Growing Up Is Hard [Prose]

[Xindaris]

--let's see the clock. It's...only 9? Why am I up this early? Oh well, can't go back to sleep with all the sunlight through the window. And no shutters. Seriously, it's facing east. How do you miss something simple like that? Hasn't anyone complained? Let's see...roommate didn't show up last night or anything. I took a shower last night, so that just leaves breakfast...

Something feels off today. I can't say for sure what. I look normal enough in the bathroom mirror. Okay. Same unmanageable blond hair, dark eyes. Nothing wrong with my face. I must be imagining things..or, I dunno, maybe I had a dream last night. I can never remember my dreams.

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With this adventure, I will have a single adventure from each of the possible points of view that I can conceive of an adventure being written in. If this gets suggestions it should get interesting pretty fast, but we'll see if this gets any interest...

[Askia]

> go outside

> talk to some friends

[Xindaris]

"AAagh, s---!!!" I have developed a splitting headache in under two seconds flat. (waitcanitbeflatifit'sunderanumbernoitcan'twhatamI thinking) Right now I am leaning my elbows against the bathroom counter, holding my hands on top of my head because it feels like it's trying to explode. What was that?!

Okay, okay, it's going away I think. I hope this isn't what a migraine is like, mostly because I hope this isn't a migraine. There is no such thing as a good day to develop migraines. Did I..did I hear someone? It felt like I was suddenly in a crowd of people for just a second, and then..but there's nobody here. The dorm room door is still locked. Nobody out the window. What is going on?

[kd7sov]

> Splash water on your face, rinse out your mouth, and have breakfast.

[simon.clarkstone]

blond

((So, we know this person is male, they have a sense of sight and hearing, are probably diurnal, but don't have much indication of species.))
> Ok is this better?
> Get dressed.
-or-
> Don't get dressed, because you don't wear clothing.

[tippertot]

>Get some pills. Pills always help.

[Xindaris]

>Splash water on yo>ur this better pill>s always mouth, and he>lp don't wear breakfast clo>thing

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooowwwwwwwww.

Ow, okay, the throbbing pain is going down again. I know I heard voices, I could almost pick them out that time. That didn't make any sense, though, don't...wear....breakfast clothing? W-wait..I can almost...it feels like they're sorting themselves out now that the pain is dying down, that doesn't make any sense but..I can..

> Splash water on your face, rinse out your mouth, and have breakfast.

"AAgh! Why does this keep hurting? I--wait, that actually sounds sensi--"

> Ok is this better?
> Get dressed.
-or-
> Don't get dressed, because you don't wear clothing.

"Ow. Wh-what? I can barely..that didn't hurt as much but it's so quiet it's...wait, don't wear clothes? What? Why wouldn't I wear clothes? I'm a college student, not a nudist! I--"

>Get some pills. Pills always help.

"OW! Do you mean, like regular, tylenol or ibuprofin or something or, wait, are you a dr--wait a minute, who are..!? Where?" Look around the bathroom and dorm room again, nobody there. Am I hearing voices? I'm starting to think a migraine might have been better news, I might be going completely insane here...If my roommate, who I still know nothing about other than that his name is Damien, shows up and I'm yelling at voices in my head I think this is going to be a very short semester. Wait, can they--

[simon.clarkstone]

((I'll keep the typing quirk, unless the author minds. Maaaaaybe other readers should adopt one too.))
> Yes you are hearing voices. I don't think I am a hallucination, but I don't know about the other ones.
> Just think hard or something if you don't want to talk to yourself. Depending on what you are studying you might be able to get away with mumbling, or staring fiercely into space.
> Wait, what's this about dragons?
> And what are you studying?

If my roommate, who I still know nothing about other than that his name is Damien,

> That should be "about whom ..." not "who ... about".

[kd7sov]

> So, are you up for breakfast, or would you rather worry about whether we're a manifestation of insanity?
> Because only one of those is likely to get you off to a relatively normal start.

