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

great

[makababe]

[ Look, he's allergic to cat hair. He won't get them in there... because he would probably die first? ]

Oh, hey, Lenka. { OOPS ] Yeah, what about it?

[ HE'S WORKING ON IT ]

[probablynoteren]

[Spoken like cat hair would listen to a mere scrub human, and also like Teruomi has enough sense of self-preservation not to do things exactly like what Lenka just walked in on. Sometimes he wonders if he needs to haul this guy to the counselor, or a relationship counselor, but then he'd have to herd at least one cat to the appointment and that seems like too much work even for him.

Instead, he sighs and folds himself down to the lawn, still carefully between cat and misguided human, and gestures at the old phone he's been carrying around as backup.]

I remembered some things I needed to get from it, for now. [probably music or some e-books, really] I can't carry around a back-up forever, Teruomi-san.

[Hint. Hint. Please put the tuna down for a minute. Never mind the cat that's creeping closer and closer to Lenka's back.]

[makababe]

[ Teru only has severe allergic reactions once a month. It's okay. ]

I set it to restore before I left. It should be done real soon.

[ Too late, the cat is here. It's going to just casually march onto Lenka and on his head to get at the tuna. ]

[probablynoteren]

Thank you. If you don't mind, I can w--

[He's a patient guy who will even wait around if the phone takes the extra hour that electronics sometimes take when they say there's 0 seconds left on an install, because that's technology for you. Unfortunately, his patience is about to be tested in another way entirely -- because the cat is now tangled in his hair, why does this always happen to him.

Lenka makes a muffled protesting noise as he half-loses his balance and nearly manages to fall on his face with the additional weight, but catches himself and the cat at the last moment. At least he doesn't have cat claws in his scalp for his trouble.]

... Ow. The tuna.

[Just chuck it or something.]

[makababe]

[ How did that cat move so quickly?? It's probably because of Teru's charm (no it's not), but he has enough sense to be more concerned for his kouhai's safety than the cat. Cats can land from high places. ]

Right!

[ Teru holds up the tuna to within seeing distance of the cat and then puts it on the ground. The cat jumps off obligingly and starts pawing at the tin. ]

Sorry about that, man. Thought she'd just come by the side, or something.

[probablynoteren]

[Lenka's grumbling a little and trying to get his hair back in order (or however much order it ever had in its unruly lifetime), but there's no real venom in his muttering; Teruomi's just the eccentric mechanic, that's his trade, and as long as he can get things working again with minimal fuss and fur...

He also doesn't mind cats, or animals in general. He'll eventually start absently stroking the cat, which is luckily one of the friendlier ones on campus.]

Cats go where they want. You should give up.

[Give up a few things, really, beginning with predicting his lady loves and ending with his apparent quest to sneeze on everyone on campus at least once. It's a little lighter, though, perhaps a bit teasing.]

[makababe]

[ That gets a bit of a chuckle out of him. ]

Aww, let a man have his dream, won't you?

[ He can't even touch the cat without gloves. T_T Lenka gets the good stuff, like petting the cats. And not dying when they try to sit on your lap. THE GOOD THINGS. ]

Plus, if I don't feed them, then who will?

[probablynoteren]

[Absently rubbing salt in the wound as he rubs the cat's ears and she purrs a little and winds herself around his wrist, that's Lenka. He doesn't mean to, really, but the cat's just stood on his head so it's still recovering! He quirks an eyebrow at Teru.]

Maybe you should try dreaming about dogs. Or rabbits. [there are plenty of other fuzzies in the sea! never mind that the analogy doesn't work] Everyone on campus feeds them, you know.

[You're talking about cute kitties on a college campus, dude, they probably end up eating at least half the leftovers from the cafeteria.

In the meantime, the cat has figured out where the smell of tuna came from and is trying to bat at Teru for more, so Lenka gently catches its paw. There's a thoughtful pause where he looks between the paw and Teru's person, then:]

... Did you want a glove?

[He has his gardening gloves on him...]

[makababe]

Aha, nice try. You can't make me betray my lifelong love, Lenka.

[ But it's said wistfully. No offense taken, just some wishful thinking. ]

Well, I could try. Does it protect me from allergies?

[probablynoteren]

You can have a few lifelong loves. I think that's what the songs say.

[Now he's definitely teasing, there's a hint of a smile, but he also puts his arm around the cat to herd her away from climbing on Teru in search of another tuna treat (hopefully) while he reaches for the gloves in his back pocket. They're kind of dirty, but not muddy right now, which is probably the best that can be asked for.

Best thing is they're thick and sturdy, so no chance of stray cat hairs stabbing through and turning Teru into walking yaoi hands or something.]

They should protect your hands, at least. I think she wants more fish.

[The cat is butting against his arm to try to remove it, and now he's just pulling a weird Twister move trying to hand the gloves to Teru and prevent her from slinking under his arm at the same time.]

[makababe]

I'm not that old yet.

[ Teru scratches the back of his head a little before taking the gloves, examining them to see which one had less dirt. ]

Thanks, man.

[ Now he'll try to reach out and touch the cat... and it works, except the rough texture isn't to its liking and it slinks away from him. ]

Aw, man... maybe I should've brought more tuna.

