[IC] Afterimages: The Mirrored World

[EchoWolff]

♫

_{Click... Clack...}

Click... Clack...

Click... Clack...

Mankind's hearts are easily warped.

He hoped this time wasn't a disappointment.

Voices call.

"It's your fault! I know it is!"

"Why do things like this happen to the innocent..."

"This just in, more suicides bring worry to all of Neo Tokyo with another death in the Akihabara District..."

"Is it... even worth it anymore..."

"Would anyone ever even care?

The man of a mask, shadowed by the image of Comedy and Tragedy, black tailcoat flowing behind him as his boots made echoing sounds through the darkness...

Visions of atrocities.

Blood.

Bodies.

Guns.

All forms of tainted memories drip and flow in the dark... Puddles of avarice.

All of it bled away as he approached a table. a list of names. Four contracts, Four names.

He never thought he would get this far. Now he just needed to set everything into motion...

It was time.
Kosuke.
Fubuki.
Chihiro.
Kiana.
Tohato

His eyes glinted in the shadow. This was going to be fun.

The contracts burned away in wisps of dark flame. He would look forward to this group's interactions... Now the first hurdle was getting them together. He turned on his heel, the table sinking into the shadow, loosing shape... consumed and enveloped by the darkness.

He needed to prepare. The predecessors were useless to him, he needed to make sure this wouldn't be a failure.

@Baphomini@Kronshi@Girlie Go Boom

---

Chihiro

Chihiro woke with a start, bolting upright in her bed. She was drenched in sweat... What the fuck just happened? Mind racing, heart hammering hard in her chest... That dream... it felt too real...

A tall man in a weird mask was at a table, he gave them a contract... her hand write her name on the dotted line before she could even think about it... She had heard that dreams were your brain processing the events of the day, but what the hell was that supposed to underline? She shook her head, trying to shake some kind of feeling of dread...

What was it supposed to mean...?

[Baphomini]

The bright glow of day clawed at the edges of a blackout curtain covering the large, windowed doors that led out to the balcony, casting the amply-sized room into a dull, dim state, making things feel cold and claustrophobic despite the sheer size of the room, and casting the space into something which was somewhat devoid of color. Kousuke jerked awake, inhaling sharply as he clutched at the empty space beside him on the bed. After what felt like too long, he slowly released his breath and shoved his face into his pillow.

What a nightmare... he thought with a groan.

A dream which felt far too real. He had plenty of those before, but nothing like that. He thought back the man in the mask. The contract. What was it even about? Did he even read it? His dad always told him to read things carefully before he signed them, but in the dream...it was almost as though he had been ready to sign it before it was even placed before him. A stupid act, sure...though at least it was just a dream...

Figures I'd dream about some weird ass contract, he sighed, rolling over what he could remember from the dream encounter again and again, Dad's been on my ass lately, I'm probably just stressed over the engagement...

Even as he thought the reassurance, however, there was a part of him that knew it wasn't true. The dream wasn't like other stress-fueled visions he'd had. It was...different...like it wasn't even a dream at all...

[Kronshi]

---

Another restless night.

Although, that's nothing new for the man known as Hanzai Fubuki. The contents of the dream, however, were what haunted him. A contract signed, a mask, a chill, a deer, Fubuki felt as though he had just made a deal with the devil but he had no idea what he got out of the arrangement. Oh well, none of that matters now as there were more important matters to deal with then trying to parse out the meanings of a dream. Fubuki had to make it to class on time lest he find himself back on the probation he just left behind. As he got out of bed, already dressed due to lack of energy or care to undress, he grabbed his supplies and slipped on his shoes before heading out the door to catch breakfast before his first class of the day.

Fubuki's dorm was the cheapest one on campus, and he could barely afford that. The probationary period meant he wasn't getting paid for his work, and worse, that he couldn't take as many classes which slowed his progression to graduation. This should hopefully be his last year before he tries to save up to get into a real university, so it was important to him to avoid any and all distractions on his way out of the trash heap the campus labeled a living space.

Let's see... First is 3rd semester Coding, although this is technically my fifth semester, then the Python course, Information Storage, 2nd Semester Statistics, and Computer Ethics... Geeze, 5 courses in one day. Maybe I overloaded myself trying to catch up...

Fubuki reached one of the cafeterias and bought a simple toast and natto for breakfast. It was cheap and quick, the two things he needed today. After getting his food, he sat down and let himself contemplate that dream again.

[Girlie Go Boom]

Even now her lower lip trembled. Dark eyebrows knit tightly over an everdeepening scowl. Beads of sweat continued to form on her forehead and upper lip. Teeth clenched even tighter than her fists, attempting to will herself to stop crying. Just Freeeeekin' stop it!! STOP!!

But even more tears streamed down her brown cheeks. The floodgates opened and the lower lip ceased its tremblings. The wail she held in check for so long escaped her like a dam broken wide open. One hand gripped the edge of the white porcelain, knuckles just as white. The other pulled back at shoulder height, then the muscles of her tattooed arm bulged as her fist sprang forward like a wild beast, the mirror cracking from the force of her strike.

A howl of anguish the young woman let out. She knew she was awake but... but she saw that face in the mirror-- no not a face. A mask.

'His' mask.

It wasn't so much the visions of victims and violence he forced upon her that wounded her so. KJ knew it was of his doing but what was worse was that contract. She signed it. She felt powerless, so worthless and inept, spineless and broken. And of course she signed it in blood.

That bastard made her sign that contract and not with her own blood. It was the cold blood of her mother; it was all on hands. It was always there wasn't it--

The mirror shattered as she struck it again, screeching in pain and anguish. Another crushing blow, another screech as red sprayed angry patterns across sterile pale tiles. Again she punched. And again. And Again. The mirror exploded and in its wake was a blackened mouth. It grew in size, opening up like revelations buried deep within those locked boxes of guilt, trauma and pain. KJ screamed a terrible scream as it swallowed her whole.

...

"KiKi!! It's okay! It's me...! It's Micah-- Dad! Yeah, that's me; Dad. It's okay... shhhh you're just dreaming... relax... there you go... there you go... relaaaaax... oh, KiKii you scared the bejeezus outta me? You okay now...?"