[Chwoka]

GET THE FUCK OVER YOURSELF

[Xindaris]

> Yes you are hearing voices. I don't think I am a hallucination, but I don't know about the other ones.
> Just think hard or something if you don't want to talk to yourself. Depending on what you are studying you might be able to get away with mumbling, or staring fiercely into space.
> Wait, what's this about dragons?
> And what are you studying?
> That should be "about whom ..." not "who ... about".

I go to my bed and sit down, concentrating on..I don't know what.

...Think, hard?
I have a headache and voices in my head and I'm talking to myself and the voices are concerned about my grammar. And something about dragons. I haven't been awake an hour yet and today is just looking greeaaat...

Uh, anyway, I'm a freshman and I just moved in yesterday. Right now I'm a philosophy major since I have no idea what I wanna do with my life. Does that answer your question?

Screwing up my face to try to think hard isn't working. It's just making my headache worse..at least I'm starting to get used to the brain pinches I feel every time some voice starts talking...

> So, are you up for breakfast, or would you rather worry about whether we're a manifestation of insanity?
> Because only one of those is likely to get you off to a relatively normal start.

I'm still wincing every time. It's going to be kind of hard to go anywhere without people wondering why I wince every few seconds like I'm in pain. Because I am in pain. Uh...Yes, I'm hungry, but I think maybe trying to make sure I'm not insane is more important. I think I'm a little late for a..normal start.

GET THE FUCK OVER YOURSELF

Aa-wait, that didn't hurt? Well, not any more than someone screaming and cussing in my face usually does. Why does that of all things not hurt?

W-what the h--- is your problem!? I think I'm pretty d--- 'over myself' already. I mean, I know I'm nothing special, just another directionless future drop out. I'm probably gonna end up working in fast food or, like, a Best Buy or something if I'm lucky. I'm only here at college because my parents wanted me to try and this place offered me a scholarship to pay for everything for a year. Oh yeah, and there's that little detail that I'm probably going COMPLETELY INSANE right now, and--wait.

Someone's outside the door, I think I heard a suitcase rolling and stopping there. I think it might be my roommate, he's turning a key in the lock, door's opening, HOLY S---!


I know I'm staring with my mouth open like a moron but I don't think there's any other reaction to what is in front of me. It..he's..I swear I think I'm looking at a demon. No, seriously. I mean, in..body shape it looks like a guy my age, but uh, he has red skin. Not Hispanic. Red, like cherry red paint. And his hair is a bright orange, his eyes are yellow, and he has horns, like goat horns or something. He's saying something.

"Uh, hey, are you okay? You look like you, um..aww s---." He looks like he just figured something out, now he looks concerned again. "Okay, calm down, I'll explain everything. Stay there for a minute." I'm still too paralyzed by shock to do much of anything else. He pulls the suitcase into the room, sits on the bed across from mine, and makes a small gesture behind his back. The door closes when he does that. "Alright. Now, let me introduce myself. I'm Damien, your roommate. Okay?"

"Uh...okay. Why do you look like a d--"

"Because I am one. I'm guessing you..don't know anything about this college, right?"

"No."

"Okay. Well." He takes a deep breath. "First thing you should know. Magic is real. Think of, just about any magical creature you've heard of. It probably exists in one way or another. I, uh, don't know what it's like but I can't imagine that's easy to take..are you alright?"

"No, but go on."

"Okay. Well, something you should know is that, well, people like me--demons--we're not all evil. It's a, little more complex than that but uh..man I'm bad at this. You wanta ask me anything?"

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Quirks are fine. You might experiment with how different looking text 'sounds'/'feels' to him.

I feel I should clarify something about the narration: It's not strictly the words that he's thinking, it's more a narrated translation of the impressions of thought and experience that are not necessarily put into words at all, even in one's head. I lack the skill to directly convey his experience, through images, so I have to do it this way or his thoughts and what he says by themselves would be extremely confusing. For reference, italics indicate thoughts that are discretely put into words.

