My watch says it’s just past 3 in the morning, which is completely wonderful.
However, suddenly a feminine, automated voice reverberates throughout the car; “Now arriving at Maebashi. Now arriving at Maebashi. Thank you for using the East Japan Railway, this is the last stop.”
“That works” I whisper to myself, standing and hoisting my dufflebag over my shoulder. The train pulls into a stop, and the doors finally open. After being alone in the same car for almost twelve hours, this is a very welcome noise. I step out of the car to an empty platform, with a large set of stairs in front of me. At the top, I can see streetlamps glowing, and hear the rush of cars in the distance. I’m finally here...I’m finally going to have the freedom I’ve craved for so long.
I take my first step into freedom...and, unknowingly, into something bigger than anything I couldn’t ever have imagined.
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Peace.