skippedabeat | Round 1: Test Drive

Entry tags:

test drive

Round 1: Test Drive

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It's the gurgle of a black menace around the corner that's going to pop up in a tag or two.]

What isn't off about everything? We download an app, write...names, get headaches- did you know I saw someone else with this downloaded? It was at the library. She was old, real old. She left her phone unlocked and I looked- I know, but guess what name she had down?

[The name is probably going to be something like 'Warbound Deathgaaaah fuck what is that thing behind you, random dude, run!']

[ Are they even ready for that? Mitsutada only packed bento boxes and may or may not have brought a stun gun. ]

I guess you're right. I can't say this is a new trend to type a foreign name as your own. [ Not like he's old at all, but he wouldn't call himself 100% hip like the dude next to him. ] You shouldn't have invaded her privacy, but...

[ HMMM... he hums thoughtfully. ]

Do I get three hints?

[ Is it him? Or did the atmosphere change. Everything seems darker and there's a squelching sound in the distance. Keep cool. Keep cool. God, he's kind of spooked. ]

... Maybe we should keep moving.

...you know, that's probably a good idea. [He feels suddenly like he's being watched, like he's stepped into some kind of bad slasher movie and five seconds from now the dude with the chainsaw is going to burst from the trees and kills them, and he's going to share this with the guy once they're not...here.]

You can have three hints, sure! One: it's a bunch of nouns. [And he sticks the large sturdy chicken statue that's forged from scrap metal and filled with poking edges into a tree as they...bail. Because he's heavy and why would he need a large blunt object? Why carry it around? It makes more sense to just leave it like he was going to.]

[ He ushers Tsurumaru onward then, just through the orchards with much haste. The pressure lessens, but it won't be for long knowing how these threads go... He actually wants to ask about the chicken spiked bat, but will refrain. At least for now. ]

A bunch of nouns... I'll probably need the other two.

[ Okay, it's really bothering him. ]

Are you not going to miss that statue of yours...? It was. [ Uhm. ] Unique.

[ As he folds his arms in front of his chest and gives Tsurumaru a curious look, it seems like his shadow cast by the moonlight is a lot larger than usual. ]

Oh, that's the point. [Very cocky.] I do that sort of thing all the time. I make stuff...you remember that giant sasquatch that was guarding the back door of the school last month? [The one that appeared randomly one day and scared the shit outta that one person because they opened up the door and boom, sasquatch?] Yeah, that was kind of my doing!

So I told my roommates that I was going to hang a statue and they said fine. Go have fun! It was easier than saying, "Hey, I downloaded this app, typed in a name, and now I'm getting creepy messages telling me to go join a cult or something." The chicken was because I didn't have anything else prepared. And did you hear that?

[It was clearly Doctor Finklestein Wobblebury, who was trampling through the orchards and not a looming random encounter.]

[ what. He remembers that!! He's one of the victims! With a squint, he's so... So confused to how he they've come together, but one thing is certain. He doesn't know why Tsurumaru didn't just tell his roommates he had business to do since, y'know,
that's what Mitsutada did!

Well, it's fine. ]

Your craftsmanship is really amazing. I wasn't expecting it when I walked out the door--[ But it's too late to ponder over someone's weird hobbies. The gurgle becomes louder and latches onto both of their legs. Without a second thought, he kicks the black slime.

The muck that clings onto their ankles form into limbs, arms and hands, before something akin to a head surfaces. Eyes piercing, it opens its mouth to show off its teeth. He's not sure why, but his body is paralyzed from the sight. It's surreal... ]

[That's an understatement! The weird hobbiest part of him is noting the way it curls, the way the teeth shine, the way the eyes flash, and is going, "You can do something with this. You can get that one kid, Naki, to help you stick it on top of the building, and then this dude who seems okay can help you with it, why not..."]

[The rest of him is gibbering in terror and saying-]

Run! [He said as he did the opposite of running and tried to grab a sti-] Why did I leave the chicken?!

[Famous last words.]

