You get up and get ready for school. It seems Solomon left at some point in the morning. You figure you'll see him around town later.
On your way to school you overhear two students behind you talking.
Stylish Girl
"I hope you don't mind I'm whispering, I'm on vocal rest."
Cheery Boy
"What for? Don't want to be called on in class this morning?"
Stylish Girl
"No, dummy! It's the final day for sign ups for the drama club. I want to inspire people to join when they hear me sing, so I have to give my voice some rest right now."
Cheery Boy
"Oh yeah, duh. Band's also got final sign ups today... But I figure anyone who wants to join already has. We don't have anything planned."
Stylish Girl
"You have to be able to play an instrument to join band. We just let anyone join... So I'm also hoping that when they hear me sing, people know we have a standard to uphold."
Cheery Boy
"Sorry, what was that?"
Stylish Girl
"WE HAVE A STANDARD-- oh you! You did that on purpose!"
The boy laughs while the girl takes a sip from a fancy looking thermal flask as they walk past you.
After a few minutes, Julian catches up to you.
Julian
"Hey, sleep ok with the bird in your room?" He doesn't give you time to answer. "Ezra's still stable. Still sleeps like he's in a coma. But I can't help and be worried he's gonna bite my hand every time I check he's still breathing. I know that sounds stupid, but he's possessed, right? And those spirits we saw seemed pretty aggro..."
You mention Julian doesn't appear to be carrying a pool cue on him.
Julian
"Oh yeah, there was no way I'd get that into school with me, and dad would kill me if I got it confiscated. So I gotta go back home before we can go back in there to go grab it. If all else fails maybe Solomon can lend me one of those knives he's got. Though they're really tiny... Honestly I think I'd rather have the pool cue."
Afternoon
Your day so far is uneventful. Classes pass quickly and you realise you're not soaking up much of what the teachers are saying, your mind is focusing on returning to the other world.
During lunch your attention is briefly pulled away however. As you and Julian make your way to the cantine, you pass a open classroom from which you can hear loud singing.
Julian
"Last chance to join the drama club if you want. In case the wailing didn't make that clear. I think band also has their final sign ups today, but they're less obnoxious about it. Don't forget to submit your sheet today if you want to subject yourself to that, I guess."
[This is where you get the choice to join either the Drama Club or Band, which opens the social link to The Lovers Arcana.]
After School
You make your way outside. At the gate you spot Robin; she's waiting for you. She looks forlorn, standing just off to the side as students pass her by on their way home. It's almost as if she's trying to avoid looking at anyone; perhaps to give you a chance to quietly pass her by just in case.
But you don't, because you want to hear her out. Julian made a big deal about her trying to get you killed, but you simply can't believe that. So if Robin says she can explain herself, you want to listen.
So you step up to her and greet her. When she looks up to meet your eyes you can practically see the wave of relief washing over her.
Robin
"Yon! I'm so glad to see you. Um, shall we start walking?"
Instead of walking straight home to Main Street, you take a detour towards the train station. Normally this path would take you past the old factory, but Robin takes care to take a different route.
Robin
"So first off, I want you to know that when we first met, I didn't try to get you to join the club because I was planning to use you as bait or something. I really do care about the occult club, and I want to keep it alive, and I was asking anyone to join. It's how I ended up asking Julian, actually..."
She looks away for a moment. Her expression is a mix of guilt and resentment. You can tell she can't help but dislike Julian, regardless of what happened before.
Robin
"Leander was very insistent on setting up wards, to protect everyone. And we did our best, especially when we found out there really might be a portal, but it's a little difficult figuring out what will work if you're not certain what you're dealing with. So it wasn't fool proof when we set out a few days ago. Which is why it went wrong...
Robin: "I know. I hope I can make you see why I did that."
Robin: "Yes. We had enough proof we'd find one eventually, just that we hadn't tried the right place yet."
Robin: "Of course! I thought that was more likely, we went ahead of everyone for that purpose. We needed more people to open the portal, that's what you were there for."
Grey Springs - Train Station
You stop on the main street, near the train station. Robin has lead you to the Grey Springs Bulletin board. There is a few posters for upcoming town events behind the cracked plastic, but the most prominent flyers are two missing persons bulletins. You notice they're both for the same girl, but one of the flyers is a lot older than the other one."
Robin
"These used to be everywhere around town. Now you have to go looking for them."
