Lisa Briebertie was an ordinary college student...or at least, she believed so. On the way to transferring to a new college, she is visited by a strange man named Igor and his assistant Alexandre in which she is told that everything she ever knew about herself was not as it seemed. After a fateful encounter, she is thrusts into an unknown world in which is only assessable late at night in the city of Mount Ascent and with the power of Persona. With her newfound power, what will Lisa Briebertie understand about herself- and who wants her dead or captured...
((The following story I plan to write is only a non-profit work intended for exploring a different aspect of the Shin Megami Tensei/Persona universe outside the country of Japan. While I plan to stick close to the lore of the Persona faithfully as I can, the work I present to you is my effort to add to something beautifully created by Altus and the people behind Persona. As thus, this work is in no way officially endorsed by Altus and is a fan-made endeavor.
I intend to write this work chapter by chapter, hopefully planning to release a chapter or two each month if time permits. However, I am only a college student with other hobbies and obligations, so I may be slow. However, I hope I can bring you great delight with this story as much thought and effort I will put into it.))
Persona: Records of the West
Part 1: Discontent
Chapter 1
"Everybody feels the evil, but no one has courage or energy enough to seek the cure"
― Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America
Thunk...
The manilla folder crashed onto the pristine desktop of Alicia Ingrid-McTavish. The source of the toss came from a tall and slender man clad in servant dress. His face covered by his slightly unkepmt hair at his right side of his face. "I have what you asked for ma'am." His voice carrying a deep, calm tone. Though mid-western in its accent, he sounded more prim and high-class to mitigate the accent.
Alicia herself a pale, Caucasian woman; raven-like hair on the shorter side. She dressed in a dark grey business suit. A prim and proper attire for the meeting taking place in secret. At 5'5'', she was a medium-height woman with a slim but developed figure. A stern look followed as she pulled the folder close to her. She worked for her father's political staff, hoping to gain his acumen.
"Thank you, William." She simply spoke. Her attentions focuses on the folder.
Covered in paper-clipped photos and various memos and scribbling, the red-stamped letting stood out- the inscription reading:
Property of the City of Mount Ascent and the 14thand 1stCongressional Districts. Individuals unlawfully holding this file on their persons shall be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
The picture itself was of a Caucasian female to be in her early twenties; her blonde hair done in a high pony tail with shorts bangs covering the side of her face. Seeming the serious type with a stern but near-blank expression painted her face in the picture, Alicia can tell she was different. Under this lettering was letting that was bold and black. A set of writing following on sequential, justified lines:
Name:Brebertie, Lisa Roe Date of Birth:09/11/1992
Nationality:American Race:Caucasian
Blood Type:O+
Potential-possible:Yes
Notes:
Subject found to have the potential at high levels of energy. MTJ has made the suggestion to terminate subject before more issues occur with the Council of Mount Ascent and the 14th and 1stCongressional Districts. KM has forwarded another motion to introduce subject to the _. The Council has led to the motion to eliminate the subject.
Memo: This document will not be passed to NHM , nor will part of the congressional hearings. Both are to be assumed 'persons-of-interests' with ties to potential terrorist group 'Wulvers 107th', along with his daughter having ties to this extremist group. Do not involve the Federal Branch if all possible.
After reading this on the front of the folder, Alicia's expression turned cold. This alone let her put it down and open the file. Examining the contents of it, most of the papers seemed to have been censored completely. Flicking through each page, her frustration grew as each line of document was barred out. "Should have expected this..." In a sigh of near defeat, examined it a little less intently. "Hmm..."
Seeing a page with less barring, she removed it from the pile as she looked over it the best she could. Whoever this woman was, the Council must have taken a great interest if she was a potential...or perhaps found out the truth about them. Pushing the thought to the back of her head, she began to examine the document. Being black-barred in most spots as she expected, something caught her eye...
"Subject Brebertie matches signatures to _ _has begin dispatch to Mount Ascent and _College. If possible, keep alive and 'retrain'. Otherwise, consider her a liability and introduce her to the 'Leviathan Program'. "
...The text alone makes her reel. A gut feeling telling her that the girl is somehow tied to this more than she has expected. With this, Alicia begins to set the papers aside as she spoke to William again. "Get me a school roster of every college within a 50-mile radius...we need to see if she is staying where I think she is..."
