Round 3: Test Drive

[kokuyoyo]

Welcome to the third 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!)

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 - The National Leviathan Habitat

Eddan's shimmering sapphire of an aquarium, the National Leviathan Habitat, is holding a series of special events at its location in Royal Mount. Students and family groups get half off, with certain events being completely free. This include a full night's stay at the aquarium sometime during the week for any person who checks in with their card. While spots are limited, it's such a large aquarium, and nights can be booked in advance, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem. So come, everyone! Enjoy whale spotting, aquarium strolling, educational shows, and a night surrounded by water. However, unknown to you, something else might be starting to beat in the deepest, darkest depths of your heart.

Similar to the flower festival that was used in the prior TDM, Unawakened characters can get a flash of memory sometime during this prompt and Awakened characters will be able to occasionally pick them out. For more information on the National Leviathan Habitat, which is a player introduced location, please check here.

Additionally, if both test drive player and game players agree, the aquarium 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, even on summer vacation. (Or maybe because of summer vacation for the local schools.) 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

[voodoo_revenge]

Natsu watched a young man saunter over to her looking like he was thoroughly amusing himself. She tilted her head a little so her bangs brushed in front of her eyes for a moment and smiled back at his question. "I don't need a bathroom to freshen up." She wasn't going tell a stranger her plans in case he ran off and tattled. That would spoil all her fun, but she could feel him out.

She turned her head and looked at the door before looking back at him. "You're not staff are you?" He wasn't wearing a staff uniform but he could be off duty. She leaned back against the wall comfortably, it was clear she wasn't moving despite another person dropping by, though she did tuck her compact away.

[foeyay]

"Nope. Just here for the sleepover," he clarified, knowing full well that wasn't what she wanted to hear.

Knowing that much made it more amusing, to be honest. He didn't know what she did want, not really, but he could guess whatever it was wasn't open to the public. If she was here for the hammerheads, then why was she spending all her time staring into a makeup compact? And if she'd been waiting for her boyfriend, she'd have picked a more romantic spot than the "authorized personnel only" door. She was asking if he was staff, so he had to assume she was waiting for the first guy she saw who could get through that door. That was so cheeky it was almost cute.

With one hand on his hip, he pointed his other at the door. "Of course, if ya wanted to freshen up in there, I bet I could get ya in anyway."

[voodoo_revenge]

Well, it's almost better he's not staff. If staff was paying that much attention to her she'd never be able to slip in behind someone.

This guy was observant which was both annoying and interesting. It gave her a little thrill of almost being caught. Really she'd been planning on slipping a bit of folded paper in the latch section of the door so she could follow after a few minutes but his offer has her eyes widening and a flush of excitement coming to her cheeks though it might not be visible in the low light. "Really?" She looked at him as though she was considering his abilities and wasn't sure he could pull it off.

"It's locked, do you know how to pick locks?"

[foeyay]

If there was one thing Reid knew how to do, it was how to pay attention. Just because he was observant, however, didn't mean he was smart enough to know when to utilize that ability. He'd never given much of a thought to anything that had come out of a teacher's mouth, but he'd be damned if he couldn't spot a fellow trouble maker from a mile away.

Natsu's doubt earned her a toothy grin, and with a confident shrug, Reid pulled several bobby pins out of his braid. "No matter the lock, I've got all I need to make my tools."

[voodoo_revenge]

Ho ho~. Look at this one. He's pretty useful isn't he? She steps aside to give him some room but leans in to watch him work. "Where did you learn how to do this?" She asks curiously.

He doesn't look like someone who picks locks, his smile is playful but doesn't look terribly dangerous. Not like someone who burgles places or anything. Maybe he could teach her. She looks up to make sure no one is coming before looking back down at his work. "And how often do you find the need to pick locks?" That last question sounds teasing.

