[Other OPEN] Persona: Memory's Wake [M]

[PastelPhoenix]

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OOC //

Persona: Memory's Wake
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I am thou, and thou art I...

The city of Havencross, North Carolina has been going through some rapid changes the past few years. The mountain city is currently one of the epicenters of a pharmaceutical boom, and with it came the massive draw of people and money into the once-struggling city. Synocrine Industries, the company largely responsible for the boom has even designated Havencross as the new headquarters for their new offshoot Mnemo Pharmaceuticals, created to advance research into the newly discovered field of memory therapy. Alongside this move is the construction of the nation's first fully independent Memory Therapy clinic, offering memory alterations free from a hospital setting.

Memory Therapy has taken off in populated cities, allowing victims to remove traumatic memories or replace them with something more pleasant. Helping to fund further research is the option of implanting memories for wealthy clients looking for certain experiences without having to take the time to experience itself, or dangerous situations minus the danger. Although Mnemo is a new company, its start has been marred by controversy. Aside from the obvious reactions to memory alteration, a new disease has started to spread. Sudden Retrograde Amnesia Disorder (SRAD) has been the subject of large scale investigation, but so far evidence towards it having anything to do with Mnemo or Memory Therapy in general has been inconclusive at best. There has also been a small string of disappearances in Havencross, which the police have been all to quick to dismiss as a consequence of the population boom.

But none of this concerns you... yet. For now you are just a student in the newly built private school St. Dominic High School with occasionally odd dreams. Whether you come from wealth and privately funded your tuition or you're a scholarship student with a lot to prove, you made the cut for the first class through its doors. Things aren't likely to be that simple forever though.
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Ultimately it will fall to you to find the truth behind the mysteries surrounding Mnemo, SRAD, and the missing people. unlikely as it sounds. You will be assisted in this task through your access to the Mirrored World. It seems your dreams has conferred more than just unease to you, as you soon gain the ability to fall through glass surfaces and enter a twisted version of the world within. This land is influences by the memories and desires of mankind, and largely inhabited by monsters formed from the darkest of humanity's thoughts call Shadows. You can defeat the shadows yourself, but you are not alone in fighting them. Deep within you is the power of Persona, an extenstion of your own will made manifest through your Anchor to the Past, a memory you can never forget so powerful it has guided you into who you are today.

Your Persona is a part of you, for better or worse. It reacts to your will and is only summon-able by you. You will only have one Persona for this RP, although those with the power to call multiple Personas do exist. A Persona most often takes the form of a mythological figure, beast, or a real person who's deeds have taken on a mystic quality (e.g. Caesar, Blackbeard, etc).

Your Persona has fantastic abilities in addition to their fantastic appearance. They often possess supernatural strength, destructive magic, and the ability to heal wounds. The type of abilities they have are listed below (they can have two, hover over the text for descriptions).​

Fire||Ice|| Lightning||Wind||Physical||Gun||Nuclear||Psi||Blessed||Cursed||Healing||Support||Debuff||Almighty.

It is inside this other world where you will need to piece together the truth, literally. The fragmented pieces of lost memories rest in here, and are the key to making sense of anything that happened here. The shadows are not willing to give them up without a fight, however, and some powerful ones have started appearing in the shape of people.​

Persona and their masters fall into one of 23 arcana, each symbolizing specific traits about your character as a whole. The arcana descriptions are given in hovertext over each image. Your arcana doesn't have to match your character as they start 100%, as working to embody your arcana is part of the growth process for characters.​

UNAVAILABLE ARCANA

These Arcana are part of the major arcana in real life, but represent much more in the games. Because of these gameplay reasons, they have been cut but explained.​

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Havencross

The City of Havencross was once an important trade stop for people headed out west, and has maintained a presence in the overland shipping industry due to it's location at the foot of a clear valley passage through the Appalachian Mountains. While medicine has changed the face of downtown and new city expansions, the old city is still firmly dedicated to transport. St Dominic's is located in the city center known as "Midtown", a reasonably affordable place to live for most residents but not too far from the neighboring districts of Downtown, Regency Park, Satin Heights, and even some poorer students can make the journey from the industrial center of Moreno Cross.

