Round 2: Test Drive

[cordibus]

Welcome to the second 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 - Flower Festival

The Festival of Flowers is in full bloom in the city! As an inhabitant of Eddan, you're excited to go and attend some of the activities! But unknown to you, something else might be starting to beat in the deepest, darkest depths of your heart.

The festival log prompts can be found here. Please note that you can use these to post in the test drive, but not on the player log itself!

Additionally, if both test drive player and game players agree, the festival test drive threads can also become game canon! As long as the test drive character is played as being completely unaware of what has happened in the game up to this point. Keep in mind that they would NOT have had a message on their phones. Two Test drive players can also make these game canon if they get accepted (and they keep the same requirements as above).

Prompt 2 - 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 3 - 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 4 - 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

Aleksandr Novak | OC

[pathfinding]

( A - Flower Festival )

Go figure the day he gets out of the hospital it's during a week he'd actually want to be outside. So rarely it hppens, and every other year the flower festival has come and gone with him glaring at the celebrations from half a city away. Now it's the one year he can actually do things for it, and after crossing off all the things he can't (amusement park is out due to stress, the other major events have too many people-

Actually no, Kris is out of every last possible fuck to give.

Instead he takes up shop sitting on a low-hanging branch, leaning down over the edge in a way that'll give palpitations to anyone with a self-preservation instinct - how is he even moving like that, fucker's worse than a cat - and busies himself helping kids make flower crowns out of the bouquets they've gotten. Once one kid gets it, their friends group runs off in a flurry to the tone of I'M AN EXPERT NOW and it's just so very, very mundane.

He missed people. This is nice.


( B - Dawn to Dusk )

Trying to function when your body doesn't want to is commonplace by now. It's usually the leaden weights of exhaustion or those weird white outs, but the headache isn't new of itself. It's mostly how irritating it is. By the end of the night he just skips dinner in favor of overdosing on the migraine meds and going to sleep early, never to wake until tomorrow.

Except he wakes up, but at least isn't the migraine that wakes him up - or it is, but not quite, still there, making those weird auras block out one eye, fabulous - it's that incessant buzzing and that weird orange light. He didn't leave the desk lamp on? No, it's his - why is his phone smoking? What?? There's a deep-seated panic that almost takes hold, almost throws his phone out the window - No. It's midnight. They have work in the morning. If you wake them up they'll be mad. Keep your mouth shut.

Also his alarm's on it and being late for class on the days he can get there is just lazy.

The rest is written off entirely as that half-asleep state one gets when you're sick, where the sky could start falling down around you and you wouldn't give a single shit because one of your eyes kind of itches.

Aleks: did someone switch my drugs???
Aleks: wait
Aleks: aleks
Aleks: what kind of shit alias is that

There's a rant at his fingertips but the world spins, and it's only being used to the feeling that keeps his grip on this side of the world. This is too much, he just got back, there's school in the morning, he's already behind on the exams-

Aleks: fuck it im going to bed
Aleks: not worth it


( C - Wildcard )

((OOC: Will change format to match who tags, feel free to bother me to make up some other prompt if these don't work, etc etc))

Guts | Berserk

[blackdogdown]

"Yo." Someone slams a hand onto the branch, shaking it slightly. It probably wouldn't knock Kris off, probably. He wouldn't do something like that to his dearest little bro.

"You didn't tell me you were out of the hospital." Gabes grin can only be described as shit eating but as he leans back, squinting at Kris there's a flash of concern. Its a pleasant surprise to see him sure, but he hadn't heard that his brother would be in the city. "What gives? I would have picked you up."

[pathfinding]

Probably.

It doesn't. A hand flies up on reflex to grab the base of the branch, already whipping around with that Scared Cat look he gets sometimes. Did he take someone's spot he doesn't want to get into a gang war-

But it's just Gabe. The panic wanes along with that kneejerk instinct to be flawlessly polite. He gets a matching asshole smirk and leaning backwards far enough to swat him upside the head. "Sure, I'll get dragged into a double suicide! I heard about how you totalled your first car."

It's less fluid than usual, out of practice a month will do that but it's unacceptable- but it's still an easy-ish slide from the current panic-inducing pose to landing on the ground. He still barely comes up to his shoulder.

All the better for Kris to punch him in the ribs. "And you never asked. They took my wallet. Buy me lunch like a good big brother."

[blackdogdown]

The look of panic he gets from Kris is both gratifying and a little worrying. Woops. He takes the slap like a champ because its probably only fair.

"Ow." Totally monotone. He rubs his chin and grins, shaking a prosthetic arm at Kris. "Hey, don't you want a metal limb to? Cyborg master race, Kris. When Skynet happens you won't see me among the the dead."