[foeyay]

"Juvie, actually." What a loaded answer, yet Reid tossed it out like so much boring bread crust. Already, he was bending the bobby pins into the shapes he needed. "I got bored a lot, so I needed a hobby that didn't make everybody want to punch me in the face. Keep watch, yeah?"

He nodded her way before crouching in front of the door and working two of the pins like a lock pick and tension wrench. Such precise dexterity really wasn't his strong suit (he'd rather kick open the door action movie style), but as long as this chick could keep any obstacles away, it was just a matter of time before the door opened with a satisfying click.

"I just learned it for fun, honest. Most places have more high tech security now anyway. But it's made more than one fabulous prank possible, so." He shrugged, content. "Totally worth it."

[voodoo_revenge]

In juvie? This guy was in juvie? "What were you arrested for?" That might come out sounding eager. Well, come on, it's not boring at all. Well not yet anyway. If it's for jaywalking or something she'll lose interest. She leaned against the wall again to keep watch though half her attention was still on him. People want to punch him in the face a lot hmm? Perhaps he was a smart ass.

They were in the back section of the aquarium so not much foot traffic made it this far still, she stepped in front of him when a teenager walked by looking at a map just to make sure no one raise an alarm. Once the boy was gone she moved a little to the side so she didn't block more light than necessary for him and was rewarded with a satisfying click.

"Sounds interesting, can you teach someone else?" Ahh pranks. That must be the issue. "Sounds like you'd have some good stories." She's distracted now though because the door is open and she can see the glow of the tank filtering through the sliver of open door. "I'm going in, are you going to join me?"

[foeyay]

"I got arrested because a whiny nobody used my braid like a leash, and I smashed his face in with a chair. I figured that made us even, but he didn't agree."

Reid was an enormous smart ass. He pushed the door wide open and motioned for her to walk on through.

"After you. Show me something fun, and I just might decide to do ya a favor."

[voodoo_revenge]

Her eyes widened a bit at that. Perhaps he wasn't just cocky. Considering her own proclivities she's not going to judge. "Well, sometimes you have to establish boundaries."

She started walking the moment the door swung open, breezing past him and grinning. "Well, I think it sounds fun anyway." She sauntered into the back room amidst the hum of machinery and gurgle of water going through pipes. And the soft slapping sound of moving water in the tanks. Making her way around to the ladder she hung on to the handrail and leaned over looking down into the blue depths, her eyes lit up with excitement. She can see a shadow moving far below but that's about it.

Looking up she glances around the room and kicks her shoes off then grins at him. "I'm going in."

[foeyay]

He chuckled at her easy acceptance, then eased the door shut quietly behind him. All he'd done so far was open a door for her, and he was halfway ready to ask her on a date. That was when she kicked off her shoes, and Reid realized exactly what she was planning to do. His jaw dropped.

"You are certifiably insane." Out came his cellphone, even as he rushed after her. "I have to get this on video."

[voodoo_revenge]

Her socks came off next and then she was shimmying out of her skirt, cheeks flushed with excitement. "No filming till I'm in the water." She ordered, setting clothes aside so they wouldn't get any more wet then necessary. Her shirt ended up on top of the pile and she grabbed a mask and snorkel from the wall, climbing to the top of the ladder, completely unconcerned with being down to her underwear. Her entire focus was on the water.

"They're well fed, I'll probably be fine." The 'probably' was why she was excited. She didn't know how often people swam with these sharks but she didn't have any cuts or anything an attack wasn't really likely but it still could happen. It might be interesting to get a tiny cut and see what happened if the sharks wouldn't come close on the first try. The hidden part of her, Kyoko, would be horrified she was doing something like this but Kyoko doesn't have any awareness yet about being anyone but Natsu. She pulled the mask on and climbed to the top of the stairs, easing into the water which is pretty cold actually. She slid the rest of the way into the water so just her head and shoulders breached it and looked up at Reid, giving him an 'ok' sign then flashing a V. "The hammerhead has been following me, think he'll say hello?" The snorkel went into her mouth and she dipped her head down to test the snorkel and look for sharks, with the mask on she could see it swimming below her about twenty feet down. She lifted her head once more to orient herself and then dipped down, swimming toward the shark.

