Persona: The Beautiful

[x] Faceclaim #3

"Alright, good choice," Gakuto smugly grinned as he made some rapid-fire adjustments to your photo avatar. Before, the picture had been pimple-stained, with your hair its usual dull-coloured mess as it drooped all over your face. Now your face was all cleared up and your virtual hairstyle had been neatly tucked and trimmed.


"Ooh, you know what this means!" Reina excitedly hopped up and down.

"Yep, get in here, newbie," Melissa flashed a sharp-toothed smile as she dragged you over to a convenient curtained changing room, Reina and Himawari tailing along after her.

Within, your head was immediately dunked underwater, and you felt several hands scrubbing some rather pungent kind of shampoo and conditioner all through it. Once you were pulled up for air, the other girls smothered you in towels, followed by Melissa yanking on your no longer greasy hair with a brush, snipping your fringe with scissors, and fixing any part that stuck out with scrunchies.

"Ow, geez you guys, you don't have to be so forceful-" you tried to say, but it was then Melissa and Himawari started putting makeup all over your face, starting with a glossy foundation, tweezing your eyebrows, lathering on the mascara and eyeshadow, and pinkening your face with blush and lipstick. After that was the most painful change of all, as Melissa, noticing some flab on your stomach, tightened your bra and shoved you into a corset.

You were spun around like a tornado in your chair, until you were in front of a mirror. "Ta-da!" Reina and Himawari each said and smiled in unison, while Melissa just had a lively smirk on her face, slowly clapping at her own work.

It was, well, hard to imagine what you were even seeing in the mirror, you blinked your eyes and rubbed the glass to make sure your eyes weren't playing tricks on you. The person was staring back at you was certainly pretty, but you were still having trouble processing that she was... you.

"I, I don't know what to say," you gulped, "I never imagined looking like this".

"Better start imagining, dearie, 'cause we've still got work to do if you're gonna hang with us," Melissa said back, pushing back out the curtain into a club room, with you suddenly face to face with Kikuko.

"I told you, you need to sharpen your graces," she spoke down at you, almost sounding like she'd been listening in your prior conversation "Firstly, shoulders up, spine straight, hands together," Kikuko told you as she pulled you up and smoothed your skirt.

"Well, that certainly took a while. But anyway, here's where Azuma and I come in," Gakuto then said from across the hall. "It's been said that nobody has a good online bio, but looking at yours, it is simply more dreadful than the norm. Friggin' dull, like you've lived in this corner of Hokkaido all your life, have the most obvious taste in film, TV and games, and have been through barely any life-changing events to speak of".

"Therefore, we're giving you a chance to rewrite your own history, to play the part you were born to play, so to say," Azuma knelt and took your hand.

"Wait, wouldn't that be, y'know, lying?" you had to speak up.

"Well, that's social media for you," Gakuto quipped, adjusting his glasses.

"Besides, people will always take a thrilling story over a dry reality. I'm in Theatre, I should know," Azuma chuckled, before he pulled out what looked like a collection of scripts. "I understand inventing an entirely new past for yourself may seem a daunting task, so I've gone out of my way to write up several backstories for you on your behalf, each approved by us All-Aces. Take your pick".

[ ] I ran away from my aristocratic but abusive birth parents, leaving behind my childhood friend Sakurai Azuma. My fantasy is to find true love. My interests include singing, dancing, and animals.
[ ] My loving parents died when I was young, leaving me to be raised in an orphanage owned by the Sakurai family. My fantasy is to find out I'm a princess. My interests include acting, writing, and reading.
[ ] I fell in with a bad crowd and had my life fall to pieces, tearing me away from my childhood friend Sakurai Azuma. My fantasy is to have a dashing hero sweep me off my feet. My interests include poetry, photography, and fashion.
[ ] Write-in.

You paused, hesitating to ask this, "Why do all of these have you as my childhood friend?"

Azuma smiled and held you, "Because I was, that part is at least true, don't you remember?"

You started shaking, even sweating, "Um, er, I guess my memory isn't the greatest..."

