[ Graduation Dungeon ] Junko (Finished!)

[Eight]

Junko's heart pounded anxiously as she approached her first room, staring at the door with wide eyes. This was it. This was it. She was going to graduate. Here it comes. Just..

Just open the door...

She had been waiting for this for so long. She had done her stupid spars, her classes, so many classes, and she had learned and grown so much since coming to Amityville. She would come and visit, she would do her part, but she wanted to move on.

It was time.

Progress
Prompt 1: A Letter to My Future Self
Prompt 2: Forged Anew
Prompt 3: What Cannot Be Denied
Prompt 4: In Their Shoes Now
Prompt 5: What Does Not Kill You
Boss Room: The Green Knight is Rude!


*** Yes, I know I messed up the dice/RNG. I didn't realize I had done it until I went to do the fifth prompt. Maru and Liz laughed at my pain but okay'd it. Don't drink and roll, kids!

 

[Eight]

First Prompt

A Letter To My Future Self --
You step into a room. Except it now isn't a room anymore. A quick look down at yourself reveals that you've changed. You know that you're still you, and part of you realizes that you are your future self. Describe a day in the life of your future self, the future that you see your character in.

Taking a deep breath, Junko stepped into the room..wait..room? She blinked, looking around. Oh...

Huh. That was interesting. She smiled quietly. She got it now, it was perfect. It was a reminder of how much she had gone through; Junko had arrived at the school a sheltered young ghoul who had spent her entire life prior being verbally put down by her mother's second mouth, a second mouth she had finally lost to when she had been young and just didn't fight against anymore. She had been quiet, meek, and subservient to not only The Mistress but to just about anyone to met...but she'd grown. She stood taller, she was happy, she was more confident and she couldn't stop smiling even after everything she had gone through in the past three years.

And she still had so much growing to do.

Junko would continue to grow. Hel had helped her find an apartment; it was small and she had had to put a lot of things in storage, and many of her minipets had to spend a lot of time in the closet. But she kept the closet open so they could come and go as they pleased, she never wanted any of them to ever feel as if Mommy didn't love them when that could not have been any father from the truth. But this apartment was okay. It suited her. It was cute, it was close to town without being crazy cramped or overwhelming, and it was within her current price-range.

She and Lizzy had their shop. They were designing, creating, and selling beautiful garments for every shape, size, gender, and non-gender. Things had come together for them. They were happy, they were living the life they wanted to live. TG's offer to help them with networking had helped and creeple knew who they were.

She was unattached, single, and happy. The futakuchi-onna was doing what she loved, she had friends, family she had practically adopted. Life wasn't always perfect but it was close enough.

Her average day was spent working even if she wasn't actually at work. On many of her days off she would prepare a warm cup of tea, step out onto her balcony, and just sit and sketch for hours. Sayuri and Kuro, her two most faithful minipet since long before Amityville, pranced and played on the safety of the balcony while Momo napped in the chair beside her. Her neighborhood was fairly quiet but in a peaceful kind of way, and she loved it.

Junko had finally found her place, she had finally found how to contribute to Halloween and the collection of Fear. Whether it was designing clothes to accent certain attributes to someone else or to disguise herself, she was doing good. Even her own collection was fun. She had always enjoyed practicing during classes at scaring humans.

Junko was happy.  

[Eight]

Second Prompt

Forged Anew
You step into a room. Except it now isn't a room anymore. You realize quite quickly that you are now a Hunter's Weapon. What kind of weapon are you? Who is the human you're with? What is your relationship? And oh, look -- your human appears to be fighting against someone you recognize. You don't remember their name. But there's something about them that sparks... something within you. Is it joy? Sadness? Hatred? You... You don't quite know why you're feeling it, but you can't deny the feeling is there.

Be careful, Kevin~. Remember what happened last time? Junko asked with amusement as her bonded summoned her. She was a long black whip lined with glowing green runes from handle to tip. The whip had five 'tails', each one tipped with thick black ball at the end. She even had a plush purple ribbon tied in a pretty bow at the very tip of her handle. Her Hunter, a young man with short brown hair and blue eyes, simply grinned and slipped his hand through the wrist loop so he could grasp Junko's handle firmly.

Yeah, yeah. You can't tell me you never hit yourself in the face, he argued with a playful roll of her eyes. Junko simply chuckled.

You're probably right.

They both fell quiet after that, as if just speaking to each other in the safety of Kevin's head would alert any horsemen to their presence. He crept through the halls of the Haunted House on nearly silent footstep, holding Junko in both hands so as not to drag her across the floor. They were silent, Kevin barely breathing, and Junko wishing she could dim the glow of her runes to stop illuminating her Hunter and revealing his location to any passerby.

