Round 1: Test Drive

[cordibus]

Welcome to the first test drive!

Please don't worry too much about using your Personas correctly or following the prompts exactly. They're meant to give you starting ideas, but by all means, go wild and add more options!

The objective here is to try out characters and see who you could have the most fun with in the game's setting. However, feel free to follow this link to request a Persona be generated for you as if you were part of the game. (Please try to limit this to only one of your test drive characters if you can as to not overwhelm us! Never mind generating Personas is a pretty fast process! Request for as many characters away as you like!)

If you have questions about the test drive itself, you can ask them here! If you want to play an AU don't forget this entire post can be used for you to get AU scenarios set up and see who your character might have been related too or know before Awakening.

Now then, let's begin...

Prompt 1 - From Dawn to Dusk

The city has been abuzz for the past few weeks. A new string of murders is making front page news and serving as a grim reminder why the nightly curfew is so important. As families, perhaps even someone close to you, mourn, pressure continues to rise at the many police stations and at city hall. The people are afraid and they’re demanding answers.

There's not much time for you to dwell on this.. Like everyone else in the city, you have a lot to do, and a tight schedule to do it in. You don't even notice the application that has appeared on your phone's screen. The headache that follows, however, is strange and disorienting, and it brings with it an odd sensation that something is wrong today. You’re just not sure why.

The day passes by and soon, it's close to midnight. Your body, if you're not in bed by now, is completely exhausted. Despite your best efforts, you'll find yourself closing your eyes. Too bad it's quickly interrupted by a strange noise, and movement like something pulsating softly.

It's your phone, or at least you think it's your phone, but it's never glowed this orange before. There’s mist rising above it almost like fire...something's definitely bizarre about this. Despite your fears, you forces yourself to open it, and click on that strange snake-like icon.


It opens revealing a single statement and blank box;

To begin, please write your name.

Your fingers move on their own. Before you have time to really think about it, and as the pain inside your head becomes so terrible you start breathing rapidly and sweating, you've entered a series of letters and pressed enter. Now you're in a large chatroom with many others...but your 'name' you've never even heard of it...have you? It almost feels like you have...

Prompt 2 - Awakening

The last rays of the sun disappeared over the horizon almost an hour ago, yet here you are, walking through the apple orchards located behind one of the campus wings. The strange app that's been sending you strange clues the past seven days now says you're ready to face the truth. It told you to come here tonight, but never to travel alone. Repeatedly, it warns you to make sure to have someone close by if you're to survive…but besides some friends, what else did you bring with you? Did you pack for this, or did you figure you'd make it up as you go? Are you in a position to be able to bring weapons with you that no one would suspect?

Something is out there, and it's getting closer.

Before you can think, you see it: a large, blackish mass, almost like slime, slithering along the ground resembling a vaguely humanoid shape with glowing yellow eyes. When it roars again, it reveals rows and rows of teeth. This was a mistake your brain warns. The strange name from the chatroom, the days leading up to this...you're fairly certain even if you are prepared that you're going to die.

And yet, something inside you stirs. Even as they move closer, you find yourself charging instead of running, as your heartbeat increases. A voice inside is guiding you, each movement bringing forth a surge of memories of a past that you had lost. You’re angry and confused, but your pain, your fears, your rage for all of this… all of that needs to be taken out on those creatures.

All you need to do now is to tear out your heart.

Prompt 3 - A new, old life

Now that you have your memories back, the strange veil of this world has been somewhat lifted. Things that seemed simple now seem strange. You have so many questions, but not enough answers. Then there's the new weapons you wield and the strange creature inside of you...your Heart Persona.

During the day, you are encouraged to continue to live as you did before, but with old and new memories together, sometimes it is difficult to keep acting like you did. Will it cause issues in your job or school life? Will it change your reactions to whatever life you had here? Do you notice others like you who have awakened?

Maybe it would be a good time to send a chatroom message, just to ask others what they are planning to do. Maybe you should set up a meeting to fight shadows at night. Maybe you’ll organize a plan of attack or set up a club to escape the strange looks others have been giving you. Maybe you just want someone's opinion on the best place to have pizza. Hey, no one said you had to use the AppleNET just for serious things, after all.