"Come now, don't you remember growing up with a brown-haired young boy there in your life?" Azuma, looking undaunted, asked you.

"Oh, you mean Yuya?" you blurted out.

"Itou Yuuya, second year? Ah, I see where the confusion comes from," Azuma sighed, muttering something to himself, before he said, "I'm afraid you must've gotten the two of us mixed up. Oh, not to put any blame on Yuuya, when you called him your childhood friend, he must've been too polite or too anxious to correct you, and simply played along. Either way, I'm glad we've gotten that sorted".

"Yeah, now if you're done talking, it's about time we got down to the real reason why we brought this girl here," Eitaro spoke firmly, as he whipped off the cloth from the circular table, revealing what looked like some sort of Gameboard on it.
To you, this Board resembled a weird cross between a hexagonal chessboard, a jigsaw puzzle, and a Monopoly board but with the squares all throughout instead of just along the edges. A good chunk of the board was blank, but you could see at least six bursts of colour on the board, each taking up several Spaces.

"Now this is what makes you an All-Ace," Eitaro proclaimed, "On this Board we play the Persona Game, the toughest competition this, or any other, school has to offer".

"That is one way to put it," Azuma laughed, stepping up to the board, "Each of the coloured spaces you see on the board are called Empires, a cognitive manifestation of the influence, the authority, the power a person wields here at Hanataba Academy. Most students, even teachers, don't have a status grand enough to declare their own Empire, so their Pieces survive the game by clinging to the Players who do".

"Naturally, all us Aces have an Empire, but you, well you're a weird one, Haruka," Melissa started proudly but then her voice dropped, "We've spent ages trying to see if you had a Piece anywhere, but nope, nothing. Obviously, someone like you couldn't dream of having an Empire, but with no Piece, that can only mean you're a Player, like us! Somehow".

Now that she mentioned it, you could see on closer inspection how each occupying Empire on the Gameboard did kinda reflect the personality of each All-Ace. The Theatres covered in roses and vines were unmistakably Azuma, the Colosseums were sporty enough for Eitaro, the brilliant lantern-like pagodas made Kikuko's heritage clear, the crisscrossing wires and Tron-like grid reminded you of Gakuto, the Mega-Malls ringed by desert were American enough for Melissa...

But the last major Empire didn't even feel the slightest thing like Himawari, looking like a tangled sprawl of slums and alleyways, drenched in rain and smog. Ah, maybe I'm just getting these mixed up, you thought.

"Er, you said it took forever to find whether I had a Piece or not, but um, the Board honestly doesn't look that big. Maybe the Pieces are in a box or something?" you asked.
But your query was only met with laughter from the All-Aces, Azuma at least trying to restrain himself.

"Oh no no no, you haven't even seen what makes the Persona Game, well the Persona Game!" Melissa grinned, as she conjured up that same Tarot card she had that morning, and grabbing your arm caused one to suddenly appear in your hand too. She then slammed both your hands down on the Gameboard, and all of a sudden you were overcome by queasiness as your whole world started to spin.

Your whole world then vanished, replaced by a giant corrupted-looking chessboard stretching off into the distance. "Where are we?!" you immediately exclaimed.

"Duh, on the Gameboard, where else?" Melissa, who'd appeared right next to you, said simply. You then saw that somehow her entire outfit had changed, with her now wearing a glittering silver-white gown that reminded you more of a Hollywood celebrity than a student and carrying a... chainsaw.


Before you could even ask, from right behind you a looming fish or stingray-like crowned monster emerged, causing you to nearly fall off balance.
"Teehee, a Shadow already? Wow Haruka, you really are breezing through Initiation," Melissa devilishly grinned, revving up her a chainsaw while simultaneously using a quill to write the kanji for 'Gold' in the air. "Anjou!" she called.
From out of Melissa's soul arose a floating spirit woman clad in deep ruby gemstones for armour and with pointed fleur-de-lys shaped steel spikes jutting off of her like a cactus or rose thorns, her swiftly casting an explosive blast of light resembling a miniature nuke at the 'Shadow' monster.