"And what about the Council?" He asks. His voice seeming to tremble slightly, worried about potential blowback.
"Father and I will take care of that particular issue. For now...I believe this woman maybe important soon enough..."
The lush colors of the green and earthy colors of the flora and natural landscape blur as the train passed by. The river glistening from the the sunset as the car drove by. The young woman sitting at the window was tired from a long day of traveling and preparing her items the nights before. Her hair done in a pony-tail with bangs flowing from her hair; the left one longer by a slight margin as she wore a sweat jacket of the Wulver- the Mascot of Northeastern College. A simple image of a timber wolf howling towards the sky with the background colors of grey and black to match the University colors.
The rail car itself was empty. No other signs of passengers or noise that would prove to be a distraction. The ride was like this for some time, and since it was getting close but taking some time, Lisa began to shut her eyes to rest. Being that Riley- the town Northeastern College was in- was the last stop for the ride, she took note she could nap well for the three hour ride...
Closing her eye-lids, Lisa slowly reflected on her life up until this point. For the most part, she was an ordinary 24-Year-Old female. Her high school peppered with Good grades and joining some extracurricular activities and having some friends. However, she seemed to be completely dedicate to one thing, and rather listless despite the energy she had. After graduating, she went to a community college before taking a few years off to work a temp position. But the thing that stuck her as odd is that everything seemed so...perfect...but seeming to have drifted away from her friends in high school and forget about them.. She attempted to remember them before by a cursory glance on social media- being that most everyone was connected to the world- but with no luck.
After reflecting, she gave a soft sigh of frustration. Slumber began to take over, light dying out as they reached a tunnel. Darkness filling the train car, Lisa felt a change in the environment in an instant. Her body drifting between consciousness and unconsciousness, an azure light acting as an aura as she opened her eyes again. Two men seem to appear in front of her. One of the men- a bald, short man in a business suit with an absurdly long nose with wide, piercing eyes- sitting across from her in what seem to be a table attached to the wall of the car, with her on the other side of it. The other man stood near him. Tall and slim in his stature, with sideburns and wavy short hair as he was dressed in what seemed to be a blue designer dress pants and long coat that seem to give the man a more aristocratic look. Confusion from how she got here and who these two where set in.
"Do not be afraid..."
The bald-headed man spoke, with a tone and pitch of an venerable man who seemed curious. The outlandish appearance however seem to put him at ease, seeing that he did not wish to do her harm.
"My name is Igor, and welcome to the velvet room. And this is my assistant Alexandre." He spoke again, before taking a look at her. An almost intrigued and curious as he examined her. The man he mentioned named Alexandre gave her a gentle nod. "A pleasure to meet you Miss." Alexandre's seemed to have a slight French accent, but a polite and calm tone. Her attention turned back to Igor as he spoke up. "...Hmm...There is something particular about you than the rest of the other guests who have visited before. And each one of them quite different." He paused for a moment.
"Tell me...what is your name?"
"...Lisa...Lisa Bireberte."
Igor seemed to look at her with a calm, if inquisitive expression. "I see...it seems you know your name. Which means you believe to have a good grasp on yourself. Now tell me, do you believe in fortune?"
The question seem to struck her as odd. Nonetheless, she felt polite to answer Igor's question. "Fortune...as in my fate is determined?"
"To some extent. Some cannot escape their own fate...others can surpass and grow stronger from what fate has given them." He thought on something, an old guest of his that was a while back. "...others...have the power to defy fate itself..." he continued then. "Other times, it serves as a guide for us to react accordingly too."
Lisa seemed more lost to what he is saying, or at least did not believe that at the suggestion that somehow people where bound to their fate. "I...am not sure that I can believe in that I am tied to my fate, Igor." Igor seem to be more intrigued by her.
"I see...well, if you may, I would like to perform your fortune telling if you wish." Keeping his grin, Lisa looked at him. "I..." She seemed hesitant, but a nagging feeling inside her to go along with it. "...alright, let's give it a try."