Something fell and Kevin whipped around without a second thought, lashing out with Junko and catching the ankle of someone nearby. He tugged harshly, tipping the person over and dragging the body closer to them. Glowing red eyes narrowed at the pair and his skin glowed a dull gray. Junko let out a startled cry as the boil's darkened hand sharpened into a large claw and slashed at her, forcing her off him and quickly rising to his feet while Kevin stepped back and pulled Junko back to his side. Kevin narrowed his eyes, cracking the whip harmlessly at his side.

He's not a horseman. Horsemen don't have glowing skin, right?

They don't.. Junko stared at the boil through the eyes of her Hunter. He had sharp teeth, almost like a shark, and long black hair that was pulled back in a ponytail while the sides of his head had been shaved. What a strange hairstyle...

His eyes glowed red, his sclera a menacing black background to them, and his skin was gray. He had been cool to the touch when she had been wrapped around him. He's...he's a ghost.. but Junko sounded distracted. Why did seeing him...hurt? The longer the stared the more she felt both happy and terribly pained by the sight of this boil's face. It was the strangest thing and Junko couldn't remember ever feeling this way before.

Kevin raised his arm back and then quickly snapped forward, intent on striking at the boil. Junko gasped. NO DON'T HURT HIM! She shrieked and forced herself to unsummon, reverting to a bracelet around Kevin's wrist. The Hunter was taken aback and stumbled back a few steps to get a safe distance away from the ghost.

"What the hell, Junko?!" He barked aloud. The boil's eyes widened and his defensive stance relaxed slightly.

"Junko..?"

I..I'm sorry, Kevin! I just...when you went to attack him, I.. She what? I'm so sorry. I can't! I can't hurt him! For some reason the thought of hitting him hurts. I can't. Please just run away. Please. Junko pleaded. Had she a heart it would be racing wildly. The boil took a step toward them, Kevin took a pair of runic daggers from their sheaths at his hips. Kevin! Please! Don't fight him!

Kevin hissed. Really? She had never done this before. Sure, Junko wasn't a huge fan of combat but she had never told him to run away from a single student before.

"Fine! Deus Ex Machina," he said under his breath. Both Hunter and weapon disappeared, leaving Seiji to himself.  

[Eight]

Third Prompt

What Can't Be Denied
You step into a room. It's a bare, plain room. By the time you reach the middle it warps and shifts, and you are left facing your greatest weakness. What is it and how do you deal with it?

Junko wasn't sure what to expect when she entered the next room but it certainly wasn't a plain old room with nothing in it. Had she gone to the wrong place?

"I'm sorry!"

Huh?

_____________________________"I'm so sorry about Her!"

_____________"You have a very lovely name at that."
_____________________________"Um..thank you! No one's ever...thank you~!"

Was that...her? Junko frowned, taking a step toward the other figure in the room.

_________________Am I to assume you are the one they call Junko?
_______"People have been...talking about me?"

The gnomes simply mentioned that students highly recommend you for such tasks; I could not afford to pass on the chance for your assistance.

These voices. She knew these voices. Why did they sound so...strange? There was something off about them.

"There's such a sad love, deep in your eyes~"________________________
"A kind of pale jewel~."
"Open and closed within your eyes,~ I'll place the sky within your eyes.~"______

__________________________"Promise you won't...get tired of me? A-and if you do, tell me so I can...fix it..."
"Tired of you? I don't think I could,"

_______________________________________________"I'm not going anywhere, J. I love you."

Junko stopped behind the other figure. Voices still echoed off the walls of the room, voices of the creeple and knew and the friends she loved, her own voice, The Mistress' voice, even the voices of her parents. Many were warm and loving whereas others were harsh or cruel. The figure that sat on the floor before her was curtained in long black hair. It didn't move, it didn't even twitch. She frowned, kneeling down in front of the figure and reaching forward to part the curtain; behind the curtain of hair was her own face, only smaller and younger. It was her when she had first arrived in the school. A torn red kimono, a fluffy skirt, long stockings, and a shamefully hidden second mouth. Her face was stained with tears, her eyes wide and dull. There was no life in those eyes, no twinkle of happiness and no glow of the Fear she had taken in while staying with the Kitsune clan. She was thin, too thin, and far paler than Junko was now. The ghoul could have passed off as a ghost if she truly wished it.

Junko's own face was unreadable. This was the old her. "...Hello."

The other her gasped and scrambled back away from her, holding each side of her head and whimpering. "G-go away! Don't speak to me! You're...you're so pretty! You shouldn't associate with someone like me! I'll make you dirty!" The Other Junko cried, tears streaming down her face. And the more she looked at it the more she saw it; the ghoul's hands were dirty, her face as well. It was as if the ghoul hadn't bathed after a roll in the dirt. "Just go away...everyone else does.."

"Worthless."

Junko frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Stupid."