The echoes of her screams still sounded alien in her ears but it really was hers. She had nightmares before... But a nightmare inside a nightmare...? She shook her head and her stretchy cap finally fell free, her pink and blue braids spraying across her face like a demoralized octopus. "M-Micah...? I-I mean; Dad...? Oh my gosh! Dad! I just had the wooooooorrrrst dream! Bruh! It was awful... mamma... she... it was her--"

"Blood...! Oh no! KiKi, you're bleeding...! Wait here. I'mma get a towel. Back in 2 shakes of a lamb's patootie..." he leaned over, squeezed an arm around a shoulder then fled to the bathroom.

"Oh! Oh, Dad... Dad, it's not that bad. Just my hand. It stopped..." her voice had regained some of that familiar bubbliness to it but then her voice trailed off the moment she saw what she had done to her hand.

She had balled her fists in her sleep so tightly her nails dug so deep into her palms they drew blood. One even broke off (she had just got them done too!)

Maybe it was that bad.

Dang, what a woooooonderful way to start the day...

[EchoWolff]

May 16th, 20XX

Morning

♫

Dawn breaks over the towering buildings of Neo-Tokyo, morning sunlight streaming through windows and reflecting through the opulent city like reflections in a mirror. People already populated the streets, the lifeblood of this place, ever-moving like a heart pumping blood throughout the body. Chatter radiates through the air, a steady pulse of the dark collective heart of the city.

If only they knew.

News plays on one of the large screens overlooking Shibuya Central Street, headlines playing non-stop. A feeling of darkness hung in the space, dispite the brilliant lights and bright sunlight.

Light cannot exist without darkness, and vice versa. Integral and innate balance.

The city seems to freeze, caught in time for merely a second, stretched into infinity.

Click. Clack.

The sound of The Masked Man's boots against the concrete pavement echoed, reverberating off the glass, walking past the humans caught in time around him. People who he knows the true sides of.

Monsters. All of them. Caught between the facade of normalcy, and following those around them blindly like sheep.

He kept walking. He had places to be, and didn't want to spend any more time than needed among these husks called humanity. Two of them were near, his chosen.

Cold and Dark... Let's see if we can pull a few strings, shall we? The other two will be more troublesome... Doesn't matter that the torii gates were sealed, it helped that humans were stupid enough to mass-produce the backdoor to the other realm. Human nature is such an interesting thing...

A gloved hand raised to his mask, as his form fractured and broke, returning the world to its normal flow. No one knew. No one cared. Typical.

@Baphomini@Kronshi@Girlie Go Boom

---

Cla-clack. Cla-clack.

The trains rhythmic travel was something she was familiar with, but that feeling of dread still stayed, her eyes glued to the window, the city blurring past as they passed, yet every tunnel, their reflection stared back.

That wasnt her.

She could feel something watching them, the dark felt like it was closing in, circling. It was like some kind of predator.

Like some kind of wolf.

Her eyes squeezed shut, waiting for something to happen... but nothing did. Opening their eyes again, she was greeted by the sunlight of the morning again, the strange reflection gone.

She was fine... right?

[Kronshi]

---

Chilling winds blew through Fubuki's hair as he proceeded to his first class.

Is it that time of year already? Fubuki was certain it wasn't, and the other students weren't reacting to it despite their lighter clothing. Besides, he wasn't one to really be affected by the cold anyways so maybe he was just getting sick. Fubuki hoped not, as medicine could be expensive, and tried his best to ignore it.

Czzch. Czzch.

As Fubuki was attempting to take notes in class, his computer started to glitch and make an annoying static noise before shutting off entirely. Staring back at him was the reflection of a deer, perfectly still as if caught in headlights. Fubuki was also still, wondering if a virus was infecting his computer somehow.

"And that'll be all today class. Be sure to have your write-up available by our next lecture."

Pulled out of the trance, Fubuki looked up and then back down to his computer back on as if nothing happened. He quickly checked his files to make sure nothing was corrupted before packing up and leaving the room. Fubuki decided to find a quiet place to relax before his next class as the possibility of needing to fix his computer and himself was stressing him out. He found himself at the benches at the entrance to campus. Most students lived on campus, or would have already arrived for early classes, so this place often had very little foot traffic to speak of.

[Baphomini]

{ ♪ ♫ ♪ }

Blaring horns and muffled yells, the soft purr of the engine, and the quiet rumble of the wheels on the pavement as the car finally moved. Voices. People talking. His father talking. Talking with her father. She was silent, just like his mother. Both of them sitting quietly, smiling all the while through the conversation being held between the two men. This was not how Kousuke wanted to start his day.

A dark brown gaze remained fixed on the traffic and passing city outside the winter windows of the luxury car as Kousuke took on an appearance of not caring what the people around him were saying, his body language telling others that he was all but completely lost to the world, not paying a single mind to anything but his own thoughts. He often took up this charade when placed into these scenarios. The less he seemed to care, the less he was made the center of attention, and the less he was made the center of attention, the less people seemed to judge him for simply slouching in his seat too much, or whatever other complaint anyone could think of.

The thing was, Kousuke was completely present in the conversation. He listened to every word the men exchanged. Talking of the weather, and of traffic, speaking of the news--including the rise in suicides... What Kousuke focused the most on, however, was the talk of the engagement. They discussed terms and conditions of, who would gain what and what the 'merger' would bring about. In the end, it was just more business.

"We'll have the wedding next spring," her father spoke precisely.

"Isn't that a bit out of the way?" his father questioned.

"It's to give us time for proper planning," the other man explained, "My wife and daughter would prefer if this were more than a contractual arrangement. We expect to be hosting at least a noteworthy event. Nothing extravagant, surely, but something to look nice for the media, if anything."

"Fair enough," Kousuke's father replied, "We can work with that."

And so the conversation continued, the two fathers determining the best location for the wedding and other various details they both seemed to find important. Kousuke began to lose interest, as he usually did when talk about the wedding came about. He drew his focus away from the conversation, instead letting his mind wander back to his dream, the one which he had woken from that morning. He thought about the contract, his name being signed on the line. It was all very reminiscent of what he was going through now. He had no doubt the whole, fantastical event was related, in someway, to these stressors of his waking life.