Comments

Alastor | Viewtiful Joe

[superstylishsquid]

Prompt 2-day

[Xane Daimon is a pretty well known actor, both for his villainous roles on the big screen and his kind actions in reality. One would think someone so successful would rarely be seen in public, but one would be wrong. Despite (or maybe because of) the...weirdness of this morning, he's decided to take some time at a local cafe to relax. He's sitting at an outside table with a cup of what seems to be hot chocolate, leaning back and looking up at the sky. The observant might notice the high-end smartphone held in one hand...]

Prompt 2-post-Awakening

[It was a rush, the entire experience of summoning his Persona in what, at the time, had been his first fight for his life. But now Xane-no, not the human Xane Daimon, the demon Alastor, is pacing agitatedly. His tail lashes behind him from beneath a cape that splits to flow around his wings, which themselves occasionally beat as if he's trying to take off into the sky. But of course he stays planted firmly on the ground, the demonic wings are too small to lift even a child, let alone someone his size.

He's angry, it's obvious from the intensity of the glow behind his visor, the way he stomps as he walks, the way the spade on his tail flares as it whips around. He's not particularly paying attention to who else might or might not be around, either, as he mutters angrily to himself.]

Who do they think they're dealing with here? There's no way that other life was really me, they think they're being funny. They'd better hope I don't figure out who they are, I can already think of a few 'funny' ways to share my opinion with them...

[Not that telling himself this makes that other life feel any less real, but maybe if he says it emphatically enough he'll convince himself that that's not what he's really like.]

2

[forsteri]

[Sakuma is sitting on the ground. He's half leaned forward, just far enough that he can place both palms in the leaf litter as if he could stabilize himself that way. He's a hundred percent certain he just died, and now all of a sudden his brain is filled with a life that certainly isn't here.

He raises his head, turns it far enough that he can see past his blind spot -- there's someone nearby, isn't there? And then he sees who or what that someone is and his heart skips a beat. For one horrible second he's certain he'll hear that flatline sound again, but then he realizes that he was just startled and takes a breath in. That could be a human, right?

Sakuma can't quite hear the stranger from here but he can tell he's talking to himself -- he's close enough that even in the gloom he can see his mouth moving. He gets up, dusts himself off, and sidles slightly in the direction of the school -- he doesn't want to be noticed, but if he is noticed, he doesn't want his back to this person.]

[superstylishsquid]

He might not be paying much attention, but his instincts are still in danger mode. He catches movement out of the corner of his eye and whips around, sword held high and tail raised like that of a startled cat. When he sees it's just a human, he doesn't relax, but he does lower his weapon.

"Tch, watch it. Don't you know startling a devil is a good way to get killed?"

[forsteri]

Sakuma instantly tenses and before he's thinking about it, one hand is over his shoulder, gripping the trident there. This is not a reflex he's familiar with, and yet he did it without even thinking about it. Actually, now that he's considering it, he's not sure he'd even picked up that there was a weapon on his back until just a second ago. The person lowers his weapon, though, and Sakuma lets go of his own.

For a moment he doesn't know what to say, but then he frowns gently. "I think I just did," he says, and then purses his lips. If he died... what is he now?

[superstylishsquid]

"You mean that whole 'ripping your heart out' thing?"

He puts a hand on his hip as his tail flicks behind him.

"That was probably just some sort of illusion. You see any blood all over?"

[forsteri]

"Well --" No, but still! "But if that wasn't what I just felt, then what happened?" And what are you? Why is he suddenly... so sure of all these memories? There are so many questions he needs answered, and yet none of them feel any closer to his grasp than they ever had. If anything, they feel further away.

He had signed up as 'Jirou Sakuma' on the app at the beginning of the week, but he hadn't felt any less like Yoshio Koutarou than he ever had. And now he's not sure which of them is actually his name, or if both are, or neither. "Though," he adds belatedly, "I guess you probably don't know a whole lot more than I do, right?"

[superstylishsquid]

"Not really, no. Normally I might be able to figure something out, but whoever gave me that fake life..." It felt real, but it had to be fake. Xane Daimon was nothing like who he really was! "They must've sealed my magic, too. I don't even have the senses I'd need to make heads or tails of what's going on."

[forsteri]

"Magic?" What, really? As far as he was aware, there was no such beast. But then, if you didn't know any better, hissatsu might look like magic, mightn't it? So he supposes he can't pass judgment.