Some important areas of the city are:

Midtown: Home to St. Dominics as well as many of the white collar offices. Famously home to the old local Synocrine office, before the Mnemo headquarters was built downtown. It and the Memory Therapy clinic falls in the south of this district, near the border of the Downtown area.

Gabbro Plaza: The street home to both the old Synocrine building and the Memory Therapy clinic. While Synocrine used to own the entire building, several floors have yet to be rented out. The Clinic is notably only a two story building, and not as large as the hubbub makes it sound. Only a handful of patients seem like they would even be able to use the facility at the same time.

Regency Park: Most of this district is made up of houses and parks, a notably new district too. Housing here is varies in price, depending on exact distance to the parks and rising in price greatly near Satin Heights.

Elk Ridge Park: The largest park within the district. Famous for having a thriving natural pond, mostly untouched by the city. The prior own infamously refused to sell the land the park sat on until his deathbed, and his will turned possession of the land over to the city's park services much to the frustration of businessmen everywhere.

Satin Heights: Located north of Midtown, this area of the city is notably lavish and wealthy. Buying a home here means you have made it in the world.

Downtown: The center of white collar business and entertainment in the city. Home to Mnemo and approximately everything you'd actually want to do in the city. Recent renovations have installed a public tram system to help combat the traffic issue.

Slate Ave: Technically several streets, but the main street is the most known. This area is where Mnemo and really all of the important businesses sit. Also home to several high class restaurants in some of the buildings.

Little Broadway: Theatre has always had a loyal following in Havencross, and over time it all condensed into a single street. Shows, music, and freakshows abound.

Moreno Cross: Much of the old city lies here, home of steelyards, trainyards, and various transportation companies. The smell of fuel is heavy in some areas, and a general sense of griminess lingers.

The Abandoned Street: For some reason all the businesses on this street went under, and no replacements have managed to establish a foothold. Local rumors say there's a curse here. Curse or not, it's not a place many want to hang out.

Deadman's Land: The eastern area of the city everyone forgot. Poverty is rampant here, as is crime. Most residents will go to great lengths to avoid this district.

Lilycrest City: A suburb of Havencross located south of the city. While the outskirts of the city are still somewhat rural, the growth of Havencross has caused a similar growth in Lilycrest.​

Gameplay will be spent between free sessions where the players live as normal high school students and freely work to solve minor issues in the Mirror World (some memories of SRAD victims are held in "bubbles" where larger shadows are unable to detect them, making them easy to gather and repair). Progress with the main plot is tracked by "Arcs". Arcs represent a large goal players work towards, such as recovery of memory fragments from a particularly well defended area of the Mirror world or significant events in the real world (Midterms, vacations, etc). Smaller events are managed by "Phases", which is a cue that certain actions need to be done, or announcing free time.


Memory Fragments are held inside elaborate dungeons by powerful shadows and their lesser minions. Collecting these fragments involves not only finding where they are being held, but navigating the dungeon over time to actually finding them. Players will not be able to recover a major fragment with one exploration or combat, but it is a build up to recovery.​

Rules and General Persona Intro

So, aside from all the standard RPT rules and basic warnings I do have a few basics.

I will try and move on roughly every two weeks. There will most likely be exceptions to this (and if you need one just let me know), but this is to give people enough time to write as well as keep action moving forward. These first few phases may be a little short to capitalize on new RP enthusiasm as well as get right to the nitty-gritty of the plot.

Please try to avoid death by Joint Post. Joint posts are inevitable, but try not to kill your enthusiasm and progress by making everything a JP and being stuck in a stagnant project. JPs have their advantage, but for general interaction such as conversation, several short posts back and forth can be better than one long one, both for efficiency and activity.

