Persona: Shadow Over Brightwinds 3

'Oh? You want to come and speak with me? How amusing...' Mr Umbra watched with interest as Alex took a seat next to him.
'I don't know what it is about you. You use words like soft hugs... and sharp blades. It's like you're not telling me everything.'
'Haha... If I told you everything, then life would be incredibly dull. Stagnant. No, no, no, we can't have that. There is always the thrill of discovering something new, about the world, or about yourself...'
Alex nodded in understanding.
'Most would call me evil or uncaring. I consider myself honest. Sometimes people don't like honesty, but someone needs to say it when gentle nudges are not enough.'
'That's... True.'
'Unfortunately, there are some people who cannot accept this...' He stood up and stretched, bones creaking. 'Now, I have other things to do. See you again, I hope.'

Lisa had made her decision, she was going to talk to Jen about this. At first it had taken Jennifer a while to convince her of what she was telling her friend, but as soon as she did mention the weird occurance with Alex's rendition of "Nyarlathotep", Jennifer snapped into action.
'Y... You mean that I would get to see more of these creatures?!'
'I thought that Lovecraft said that was a bad thing?'
'I don't care!' Jennifer seized Lisa by the shoulders. 'I want to see them! Damn the consequences!'
'Ok... OK, Jen... Um. When I need you... I'll give you a call... Thanks.'

As she walked down the market district, Lisa was not expecting to see Margaret balancing on a rather tall ladder, hammering nails into the old wooden sign above the door to the Velvet Room. The old Balkan sign appeared to be on it's last legs, and Margaret's attempts were clearly nothing but an attempt to delay the inevitable. The door to the Velvet Room opened, Drake slipped outside, looking up at Margaret with a small smirk before harshly slamming the door. The blood drained from Margaret's face as the sign practically fell on top of her, with inhuman reactions she somehow managed to catch the sign and stay balanced on the ladder.
He strode towards Lisa, the smirk fading away. 'Shall we go out for a meal?' he wondered in a purr, golden eyes glinting.
'Is... Margaret going to be OK?'
'Meh. She'll live.' Drake handwaved it, ignoring Margaret clearly struggling with the sign in her arms.

Lisa felt extremely full after visiting nearly every resturant in Brightwinds.
'Is something wrong, Lisa?' Drake asked the question as they stood outside. 'You look quite... ill.'
She glared jealously at him, her eyes wandering his slim stomach for far longer then could be consisdered "innocent".
'I... I don't think I can eat anymore..'
'Is that your opinion, or is that a fact? Were you to eat anymore, would your stomach explode?' Drake probably meant it to sound more curious then threatening, but Lisa still felt that darker edge to it.
'What?' She growled, turning on him.
'Oh? I meant nothing by it. It was just my curiosity acting aloud.'
'Uh-huh...'
'So. Shall we see more of your world?'

They arrived in the City Hall, standing in the foyer. Drake looked around curiously, golden eyes racing over practically everything.
'This is Brightwinds City Hall.' Lisa explained.
'This is where you... Hold court and commerce?'
'Yeah-' She quickly followed as Drake took off further in.

'I shall tell you now, Lisa.' Drake strode between the rows of chairs set out of meetings. 'Elizabeth is a living example of why ignorance is bliss.'
Much like a hyperactive kid in a candy store, his attention was seized by the podium and he hurried to stand behind it. 'Ah, yes, I see... Here I can sense the flow of words that are designed to sway the audience; to enrapture and terrify them...'
Lisa took a seat at the front row. 'Are you going to make a speech?'
'Hmm...' Drake tapped his fingers against the polished wood for a long time before stepping away. 'No. I think not. The words do not come to me so easily without inspiration.'
He freely jumped from the platform and to the ground floor below. Just for a second his mask slipped a few inches. He quickly pushed it back into place.
'Ahem... I think we should return. I do not wish to linger with the darkness approaching.'

'Are you afraid of the dark?' Lisa asked as they walked back in the fading daylight.
'I do not fear that from which I was crafted.' Drake stated, looking quite haughty. 'No, no. I am merely... Cautious of what the night brings with it. You live in a wonderful world, you humans craft both the most beautiful dreams...' his eyes wandered to the sky. '... And the most horrific nightmares.'
The soft piano melody of the Velvet Room soothed their nerves as they returned.
With a relaxing sigh, Drake took his usual seat, ignoring the curious glance from Theodore. 'Now, I feel it necessary to reward you... I could think of numerous ways, but my Master has suggested a more suitable way to reward you.'
Lisa blushed lightly, feeling the clear innuendo in that statement.
As Drake held out a hand, and bright blue card materialized, spinning slowly a short space above his hand. 'Here. With this card, you may fuse Ogma. He is the God of Knowledge, said to have taught mankind how to read and write.'
'Thanks, Drake.'
'Of course. Do let me know if you feel like going out anytime soon.'

