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

[neverbeentogeorgia]

[Akira.... should probably not entertain this insanity. Good friends stop their friends from doing stupid shit that might get them killed.

But better friends go with them to make sure they come back, right?

That week old headache is back, not quite throbbing, but a dull ache. But Akira's known Yusuke long enough to know that he's too stubborn to be talked out of something he's got his heart set on.]

Fine. Wait here.

[He turns to head back for the parking lot.]

[autorejoin]

[ He actually does stick around, waiting to see if Akira's going to come back. He starts tossing his pipe up and down while he's waiting, unable to keep from expelling the nervous energy within him one way or the other. ]

[neverbeentogeorgia]

[Eventually Akira does indeed come back carrying what would appear to be a large really long, black bag, too thin and just generally the wrong size and shape to be carrying golf clubs.]

All right. We can start looking for whatever it is you're trying to find. Don't blame me if there's nothing out here but rabbits, though.

[autorejoin]

If it's nothing but rabbits, you can feel free to laugh at me later.

[ The words pop out of his mouth comfortably, as though he were perfectly at ease being friends with Akira already. Their friendship was mere minutes old... so why did he feel so comfortable? ]

[neverbeentogeorgia]

[If he asked for an answer that, Akira would have no fucking clue how to explain it. But he can't say that he's not feeling it as well. Or that... he's not just plain feeling strange things, period.

Like the fact that he instantly takes the lead in this little expedition, even though he's not the one who wanted to do it in the first place. Somehow... that feels like it's how it should be. He tries to cover it up with casual conversation.]

So. Any idea what exactly we're out here looking for, then?

[autorejoin]

[ Akira being in the lead felt right, felt natural, felt....

Yusuke blinked away the train of thought before that headache could return. ]

"The truth" is what that app said. Whatever that means.

[ Like maybe why he'd felt compelled to put in a name that isn't his own into the app. ]

I'm hoping the truth isn't serial killers.

[neverbeentogeorgia]

"Truth" is pretty vague. Sure would have been nice if that clue was a little more forthcoming.

[The further they walk into the orchard, with more on-edge Akira starts to feel. The wind is blow, cool but strong, so at least he has something else to blame for the way his hair on the back of his neck is slowly standing, like people in bleachers who just want to fucking leave this game already.]

You let me know when you're satisfied with your tour of the apple trees. It's the wrong season for picking, anyway.

[autorejoin]

I wouldn't pick 'em from this field, anyway. Store-bought's got less chance of nasty surprises inside.

[ Like worms. Worms are gross, and he definitely doesn't want to accidentally bite into one. ]

Yeah, I'm just gonna give it ten minutes or so, and if there's nothing....

[neverbeentogeorgia]

[but the protein]

Right. So ten minutes out here wandering around...

[In an empty apple orchard, with nothing to do. Silence settles in, and if a tumbleweed were to pass through it would sound like a gun shot.]

We should talk about something.

[Because otherwise this is going to become even more awkward.]

[autorejoin]

[ There are better ways to get protein. ]

Sure. Like.... what?

[ As long as it's not about his grades. Please don't be about his fucking grades. ]

[neverbeentogeorgia]

[If I said that the first thought to cross his mind wasn't grades, I'd be full of shit. But thankfully Akira is smarter than that--he said he was trying to be Yusuke's friend and that's not usually the first topic that friends talk about.

He shrugs.]

I dunno. What kinds of sh--

[He frowns and stops himself. Not that he never curses, but today it seems to coming out a lot more casually than it usually does. Maybe it's the headaches making him grumpy?]

--things do you like to do?

[autorejoin]

[ Not to mention, grades are a sore spot for Yusuke. ]

I've got a pretty sweet setup for video games back home.

[ Not that he's been as into them lately. But he somehow doubts that "breaking curfew and going to bars" is a great answer. ]

[neverbeentogeorgia]

[That's a pretty decent guess. Akira seems decently interested, anyway.]

Yeah? What kinds of games?

[Please don't let it be football,]

[autorejoin]

[ It's not football. ]

I'm a fan of RPGs, mostly. Action and adventure.... it's pretty fun....

[ He lets his voice trail off. It's pretty nerdy, he knows it. ]

[neverbeentogeorgia]

[Please, Katou, you're like a Level 1 Nerd compared to his Level 20.]

[HEY. This is better than Akira had hoped for; maybe they'll get along after all.]

Yeah? You played the new Belda yet?

[autorejoin]

[ His eyes sparkle with enthusiasm. ]

I've been playing it ever since it came out! I got it first-day release. I'm trying to get 100% on it, but shit's hard.

[neverbeentogeorgia]

Nice. They were all sold out by the time I could scrape together the cash to get a copy; I only just started playing it last week.

[But he also has already sunk in a ridiculous amount of playtime.]

Those fucking defenders are the worst, aren't they?

[autorejoin]

I hate them more than words can explain.

[ He gestures expansively, though he has the presence of mind not to hit Akira with it. ]

Who came up with those things?!

[neverbeentogeorgia]

Not a clue. I presume that'll show up in the credits, though.

[autorejoin]

Wait, do you actually read the credits?

[neverbeentogeorgia]

Sometimes. Those people worked hard at what they did; I think I can spare them five minutes of my time for a really good game.

[autorejoin]

I usually just run those in the background and don't pay much attention to 'em. It's a lot of names I'll never remember.

[neverbeentogeorgia]

Yeah, that does seem like you.

[He's not exactly sure why that's the case. He knows that Yusuke can put in plenty of effort with things that he cares about; according to his parents, his grades used to be perfect.

But...

Even barring what he knows about the other boy's careless attitude these days, that just seems right.

Because acquiring knowledge was never Katou's passion...]

[autorejoin]

It's the game itself I'm interested in. Fighting, questing, magic, swords! Adventure and excitement!

[neverbeentogeorgia]

Makes sense.

[His head... aches. Something fierce. About... about why it makes sense? But--it's just because it's an exciting story, right?]

It's a lot more exciting than just a regular boring life.

[Anyone would want more than this. Right?]