As the car passed through a tunnel, Kousuke was met with his reflection in the darkness of the window. He took note of his gauntness and the bags under his eyes and couldn't help but frown at himself.

I look...dead... he thought with a small cringe.

A white car passing by in the other direction took his reflection for a moment, and when it returned, Kousuke jumped a bit as the figure before him, the image that should have been himself, was suddenly something entirely different.

A rabbit...?

He reached up to take off his shades, rubbing at his eyes a moment before looking back at his reflection with unblocked eyes.

It's gone...

He searched the other reflections in the window, as though he would find that it had moved to sit between the men, or maybe even be riding in the seat beside the chauffeur, but it was nowhere to be found. Shaking his head, he returned his glasses to their place and let out a soft sigh as the car left the tunnel behind.

I need more sleep.

[Girlie Go Boom]

"Alright, this is my stop. I will be meeting with representatives from Taiwan today and we're unsure when they'll land... so don't expect me home till late. If you..."

KJ watched the man's mouth move but his words faded away as she drifted off in thought.

Micah... always has to over explain eeeeeverything... bruh. Makes you wonder how in the hell he got things done. Welllll... at least he's trying... it's been what 24 days since we tried the whole 'KiKi' and 'Dad' re-naming attempt. Dad... its still so weird to call him that but I guess he does deserve it. He loved mamma... and... M-mamma?!

"KiKi...! You look like you just seen a ghost...! Maybe you should take classes off today..." for whatever reason, he adjusted his black tie before tapping on the divider window of the limosine, "Henderson... Please take Ms. Lowry back to--"

"Oh! Oh, Mic--Dad...! Dad, it's okay, it's okay. I think I just... I just ate to fast at breakfast. I'll be fine... 'kay? I'm good. Henderson...! It's cool. You can take me to 'class' right?" a blue eyed wink she tossed the driver.

A small knowing smile and a two finger salute he returned the young woman. 'Class.' Sure. If class was a grafitti'd up skatepark...

"Ohhhh... oh okay. Well, if you feel any worse don't be afraid to call the car to come get you. Okay. I'm off. Time to win over some clout from foreign investors!! I got this... bye, Kiana. Henderson...? Thank you."

He just placed a hand on her arm and squeezed before he turned to exit the limo. Affection was still awkward and a bit cringey between the two but hey, again at least he was trying. A big grin she gave and managed to pat his hand in return before he left. He still was not in tune with her yet. As always, he was on his phone, muttering to himself as he texted away but this time not once did he have to tell KJ to 'knock it off' or 'pipe down'; she wasn't the most quiet nor motionless person to ride with. But he never seemed to notice the change in her demeanour. And never once asked what could be wrong. How could he not notice?

Henderson noticed though. He was an ex-pat but still had a feel for her North-American vibes. A few minutes after they continued on to KJ's 'classes' he cleared his throat and lowered the divider window, "Is Miss Lowry lost in thought about what tricks she'll 'slay' today?"

KJ startled, her pink and blue braids jumping with her, sending the few bells attached to them chiming away. Blue eyes lost their glaze and brightened once more. A thankful smile she flashed followed by a quick nod, "Yeeeeeah... I got one lined up alright. And it's why I love going to the skatepark at this time of day; no annoying kids to get in my way for me to absolutely slay out there hahahhah...

"Buuuuut... I can't help but keep thinking of my mom... Hendie, I think I'm going crazy... I keep thinking I see her face in a window's reflection but it's not... it's always just some rando lady..."

"Ahhh... I see... Perhaps your mom is thinking of you... Perhaps you've done something that pleases her. Or maybe... just maybe she knows that you will be doing something that will please her..."

A small laugh. A tatted up brown hand reached up for one of the bells attached to her braids, "Yeeeeeh... maybe. Maybe, you're right, Hendie..."

Mamma had given her that bell for christmas. A rainbow hued nail flicked it and it tinkled so full and sweetly. Just like Mamma's laugh.

Or maybe it's something more...

[EchoWolff]

_{No loose ends, you understand? We can't have them poking around. Not with tensions as high as they are.}

Shinjuku District

♫

Morning turned to midday, the sun an eternal reminder of the waning time remaining in the day. So little time, so little freedom. Day in and day out, humans streamed through their lives like mindless drones...

The cycle had to be broken somehow. There was a certain beauty in terror after all...

Reflections seem to ripple like water, as the glass of the Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower's top floor shattered, as a person threw themselves out of it, a hammer in hand.

A feeling of weightlessness before the sudden end. Another loose end tied. Another predecessor, another failure, gone.

He stands at the edge of the crowd, the gruesome scene obscured by morbidly curious passersby. Turning away, none noticed him. A shadow in the corner of one's eye...

The boots didn't make a sound this time, his form cracking, fragmenting. The man of the mask pushed onward.

On to the next.
@Baphomini@Kronshi@Girlie Go Boom

---

Chihiro's classes could have gone better, but that feeling of being followed, stalked... it stayed. It made it hard to pay attention during lectures sure, but that didn't mean she didn't try. Walking down the halls of Shirubashedo Academy was something she did almost every day, but it didn't feel the same as it always did... There was a certain heaviness in the air, like someone had died here...

She reached the door, opening it to the midday streets of the Shinjuku district, one of the large screens on the buildings displaying news...

Another suicide.

She didn't know the victim by any means, but it still hurt. Especially after...

No. No, don't think about it. You don't want to open up old wounds.

She shook her head, walking in the opposite direction of the billboard screen. She looked in the window's reflection as she passed...

Was that really her? Or was that what she made themself see? The reflection rippled slightly, as she stopped by a small cafe. She needed to take a load off. All this worry wasn't healthy, it couldn't be. But still, the heaviness in her heart stayed... What the hell was wrong with her?

She walked up to the counter of the small establishment, taking a precursory glance toward the menu written on a chalkboard hanging on the back wall.

"Konnichiwa... Uhm... I'll just get some boba tea please."