"Oh right, forgot about you. Guess you need a weapon then, fine," Melissa moaned as she nonchalantly tossed a-

[ ] Spear
[ ] Sword
[ ] Tonfa pair
[ ] Chakram pair
[ ] Write-in

-at you.

"Haruka, can you hear us?" you swore you could hear Gakuto's voice speaking to you from above.

"Listen, a Piece on the Gameboard manifests as a demonic Shadow. But you can counter, it, place it under your control, if you summon your Persona," it was Azuma speaking now, "Write the kanji for 'Lance' in the air to call it forth, and speak, Persona!"

Nearly panicking, you did as Azuma told you, and in a great flashing light, there came a woman's voice:

"I art thou... Thou art I"
[ ] "Hold true to what you know, hold true to who you are, and we shall not be crushed by invading kingdoms. I am Cleopatra!"
[ ] "They placed a ceiling of solid rock over us from birth, but our ladder to heaven shall climb through any earthly firmament. I am Theodora!"
[ ] "We've been played like puppets on strings, but in this new life, no one but us can determine our destiny. I am Oichi!"
[ ] "You're a diamond in the rough, don't let them ever try to stain you. Let's enjoy what time we have to the fullest! I am Antoinette!"
[ ] Write-in.

Next part soon, but I'd be interested in asking what people's reasons were for voting Theodora as our Persona (Byzantine Empress, for those not aware)?

[X] I ran away from my aristocratic but abusive birth parents, leaving behind my childhood friend Sakurai Azuma. My fantasy is to find true love. My interests include singing, dancing, and animals.
[X] Tonfa pair
[X] "They placed a ceiling of solid rock over us from birth, but our ladder to heaven shall climb through any earthly firmament. I am Theodora!"


Above you emerged, from millions of tiles swarming together into one being, a woman clad in a long, flowing cloak of purple, with a sparkling gold crown and mantle, and shimmering silver pearls for strands of hair. Behind her was attached a giant solar disc, embroidered like the wheel of a massive chariot, or like the eye of God.

With an extended hand and a swish of her cloak, your Persona Theodora cast a great blast of eye-bending, multi-coloured circles upon the Shadow you faced, sending it reeling and its essence scrambling for sense. You somehow instinctively knew, likely because this 'Persona' was after all you, that you had just attacked, not with explosive force like Melissa, but with the pure power of the mind itself.

"Alright, you're finally starting to pay back our good generosity," Melissa whooped, but her smug tones soon came back with, "You're still the new kid on the block though, let a real pro show you how it's done". After slashing straight across the Shadow with her chainsaw, Melissa seized the opportunity and had her Persona Anjou (the only figure you knew by that name being the historical Margaret of Anjou) call forth another blazing blast of radiating energy.

It was then you looked down at yourself, only to notice that your clothes and completely changed! Your school uniform no longer in sight, you instead now found yourself wearing-
[ ] A frilly dress that looked like a pastel princess with ballerina shoes and tights, with long bright red ribbons flowing off the back.
[ ] A golden-bronze set of armour that came with a pleated skirt and wing-like designs.
[ ] A checkered white, red and black set of tights, jingling bells attached, with your face turned pale but heavy dark makeup around your eyes.
[ ] Write-in

The fight you'd gotten yourself into hadn't gone on for long, but luck would have it that this Shadow was far from the cream of its crop. Steeling yourself and channeling your adrenaline, you raced forth, leapt up and dealt two concussive blows with the tonfas you'd been given, knocking the royal fish-like Shadow straight out.

Wow, never knew I could be that athletic, you thought, and that developed into Was it just the heat of battle? A surge of power that comes from having this 'Persona'? Or maybe I just never made the effort before?
That rush to your head wasn't subsiding though, as your knees started wobbling, your vision started blurring, and you now couldn't help but feel awfully dizzy.