Gabe's ribs are like rocks. He doesn't even flinch. "So whiny. They take your phone to?" He's still digging for his own wallet as he talks. "You good to eat anything or do you have some new list of restrictions? I'm not having you pass out after coffee again."

[pathfinding]

"Actually, that means you'd be the first to die, because your Skynet cyborg arm would strangle you."

Got 99 problems but a sentient murderous prosthetic ain't one, ayyyyyy.

In an embodiment of safety lessons everywhere, Kris walks backwards during the conversation. Staring into space a bit at the first part. "Ah, right, I need to yell at her. The missus turned my data off after I broke the limit. Twice over."

Rip in pieces foster mom's wallet.

But the grin comes back even when rattling off the new rules. Normally talking about it is obnoxious at best, outright depressing at worst, but today's a good day. Still alive enough to risk a pollen nightmare next to one of the few good things to come out of the whole situation. Got to enjoy the little things sometimes.

"No dairy, nuts, or juice. Sodium cut as much as possible. Caffeine from six servings to two."

And both involved in the conversation know that last one is going to be ignored.

[blackdogdown]

"What? No way. I've treated this arm great. It owes me." He will not be betrayed by another essential aspect of his life. Not again. That is just to much.

Kris is going to trip but Gabe is not a nice enough brother to stop him. If he wants to land on his ass in public, that sure isn't his problem. "Jesus. What sort of shit you streaming kid? There is no way I'm letting you onto my plan." Especially now that it seems to have been compromised by some weird magic virus. No need to get his little brother involved in that headache.

"So eight servings of caffeine then?" His brother will die for his coffee and he knows it. "There's a fish taco place near here. That good?"

[pathfinding]

"I don't know... Have you waxed it lately? Get its nails did? Tell it it's pretty and special and there's no other cyborg arm like it?"

Joke's on Gabe, the brat's only saving grace at Anything is that reflexive recovery time. Wiping out is a myth. "They put me in the ICU for the first week. No wifi."

So it was streaming literally everything. "And don't lie, you wouldn't put me on your plan anyway. Too expensive."

The coffee bit just gets that one radiant smile that usually means something has broken in the worst way possible. The coffee remark is ignored otherwise. The last part is... he remembers most of that long list of Yeses and Nos but he also started zoning out around the point they said 'discharge' which was... right at the beginning......

Meh. #yolo

"Yeah, that's good. I promise not to destroy your allowance."

[blackdogdown]

He clinks the makeshift fingers of the thing in Kris's face. "This thing is archaic Kris. I can't even put fake nails on it. It gets a manicure when Eddens health care finally processes my upgrade request."

He nods. "You're right. You must be some kind of leech." His tone is still fairly affectionate, just to make his brother know he's kidding. Well. Mostly kidding anyway.

"Nah don't worry about it. What kind of brother would I be if I didn't treat you on the flower festival. Its not like I spend that shit on anything but painkillers and food." Gabe has never really been the sort to want things, gifts, expensive foods, even his own room. He ran and that was enough for him.

1/2

[pathfinding]

Instinct says to back away as fast as fucking possible when something goes for his face, and two seconds after hits the 'wait stupid it's not Her' wall. The imbalance is easily turned into spinning on one heel and walking normally, like it never happened. "Sooooo all I got outta this is your hand isn't Skynet," laughter coming up in a few short chimes, before shoulder checking him and the expression of Nothing that everyone else gets comes back.

"If they're still messing with you, I can fix it. I just need the word."

It's fine if he gets wronged. He deserves it. That's how it should be. But not anyone else-

[pathfinding]

Wait. No stress. Right.

A beat after it's back to the smiles like nothing happened, like it was just hallucination, all smiles and normalcy and he's not mad at all, "But I expect you'll say no again. Offer's always open!"

"More importantly, I still don't take painkillers. They're still ignoring me about it." Tap tap, the idle vibrations against the false arm to bring attention to it, "Hydrocodone again, upped to ten. I only need a few for emergencies, but the rest are yours. Might make that phantom nerve thing easier to tolerate."

[blackdogdown]

Ah.

He messed up again didn't he? He's known Kris to long to not know the telltale signs of panic on his brothers face before he covers them up again. Gabe knows he's not the smarter of the two, but he's not obtuse.

He messed up again, but he doesn't know how to fix it. He's not...good with people. Not good with his brother. He tries, but Kris probably deserved some one less rough around the edges.