And, yes. If you don't know this about me, I don't cuss. But I don't stop my characters from cussing when they want to. It's a weird personal thing, but just read what's obviously meant to be there if you want.

[simon.clarkstone]

> How did I end up going to a college like this?
> And why didn't I know this stuff before?

[kd7sov]

> Asssk him whether thisss meansss you can do magic.

[tippertot]

Guuuuys, stop starting your messages by stabbing him with pointy arrows. It isn't going to help anybody.

Also, perhaps ask him if hearing voices is a normal occurrence at this school.

[Chwoka]

> WHY AREN'T YOU MORE FAZED ABOUT THIS? SERIOUSLY, YOU'RE DOWNRIGHT TAKING THIS IN STRIDE. MAGIC IS A FUCKING REALITY, AND SO ARE DEMONS. DOESN'T THIS QUAKE YOUR WORLDVIEW, AT ALL? WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? GO CURL UP IN A LITTLE BALL IN THE CORNER AND ACTUALLY DIGEST WHAT YOU'VE JUST LEARNED.

[Xindaris]

I wince uncontrollably in pain and hold my head for a few seconds. "Urgh..sorry, give me a minute."

> WHY AREN'T YOU MORE FAZED ABOUT THIS? SERIOUSLY, YOU'RE DOWNRIGHT TAKING THIS IN STRIDE. MAGIC IS A FUCKING REALITY, AND SO ARE DEMONS. DOESN'T THIS QUAKE YOUR WORLDVIEW, AT ALL? WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? GO CURL UP IN A LITTLE BALL IN THE CORNER AND ACTUALLY DIGEST WHAT YOU'VE JUST LEARNED.

It sounds like I'm turning a volume knob down on a radio or something..I didn't even know I could do that. I don't know how I did that. I don't know if I ever can do it again. What I do know is I'm starting to hate that voice. I turn my head to the right, staring at a wall, and do something that probably makes me look completely insane, but he's a demon and just told me magic is real, so he can handle it. "SHUT THE F--- UP, YOU! I'LL PROCESS IT WHEN I'M GOOD AND READY! LET ME HAVE FIVE MINUTES OF SANITY AND QUIET TO CLEAR EVERYTHING UP FIRST, WILL YOU!?" I turn back to Damien, and he looks mostly confused, a little scared. "I'm sorry, this is not a normal morning. It wasn't a normal morning before you walked in. I have a splitting headache and it won't. Stop. Talking to me." He nods, still clearly confused.

Guuuuys, stop starting your messages by stabbing him with pointy arrows. It isn't going to help anybody.

Also, perhaps ask him if hearing voices is a normal occurrence at this school.

That didn't hurt at all. I can hardly believe it, I think that voice knows something the other ones don't. Maybe. "Okay. so, l-let me ask something, I'm completely serious and I promise I am at least as confused as you are that I even have to ask this: Is it normal for people here to hear voices in their heads."

"Uh, no, I mean, not like..you seem to be. I mean, there is telepathy but that usually means hearing the thoughts of people around you, or thoughts sent from a telepath.."

"Hold up--telepathy? Psychic powers. Those are real too?"

"Oh, yeah, sure. This place has a whole department for them. They're actually different from magic, in fact. I can do a little telekinesis myself." He demonstrates by pulling a pencil out of his pocket, holding it up with his hand and then letting go so it can sit in midair for a few seconds before he grabs it with his hand again. "Anyway, if uh...if you're hearing voices and they're not my thoughts or anyone else's around here I have no idea what that is. Maybe, should have that looked at by someone real soon."

"Like who? A shrink? I swear I was sane when I went to bed yesterday."

He nods. "I believe you, man, I mean at least you're worried about it. But I meant a telepath--you know, someone who can actually take a look at what's going on."

> How did I end up going to a college like this?
> And why didn't I know this stuff before?