The Other Junko continued to cry. "I have no friends. No one actually likes me, you know? I make a friend, and then someone prettier comes along. I try to help creeple and I just make it awkward. Even my ex-boilfriend moved on to date a ghoul who tried to take him from me when we were dating! Everyone is better than me. I don't deserve to exist!"

"Pathetic."

Glowing green eyes widened. Oh...

"That's not true.." she said softly, moving closer to reach out and touch the other her. "You have lots of friends.."

The Other Junko continued to sob, backing away from Junko's outstretched hand. "No! Stop it! Go away! It's not true! I'm ugly! Talentless! I have nothing of value! I am nothing of value! My own parents don't want me!"

"Disgusting."

Junko's heart pounded. She cleared her throat and shook her head. No...that wasn't true. It had never been true. Seiji had tried to make her see it, Riley had tried to make her see that, everyone had tried to make her see that...

"You are beautiful. You're beautiful, and strong. You're stronger than you think..and you have so many creeple who love you." Her eyes narrowed. "You don't need your parents. You'll make it through life without them, learning from their mistakes and not repeating them. You have the support for it, and the strength."

"You are a fool!"

Junko smiled, tugging the Other Junko to herself in a warm embrace. She pet her hair, closing her eyes and resting her head against the other her's. "You don't need a boilfriend, he can do whatever he wants. You can do whatever you want, whenever you want." The Other Junko struggled against her and she just held her tighter. "You're beautiful! And smart! Strong, and brave! You have friends who love you, who you can call family. A real family." The Other Junko stopped struggling and just sobbed against her shoulder.

Junko frowned again. "Don't put yourself down. You deserve so much better. You're no one's puppet.."

Her shoulder felt wet.

"I'm sorry."

"Thank you." The Other Junko sobbed, returning the hug she was being given.

Junko's smile returned. "You're welcome."  

[Eight]

Already did this!  

[Eight]

Fourth Prompt

In Their Shoes Now
You step into a room. Except it now isn't a room anymore. It's now a classroom, and the students within it are staring at you in a mixture of interest, disinterest, boredom, and several of them are doing a rather poor job at attempting to hide their skellyphones as they text one another beneath their desks. It suddenly occurs you that you are now a professor. What subject are you teaching? How are you teaching it?

Junko set the stack of papers down on her desk, a long tendril of hair reaching out to pick up a piece of chalk and write REVIEW DAY across the board. She looked up from her papers to see her students. Some of them were scrambling to get work finished before she called the class to order, others were laughing at those students and mocking them, and some were sleeping at their tables. Was..was one of them drooling? Well then.

"So we've come up on day two, class," Junko called out above the noise of the room. They quieted. Some of them now looked panicked, a couple looked smug, others bored, and that one who was drooling was still asleep. Seriously, kid. Wake up. "Which means tomorrow is your last day. Today I will be doing a quick review with all of you, checking you individually to see how you're coming along. Your projects are due at the end of class tomorrow--"

"No later. Any late assignments will result in princess corner time!" The Mistress barked.

Junko's eyes widened as did the eyes of all of her students. "No..just a failing grade! Promise. But as this is your final project of the year, well, it's kind of a big deal." Now she smiled sweetly. "You may get to work, I will be with you shortly." The students did as they were told.

They were making clothes, their final project of the year. Their assignment? They had to take everything they had learned in the past year and apply it to a garment of their choice. They could make whatever they wanted as long as it expressed who they were as a designer and it was well made. While everyone got back to work she approached the sleeping student.

"What to do.." Something fun, right? She rubbed her chin and hummed thoughtfully, reaching for their sewing needles. Just a little poke, nothing that would pierce their skin! But before Junko could pick them up The Mistress has other ideas; while Junko had been busy plotting she had missed her own hair wrapping around the legs of her student's stool, so when the stool suddenly flew out from under the student and sent him falling to the ground she was genuinely surprised. Her eyes widened.

Well...he was awake.

The boil sat up sharply, rubbing his head and scrambling to get back up and act as if nothing had happened.

"Good morning, Miss Junko!"

Junko just stared. She looked at the other students to make sure they had all seen what she just saw as well, and then she turned back to the young boil. "You realize you've been here sleeping for ten minutes, right?"

"O..oh..." He blushed. "So that was..you who..."

"Yes."

"...So uh..am I..?"

"Getting detention? Yes." Junko smiled and pat his head before she returned to her desk, ignoring the snickering of her class around her at the expense of the boil.

"All right, back to work everyone, the fun is over. I'll be visiting each of you individually now. Be ready to impress me~." She was teasing.

Mostly.  

[Eight]

ALREADY DID ALSO WOW HI WRONG COMMAND HOW ARE YOU  

[Eight]

Fifth Prompt

What Doesn't Kill You
You step into a room. It's a bare, plain room. By the time you reach the middle it warps and shifts, and you are left facing your greatest fear. What is it and how do you deal with it?