"Thats my line." What happened to the days when Gabe could fill the role of the more simple protector? He bumps Kris back, mindful of the arm and sighs. "No don't bother. It's not your trouble. My med care files all messed up because they're missing so much data. And theres the stuff about paying off this thing first, even with the insurance...."

He trails off into a depressing line of thought before he snaps up again. Tapping that just feels weird in a way he can't even explain. "Oh? Well look at you, little dealer. Not gonna sell a few to line your pockets? You honor me."

[pathfinding]

Aaaaand there goes the look on Gabe's face that means he's overthinking things. He gets elbowed again for it. "Hey. Stop it. You help more than you think."

He will never say aloud the only person he acts like This with is him. Tall-ass moron would just get all worked up and start worrying about it. What a nerd.

Though the expression turns dark at the talk of the insurance. No stress. No stress. He'd get mad if you did something illegal for his sake, anyway.

Inhale. Exhale. Don't think about it - And an arm is wrapped around his elbow in the token Escort position, patting in condolence. "Cheer up Mister Honor, I'm already taking my payment. Food now, depressing later."

[blackdogdown]

"Ow." He is so bullied in this life. He worries so much for his bro, and he is so bullied. Gabe just doesn't like anything that makes him feel like he's being a bad adult. As his brother probably knows, Gabe is far more of a introspective worrywort then he lets on.

Please don't do anything illegal for his sake. We are like 14 days away from literal magic canon arm.

"Of course, madame." He straightens a little. "Sorry bout rambling. Its the flower festival after all. We'll get you your food, and maybe something to help your foster mom overlook the data thing."

[pathfinding]

"Oh come off it, it doesn't hurt." Loooong since have come to terms with the fact he's kind of a wimp, excluding that one time we don't talk about.

Also 'literal magic arm cannon' sounds illegal, all bets are off towards legality of actions.

"Excuse you, it's mademoiselle, did you just insult my age or are you already failing your classes again-"

Nothing will help the missus overlook the data thing, but something more horrifying came with that conversation. Kris has already stared info the abyss of assignments he's missed: essays and lab reports and hundreds of hundreds of unread pages and tests in preparation for the quarter-finals.

It's fine. It's probably fine? If he doesn't ask he can pretend it's fine and not have palpitations over his brother's future career outlook the guy lives in a car what the fuck would he eve

"How bad have your grades gotten."

[blackdogdown]

"Maybe it hurts every day. Maybe you are a bully." A big bully who he loves.

Gabe has only ever been the most legal and law abiding of boys with no correlation towards massive amounts of collateral damage so canon arm will only be a shining spot on his stainless record.

He grin falls a little and he finds himself shrugging again, face unreadable. "My grades are fine." He totally isn't lying. "And I'm in real good shape for the next meet, which is what matters."

[pathfinding]

"I'm sorry. I'll start being super nice to you from now on to make up for the abuse, Princess Ray."

Do you want to ask Why Ray?

Is it worth the risk?

And Gabe the most legal law abiding of boys with no correlation et cetera gets squinted at for that response - but Kris drops it. For once. For like the only time, "Ugh, fine, I'll leave you to it. If you get anything less than first, I'll paint your car pink."

[blackdogdown]

"Ray?"

Gabe takes the plunge before he even realizes it. He's just so baffled.

He rubs his head. "Time to change my license plate then. Maybe paint it a darker shade of black."

[pathfinding]

The question is when Gabe gets That Face again, the compete apathy that gets slapped on in public, a coping mechanism no one can get rid of. Usually means Kris got scared shitless and is too afraid to get called out on it. Maybe he shouldn't have asked-

The same motion goes into grabbing the sides of his face. Dragging down slightly closer to his height. Squishing. "My ray of sunshine. Whoza good boy ububu."

Remember kids if you're capable of turning off all visible emotions at the drop of a hat: use it to torment your brother in public.

"At this rate your Edge is gonna start cutting passer-by," the exasperation is the kind that only comes up when there's enough fondness for the source to give migraines. "Just win the meet and we don't have to discuss your color choices."

[blackdogdown]

Gabe has to put his hands on his knees, that's how ungodly tall he is. His expression of concern and confusion (he really doesn't understand the sudden mood swing, nor the sudden attachment to the word Ray) quickly morphs into exasperation. He pulls back a little. Kris don't you know your brother is a little weird about being touched.

"Kris I will add another assault charge to my record if you do not let go right now."

He pouts a little at the insult, shaking his face a little in Kris's grasp. "Black is a good color."

[pathfinding]

Gabe is too rough and Kris trips on boundaries and both of them keep consistently fucking it up. Terrible brothers, or arguably fitting ones because oh how they suck at it. But it works - and this time, it wasn't Gabe doing the fucking up.