[foeyay]

Natsu's order was promptly ignored. He already had his cellphone out, like hell was he going to politely turn the camera away while she disrobed. He did, however, remain just out of reach until she'd slid into the tank. He may have been an asshole, but he wasn't interested in getting slapped by someone crazy enough to swim with hammerheads while in her underwear.

"Well, whether he says hi or bites ya in half, I'll be sure to pass the message along to the internet!"

Reid was positively fascinated, his grin widening with every word. Her snorkel-clad face was going to be all over the news tomorrow, after every single overnight aquarium goer submitted their pictures of the girl in the shark tank. The mask would probably keep her from being identified too easily, but even if it didn't... After this, Reid was fully prepared to swear on the Bible that they had been enjoying the jellyfish together while this masterpiece went down.

[voodoo_revenge]

Well it's not like Natsu is shy. But she'll remember. And probably try to make him repay the favor. If she happened to look a little amused by his response well, it was hard to tell with a mask on and a snorkel in her mouth. Either way she dove down and made it about ten feet before the pressure of the water started pressing in on her. It made her head ache but she continued down making it to about seventeen and watching the shark swirl below her, moving smoothly through the water, it swam farther away then turned, rising far enough to circle her from about eight feet away. She could see people through the windows but they were pretty far back and mostly shadowed by how much water was between them. There was some motion like someone leaned closer trying to see and she had to be careful not to laugh and lose what air she had held. She turned back to watch the shark circle again, enormous next to her small form. It swam in closer but never close enough for her to reach out and touch it. Which was disappointing.

She stayed down as long as she could, treading water slowly before the need for air kicked in and she hand to make her way back to the surface, she spit the water out of the snorkel in Reid's general direction, dipping her head down again as she started to breath and looking to see where the shark was. It was still circling below her.

Lifting her head she slid the snorkel out of her mouth and left it hanging from the glasses, then lifted those to look at Reid with excitement. "It swam around me!" It took her a moment to catch her breath and she looked back down. "I want to touch it." There was definitely excitement in her voice now.

[foeyay]

The hammerhead circled her like an underwater vulture sizing up its prey. Reid watched from the side of the tank, unable to stop smiling at the sight. It was one thing to see stuff like this on the internet. It was something else entirely to see it in person. Natsu looked frail in comparison to the shark's heavy muscle, like a wriggling worm dangling from a hook, and yet she remained untouched even as she pushed her way back to the surface.

He had to fight the urge to jump in himself fueled purely by adrenaline. He had a record, after all.

When Natsu's head popped up for air, her excitement was palpable. Reid met it with his own giddy smirk and a quick gesture toward the exit. "Do it fast. Somebody's definitely seen ya by now. Go tame the beast!"

[voodoo_revenge]

Her eyes light up at his encouragement. Clearly these two would feed off each other with terrible ideas. GLORIOUS ideas. His own excitement only made her's compound and she pulled the goggles back down, put the snorkel back in her mouth and took a deep breath before diving again.

She took a moment once she was back down at the shark's level, making sure not to move too quickly. She'd read about sharks and they liked to bite things that moved like prey and Natsu is NOT prey thank you very much. She took those few precious seconds watching the shark move in a lazy figure eight next to her before drifting close enough to reach out a hand once the shark's teeth were out of range and slip her fingers across it's side while it swam by. The shark circled around and then moved off in another direction and she puffed out bubbles from the snorkel, unable to contain her excitement. Then quickly swam back to the surface, grabbing the hand rail and climbing out of the tank, water splashing all over the floor.

The room is cold after being in the water and she shivered a little and popped the snorkel out, looking at her hand. "I touched it!" She announced with delight.