She placed the yen on the counter, stepping away to let whoever was next in line order. She didn't trust many people in most cases, but it felt as if that was multiplied... Like she was going to be revealed...

A low sigh, then walked over to the bathroom. She didn't really know why, but it would probably do her some good to be in front of an actual mirror, not relying on the reflections of the window panes that line the streets of this city...

When she walked in, it was dead silent. As if the entire room were soundproofed, the noise from the main room of the store disappeared completely... Nothing but the soft sound of clinking glass. As she approached the mirror, it showed her reflection. It showed Chihiro.

But the mirror was shifting. Flowing. Like it was some kind of liquid.

She felt something behind her, the feeling that she had been stalked by... it was here. She turned but didn't see anything... their gaze glanced to the mirror again, before she jumped back.

A wolf stared back from the other side of the mirror.

She rushed out of the restroom, back to the main storefront. Did she have schizophrenia now or something? A lot of creepy shit was going on...

It was the lunch rush now... students coming down the sidewalks and streets, most looking a their phones, the news was definitely on the minds of a lot of people... Though no one seemed to want to do anything about it...

[Baphomini]

{ ♪ ♫ ♪ }

This is getting old... the thought came with a sigh as Kousuke locked his phone, sending the image of the news report to the reflective black of the screen, It doesn't even feel real anymore... How is anyone supposed to care when there isn't even time to process what's happening before it happens again and again? Tucking the device away, he started down the street, making way for a yatai that had become a permanent fixture not far from the school, surely keeping their ground there for the increased business brought by the students of Shirubashedo.

His lunch hour had come fast, so much so that he found it hard to believe. After being dropped off at campus, saying goodbye to his parents and future family, his classes had been nothing but a blur. Part of him wondered if he had even gone to any of them, though he knew that he certainly had. The dull droll of his professors still rang in his head, the pounding that had been there all morning somehow only growing worse as the day went on.

I should have just stayed home... he thought, I'm probably getting sick...

As he continued along down the street, Kousuke took note of a heavy feeling resting on his shoulders. He was used to such feelings. Feelings of guilt, mostly. Shame in himself for the way he approached the world around him. It was easy to ignore. This feeling was different, though. Less of a feeling of remorse, and more of a feeling of dread. They couldn't quite place why they were feeling panicked, but something in the air was setting them on edge.

Soon enough, Kousuke arrived at the stand and waited their turn to step up to the counter. He listened to the conversation around him. Everyone talking about the recent news. Usually, he would be invested in such discussions, but at the moment, the words being passed caused his stomach to churn. They scowled, blocking out the chatter, and focused instead on the vendor as their turn arrived.

"Takoyaki," he spoke shortly, pulling off his sunglasses as he took a seat below the noren curtains. The man behind the counter gave a nod, then took the yen from Kousuke as the younger man offered it over, before calling the order off to the other workers and jumping over to another who had approached the counter. While they waited, Kousuke set his dark gaze on the glasses he still held in his hand, tilting them back and forth as he watched his reflection. They had done this a few times throughout the day. Finding their image in anything with a surface that served such a purpose. Most of the time it was just them, looking dead as always, but now and then, Kousuke could swear he saw the rabbit once more, and this moment was no exception. Every other flick, he could make out the ears of the creature, long and white, sticking straight up, alert. Alert just like him. The feeling of dread still wouldn't let up, he felt just like that rabbit, vulnerable to predators unseen.

When his order was set in front of him, Kousuke gave a polite nod and spoke shortly again as he said, "Arigato," before taking the intricately folded cardstock box, the pair of wooden chopsticks provided, and his sunglasses in hand, and rose to leave the yatai behind as he made way back towards the school. Checking his reflection in the lens of his glasses, he gave a shake of his head and returned the frames to their place, before cracking his chopsticks apart and opening the box to eat while he walked.

I'm definitely coming down with something, he concluded, though it was more of a strive to convince himself than an actual belief...

[Girlie Go Boom]

She was a blur of rainbow colours on black chased by pink and blue braids.

A quick check of her phone; yup, she still had just enough time before her class started. Time to do a quick presto-neato outfit change!

KJ burst into the locker room area and immediately began to undress at the same time she hustled to her locker. One hand was undoing her shorts zipper and buttons as the other swiftly twirled the dial around and around to open the combo lock. With expert ease, she kicked up her jean shorts, caught them and tossed them into the top shelf. A grunt as she pulled out her uni outfit. It was more a grunt of displeasure than anything. Ewww...! But my gosh these are soooooo boring...! But she understood that she needed to settle in with the crowd here and get a bit more conseervative with her look.

The white blouse had just been buttoned up and she was working on wrapping her hair in a black kerchief when she heard it. Someone was playing a song in the shower area. It sounded all tinny and staticky just like an old radio.

"Hello? Is someone there...?" starting off cold, she had to translate in her head first before she spoke Japanese as always, "helloooo...!"

More static. Then the song changed. Blue eyes popped wide. She hadn't heard this song, since she was a kid. Shoulders hunkered down and gaze on the opening to the shower room, she slowly slid one leg into her black slacks. From where she was changing, she couldn't see into the shower room itself but the light was off in there.

More static. Then the song changed. Another song that she hadn't heard since she was a kid. This one however, she remembered Mamma doing the dishes and singing along to it. The song faded into static as she slid her other leg into her slacks. KJ gasped as A flash of white light from the shower room cut through the darkness there. She was yanking up her slacks and fumbling to get her shoes on when more static sounded out. Then the song changed again.

A cold shiver ran down her spine as the next song out of that crappy, tinny old radio sang out. This time it was her mother's voice singing it Acapella; it was KJ's favourite lullaby when she was still very little. The young woman mewled as she rammed her skateboard into the locker and slammed it shut. As she was struggling to put the lock back in place, she could not help but stare back at the shower room.

Of course the white light was shining. Of course Mamma stopped singing. Of course there was just static--

KJ screamed shrilly and loudly, grabbing her bag, arms flailing as she bolted out the door. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but she swore she saw a huge ass hand reach around the corner, blackened and burnt looking, razor sharp nails lit up in multiple shimmering colours, digging deep into the tiles.