When the hands jerk off, there's a moment of a flatline in his thoughts, that Gabe still sees as a split second of the blank expression. Don't freeze up. It's always a conscious effort not to default back into the non-stop streams of paralyzed apologies, but. But. He doesn't want you to be scared, always made a point of saying that, don't freeze up don't freeze up-

"I thought it was a destruction of public property charge, not assault, but wouldn't that technically qualify as assault and battery, since assault only implies the desire to cause battery, whereas battery means that you did physical harm to the person, and both qualify as a misdemeanor so it's not fair it left that harsh a mark on your record, that level of lawbreaking is written off all the time and you were a minor for it which means your charge should've been lowered to some degree and you wouldn't beat up a terminal patient anyway you're too nice for that only going after those that deserve it to some level i mean i do but not bad enough to worsen your record why doesn't juvenile court look into motives like the others do leaving the decision on one biased party makes no sense from a legal standpoint-"

This is arguably worse.

[blackdogdown]

A hand comes down to ruffle his hair, trying to shut him right up. It's a bit to rough to be called a pat, but he tries.

"I don't understand half of what your saying Kris." Guts has never bothered to learn the difference between battery and assault?? Apparently they're different? Huh. He thinks he'll get along just fine knowing that beating up people is illegal.

Either way, it doesn't matter, because his little brother is getting all rambly and Gabe doesn't know how to deal with that. "I'm pretty sure they took some stuff off when I turned 18 anyway. Haven't had time to add anything else after I met a brat like you."

Except for some windows. But you can't prove that was him.

[pathfinding]

It works. The spiel cuts off in what can only be taken as a spoken keysmash before ducking down out of his reach. There's a kneejerk reaction again - sorry, thank you - but it comes out as swatting his hand off.

"Black is a shade, not a color. Is what I'm saying."

The important thing to take away from this. Even though the tense still rolls off with a sigh. It's only with Gabe, a loyalty he can't shake off easily, but it's easy to worry too much about him. It's not like the foster family is bad, but neither of them will listen to them any more than necessary. That leads to Gabe making dumb decisions and he's still bad at anger management and no one will be there to worry about the idiot once he's deDon't think about it.

"I'm proud of you. I know how hard it must be not smacking people's heads together every ten seconds," meant in the most loving way possible. "Give it a couple more years of good behavior and you can get it expunged. Then you can work on getting the rest of your paperwork together-"

Wait.

Motherfucker.

"Hey! I'm not a brat!"

[blackdogdown]

He pulls his hand back, blinking a little dumbly.

"What? Can't it be both?" More differences? Well, he's learning so many new things today.

Its such a joy to watch Kris's naggy expression go from worried to pissed. He has to stop to let out a snort at how sudden the change of mood occurs. He actually leans down a bit to laugh. What an asshole.

"That exactly what a brat would say, don't you think?" He accepts his brothers incoming beating with open arms.

Now he doesn't have to answer any pesky question about good behavior or any felonies he may have committed in the last 24 hours. There are bandages on his knuckles after all, even if Kris has been to distracted (or polite) to notice. Smashing windows comes with a price.

[pathfinding]

Oh merciful dead gods he's pretty sure he had a nightmare about this.

"I'm not reliving color theory lessons with you." It'll take the better part of two hours to get it into parts he can make sense of, and then Gabe will dump it out of his head by the next day because it's useless knowledge. Maybe two days, if he's lucky. There's better ways to spend that time.

The beating is almost imminent, but the shoulders lower in time with the anger fizzling out. Not even because it's him, but because it's always just. Tiring. It's just petty insults.

But the downcast expression notes the bandages and understands what Gabe wants. If anyone understands wanting to dodge subjects it's him. He's smashing things again. Something's gone sideways - but he doesn't want to think about it.

So Gabe gets elbowed again. Sharp bone between ribs this time. He wants an annoyed brat brother for a distraction, he can do that. "I'm sorry I couldn't hear you over all the shit you're talking. Try again?"

[blackdogdown]

"Theories on colors...." Gabe do you even go to school. "I don't get it. Its just color."

Theres plenty he doesn't get in life though, and he brushes it off quickly.

He actually gets a little huff from a well placed dig. The bandaged hand comes down to push his brothers face away a bit. It hurts sure, but he doesn't wince. A worryingly high pain tolerance is just a classic Gabe trait. How many times had he come home with new bandages and bruises and dodged every question about their cause. "You're like a little monkey, aiming for a mans weak spots like that. Not gonna fight me one on one?"