Leaning forward, see awaited for him to begin. "For now, let us start with two cards...more so to understand you, Ms. Bireberte." Placing the two tarot cards down, he then flips the first card, almost as if his hand never touched it... the card revealing to be The Moon. "Interesting...it seems the Moon in the upright position was flipped first. Which indicates either mystery, deception, or something hidden in a person's life." Pausing for a moment, he allowed her to take this in the information presented to her. Flipping the next card...the Fool, but as if reversed. "Hmmm...interesting. This is the Fool in the reversed position. In which indicates a reluctance to grow or face ones self, or a change from before without facing the consequences of your action. With that two together, there seems to be a mystery to you...or something you are blocking out that you need to face or come to terms with..."
His glare was still intense on her. The words started to dig deep into her mind. She had nothing that she wanted to hide to her knowledge. For a minute, she began to think on back to her life. Only then did she began to note that the events in her life seem to be a blur...face of people there seem to be empty or faceless. A sense of being unsettled seeped into her. As she experienced this, Igor gave a soft chuckle. "Well,this is something we will have to uncover such a mystery, Miss Brebertie. Nothing happen here without a reason...until we meet again..." With a smirk, the two figures began to disappear from her view.
With a sudden flash from the tunnel she was in, she seemed to return to her reality. Regaining her sense of place, Lisa heard the electronic, disembodied voice of train intercom. "Next and Final stop: Fairweather Transportation Center. Train will end its run at Fairweather Transportation Center."
Fairweather Transportation Center: in the city of Fairfield, which was six miles away from Mount Ascent. While Fairfield was smaller than the cities of Chicago and Mount Ascent, it was approximately 18 square miles large of official boundaries. A mix of what was a small town feel with some sense of a modern day city, the major landmarks were the Decant College (lying on the Northern edges of the town towards Mount Ascent) and Lake Minnoe near the downtown district. Of course, she would need to head towards the college firs to check in. And with her items sent there before hand, all she needed to do was take the bus route to there. Heading to the bus terminal, her wait was not that long before she got onto the transport. Minding to herself, she attempts to tune out the world around her as she reflects on what the strange man Igor mentioned to her. However, eavesdropping onto some conversations occasionally, she hears of rumors of a recent string of mysterious kidnappings...
"Hey, ya hear that his girl got kidnapped?" "I heard dat as well...rumor has is that she was a bit rebellious against Mayor DeMagan..."
"Man, you following that Conspiracy crap?..."
While this seemed rather silly to her, the mentioning of the kidnappings seemed off-putting. Though, training in different martial arts in her free time before hand, Lisa was not one to go out without a fight if she was pushed into the situation. She chuckles a bit, remembering once having to punch an ex in the face for being a bit too forceful...though, she cannot remember his name, let alone his face, in perhaps pushing out the memory of him..
She lets out a frustrated sigh, trying to focus on remembering her location to head.. "What a weird day..." As soon as she spoke, it seems that they pulled up to the school. The most noticeable features were the Gothic European-like castle, Dusseau Hall, and the more modern architecture of the Central Student Services. Dusseau Hall acted as the administration building, with the more modern trappings of today attached as if it was an eyesore in comparison to the Central Student Services building. Knowing she had to head to Dusseau Hall, she walked towards as she fished out a note that specified where to meet her Community Adviser. Getting the piece of paper, she examined it:
To Miss Briebertie:
While we look forward to having you at our prestigious university, we apologize for an error with your original room selection and it not being rectified sooner. Due to this extraordinary circumstance, the Community Advisers Association have came to an agreement to have your living arrangements given to you at no additional cost for the entire academic year. The only thing that we ask you to do is come to Room 340 of Dusseau Hall when you arrive, this matter will be finalized then.
We wish you to have a great year at Decant College, and hope your transfer experience is the best we can give you to your new home!
Sincerely,
Alicia Ingrid-McTavish
Head Student Administrator of the Community Advisers Association
After examining it, she went to the location specified. Inside the building was mixed with marble flooring and a drab, if matching, color to the hall. With bulletins posted sparsely, it held various literature as she made her way to the room. Entering, she is greeted by a raven-haired woman. Having seen pictures in various website literature, Lisa begins to recognize the woman.