---

The lessons went as planned. She took notes as always, but she felt like she was in autopilot, blue eyes vacant and searching. Nothing felt real anymore. She felt like she was going crazy. When her classes were over, she filed out with the other students for lunch. They were loud and boisterous but KJ did not hear a single sound they made. Her brown face was placid, thick dark lashed lowered, eyes aimed at her shiny black shoes as she walked on. Suddenly a glimmer of a happy thought lit up like an ember in her mind. Going for a skate and shredding some concrete would do wonders for her right about now--

Blue eyes held mesmerized, yet wide and trembling as she stared at the door to the locker room. No. Nope. Nuh-uh... Not going in there... skating will have to wait...

Shoulders slumped as she turned and trudged aimlessly down the hallways.

[Kronshi]

---

Alumni of the Shirubashedo Academy dead from suicide, Fourth one this week.

The newscaster from the tv reported while Fubuki had stopped for lunch at a nearby venue. The fried chicken here was remarkably good considering the price and so Fubuki came here almost every day.

Man, this school is so cursed. The poor publicity is bringing the cost of tuition down though. Dang, people are dying and I think about how this will save me money... I swear, any broker and my personality will just be poverty.

Fubuki finished his food and began to head back to campus, his two early morning classes were out of the way, but he still had his two midday lectures and then his late night lecture. As he walked, he realized that he spent too long eating and needed to rush, choosing a back alley for a shortcut.

He'd taken this route many times, but things were different today. It was like everyone had decided to refurbish their mirrors on the same day. Fubuki's pace quickened, both because he was in a rush and because he saw shapes moving within the mirrors and began assuming he was being followed. Once he reached a spot out of eyesight, Fubuki spun around ready for a conflict.

Nobody was there. Just a cold breeze that sent shivers down his spine. Paranoia was getting to him, and the weird events of today weren't helping. Fubuki turned back around to continue when he saw it, plain as a day. There was a deer, standing in one of the mirrors where his reflection should be. Just like what he thought he saw in the reflection of his computer screen earlier today. Fubuki approached the mirror, but as he reached out to touch it, the deer smiled. A toothy grin with a mouth full of fangs, dripping with blood.

With a swift kick, Fubuki shattered it, glass spilling onto the ground. The pieces showing many broken reflections of the shaken man, but no deer.

"Hey, what's going on back here?!"

An elderly gentleman yelled into the alley from his back door. Fubuki scrambled away before he could be noticed and surrendered his shortcut the moment he could get back on the main road back to campus. That would be enough mirrors for today.

---

Returning to campus, Fubuki rushed into the building and up the stairs to his next lecture, making it with seconds to spare. He took his seat, pulled out his computer, and began to inspect it for any oddities or deer reflections before turning it on.

Fubuki could hardly focus, the image of that deer stuck in his head. The grotesque smile, the predatory gaze, dye it red and have it stand on two legs and it would look like western depictions of the devil. Devil? Like the dream. What on earth did I make a deal with? What does it want from me?"

Crack

The teacher had smacked a ruler into his desk. "Mr. Hanzai, are you with us?" The class turned to look at him, and some immediately looked away again knowing his reputation. Fubuki froze, trying the remember if he was being asked a question prior to the sound of the ruler. "Mr. Hanzai?!"

"Y-Yeah, sorry. I'm with you."

[EchoWolff]

2:38 PM
_{Three... Two... One.}
♫

It was calm in Shirubashedo's halls, classes were in session, and students who didn't have lectures at the time were light in terms of foot traffic.

The quiet was unsettling. It was almost as if the normal buzz of the school was dampened, muffled. Shadows seemed to shift, air growing, twisting into a strange mist of heat and cold, as light and dark danced in the corner of one's vision. Space seemed to stretch as the halls started to extend and wind and branch, as reflections distorted, glass becoming windows into somewhere dark and twisted...

The gate has opened.

Lights flicker overhead before it cuts out, and darkness consumes the lecture halls. An aura of dread, of fear, permeates the space... as every person disappears in a split second. Four remain in this labyrinthine copy of the school. This is no longer the world they recognize.

@Baphomini@Kronshi@Girlie Go Boom

---

The lights go out, and the lecture hall around them is silent. She blinked a few times, their eyes getting a bit more acclimated to the darkness as the initial shock of the situation started to fade.

She looked around, everyone was gone... she was alone.

"U-uhm... h-hello? Is anyone still... here?"

Their voice was shaky as she stood from her chair. She still had her backpack, which was good, but what was more concerning was the current predicament that she found themself in... A dark and hazy mist swirled about her feet as she walked... the creepy vibe of the darkness wasn't helping their anxiety in the slightest...

What was going on?

Their footsteps didn't seem to make any sound, the world seemed to shift and distort as she moved... When she stepped into the hall it looked like she was in a maze corridor, winding and endless.

"Hello!? Is anyone there? I really don't wanna be in this horror movie shit!"

She shouted into the long hall... hoping that something would answer back...

Whispers.

They don't sound... human.

[Baphomini]

It's only a dream...



It's only a dream...



FUCK!



Wake up, Kousuke!



It's only a dream!

Kousuke rushed through the dream-like maze that had sprung up around him, swinging around wall after wall and skidding to a halt every time he came to a dead end, only to whip around and run the other way. The last thing they remembered, they were in the library, sitting in a back corner by a window that looked over the campus, 'resting', as he would claim, though sleeping was more accurate. Before the semester, Kousuke had specifically arranged they classes to give themself an extra long free period between his afternoon classes and his evening classes, a time they happily used to nap away the stress of the earlier part of the day before moving on the the next.

They had barely even sat down, however, before everything went dark. Normally, Kousuke was not one to fall asleep so quickly, but he was sure that was the explanation. It was the only logical explanation there was! Surely, this was a dream. A nightmare, more likely. It was on par with his usual terrors: alone in the darkness with distant or disembodied voices all around him. Check all over with that. The labyrinth was new. As was the fact that he couldn't actually hear the voices. Undefined whispers they just couldn't make out, no matter how hard he strained. That was unlike his nightmares. The voices were usually there to ridicule him, laughing at his demise and calling him names, speaking as though he wasn't there and talking about how strange he was and questioning whether or not he was even human. Those were the voices he was used to, and he hated them. Somehow though, the whispers were worse. Somehow, the fact that he couldn't hear what they were saying sent him into even more unease than the clearer voices did.