The girl on the poster smiles back at you. In one picture she is wearing the Grey Springs cheerleader uniform, in the other shes wearing casual clothes; you can tell it's cut out of a photo of friends. She is smiling brightly in both. Under the photo it says "WREN KAMINSKA". You look at the photo's again; she has the same dark hair and light eyes as Robin, but you didn't notice the familial similarities because of Wren's smile.
Robin
"That's my sister. She went missing ten years ago. It was a huge deal at the time, but the longer she was gone, the less people talked about it. We combed through every forest, abandoned building and field we could find, but there was no trace of her anywhere. One day she was just gone... She didn't even leave a note."
Robin's voice is weak and tired. You can tell talking about this hurts her, but there's a weariness to her retelling it to you too. You wonder how many times she has had to relive this story.
Robin
"Now people are comfortable talking about her as if she's dead. She's been gone for ten years, there's no way she's still alive, they say. People try to be careful around me and my parents but I've heard how they talk about her now. All the leads have been exhausted, but she's not been found so she's not dead! I... I can feel it. I think something happened to her, something... Unexpected."
You can tell where Robin is going with this.
Robin
"When Leander and I found out about the portals and we discovered we could actually open them, it was like everything suddenly made sense. She disappeared because she's not on this plane, shes on the other side. The other world, or whatever Solomon called it. It's the only thing that makes sense. Wren wouldn't just up and leave without telling me, and she's smart, I don't believe someone could just take her away!"
Robin's hands have balled into fists. "I know she's there somewhere, and now we can actually go and find her. But I got so lost in trying to get in in the first place that nothing else mattered anymore. We've had to miss Wren for ten years, it's been so hard and my parents, they're not the same. Ever since she disappeared it's like there's a black hole in our home. And I, I'm-"
Her voice falters. Robin angry swipes at her eyes, her hands still half-curled up, and she can't look you in the eyes.
Robin
"Ugh, I really didn't want to cry." She stamps her foot in frustration. "I'm not trying to manipulate you, I swear! I'm so sorry I dragged you into this, and I really just want my sister back..."
You tell her it's alright. That you believe her, and that everything makes sense now she's told you about Wren.
Robin
"Oh, thank you! Thank you, that is such a relief..." She let's out a deep sigh and looks up at you; she has calmed down a little. Her cheeks and eyelids are puffy and red. "I was going to go to the portal today, but I don't think confronting that thing that looks like me while I'm feeling like this is the best idea. I don't think I could handle it," she said with a slightly embarrassed laugh. "Especially not with that Julian thing around."
You tell her you are planning to meet up with Julian at the portal today.
Robin
"Oh, then I definitely shouldn't go. Maybe I could try tomorrow, if you're willing to help me. Or I could ask Solomon." She hesitates a moment. "Lea won't talk to me. So he's out of the question."
You tell her you'll scope out the place today with Julian, and that if she still wants to go tomorrow, that you'll go with her. Then your phone buzzes. Twice. Three times. Five times. You don't have to look at it to know it's Julian texting you.
Robin
"Thanks for listening to me, I feel a little better now. If you're meeting up with Julian at the portal I should probably let you go now. So... I'll see you at school tomorrow. And sorry again!"
Grey Springs - Abandoned Factory
You part ways with Robin and make the short walk back to the ruins. You find Julian and Solomon are already there. Julian is impatiently tapping the pool cue he brought on the concrete as he seems to be in a serious discussion with Solomon.
Solomon
"You can't kill your other self. That isn't how things work. Especially not if you're going to try using just a pool cue."
Julian
"Why not? If he's a part of me like you say, I should be able to kill him. People kill parts of themselves they don't like all the time."
Solomon
"Your view on that is more concerning than you seem to realise."
Julian
"Yeah well you're a three headed bird so what do you know." He jabs the pool cue at nothing before finally noticing you. "You're here! Let's go."
Solomon flies down onto Julian's makeshift weapon before he can move it out of the way.
Solomon
"Stay behind us, and don't do anything rash."
Julian
"Yeah yeah, I'm not stupid."
You step into the portal after Solomon's made it reappear; the other two following close behind. When you're in the other world, Solomon has taken on human form again.
You have to fight your way through a few spirits, but it doesn't take long to find the mangled door again. You can hear Julian wrap his fingers more tightly around the pool cue making the varnish on the wooden handle creak.
Solomon
"Remember! Don't do anything rash."
There's an intensity in Solomon's eyes you haven't seen before. It's a little intimidating. Julian nods, though he's still clinging onto the pool cue.
Solomon opens the door.