"Are you Alicia McTavish?" Saying in a forward, but friendly as possible way, she caught her attention. "Alicia Ingrid-McTavish. But yes, that is me." She politely corrected her mistake. Sensing her slight frustration with the situation, Alicia took great care to approach correctly. "With the situation for your room, we have already taken care of your items you shipped ahead of time. As well, we made sure to give you your own suite, free of charge for all our troubles we caused you."
While Lisa was calmed down by this, she was curious how the room, let alone the floor was on, became available to her when it was not originally listed. "Well...thanks."
Alicia gave a polite smile. " To also point out, I am the CA on the floor. If you have any concerns about the community or other issue, do not be hesitant to talk to me. If you do not come to like it at semester's end, we can change you room and build. Free of additional charges for the next semester."
Lisa nods her head gently, most to acknowledge she got all the information to her. "Loud and clear. Though you mind if we head there now? Spent half the day traveling across the state."
A smirk appeared Alicia face then. "No doubt you are exhausted and want to acclimatize to your dorm...very well, let us go to the dorm. Allow me to give you a short tour while we walk straight to there."
With describing some of the buildings and functions in brief, she shows off The Four Buildings Square, which connects the buildings of Jameson, Kysacki, Desable, and Watson to a main court yard. The courtyard itself was decorated with various flora. Passing through this, she points to the larger structure of Levens Library some distance away. Walking a bit more north across a bridge over the Walter River, they come to the dormitory sections. There were three in total: New Hall, Patterson, and Gabel. Patterson was the closet and older, dating back to the original founding of the school. Patterson was an acquisition from the local town, renovated from an apartment tenament that was originally damaged from a fire. New Hall, the namesake for its recentness, seemed to have a more modern architectural feel, but was a block and a half from the main campus. The build itself was a Threes-story building that was smaller than the other two.
Entering New Hall, Lisa examined the dorm section they entered. For the most part, it was...barren, so to speak. The only part of the building of which had activity was the first floor, in which she was staying in. Alicia spoke up as they approached Room 121. "Here is your room. All your things are set up in there, but it is up to you to arrange it."
"Well thanks...though, does not look like anything was opened..." Lisa gave a concerned look to her, with Alicia smirking. "I overlooked the move myself. I made sure I treated everything with great care." She paused for a moment. "I'll leave it to yourself for now. I do suggest you rest soon. Tomorrow you can meet the others."
Taking her leave, Alicia walks out the door. Lisa would fall onto the bed, leaving the rest of her things untouched. Sighing, she laid on the mattress as she allowed exhaustion to overcome her. Her mind was racing, still recollecting the 'dream' she had with Igor. What was the thing she was blocking out? Why was she visited by such a strange man and his attendant.
"Well,this is something we will have to uncover such a mystery, Miss Brebertie. Nothing happen here without a reason...until we meet again..."
With a frustrated sigh, she closed her eyes, taking a nap as she cleared out her mind a bit. A swell feeling rose in her, as if she was glad to have this.
Outside her room, Alicia walked down the hall way. Approached by two people- a female Latina, skin that looked a lighter shade of caramel, was on the shorter side with longer dark hair and a younger complexion, dressed in more short jeans and looking to be 19 at the oldest. The other was an older male who seemed slightly older that Lisa- a Caucasian male who had a slender figure to him but kept himself in good physical condition. His dark hair on the medium side of length, had a more stern look to his expression.
The man walked up, speaking with a deeper tone. "Seems our new floor member took it well?" He stood up with his arms crossed as he looked at her. The other girl seemed to examine this with her arms behind her back. Alicia spoke up. "Lisa seems to be settling in quite well, Stefan. In fact, she does not seem to have a hint what is going on..." Stefan McCellean, in which was his name, nodded gently.
The latina girl then spoke up. "...This does not feel right...hiding all this from her..." She faced seemed to carry reservations on this.
Alicia sighed, understanding her reservations to some extent. "I do understand how you feel Verónica...however, she would not have gone along with it...and with the council trying to look for her, I rather that she is closer here then out in the open where she can be stolen away...and if my other hypothesis is correct, she may have the potential to use a Persona." She paused for a moment. "For now, can you get close to her and keep an eye on her?"
Verónica Benitez, who took this in, nodded reluctantly. "I-I got you Alicia..." Alicia nodded back. "That is all I ask. Thank you." After all was done, the three then break off as the night goes on.