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

Oh Sangwoo // Killing Stalking

[softlykilling]

[i]

[Boy, there were some strange names here in this chat. His own was normal - maybe not something he would have thought to choose, but not something he'd take a second glance at if he saw it on a nametag.

If everyone else here was compelled to enter a name as he was, what made some of them choose something so bizarre?

Of course, it would be poor manners to call them out like that. And there was something else on his mind right now, anyways.]

Sangwoo: Enough about names.
Sangwoo: Truth is, I'm a bit of a night owl. Even with the curfew, I still stay up late at home...
Sangwoo: Tonight, I nearly passed out.
Sangwoo: Anyone else feel the same?

[ii - post-battle]

[Sangwoo wasn't sure what he found more alarming: how much he enjoyed slaying that creature or the rush he felt at tearing his own heart out. It was frightening, sure, and yet thrilling, and...familiar, in a way.

Of course he'd never torn his own heart out before, but there was something about the red and the blood and the rapid pounding that seemed to spark some deeply buried memories within him. There were others who fought with him. Part of him wondered what it would be like to tear their hearts out, too.

But that would be a terrible thing to say. Instead, he offers a reassuring smile and a hand up, if they've fallen down.]

Hey...are you alright?

[iii]

Sangwoo: This is stressful, isn't it?
Sangwoo: I can barely even focus on my studies...
Sangwoo: I'm so terrible with secrets.
Sangwoo: Anyone have any tips?

[He was, in fact, excellent at keeping secrets. This double-life business wasn't too different from how things were back home, he was discovering.

Misdirecting others was always beneficial, though. Like it or not, he might need these people, and he gets the feeling that a lot of them wouldn't approve of the real Sangwoo.]

[iv]

[ooc; wildcard prompt! Feel free to PM me on this account or PP me at dandymott if you want to plot.]

i!

[torching]

Mako: yeah.
Mako: that headache from earlier was more than enough to make me tired for the whole day.
Mako: ...you got it too, right? the headache, i mean.

[softlykilling]

Sangwoo: Yes, I got it too.
Sangwoo: I don't usually get headaches, either.
Sangwoo: I'm not sure if I should be more or less concerned now that I know I'm not the only one.

[Because it's comforting that it's not just him, but why would this many people get a headache at the same time? There's no explanation for that that doesn't dip dangerously close to conspiracy theory territory.]

[torching]

[ let's not comfort the serial killer. at this point, conspiracy theories are all they have. ]

Mako: it must have something to do with the app.
Mako: showing up on everyone's phones, throwing us into this chatroom...something's not right.
Mako: seems like it could be the work of a hacker.

[softlykilling]

Sangwoo: It does seem to be connected to the app.
Sangwoo: I'm not entirely sure how that's possible, but it is what it is.
Sangwoo: You just found the app tonight, too? I didn't install it, it was just there.

[torching]

Mako: yeah. tried to delete it, but it wouldn't go away. it just took me to this chatroom.
Mako: come to think of it, i know i said it could be a hacker behind this, but...that doesn't explain the headaches.

[softlykilling]

Sangwoo: Maybe they're hacking our brains. I think I saw a movie like that once.
Sangwoo: That sounds ridiculous but so does everything else I can think of.

[torching]

Mako: what? how does that even work??

[softlykilling]

Sangwoo: I think it was aliens.
Sangwoo: Or maybe nanomachines? It wasn't a very good movie...
Sangwoo: Sorry, I'm not being very helpful.

[Frustrating as it is, there doesn't seem to be a reasonable explanation for this.]

Sangwoo: Is Mako your actual name?

[torching]

Mako: oh.
Mako: no, actually, that's a pretty sound theory. it would explain the headaches and maybe correlate to why we can't get rid of the app.
Mako: and yeah, it's my real name. you?

[softlykilling]

Sangwoo: I sure hope it's not someone experimenting on us.
Sangwoo: ...And I'm not really sure anymore, as strange as that sounds.

ii

[kokuyoyo]

[Unlike most of the others, Chikusa has stayed to the back, occasionally calling out advice or dragging people up to their feet if they've fallen. Right now, however, he's the one on the ground- legs drawn up, arms on his knees, hands clasped tightly. He's still staring where the creature crawled out from, with more intensity than is usually ever on his face.]

[It takes him a second to respond to the voice speaking up besides him.]

We just tore out our hearts.

[His voice is pretty dull for all that's just happened and what he's saying.]

[softlykilling]

And lived through it, so that's something, right?

[Because there's always a bright side and as far as Sangwoo is concerned, 'not being dead' is about as bright as it gets.]

There might be more of those things. We should probably get out of here.

[kokuyoyo]

[The idea of more creatures appearing is enough to stir him up to his feet, rubbing at his chest. His heart seems normal now, but...]

The dorms aren't far from here. These things probably don't care whether they kill us inside or outside, but.... it's somewhere at least.

[softlykilling]

[Sangwoo idly looks down at his own chest, pressing his hand up against it. Nothing happens. It's almost disappointing.]

It'll probably be safer with more people around, too.

[Because attacking someone when there are lots of witnesses around is just a bad idea. Who knows if these weird monsters are sensible enough to know that, though.]

[kokuyoyo]

Then let's go...

[A little out of it and showing it, he starts to slouch his way towards the nearest entrance into the school. It'll be easier- and safer- to get back through the halls than anything else.]

[Meanwhile, over his shoulders- ]

I doubt it'll happen whenever we want....

[softlykilling]

I didn't think so, but I wanted to make sure. It would be awkward if it happened in public.

[He follows, and walks briskly but without any real sense of panic.]

It's going to be tough to sleep tonight.

[kokuyoyo]

[It is a pretty calm walk, but then- Chikusa isn't much better. In his case, however, it's more a moment of.... checking out. Like his body isn't entirely his as he opens the door.]

Because you think those things might attack again?

[It's the first thing to come to mind.]

iii

[lovelledup]

Gladion: If you think you'll say something you shouldn't, just keep your mouth shut.

[softlykilling]

Sangwoo: Ha, that is pretty simple, isn't it?
Sangwoo: I'm just worried that I seem suspiciously nervous about something, too, regardless of what I say.

[lovelledup]

Gladion: Probably. But at least most people don't assume whatever's bothering you has anything to do with weird extra lives and ripping hearts out.

[softlykilling]

Sangwoo: That's a good point.
Sangwoo: And there's nothing I'm all that concerned about anyone finding except for that.

[...Aside from the fact that his "real self' is a serial killer, but that can just go unsaid.]

iii.

[repugnant]

I'm sorry to hear that.

But I think that'd depend entirely on the gravity of the situation, right?

What's keeping you up?

[softlykilling]

Having to live two lives like this. I've never had to hide something this big before.

[And that right there is an absolute lie.]

[repugnant]

[ it's alright, you can lie to him. ]

I think to a certain degree, people just aren't as honest to each other as they seem.

Sometimes it's necessary to live two lives.

Is it something you should feel guilty about?