As he came to a place where the labyrinth split off into multiple directions, Kousuke finally stopped running and just spun in a circle, looking down every path and straining to see some, anything hinting at which way to go. The whispers seemed to grow louder as his anxiety started to peak, and Kousuke ducked his head down as he fell into a stooping position and covered his ears. It was no help. The voices continued. Possibly even louder, and Kousuke grit his teeth against the noise.

_{"Stop it,"} he said aloud, quietly, then again, a little louder, "Stop it......stop it...stop it, stop it, STOP IT!" What had started as a quiet murmur grew into a fierce yell and he curled further in on himself, gritting his teeth even harder, "Just fucking stop it!" he screamed into the darkness. There was something different about his voice in the moment. Something...commanding. It felt powerful, in a way, supernatural even...

[Kronshi]

---

Four responses to fear and confusion could be found within the minds of organic creatures.

Fight, Flight, Freeze, and Fawn.

Fight: Fubuki rose his head from his desk, worried that his teacher would notice that he had fallen asleep. Instead, the room was empty. No teacher, no students, no chalkboard, no other desks besides the one he was sitting in. He stood, and went to check the hall and found it equally empty. More concerning though, the hall seemed strangely long, with no other doors for other rooms, and it bent at odd angles at the end of his vision. He turned back and his desk was also gone, and now he noticed the room had also been absent of any windows. Fubuki decided this must be a dream and that it was about time he woke up. He raced to the opposite wall in the hall and began bashing his fists and head into it, not noticing the pain until blood began to run down his face. He looked down at his bloodied knuckles and realized that they hurt. He shouldn't be able to feel pain in a dream. Fubuki looked around again, trying to find any sign of a culprit that would have put him in this situation. There was no one to fight, and his fear heightened.

Flight: Fubuki dashed through the halls, no thought into what direction he was going. The only consideration he made was to insure he didn't run in a circle. No doors, no people, just a labyrinth of halls and the occasional stairs. With no doors, Fubuki figured downstairs would be a deadend, and would only head upstairs in the hopes of finding an eventual roof. Then, he began to see the outlines of shadows peeking around the corners and would run after them, only for the shadows to disappear as he approached. This continued for what felt like an eternity, and Fubuki could no longer remember how many flights of stairs he had gone up. There would be no roof, this place seemed infinite. He would then find himself in a place where the halls opened up into a wide rectangular room with multiple halls branching off of it. This room was cold, almost too cold for even Fubuki, and at it's center stood a deer. There was no where to run, and his fear heightened.

Freeze: The deer smiled that terrible smile. The temperature in the room lowered further. Fubuki froze in place, paralyzed by what was in front of him. His head and hands bleeding the same as the deer's mouth. The pain was the only thing keeping him in the moment, but he didn't dare move. The deer looked at him, stared straight through his soul with a bone-chilling glare, and then turned around and wandered off. Fubuki still couldn't move as he felt the adrenaline crash hit him. He couldn't even make his legs hold him up any more, and he fell backwards onto his ass and sat there. There was no telling if he should stay or leave, not that he really had a choice to make, and his fear heightened.

Fawn: Fubuki couldn't keep his body upright anymore, forcing him to lay down. No more movement, no more thought, just a complete surrender to the elements and to any predators that may be hunting him. He felt as though his consciousness was slipping, and he had no will to keep his eyes open. Eventually, the pain and cold was all he could feel. Whatever would happen, would happen. There was no more he could do, this was his limit, and his fear left him.

[EchoWolff]

2:40 PM...?

An apparition, a specter, roams through one of the many infinite halls of the school... No, this wasn't the school anymore. This was something else.

The sound of footsteps; loud, fast, and panicked. A girl with flowing multicolored braids flew through the space, her sneakers squeaking against the smooth tile, turn after turn before she stopped. Another crossroad, what was she supposed to do now?

"It's a dream, It's a dream... it has to be... So why can't I wake up!?

A hand floated to her head, nails digging into her scalp... It hurt... Why did her head hurt...? So many unanswered questions when the smell of burning, of sulfur reached her nose... The incessant unintelligible whispers that seemed to encompass the space got louder, and clearer.

One voice reached out. One after the other, they followed. Prismatic hands reached up from the tile, she sound of glass bending and breaking as the grabbed at her, their claws burying deep into her calves.

She screamed.

The shrill sound died in her throat after a second, a burning sensation on her neck... the glass hands bringing her to her knees. She couldn't move... couldn't breathe... couldn't think.

A being of pure light stood in front of her, a burning and sparking apparition of chaos incarnate. It seemed familiar to her, but she was terrified of it. It's claws wrapped around her neck, blood dripping from the points of contact.

"I'm... Sorry..."

With a fluid motion, a chilling snap, it was over. Her body fell, blood staining the tile beneath her as the apparition faded, the hands of glass ripping, tearing at their prey... dragging her corpse deeper into their domain.

Kiana Lowry...

Is gone.

One light has been snuffed out... Looks like another candle must be lit.

---

As Kousuke yells into the void, the whispers dull slightly, a feeling of weight on his shoulder...

A hand. A warmth. A whisper in his ear...

"If you want it to stop... why don't you tell them...?" A soft yet imposing voice chides in his ear. Nothing, no one that he recognized... yet it still felt familiar.

A small, spectral white rabbit jumped down from his shoulder onto the floor in front of him, its form wispy and undefined... Its eyes piercing and commanding. For such a small animal, it gave quite an influential aura.

"Your voice is a very powerful thing, though I have something you desperately need. Control. You won't get anywhere if you let yourself be a passenger in your own life." It gently raises its paw toward Kousuke, as if pointing at him. "With my help, you will be able to do things you might not have thought possible... Through connecting with the side you might not want to look at."