You find yourself in your classroom. Not at the entrance, but the middle of it. The amalgamated door has disappeared from behind you. Julian shuffles nervously behind you, struggling to form words.
Julian
"W-where is... Why is it different?"
Before Solomon can answer him, four desks fly towards you two and pin you against the wall, leaving Julian stranded alone in the middle of the room.
Solomon
"I thought this might happen," Solomon says in a strained voice, trying to push the desk pressing down on his chest off. "You have to do this alone. He's yours to confront; don't forget what I told you, or you'll make it worse!"
The remaining school desks have formed a circle around Julian. You can see vague shapes flitting behind them; as if they're students rapidly gathering around. Here and there an arm juts out and points at the center of the circle, before quickly being retracted again. You hear laughter, and the loud hissing of harsh whispers that are intended to be heard by the unfortunate target.
Julian tries to run back to you and reaches out for one of the desks, but the entire room shifts around him to keep him in the middle. There is scratching on the whiteboard.
TODAY'S TOPIC:
Followed by "Julian Weaver" over and over, until it leaks from the board unto the wall behind and below it.
Solomon
"Don't panic! Just try to think about what you're seeing."
Julian
"What do you mean 'think about what I'm seeing'?! Why are they all looking at me? Why is that all about me?!" He points at the whiteboard without looking at it, his terrified eyes instead darting around the room, at the shades."
Other Julian
"Stop freaking out. You're making us look so lame."
The other Julian suddenly emerges from the shadows, pushing aside one of the desks to step into the circle.
Solomon
"This is good! You're doing great Julian, just don't fight him!"
Julian
"I'm not doing anything!"
He's holding the pool cue as if he's ready to stab it forward at the other Julian. To your surprise (and also Julian's) this seems to make the other Julian nervous. You'd expected the spirit to be more antagonistic, and a certain coolness to come along with that, but the other Julian seems to mirror Julian's emotions almost perfectly.
Julian
"Where's Robin?"
Other Julian
"That doesn't matter right now. Nobody knows she begged us to join her club so that whole thing was pointless. Unless you told them something since the last time you were here?" He raises his eyebrows, looking hopeful. The real Julian looks horrified.
Julian
"No! I wouldn't do that, that's... That's awful."
The whispers in the crowd increase in volume. Some disembodied girl's voices break out into laughter. Both Julian and his other seem to shrink at the sound.
Other Julian
"Don't act like you're above that, we're not. Listen to them," he gestures at the shadowy crowd around them, "now they're all talking about how weak we are. Little loser following around the broody emo chick, asking for crumbs. You know that if we spread some rumors they'd believe us over her. Especially if we got Yon to back us up!"
Julian
"I wouldn't do that! I'm not a loser! And stop saying 'we'!"
Solomon
"Don't let it get to you, Jude! Try to take in his words without judgment. Don't get angry!"
Julian
"I'm not angry, but he's lying! I'm not angry at all, I haven't used this yet!" He waves around the pool cue.
Other Julian
"Remember when that tall freak called us a mouse, and you didn't even say anything back? You just obeyed him. I bet he's told people that. If not him, she will. She probably already has. You've given them the chance to spread the story before you could, so the narrative is gonna be against us now. Now for the rest of time we'll be a little creep, and a meek little weirdo who doesn't have any friends and doesn't stand up for himself! Ezra would be ashamed if he wasn't asleep! Yon's gonna abandon you! All the girls know how pathetic you are now! And it's ALL YOUR FAULT!"
Julian
"Shut up! Stop talking, you're making it worse!"
Once again the mindscape has turned into a shouting match, this time between a spirit and a human. Solomon is trying, but he can't get a word in between all the screaming. The desks skill have you pinned firmly in place.
Then it happens.
Julian
"ENOUGH! I can't do this anymore, I'm done listening to you, whatever you are. You're not me, you can't be me!" He jabs the pool cue towards other Julian's face with full force. You instinctively look away before you catch the impact.
It feels as if the air is being sucked out of the room; all noise suddenly stops. The desks and whiteboard are no longer on the ground, hovering slightly above it.
The pool cue falls to the floor with a clatter. Both Julian's have stopped yelling. Other Julian has stopped moving altogether, instead he's nstanding limply in front of Julian, his arms uselessly at his side.
From his left eyesocket a swarm of darkness streaked with the strangest colours bursts forth, and he rapidly begins to transform, growing much, much larger.
Solomon
"God dammit."