"As far as I know I'm a normal human," Sakuma muses. Normal, except for his weird eye, but that's not anybody's business. "So I can't say I can relate. Though I'd like to get my hands on a soccer ball..." Which sounds pretty mundane, only if this person's innate skills are missing, then... what about hissatsu?

Re: Alastor | Viewtiful Joe

[moonoveralola]

"...Mister Xane?"

Oh hey look it's that little girl you met at the hospital.

"Are...are you alright?"

What was her name...Lucine, right?

[superstylishsquid]

He looks over at the girl when she speaks and sits up properly, putting on a smile that could melt icebergs.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just kinda tired, you know how it is.

[moonoveralola]

Lucine - wait, she prefers Lucy, right? - nods a little as she moves closer.

"Uh-huh."

There's a pause as she looks uncertain.

"...can you not sleep either, Mister Xane?"

[superstylishsquid]

"Insomnia isn't going around, is it?"

His expression turns concerned and he waves at one of the empty seats at his table.

"C'mon Lucy, sit down. Want some hot chocolate?"

[moonoveralola]

Nod nod.

"If it's alright..."

She sits down, folding her hands on her lap and staring at them intently.

"...I just...haven't been sleeping so good, that's all."

[superstylishsquid]

"It's fine, really."

He waves over at one of the waitresses, indicating his mug and his new companion.

"Something bothering you, or is it just trouble staying asleep?"

[moonoveralola]

Lucy crosses her legs at the ankles, swinging them back and forth.

"I...dunno? I guess Mom wants me to make more friends, so she put this new chat app on my phone...but whenever I open it up my head starts hurting real bad."

[superstylishsquid]

That description gets him to lean forward, as if she suddenly got his full attention. Considering his generally laid back personality, it's a rare sight.

"That app...is the icon some sort of snake eating its own tail?"

[moonoveralola]

Lucy's gaze snaps to Xane's.

"You have it too?"

Post awakening

[draculabackwards]

[With his own awakening, Alucard is also facing a bit of identity crisis. How in the name of Lord did he get here? Where were all his weapons? It's only by watching someone else lose their composure that truly, he is not alone in this matter. His eyes are now gold, their natural color. They even glow a little, depending on how he turns his head.

He wouldn't normally reach out to a demon, since that's what he usually fights. But today? They're all having a bad day.]

I suspect that if this place has seen fit to do this to us, a direct attack may not be the best option.

[superstylishsquid]

[He knows this guy is right, and it makes him bristle, especially since he's still on edge from his Awakening. He growls, baring a set of elongated canines more at home on a predatory animal than a humanoid.]

Too bad backing down from someone who offended me has never been my strong suit.

[draculabackwards]

[Alucard looks at his own reflection. He doesn't look that much different than normal. Except. One got the distinct impression that he wasn't quite human.]

I don't suggest backing down, if that's your aim. Rather, it might be a better idea to attack obliquely.

[superstylishsquid]

Tch...

[His tail swishes back and forth behind him, the way a tense cat's might.]

Be patient and play the long game, huh? I don't like it. Especially if it means I have to keep living that human life...

[draculabackwards]

[Alucard wouldn't mind blending into the crowd himself but that's his own opinion.]

The problem is, where would you even begin to search or attack? [Is he really offering advice to a demon? This is just a strange day all around.]

[superstylishsquid]

[Not like his human identity did much blending in, even if that was his style...]

I guess with that app. That's where the messages that led me out here came from...

[He's finally calming down some, and one hand settles onto his hip.]

That last message makes me think me remembering who I really am was their plan. And I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess you're out here for the same reason.

[draculabackwards]

[The app? Wait, were all of them who had this app were now violently awakened? What kind of plan is going on here?]

Indeed. [Although his anger is more restrained, Alucard is more than a little perturbed at being taken straight from his coffin to sleep away time.] I am more than willing to lend you aid in your endeavor.

[superstylishsquid]

I'm not normally much of a team player...

[He heaves a sigh and the orange of his eyes glowing behind his visor dims slightly.]

But I guess now's not the time to be stubborn. Alright, the name's Alastor. Normally I'd say something dramatic like 'call my name and I shall appear', but my teleportation's a little on the fritz right now.