"Aw sheesh, why in Hell are you suddenly turning to Jell-O now?!" Melissa barked at you, "Seriously, this 'Oh I just got my Persona' bullshit again?"
Her words from that point became a jumbled mess to your eyes, as you then collapsed to the ground.

---

When you came to, you found yourself in yet another unfamiliar place. Is this another part of the 'Gameboard'? Opening your eyes further, you could see every was bathed in an eerier blue light, and that this place took the form of a:

[ ] Zeppelin cockpit.
[ ] Games room.
[ ] Trophy room.
[ ] Sports commentator booth.
[ ] Mausoleum.
[ ] Write-in

"Welcome," said a voice belonging to a young yet unnaturally thin silver-haired man, wearing a tailored black suit and speaking in a creaky voice that sounded much older than he looked, the only thing distracting about his looks being his sinister expression and extremely long nose, "-to the Velvet Room, a place between dream and reality, life and death, and even beyond the bounds of the Board your grand tournament is held on. This is a place only those who have signed a contract may enter, and when you offered yourself as a Jack to a Hand of Aces, well, you in essence did".

In his hands flashed a Tarot card you recognised as the Fool, as he said, "You have embarked upon a momentous journey, yet already-" he shuffled his deck to produce Fortune, "-there has been a twist in the tale, a most rare occurrence. You possess what can only be described a mutant Wild Card, enabling you to copy any Persona or Shadow you come across, though with Theodora the only Persona truly your own". In a flash of fire, he then produced the Devil and Tower, "normally, one's connections with another would be the lifeblood of Persona-users, but unfortunately the people around you seem poised to tear you down".

"Wait, you're talking about Personae?" you spoke up, yet at the same time somehow not surprised about his cryptic warning, "T-then do the All-Aces also know about this place?"

"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to say," Igor rebuffed you, as suddenly you were interrupted by a... blue coffin lined with gold propped up next to him creaking wide open.

"Ah, it would seem Lauryn has taken heed of our new arrival," Igor turned his gaze, for within the coffin lay the corpse of a woman, her skin turned blue and her hair gone pale, as her golden eyes suddenly flashed open to gaze right at you, making you flinch.

"Wandering souls end up stuck between this world and the next, hence how Lauryn came to wait here, working as you would say 'part-time'," Igor said, but complicated things again with, "What our work exactly is I'll elaborate on next time, when you find the door back to our Velvet Room on your own volition. All I'll say for now is the services we offer you will be... different from our usual since, if I may be blunt, we aren't accustomed to working with such an... odd case of a Wild Card as yourself".

Before you had any chance to respond, this room flashed a bright white, as you awoke to find yourself on a hospital bed.

---

Groaning as you lay staring at the blank ceiling, the silence was soon broken when a familiar blonde girl burst into the room, although not the first one that came to mind.
"Haruka, you're alive!" came the piercing voice of Reina as she ran up and hugged you tight, "You were unconscious an entire day, we were all totally worrying about you".

"Sheesh, fainting on your first day of school, we almost had a publicity nightmare on our hands," you heard Miss Tanizawa's voice, and turned your head to see her leaning on the doorway, arms crossed. "I kid, I kid, after all I'm not one to let any of my students get hurt while I'm around," she tried to give a smile.

"T-thanks, I appreciate it" you murmured. You were sadly not surprised to see that none of the All-Aces were here, thought were a little hurt that neither Keiko or Yuya appeared to have stopped by.
Honestly, I'm betting everything with the All-Aces was just some weird fever dream I had after the pressure of school got to me, you thought, Gameboards, Personae, hanging with all the cool kids, it just feels like a total fantasy- Wait, that wouldn't explain how Reina knows me though?

"Huh, I see you've been seriously getting into makeup and hairstyling, eh Haruka? That 'Colette' was in here earlier, she said that you looked almost angelic all dolled up", Miss Tanizawa then went on, "Yeah, she sure has a weird way of complimenting people, doesn't she? Well, hopefully higher self-esteem will mean higher grades for you".