I wince again for a second. "Okay uh, so why the h--- am I here if magic's supposed to be a big secret to the world, and people like me who don't--didn't--already know about it?"

He scratches his head. "Well..there are some ways of finding out if a person has the potential to use magic, and just how much. Sometimes a professor will go out and find someone with a lot of potential, set them up with a scholarship so they can go here and learn how to use it properly. But..only a few professors I know of don't actually let the person they chose know what's going on before they've already signed in." He looks a little more nervous than before.

"Okay, what's wrong? You look worried. What is it?"

"Well, it's just that, uh..if someone wanted to make sure you came here before you found out anything about magic, there's really only two reasons I can think of for that. Either it's because that person wanted to pull one of the world's most d---ish pranks on you, or because you're actually so powerful that it could be a danger to everyone around you."

> Asssk him whether thisss meansss you can do magic.

I wince in pain yet again. "So, either way, that means I can do magic." Why am I relaying their questions? Do they actually sound like good ideas or am I just blurting out things I hear for no reason?

"Well yeah, but if you didn't already know that I have no idea what kind of magic or how you can do it."

"Okay. I don't actually care right now. I think I need to lie down for a little while." I turn around in my bed so I'm lying on my back and stare at the ceiling for a minute. I can hear Damien moving around but I don't turn to look at him. Okay, I'm trying to process everything now. Are you happy? Actually, no, don't answer that. I am too busy to listen. Processing.

...

Yeah, I don't think I can think right now. My brain is completely blank.

[kd7sov]

Ressst. Let your thoughtsss drift. Not ssso far that you lossse all control, but enough for your sssubconsssciousss to ssspeak to you.

[tippertot]

Listen closely for a moment, please. You may have already recognized that there are several, independent voices speaking with you. We are not one being, and we may not all have your best intentions in mind. Some of us will try to help you through your ordeal the least painful way possible, others may give you suggestions that will help you have the most exciting adventure you can, and still others will to command you in ways that will not help you at all. And I would ask you to use common sense, or take everything with a grain of salt, but there are going to be times where we will say things that don't make any sense and you will be scared and you will just have to trust us. Let your intuition guide you in these cases, and please, don't let your own voice be drowned our by ours.

Alright, sorry for the lecture. Go ahead and rest, and then maybe find a telepath, or the teacher who brought you here.

[simon.clarkstone]

Ok, maybe this university left a leaflet around telling you to go register with a local medical centre and so on; that will be of use.

There is probably a load of things that you need to sort out in fact, and any of them could help you understand what is going on.

Or (assuming suitable tech level) you could get on-line and look up information on under whose instruction you were admitted here. You have login information right?

[Chwoka]

> UGH, FINE. I GUESS YOUR SKULL IS JUST A HOUSE FOR FLYS TO BUZZ AROUND IN.BUT GIVEN THAT YOU'RE "SUFFERING" FROM A MYSTERIOUS AFFLICTION, OR MORE LIKELY ACTING AS A CONDUIT FOR OUR WHIMS, YOU MIGHT WANT TO HAVE THAT CHECKED OUT, NUTBAR.

[Askia]

>------------>>> are you happy?

[Xindaris]

Ressst. Let your thoughtsss drift. Not ssso far that you lossse all control, but enough for your sssubconsssciousss to ssspeak to you.

Okay, okay uh...well. I haven't ever been, you know, I've never been a part of any major religions or anything like that. I mean, I never really thought of anything supernatural as, real. But..this isn't, that hard to accept. I mean, there's f---in' evidence. I guess if I get up and walk out of here I'll find a lot more of it...ugh. I mean, I guess I didn't really have anything..besides, you know, not really knowing or caring about anything magical or miraculous or whatever, that gets broken by all this. I'm a little confused...he said anything, but if anything mythical I can think of is real, what's fake or, I guess the word is false or unreal? How do they hide so many things from most people? Why? What's the point of even keeping in the dark about this? Wait, no..I guess that depends on how many people don't know. If most people already know it's not as big a problem, but if most people are just humans who don't know anything...oh man.