The rabbit then looked away, down one of the twisting and shifting halls... "There are others here, and I can lead you to them, but you have to promise me something." The ephemeral creature looking back to its originator. "Don't be afraid. A man who falls prey to his fear is not his own master after all. The whispers won't hurt you, not when I'm here."
@Baphomini

---

As Fubuki laid on the ground, the cold chill stayed. The deer was still there... wandering. A gruff voice whistled through his hearing, less of a whisper and more of a growl.

"You... You are afraid, yes? Little stag, I won't hurt you... you never wanted the hand you were given... but others don't know that do they?" The deer appeared again, standing over him, staring into his eyes... There was something in those eyes that was familiar...

"The only way to change the way things are, is to break through the veil. You fear my because you know deep down what I am. I am you, the side you try to hide but comes out anyway. You stand stalwart, triumphant. So why do you run?"
@Kronshi

---

The whispers ebbed and flowed as Chihiro ran through the twisting and distorting halls, that feeling of being followed... it was everywhere now. She could swear she heard the sound of paws clacking against the tile behind them, but whenever she turned around all she saw was the all-encompassing darkness...

She kept running, trying to parse any recognizable pieces into a path... only leading her to more crossroads, and finally a dead end. She felt for sure whatever was following her was real... and as she turned, a large wolf stood there, clear as day, staring into her soul with those amethyst eyes... She backed up to the wall, is this where it ended? Here and now?

"No, pup." A whisper in her ear, she couldn't tell if it was male or female, it was just... a voice. Distinguished from the whispers that had all but become background noise. The wolf raised its head to Chihiro, drawing closer.

"You know as well as I that we don't mean harm." The lupine stood a foot away from them, the creature somehow familiar...

Familiar yet still a stranger...

"I- Animals can... talk?" She blurted out, unsure of how to process what was going on...

The wolf shook its head, leveling it's gaze. "No, they cant. I am not an animal, but rather the embodiment of... the subconscious. I can guide you through this place, lead you to the others, but there is something you must do for me, okay? Stop hiding your true self. You act as if you don't care is if that will help anything you go through, but masking it will only set you up for more disasters...

Chihiro looks down at the wolf... it was solid, yet also looked like it was shifting, flowing... like it was made of some kind of ink... She closed her eyes, letting out a sigh.

"Fine." She states, kneeling down and stroking the creature on the head. "Lead the way I guess..."

[Baphomini]

The dull of the whispers was enough to bring Kousuke back to a calmer state of mind, and he only flinched slighly at the weight that settled on his shoulder. Even still, it triggered a sharp breath, which he held for a moment, before releasing in a long, slow exhale through parted lips. Slowly, Kousuke pulled their hands away from their ears, continuing their calming breaths in a steady rhythm as the voice spoke to them. Something about it was so familiar, painfully so, yet...they couldn't place it for the life of them. It was a similar feeling to the one that often came with daja vu. That incessant nagging that something had happened before, despite the fact it had never happened at all. It was that dream-like state where nothing felt real and all that was real no longer made sense. It was a sickening feeling, disorienting, and even a little terrifying, but Kousuke wasn't afraid...not anymore...

With one hand falling to his side and the other resting on his raised knee, Kousuke opened his eyes in a flutter and looked to the ghostly creature as it landed in front of him. Now that was familiar. The little white rabbit that seemed to have been following them since that morning. He wondered for a moment, if he had simply lost his mind, but came to the conclusion that insane people typically did not question thier own sanity.

Still...

Listening to what the creature had to say, Kousuke could feel something inside them flickering to life.

Interest? No...it was more than that...

Desire.

When the rabbit spoke of control, it was as if a fiery beast suddenly awoke, burning in his heart with a furiousity that challenged the sun. A shudder wracked their body, but it wasn't a shudder from fear, nor even one from cold. No, this was a shudder of excitement. A shudder of pleasure. The thought of having the kind of power the rabbit spoke of moved something in them. Something in their very soul. This was what had been missing from their life. This was what he wanted so damn desperately.

Control.

"A man who falls prey to his fear is not his own master [...]"

An almost bitter laugh broke through his parted lips at the quote he had admired for so many years and Kousuke shook his head a bit, though he wasn't denying what the creature was saying. No, he was shaking his head at himself in a way. Hearing the words spoken by the rabbit, the quote suddenly felt ridiculous.

Dramatic.

Yet...it fueled the fire raging inside him. Threw oil on the flame and sent it shooting into the sky. The implications of what the rabbit was saying seemed to feed the beast exactly what it was searching for, urging the vicious creature inside him to tear at its restraints, fighting to take the wheel.

He kept it back though, internally commanding the beast to stand down as he gathered himself. His panic was gone. Their fear obliterated. All that existed was this moment, and the decision ahead of them. But he had signed his soul away once already, Kousuke wasn't about to make the same mistake.

"Alright," he said evenly, dark gaze locking on the ever-so-constrasting bright gleam of the rabbit's, "Say I do go with you," he challenged, "Say I do follow along. Let you lead me into this next phase of whatever the hell this all is and take—sorry, give me this control you speak of. What then? What comes of it? You're promising a lot, but nothing in detail. My father didn't raise a fool. I know better than to take an offer without reading the fine print. So tell me, what exactly are the stipulations? How much do I have to lose?"

[Kronshi]

---

Drip.

Drip..

Drip...

DRIP

Blood. It dripped from the beasts mouth, the cold drops falling onto Fubuki's forehead and mixing with what was already there. The beast hunkered down to his ear, the growling words bringing him back to his senses. The predator was right above him, and he was but helpless prey at this moment. Fubuki opened his eyes and saw the creature staring directly into them, a cold glare that sent chills down his spine.

"The only way to change the way things are, is to break through the veil. You fear me because you know deep down what I am. I am you, the side you try to hide but comes out anyway. You stand stalwart, triumphant. So why do you run?"

I am you. Why Do I Run?

The words echoed in Fubuki's head as they warped into his own voice. He stood up and faced the deer, the wolf-in-sheep's-clothing, and threw a side-kick into its bloodied maw. The beast's head violently jerked to the side, but its body remained stationary and it looked back at Fubuki again. He swallowed hard, trying to swallow the fear in his throat and readied for a fight.