[probablynoteren]

Maybe she likes younger guys.

[Teru really isn't that old, if you were to ask a passing pedestrian out on the street which was the high schooler and which was the college student, they'd have to think for at least a few seconds.

Doesn't stop him from getting ragged on. Nevertheless, Lenka nudges the cat in hopes that he can convince her to go back to the smell of tuna. She's not having it: in retaliation she winds around his ankles and nearly trips him.]

Or she's mad because you smell like tuna, but don't have any. [it looks like a lost cause, though] Should we get going?

[makababe]

[ He's about to say that he's young enough thank you, but then the cat makes its displeasure known and he supposes he has to relent. ]

I suppose...

[ Teru looks at the cat wistfully. ]

We'll go check on your phone. It should be done by now.

the cat left so now I'm going to make it Ominous

[probablynoteren]

You can come back with better gloves.

[He's helping! The cat slinks around them both one more time and returns Teru's wistful look, still hopeful for more snacks, before she finally gives up on them and trots off with tail high. She's headed in direction of the cafeteria, so evidently she's still hungry and hunting for more victims.

Now let's hope Teru doesn't get sidetracked by any of the other zillion cats on campus while they make their way across. Lenka tags along gamely, mostly familiar with where they'll be going thanks to repeated trips (even if I have no idea where they're going).

Neither of them notice the orange flickers of phones across campus downloading a strange new app...]

amazing

[makababe]

[ Probably to the dorms, since Teru lives on campus. His bro has his own house and living together is great, but the commute is a killer. ]

Would I get weird looks if I go into a glove shop? Girls usually go there, right?

[ It's almost dinnertime too. Is Lenka hungry? ]

[probablynoteren]

[On a scale of 1 to Licca how messy and full of the smell of cat food oil is this unfortunate dorm room, one has to feel sorry for his roommate if he's got one.

Lenka lives close enough that he doesn't need to stay in campus dorms, but he's over here often enough for after school activities and so on that he might as well be. Also, he's fifteen and just came from the greenhouses, he's always hungry.]

Everyone goes to glove shops...

[Teru gets a weird look for asking. Considering Lenka is carrying gloves, despite them being gardening gloves, you're meowing up the wrong tree here.]

[makababe]

[ It's actually 3 because Teru is used to cleaning up his brother's mess. ]

Really? I've only seen the one on the corner street.

[ dude, that's like, a girls fancy shop. you're looking the wrong way. ]

Where'd you get yours?

[probablynoteren]

[WHAT A TWIST. Siblings have to balance out somehow; good thing Lenka's an only child, right?]

There's a lot of other glove shops downtown... I think. [...] Mine are from the home improvement store.

[Lenka continues to be helpful here.jpg]

[makababe]

[ Very helpful. ]

Guess I've been spending too long working... I'll look around.

[ No he's just a hikkikomori ]

[probablynoteren]

Sorry to rush you.

[I mean, if the guy can't even get around to looking at gloves he's probably working in addition to obsessing over the next great breakthrough in feline diplomacy. Lenka feels a little bad, or maybe it's a different feeling entirely -- 'cause his stomach sure did just give an alternate opinion.

... He pauses behind Teru for a moment, considers pretending nothing happened, and then his rumbling stomach joins the conversation again.]

... I didn't get dinner yet.

[It's a bit sheepish; he kind of got distracted by a certain spectacle on the lawn.]

[makababe]

Nah, it's fine. Sometimes I forget there's a world outside of school.

[ Teru ribs Lenka gently in the side. ]

Let's go eat, then! If you don't mind getting your phone back after dinner.

[probablynoteren]

Maybe you need to get out more?

[It's a bit tongue-in-cheek; it's not like Lenka gets out all that much himself, being more reclusive than Teru in an entirely different way. He grumbles about being elbowed, but his retaliation is entirely verbal. First of all, roughhousing is too much effort when you're properly hungry.

He taps his fingers against the backup phone in his pocket a couple of times, considering.]

It depends. If it's closer, we can pick it up before we go.

[And that means they'll have more freedom to move than if they both had to come back to campus before curfew. Presuming that whatever updates Teru is running have finished in the meantime.]

[makababe]

Maybe I do... but we have work. And cats.

[ Takeout's good. Since they're close to the campus, most of the stores do offer that. ]

Hm... how about Chinese? I know a good place. They have to-go packs that sell like hot potatoes.

[ They can eat in his dorm room, he doesn't mind. ]

[probablynoteren]

All work and no play.

[He really isn't one to talk, given that he spends a good chunk of his time up to his elbows in either homework or dirt, and is otherwise not the easiest guy around to find. But sometimes you gotta stage an intervention with the resources available.

All that said, that means they probably shouldn't hole up in Teru's room like a couple of soldiers who've never seen the outside of a trench. They're normal students, after all! Decision made, Lenka nods to himself (and to his companion).]

We can pick up the phone and eat off-campus after. If you're okay with that.

[They might even be able to pick up some gloves on the way? Who knows. It really depends on how busy Teru actually is.]

[makababe]

Sounds good!

[ They're on the way to his room, so it's just a short walk. ]

Not sleeping early, eh?