Listen closely for a moment, please. You may have already recognized that there are several, independent voices speaking with you. We are not one being, and we may not all have your best intentions in mind. Some of us will try to help you through your ordeal the least painful way possible, others may give you suggestions that will help you have the most exciting adventure you can, and still others will to command you in ways that will not help you at all. And I would ask you to use common sense, or take everything with a grain of salt, but there are going to be times where we will say things that don't make any sense and you will be scared and you will just have to trust us. Let your intuition guide you in these cases, and please, don't let your own voice be drowned our by ours.

Alright, sorry for the lecture. Go ahead and rest, and then maybe find a telepath, or the teacher who brought you here.

I'm really glad most of the voices stopped hurting. This one has kind of a weird low hum, like..I don't know, the noise high-voltage wires make? I can make out what it's saying, though. Okay, so try to make sense of everything first, and then..

> UGH, FINE. I GUESS YOUR SKULL IS JUST A HOUSE FOR FLYS TO BUZZ AROUND IN.BUT GIVEN THAT YOU'RE "SUFFERING" FROM A MYSTERIOUS AFFLICTION, OR MORE LIKELY ACTING AS A CONDUIT FOR OUR WHIMS, YOU MIGHT WANT TO HAVE THAT CHECKED OUT, NUTBAR.

OW, F---. Look, it's not my fault you started screaming in my brain, okay? How do I know it isn't yours?

Ok, maybe this university left a leaflet around telling you to go register with a local medical centre and so on; that will be of use.

There is probably a load of things that you need to sort out in fact, and any of them could help you understand what is going on.

Or (assuming suitable tech level) you could get on-line and look up information on under whose instruction you were admitted here. You have login information right?

...Tech level? Uh, anyway...I know who contacted me first for sure. I got a personal letter from the dean, or, I dunno, maybe it was a form letter, but...it didn't look like my name was just copied and pasted in. My family did some research on this place, and even though none of us had heard of it it looked like they had all kinds of honors and merits and certifications and all that stuff colleges brag about. When we came for a visit, everything looked..normal, and yesterday, too. I talked to someone on that visit..it was, it was an author who was studying as a graduate student here or something like that..her name was, uh...

>------------>>> are you happy?

"GAAaah!" I bolt upright, because for a second or so it feels like there is literally a pitchfork in my brain. Happy? What are you talking about!? Happy about what? What about this situation makes you think I'm going to be happy?

"Uh, are you okay?" Damien looks worried, I'm not sure if he's worried about me or himself, honestly.

"Y-yeah, my headache isn't getting any better. I have to go." Before he can say anything I get my keys and run out the door into the dorm hallway. It's deserted; I leave the building and don't meet anyone on my way there. I don't know, maybe most of them are sleeping in or something. The courtyard (orwhateveryoucallit) out the door is less deserted, there are some people sitting on the lawn area. None of them are human, one of them has wings and the others have other animal parts, like tails. They haven't noticed me. I keep going. I don't really know where I'm going, I've looked at a map of this place and my sense of direction is pretty good but right now it's missing. I'm hungry, I think the cafeteria is this way. I can't seem to walk straight. What the h--- is going on!?

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I owe an update on PersonS but I'm having a little trouble coming up with what to write there, so I'm trying to make up for with updates in other adventures I guess.

[Chwoka]

> VOMIT AND GET IT OVER WITH. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

[kd7sov]

Loud one, your anticsss do not help.

Find a placcce of sssolitude. Perhapsss with sssome treesss. Failing that, sssee if you can find the author you met. Ssshe ssshould at leassst be sssomewhat familiar.

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Fassscinating, how my choiccce of quirk is influencccing the content of my sssuggessstions.

[Askia]

~~ Anyway why dont you just sit down for a while trashing around while have such a headache will get you hurt