"Who said anything about running?"

The deer acted first, charging Fubuki with its antlers pointed forward. He grabbed hold, his feet slid across the floor as he was pushed back. He sturdied his stance, and used the beast's momentum to fling it over his shoulder and slam it into the floor. Fubuki never saw it stand up. In the millisecond it took him to go from throwing the beast to turning to face it properly, it was already reared onto its hind legs as if it had turned to mist and reshaped into this form. Quickly, the creature brought its front hooves down, aiming for Fubuki's already injured head. He slipped under, crouching and then pouncing into the creature's chest to hold it upright and keep it from fighting back. He should have expected its response, the thing merely looked like a deer, it didn't have to fight like one.

The beast bit down into Fubuki's left shoulder, pain ran through his body and the fear and rage that was lodged in his throat was released in a bestial scream. In turn, Fubuki bit into its neck and the two were locked in a battle of attrition. Who ever bled out first would lose... but that wasn't how Fubuki did things. A fight should be quick, with powerful, decisive strikes to bring conflict to a close. He released his hold on the thing's neck and instead grasped at its mouth, one hand on each jaw, and pried its mouth open. Fubuki shoved its face upwards and threw a jab into its chest with his right arm, cracking its ribs and causing it to fall backwards.

"How's that for breaking the veil asshole?!" Fubuki shouted at the beast, fully aware of his bloodied and weakened arm. Fully aware that if this creature got back up, he was dead.

[EchoWolff]

2:45 PM...?
♫

_{ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY}

The ethereal emitted a chuckle, its wispy form seeming to crackle, no longer clearly defined, like a chromatic aberration effect. That is before it smiled.

"Ah, but of course... Your hand can't sign anything that doesn't benefit the family, can it? Well, it's bullshit. You know deep inside that you want to break loose, to tear away the chains that shackle you down..." The smile only grew on the rabbit's face, the red of its eyes seemed to glow, to rage with that same fire that burned in Kosuke's heart.

"I know, because I am that fire that burns within you at this very moment. All you need to do is break away, and let yourself run free. So I have a question for you..."

"Do you have the courage to make a deal with your inner demons?"

The rabbit raised it's paw, this time for some kind of handshake. The clinking of glass could be heard at the edge of one's senses, an ephemeral chime as the air distorted and bent around them...

The heat was rising.

---

_{IGNORANCE FAVORS THE BLIND}

The deer stayed on the ground, and slowly lifted its head, as the area seemed to get colder.

"Little stag... There is more than one way to break a pane of glass." The growled voice utters, as blood drips down now not as drops, but crystals. Fubuki's breath appeared as whispy clouds before him in the cold air, the space around them felt fragile, whereas a single gesture could break the very air that encompassed it. Frost began forming on the tile flooring...

The terrain was changing as a chime of glass rang through the halls like two wine glasses struck together in a toast.

The deer's head tilted, before standing.

"Rage is so erratic in its form... both a weakness and a weapon. What will you allow it to be?"

---

_{ALPHA AND OMEGA}

Chihiro followed the inky wolf down what seemed to be miles of stretching hallways, eyes flicking to the dark walls as the shadows seemed to dance in the corner of their vision...

The wolf stopped at an intersection, leading off into three different hallways, turning to her.

"Wait here. Something's coming."

A shrill chime rang from the air around them, as glass hands reached out from the walls. Long translucent limbs with jagged shards of glass and crystal reaching out. A head then emerged, there was no face, only a fractured mirror in place of it, reflecting images of things past.

Before she could react it came towards her, intercepted by the wolf, a snarl echoing through her mind. She was frozen with fear, her feet refused to move as she watched the scene unfold before her... the creature's claws shone sharp as blades as it screeched, like fingernails scraping against a chalkboard.

---

---

Click, clack.

He didn't understand why he had to do this one personally, but it seemed more urgent than the other requests. They hadn't even begun trusting themselves yet, and now here he was dragging a new one into the mix.

As the door to the cafe opened, time slowed and dilated around the man in the mask. The patrons around him came to a stop, frozen, as he walked straight to the albino kid behind the counter.

With a fluid motion, he grabbed the back of the boy's shirt collar, as the world around them fractured and broke, the space around them shattering into a black void. The boy was released from the dilations hold as he fell into a chair, a table rising from the blackness underneath, the man walking around to his own chair on the other side of the table, leaning his elbows onto the wood of the table.

"You're probably scared, being pulled away like this. Just to confirm, your name is Tohato, right?"

[Baphomini]

Sharp spikes of pure white shot at the edges of Kousuke's vision, crackling like bolts of lightning coming in from all around, breaking the darkness into a million little shards, perfectly in sync with the clinking glass, all the while drawing ever closer. Kousuke ignored it, pushing it to the back of his mind and instead staring through the shattering visage and focusing on the creature, the demon, in front of him. Its wicked smile, unlike any prey animal, twisted and sharp. Its unstable form, like a poltergeist from one of those old Western world, horror films, flickering and distorting, unnatural. Its mannerisms, calm and collected, but with something darker hidden underneath, like a corrupt salesman just waiting to seal the deal that would cost a life and more.

Seal the deal...

Kousuke's gaze flicked to the outstretched paw. The air was thick and heavy, worse than the hottest summer, worse than a crowded kitchen at peak meal time. It was tangible, holding a physical weight to it. Stifling. Kousuke felt like they couldn't even breathe. Were they even breathing? Or had they ceased the moment the rabbit smiled? Kousuke wasn't even sure, but none of that was important. Their gaze flicked back to the rabbit's burning red eyes, and something in them shifted. Giving a harsh laugh, Kousuke grinned right back at the creature, then shot his hand forward and snatched it up by the ears. With the creature in grasp, he finally rose to his feet and held it up at eye level, "You talk a lot of shit," he said, a tone of amusement lacing through his voice, "If you're the worst my inner demons have to offer, fine," he laughed, "Why the hell not? I'll take your sketchy deal. But know this: If you screw me, I will find a way to make you into stew. Understood?"