[But there was no stick. There was nothing that was large and could be used to club a...thing. So instead he did the perfectly sensible thing, tried to vomit up his dinner (he failed), and ripped out his heart because why not.

This makes perfect sense.

And that was when a glowing blue KBCish tachish appeared and cast garu on the thing. Don't die person who seems increasingly suspiciously familiar but he feels like he's got a hangover give him a second to put two and two together, don't die.]

[ I thought that said KFCish tachish thing and I was like what is that supposed to be??? Anyway, Mitsutada's eyes widen as this all happens. The shadow lets our a blood curdling cry, which is strange that no one else comes to their aid? Either way, with the monster off guard, he kicks it away from them and it plops a good distance away.

Heartbeat racing, he clutches his heart, but doesn't tear it out. With the danger radar blaring a little less, he finds time to finally say something. ]

How did you do that?

[ HE LOOK AT TSURUMARU like you got some answering to do, bud. For now they're safe, but it doesn't look like the goop stays down for long. With screeches, it grows more limbs as it crawls at ridiculous speed towards them. Since this stranger seems sick and nauseous, he'll throw him over his shoulder before making an escape. In this state, they can't possibly continue... ]

Sorry! We can pick up your chicken statue along the way.

[ They need to escape and recover. At least Mitsutada is fit. ]

[See, here's the thing. When you summon your Persona for the first time you ~awaken~. Memories of the past clash with the present. You remember who you used to be, what you once were, and have a huge fucking headache and god he feels like barfing right now.

Point being, Tsurumaru looks up. And then his eyes slowly widen, as he remembers. He remembers everything. And then they narrow as he squints. Then he says...]

I thought you were shorter?

[...oh wait, he was wearing platform sandals back in the-] Oh. Right. Nevermind. Sure! Let's go.

[ Well, he'll be in the dark until he summons his own KBCish sword persona. With Tsurumaru on his shoulder, it's a bit hard to sprint, but he does his best!! Look! your chicken statue is still where you left it. Hopefully, he can grab it as he speeds through since the shadow is still on their tail. ]

Shorter—we haven't formally met. Is it really the time for this?

[ Urgency? Hello? He's the cavalry for an escape, even if it's a little lame, there's little they can do when this awakened crane is cawing nonsensical things and hanging over someone's shoulder like a rag doll. ]

Can you do what you did before to slow it down?

[ The... uh. Tearing your heart stuff. ]

Listen... [There's a name shaped pause here, before he caves and pats the complete and total stranger, really, on the shoulder backish area.] ...I already tore my heart out once! You're making it sound easy! It takes effort to rip out your heart, you know. Honestly, next thing we know you'll be asking me to rip out my heart just because you can't get a jar of peanut butter open...do you cook?

Sometimes I do—[ WAIT. Wait a minute. We are not going to talk about cooking. They're still on the run from this shadow thing with six limbs, crawling like a spider right after them. ]

So you're telling me you can't do it again... How inconvenient.

[ That's fine. That's okay!! Because they've gained enough distance and stowed away into a room in the campus wing. Phew. He wants to just fall over after placing mister crane down, but he keeps himself up to look presentable. Since Tsuru-san almost barfed, he at least offers handkerchief. ]

Here.

[And he takes it.]

Thanks. [Although he seems more inclined to play with it opposed to doin- no, he's going to clean up a little.]

And you know... [Mitsubou, yes, there is a name shaped space right here left very deliberately.] ...I could do it again, I just need to figure it out. The thing, I mean. [And here he mimes ripping out his heart in case the Mysterious Stranger doesn't know what he's talking about.] It was...weird.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Round 1: Test Drive

No.

wow why not??

Because it's me and I'm a spicy tsundere or something blahblahblah.

i thought spicy tsundere was my thing

Like I said elsewhere, how are you SPICY?

with seasoning

Okay, true. 1/idefk but I'm just going to abuse your inbox

2/it is a mystery is it 3 or is it 20? With me you'll never know!

3/3 this crashed my wifi twice

it's already in tatters there's nothing you can do

Like your reputation.

JOKE'S ON YOU I DON'T HAVE ONE

...

......

I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this...