Was she almost done? Junko had practically lost track of everything she had done by now. How many rooms had she visited? This was number five, right? It was almost like visiting the haunted house.

Especially this next room, apparently..

As Junko wandered further into the room it grew darker and darker, silvery fog swirling around her feet with every step and every swish of her hair. "Hello?" There came no answer. The air chilled and she rubbed her arms, finally coming to a stop.

She heard footsteps behind her.

Junko quickly turned on her heel, her hair wrapping around her legs as she did. "Helloooo~?" This was all..strangely familiar. And not in a good way. She saw a glimmer of red light in the corner of her eye and turned once again.

She was now face-to-face with the red glow of a scythe.

The ghoul gasped and stumbled back, tripping on her own hair and scrambling to get back up. She gathered up her hair in her arms and held it close to her chest. The false-reaper..she knew what it was now. A Hunter. Her eyes narrowed. "You." The Hunter said nothing, it simply waved in what was obviously a cheerful and friendly gesture.

"You stay away from me!" Junko hissed, backing away from the Hunter. The Hunter wagged a finger at her and still said nothing. She saw nothing in the depths of their black hood. They took a step closer, mocking her.

Growling, Junko took several steps back. "I said stay away!"

The Hunter cared not for her demands. Instead it turned its scythe to hold its handle with both hands, swinging back as they ran toward Junko. The closer they got the more Junko panicked. They made to swing the scythe at her, to chop off her precious hair again, but Junko moved faster. She would not be attacked by them again. Eyes narrowed, Junko darted at the Hunter and grabbed their scythe, spinning on her heel and using their own weapon against them.

The figure was sliced clean in half. There was no body, simply two halves of a torn robe and a glowing red scythe in her hands. She broke the handle over her knee and chucked the weapon away from her.

"No one cuts my hair."  

[Eight]

Junko entered the next room with a bit more caution than the last five. The door closed behind her and she squeaked. What now? There was more mist...did she have to face that Hunter again? But she defeated them! This--

...That..was not a Hunter.

Her eyes widened as she stared up at the large Knight. "Oh wow.."

"HALT. YOU SHALL NOT PASS."

The javelin came down and Junko squeaked again, jumping back away from it. Wait! Her diploma! She could see it! She pouted and put her hands on her hips.

"RUDE! I'll have you know I've worked very hard to get this far! I will pass!"  

[Eight]

The Knight was not amused by the young ghoul's sass and showed this feeling by smacking her with the side of his weapon. Junko squeaked and fell to the ground, quickly getting up and hurrying away. Wow. Okay. So he hit harder than a student and a Hunter. Right. Gotcha.

HP: 40/50
Damage done: 0 of course
Hit: 0/3  

[Eight]

Okay..how does one with no weapons and no body parts to use as a weapon except her hair fight a Knight in armor? This was actually kind of hard. Um..okay..uh...!

Apparently you do not go up and punch them in the arm. This only leads to pain in one's hand.

"What was that you were saying earlier about you being smart?" Asked The Mistress. Junko pouted, rubbing her knuckles.

HP: 35/50
Damage done: 5
Hit: 1/3  

[Eight]

The Knight got her in the side with his javeline and Junko winced. Ow. Owwww! Aw, man! Her dress!

He was ruining her dress! Stupid Knight! The ghoul made an unhappy sound as she turned to deliver a kick to the knight, shoving him away from her with a foot against his chest. The Knight actually stumbled back. Was he surprised?

HP: 30/50
Damage done: 5
Hit: 2/3  

[Eight]

It's okay, Knight-san, Junko was also surprised by how she was doing. A look was given to her diploma. That was her diploma, what she had been working for all this time.

You can do this, Junko.

She delivered another kick to the Knight's middle.

HP: 30/50
Damage done: 5
Hit: 3/3  

[Eight]

Junko's hair ripped the Knight's javelin from his hands an she grasped it in her own instead. She had..no idea how to use this...

So instead she held it like a bat and swung it up, knocking the Knight's helmet off his shoulders. The Knight quickly backed off, his hands flying to his head as he scrambled around for his helmet.

"DISHONORABLE CHILD!"

Rolling her eyes, Junko tossed the Knight his weapon and walked away. She approached the diploma and just stared at it. This was it. She was graduating. Junko's heart raced wildly in her chest as she gingerly picked it up, looking around and totally expecting something horrible to happen.

...Nothing happened.

She smiled and slipped the diploma free from the ribbon holding it closed, opening it and reading it.

Quote:

AMITYVILLE ACADEMY

To all whom these presents shall have come: Greetings unto you.

Be it known that we, the Headmistress and Faculty of the Academy under authority of Fear and the Laws of Halloween, have admitted

Junko, The Steadfast

the Rights, Privileges, and Dignities to which a Persons of Halloween with Amityville Experience may Expect.

She'd done it.

She'd graduated.