With the weight of the desks finally taken off you, he lunges forwards and grabs Julian by the back of his shirt, dragging him away from what other Julian is rapidly turning into. He turns to you and commands you follow him. You do so, and you run off into the void, until you can no longer feel the presense of the other being. You hear a heavy door close behind you. You're in another part of Ezra's mind, the quiet, warm space with the sandy floors and large windows.
Solomon finally lets go of Julian's shirt, causing him to fall over on his back. He doesn't get up.
Solomon
"That just got far more difficult to deal with. Thanks, Jude."
Julian
"I don't know what you wanted me to do. It was calling me all kinds of things, how can you say that's thing is a part of me?"
Solomon sighs and leans against the door, gradually sliding down until he's sat in front of it.
Solomon
"Because it is. I've done this thousands of times before, I know what I'm talking about. I know it might be hard to be confronted with, but a spirit that's part of you won't say things that you don't feel. If you look inward, you know what he was saying is true."
Julian
He sits up. "Are you saying you think I'm a loser?"
Solomon
"You aren't listening. He wasn't saying you are those things, he's saying that he thinks he is those things . That he thinks other people think that about him. That you think those things about yourself."
Julian
"Okay, sure. It's not like that matters anymore anyway, now it's turned into a monster. Can you go back in there and kill it?"
Solomon
He shakes his head. He looks slightly exasperated. "Your denial that he's you is what made him turn. We're going to have to fight him which wouldn't have happened if you hadn't done that. But he's not going to disappear because you deny he's you. You're still going to have to confront him. There is no other option."
Julian
"Ugh." He lies back down in the sand.
Solomon
"I suggest we won't return until you've made peace with yourself. We won't get anywhere otherwise."
Grey Springs - Koizumi Residence
For now, you leave the other world. You part ways, and eat dinner with your aunt.
Koizumi Residence - bedroom
You're in your room working away at your homework, when your phone buzzes.
Julian: Hey
Julian: Um
Julian: I'm outside
Julian: Can we like
Julian: Talk about what happened today
Julian: I kinda feel like
Julian: I can't really do this alone
You get up and look out your window; Julian is indeed standing outside your house, holding his bike.
Grey Springs - Main Street
You go outside after assuring your aunt you won't be gone too long (you don't have a curfew though, so you don't really know what 'too long' means).
Julian
"Hey. My parents aren't home so we could've met up there, but I kinda wanna clear my head in the fresh air. Jump on and I'll take us somewhere less busy."
It's not particularly busy, but living on the town's main street does mean there are people out and about, especially at the nearby bar. It being a friday evening makes everything a little more lively too.
You get on the back of Julian's bike and he clumsily rides you out of main street. When he rounds the corner you nearly fall off; holding onto the back of his seat isn't giving you much of a steady grip.
Julian
"Just hold onto me, who cares," he grumbles. "You can't fight that guy if you get hurt from falling."
You grab onto Julian's sides. The reason you didn't in the first place was because last time you rode on the back of his bike Julian got weird about you potentially holding onto him to keep yourself steady; but you guess he's changed his mind on that.
Grey Springs - Outskirts: Old Pond Hill
He takes you to a hill leading out of town. There's a parking lot and a giant furniture store at the bottom of the hill. It's not much to look at. The bench on top of the hill looks like it's not had any visitors in a long time.
Julian
"Apparently this used to be a pretty popular spot for couples back in the day. There used to be a pond there before they put that superstore there. But they drained it some ten years back. I don't think anyone comes here anymore, so it's as good a spot as any."
He puts his bike against the tree next to the bench, then sits down. You sit down next to him, and for a moment both of you look down at the store without saying anything. You can imagine it used to be quite a lovely spot when the pond was there. Julian takes a deep breath.
Julian
"So. Um. I'm extremely insecure." He says it without looking at you. "As you can probably tell from what that guy was saying."
He absentmindedly rubs the back of his hand with his fingers as he psychs himself up to continue.
Julian
"I thought I could run away from it and hide it if I just did my best, but I guess that's not gonna fly if I want to save Ezra. But it's really hard to accept your flaws when some asshole is yelling at you about them, you know."
He has an uneasy smile on his face. You can tell he tries to look at you but it's hard for him, so he only manages short glances before looking back down.
Julian
"Especially if he looks exactly like you. I really tried to listen to Solomon when he said not to let it get to me, but that was impossible. As he kept yelling every horrible thought I've ever had back at me I just... I hated myself. I've never hated myself so much, so viscerally. I couldn't accept he was me. It would hurt too much."