'How may I help you?' Though Igor was as friendly as usual, Lisa still felt creeped out by him.
'Um... Drake gave me this.'
She passed the card to him as she took a seat opposite, and he quickly looked it over.
'Ahh, yes. With this you are able to create a new Persona. How marvelous!' That creepy smile was back again.
The card was used up in the process, but Persona resulting was that of an wise old man, dressed in thick leather armour and a hooded cloak, a stack of leather bound books held under one arm, and a sheathed dagger at his waist.
' I am Ogma... I am you, your other face... My other self, wisdom and splendor shall be yours...'
The Persona changed, forming into a card that floated down to rest on the table before them.
The moment Lisa touched it, the card faded into a bright light, leaving her with a deep warmth inside.

'Oh, Lisa!' Elizabeth's voice drew her over before she could leave. 'Could I have a moment of your time?'
<What? Does she want to go out on a date too? Sorry, Liz, I don't swing that way.> Lisa thought to herself as she changed course and headed to where Elizabeth and Margaret sat. Margaret was quietly sipping a coctail, leaving Elizabeth with a chunky tome in her lap.
'Hey, Liz, what do you want?'
'Please, take a seat.'
Margaret quickly gulped down the remainder of the beverage, coughing softly from swallowing too much too quickly, and hurried towards the bar, hitting herself on the chest lightly. Lisa  occupied her empty seat.
'You see this tome in my lap?'
'Yeah.'
'This is the Persona Compendium. Within it's pages I will record any Personae currently in your posession, or any within the possession of your friends.'
'What for?' Lisa had to ask.
Elizabeth shrugged. 'For a hobby. As an added bonus, I will also be capable of resummoning any Persona recorded within it's pages-' her eyes sparkled greedily. '- For a price, you understand?'
Lisa heard Margaret choke on a drink once again at Elizabeth's statement.
'Sure.'

VENUS (Lovers):

The Roman Goddess of Beauty and Love. Her soft passions cooled the firey, warlike attitude of Mars, who fell hopelessly in love with her.

--

Ogma (Heirophant):

The Celtic God of Knowledge. He appears as a wise old man, and is rumoured to have taught mankind how to read and write.

--

Yama (Death):

The Hindu God of Death. His duty is to usher on the souls who's time has come. His judgement has often been overruled by Shiva.

--

Dionysus (Moon):

The Greek God of Wine, Theatre, and Revelry. In Mythology he often induces states of chaotic revelry, taking shape as either passionate orgies, or a mindless berserker state.

--

Isis (Empress):

Egyptian Goddess of Wisdom, Magic, and Healing. She gathered the remains of Osiris after he was brutally torn apart by Seth. After retrieving her husband's remains, she used her magic to restore him to life and concieve Horus.

----

'That's lovely, thank you.' Elizabeth nodded with a smile, closing the Compendium.
'You all finished?'
'For now, yes.' She nodded.
'Alright, until later.' The aria was begining to make Lisa feel drowsy so she decided to take off and get some fresh air.
'Hey.' She passed Alex on the way out. He looked... Somwhere between down and cross.
'Oh, Hello.'

Alex took a seat at the bar, even the bar stools were soft and plushy.
'Ugh... That bloated pig of a man! He has no right to treat me and mother like his servants! I just need one bit of evidence... One thing to expose to Mum, and then she'll see him for the fat slimeball that he really is!!' His hands curled into fists as he spoke, trembling.
Drake looked up from the tarot cards for a second, but he soon returned his attention to them without comment, turning one over; "The Tower", upright.
'All things that rise, must inevitably fall...' he mused to himself.

'I take it something's troubling you?'
He looked up, staring into Theodore's golden eyes.
'Yes. Something is troubling me. Family issues.' Alex looked away, unable to maintain his gaze for long. It was like... Looking straight at his Shadow all over again.
'Ooh! Ooh!' Elizabeth had lurched from her feet, leaving the compendium on the sofa and leaning over the bar, feeling around between the glasses. 'Where is it...? Move, Theo!'
Her younger sibling obediently stepped back.
'Aha! Here it is.' She stood back upright, a single garment wrapped in her arm. 'Here you are.'
She handed a bright yellow scarf to him, the edges outlined in midnight black, and the yellow as bright as the sun.
'Oh, a scarf, um... Well, it is getting cold, so thanks, Elizabeth.'
'No, no... Um.' She took a deep breath, staring at the scarf. 'A... Very dear friend to me, he gave me this before he... Passed away. I can rest now, knowing that he's at peace and kept safe by... A loved one. It's time that it found a new home. It's better than it staying here, stagnating.' She tenderly ran her gloved fingers over it as she spoke.
Alex reached out to take it, his fingers brushed against the material and he ripped his hand back, feeling like he had just been on the end of a static shock, an intense flurry of emotions followed in it's wake, feelings that were not his own; love, joy, passion, fear, and sadness... Sadness and fear above all, an intense heartwrenching sadness. Alex wiped a tear away, without even realising he had been crying.

'What was...?'
'Strong emotions...' Theodore explained, turning to fill a glass with brandy. 'Have a habit of attaching themselves to objects. This... Scarf is no acception to that rule. Where did it come from, Liz? Why have I never heard of it?!'
'That's because you've never had to deal with guests before.' Elizabeth snorted with a grin. 'Here...'
Alex gently felt it again, recovering from the emotional jolt. No, nothing more. He took it and wrapped it around his neck, it was incredibly soft and warm. 'Hmm... Thanks, Liz. E.. Excuse me, I... I need to be alone for a while.'