Wait, 'all dolled up'? your eyes shot right open, as you tumbled out of bed and grabbed the bedside mirror. No mistake, staring back at you was not your pasty, background-blending past appearance, but the you after you'd been given an extensive, not to mention painful, makeover. Okay okay, so my time in the All-Aces Lounger happened, but that Persona stuff's gotta be a hallucination, right?

"Wow, you're already back out of bed. See, knew you'd recover soon!" Reina cheered for you, giving a bunny-ears-like salute with two of her fingers. "Still, y'know, be careful, wontcha?"

"Oh yeah, Reina," you began, looking at her, "Have the All-Aces said or done anything while I've been unconscious?"

"Um, well ya see..." Reina said yet started umming and aahing, "I'm a Jack so they only tell me so much. Azuma's been pacing back and forth, though has insisted he's fine, and like Gakuto made, er, a few jokes about unconscious bodies, but I know he hasn't tampered with your social media accounts any further. Eitaro, ah, I don't know what came over him, he got real mad and called you a weakling, but Kikuko said that 'going through such hardships are only to be expected in your training'. Himawari's been worried sick about you, though!"

You felt at least little relieved from that last one, but had to ask "...And Melissa?"

Upon you asking, Reina's teeth started to chatter, and you see tiny sweat beads forming on her, but she gulped and said, "Melissa, she, she just laughed and said 'Well what did you expect?' Look, I'm sure she was just blowing off steam, or trying to lighten the mood!" Reina's voice suddenly grew strained, even if she told you exactly what you expected.
"Hey look, Melissa told me to teach you how to be a Jack, so whatever happens. I'm there for you!" Reina suddenly brightened up, anything to lift the mood.

"Gee, thanks," you slowly began to smile, "I, I really appreciate it-" But then your train of thought was derailed, as a mysterious voice resounded within your mind.


"I am thou... Thou art I
Thou anointest a new Knight to defend thy Crown
Thou shalt take the mantle of the Magician Arcana"

That strange voice made you stumble back, with Reina rushing to ask, "Haruka! Are you okay?"

"Ugh yeah, fine, just fine..." you said, clutching your head.

"So, all done in here? Then good to see you're ready to go, and meanwhile I have a class to teach," Miss Tanizawa's grin turned cat-like as she ushered you out of the room.

Back in the school corridors, your first instinct was to scramble around trying to find where Keiko and Yuya were, to get some normalcy back into your life.
As you did though, something very abnormal for you happened, you all at once felt the eyes of all the students around staring at you, almost like you were one of the All-Aces. Already you could hear girls muttering amongst themselves in your presence, and some guys were even catcalling you, which you could now say how creepy it was first-hand.

"Oi, leave her alone!" you then heard Colette Claudius bark out towards one of the catcalling students, glaring fiercely at him.

"Tch, whatever, freak," the catcaller snarled as he turned away. It was weird to think this, but you had to thank Colette for that.

Your eyes darting around, you were soon able to spot Keiko's shaggy self at the cafeteria, sitting down with a bento box. You rushed over to her, but for some odd reason she didn't notice you.
"Er, hi, what can I help you with?" she said, some food still in her mouth.

"Keiko, what are you talking about? It's me, Haruka!" you tried to tell her, but it took a second for her to register that.

"Oh wow, Haruka! Hey, glad you're back, er, though I guess I didn't recognise it was you at first," Keiko admitted, looking down at her bento, "Like, there's something seriously different about you".

Wait, wouldn't Keiko already know about my changed appearance from visiting me? you thought, but that thought got worse, did she just... not get around to seeing me while I was in a coma? I'd ask, but, well it's a touchy topic...

You then looked around to see Yuya, who according to Azuma barely really knew you, at a nearby bench. Unlike Keiko, the look on his face told you he knew it was you right away, but he seemed... oddly intimidated.

[ ] Talk some more with Keiko, get some confusion sorted out.
[ ] Talk to Yuya, even if he's not a childhood friend, he's still your friend.
[ ] Talk to Colette, you owe her one after she stood up for you.
[ ] Write-in.