He's still rubbing the top of his hand.
"That's pretty pathetic, huh." He doesn't look at you as he says it. "If he's a big monster at least he doesn't look like me anymore, right? But uh, I'm sorry I made it a bigger problem, if I wasn't so weak you wouldn't have to fight him. And if it's true he just becomes me again afterwards... What do you think I'm supposed to say?"
He looks at you, but you're not sure what to say. You suppose Solomon might have the answer.
Julian
"When you met Abramelin, did he really just... appear? You didn't have to confront anything about yourself? I just can't imagine being that accepting of yourself. Man, that sounds weird when I say it out loud."
You explain that you didn't really think that much about it. You take things as they come, which honestly just means you don't spend a lot of time thinking about situations you find yourself in until they happen. You say you think that might be why you didn't get confronted with a manifestation of yourself.
Julian
"I see. I guess I do tend to overthink everything. I know it doesn't look like it because I'm usually all over the place but like, my mind's pretty much always racing. I can't really focus because I'm usually thinking about multiple things at once, and how the outcome will reflect on me. What people will think. But most of the time I forget what I was even trying to do before I can do it."
He suddenly seems to become self conscious about how he's been rubbing the top of his hand and momentarily stops. He puts his hands in his lap, almost like he doesn't know what to do with them now. He takes another deep breath and continues to speak.
Julian
"Ezra is my only friend. I try not to think about it, but the truth is that it really bothers me that in all these years, I've only had one friend. I try to make friends all the time but they always end up leaving. And I never know why, but it's not like you can really ask, can you? And honestly I don't think I really wanted to know."
He's started rubbing his hand again, you don't think he knows he's doing it. You wish you could tell him it's okay for him to do that, but you don't know how to say it without making Julian feel insecure about it. "You must've thought I was pretty pathetic with how aggressively I tried to befriend you."
Julian laughs. Julian: "Ezra says that all the time. I don't think I could stop being that even if I tried."
Julian: "Thank you. But... I think I am. That's probably why this whole persona thing is so hard for me."
Julian: "...Thank you." Julian: "I'm glad you're not trying to be nice about it."
You tell him you think he probably needs to confront his feelings about Robin as well, if he wants to really come clean with himself. A sudden flicker of anger crosses his face.
Julian
"Yeah well, so does she! I get that she doesn't know me, and yeah, I guess she was right when she said I don't really know her, but like, I didn't blindly decide 'oh I'm going to try to get this girl to date me'. I've had a crush on her for ever. Which feels so bad to say after she was ready to sacrifice us to the devil or whatever but if I'm being truthful about everything right now I guess I might as well be honest about that, too."
It seems this is a little easier for him to talk about, though he also sounds more heated and even in the dim light of the single lantern on the hill you can tell he's turned red.
"I guess if I'm being totally honest I have to admit part of it is also that I think people will like me better if I have a girlfriend," he says in a huff, "and she's really pretty so it'd look even better than just any girl, but still! I was sincere. And it's definitely over now, so it's fine. We can start over, if we have to. If she's okay with it, I mean. As like, neutral parties or something. Cos we're probably not gonna be friends after all that."
You tell him about the time you spent with Robin after school. That she told you about her sister, and why she's so obsessed with the portals. Julian sighs again; and suddenly looks ashamed.
Julian
"I know about her sister. Everyone in Grey Springs knows about her. I didn't really think about how important that must still be for her. I was too busy obsessing over myself. I guess if I was in her shoes, I'd be much the same. Man... Am I really that bad? I thought talking about it with you would make me feel a little better, or come to terms with it a bit or something but... I just kinda hate myself even more."
You tell him you don't think that he's a bad person, and that he can change himself if he works on it. You reassure him that you're friends, and that you'll save Ezra together. This seems to make Julian feel a little better.
Julian
"I should say sorry to her. But maybe I should make peace with myself first. What do you think?"
You agree with him. You tell him you're ready to fight his other self whenever he is.
Julian
"Thank you. I feel like I can finally do something important. Something that actually matters, you know. Even if I really hate it. I'll just have to grit my teeth and get through it."
You sit together for a bit longer, talking about lighter topics for a little bit, before heading back to town, where Julian drops you off back home.
Koizumi Residence - Bedroom
It's later than you thought; so you decide to go to bed. You have time to do your homework this weekend, or maybe if Julian's ready for it, you can take on his other self.