Respect Common Decency. I don't expect this to come up, but I'll post it just in case. Persona deals often with heavy and sometimes dark issues. Traumatic situations and sexuality come up, but please don't make everyone uncomfortable.

As for what I actually look for in an SU, I focus largely on the following:

Creativity/Uniqueness: This doesn't mean having a super-special character with a wildly implausible life, I look for interesting characters. Even old tropes can be interesting with certain twists or unique applications.

Character Combinations: Uniqueness comes into play here as well. 5 isolated loners aren't interesting, diverse personalities and backgrounds make for more interesting interactions. I'm only accepting one person per Arcana (and a max 8 in total), as it also helps diversify the cast. If you do have a great idea that is somewhat similar to another sign up with a different arcana, don't worry. Not everyone is entirely unique, there are always similarities between people in a school.

Finally, Technical Skill plays a very small part. I'm not the best author, this OOC probably will show that. This just covers SUs I have trouble even reading. I am much more likely to accept a character I like and feel has great potential but some minor writing issues over a completely bland and generic character but the author writes with a golden quill.

As for the newcomers to the Persona series, welcome! I hope this can encourage you to try out this awesome series (I recommend 4 and 5. 3 is rough in the gameplay department, and I can't recommend 1 and 2 in good conscious since they are so dated, no matter how good 2 is story wise). I wanted to make some general tips for creating a character, and to clear up a few things on the coming SU. This RP will mostly follow the style of "Modern" Persona, which is 3 onwards. The plots of the games are entirely separate aside from a few nods to each other. Even major aspects of the world changes between game, such as how you summon the persona and the exact threat. What does stay largely the same are the basics: highschool, strange other world, and supernatural figures call Persona.

While this SU isn't a roleplaying scene, it takes place in a scene you'd see in each Modern game. You are going to experience your first encounter with the Velvet Room. This is an otherworldly place only those who have been invited to are allowed to enter. The residents of this room dabble in fate and power, and this is the primary place you would work with Personas outside of combat. For now this will just seem like an odd dream, but you will take a major first step here.

You need to sign your contract. This contract binds your character to the events going on as well as sets the seed for awakening your Persona. While you won't be able to summon your Persona immediately after signing the contract, it is necessary to enlist the help of the Velvet Room, begin gathering power, and ultimately take control of your own destiny.

I will continue to explain more about Persona as we reach relevant areas in the RP, but feel free to ask me any questions regarding it in relation to the RP.​

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There is a sudden flash to blue as your eyes close, and you find yourself in a strange room. A library, it seems. Large shelves dominate the room, each lined with books as blue as the wallpaper and carpet. Strangely enough the books appear to be chained to the bookshelf itself, each with a massive, golden lock. It's almost as if speaking would break the tranquility of the room, but it's not as if this dream would let you speak anyways. At the left of the room is a lady whom you suspect to be the librarian. She appears to be slightly older than you with short, curly hair that is so blonde it almost appears white. She is dressed in a lady's suit colored blue, of course, and a pair of thick glasses. For a moment she seems surprised to see you, but only for a second before a look of familiarity crosses her face.

"Well, seems we should have met some time ago," she says, her voice soft but confidant, "but that won't be an issue here. My name is Susan... ah, no need to speak, for you've already told me yours, dear guest. The master is still away, so it falls to me to guide you.

"One of these diaries will have your name on the spine." She motions to the closest shelf. "The lock will come undone for you, and only you. Inside is a copy of your story; memories dear and painful are contained in the pages inside. Don't worry, the book wouldn't open for me even if I tried. Most importantly, however, the first page contains the contract. Just agree to the terms and we can pick this back up."

Sure enough one of the diaries on the middle shelf has your name engraved into the spine. The lock clicks open and falls away as soon as you reach for it, leaving the book free from the chain and with no sign it was ever locked away. The pages seem well worn from the outside, as if someone has cherished it and read it often. The cover opens by itself, taking you to the first page, the contract.

(Sign Up. Note that this doesn't have to actually be written in character.)
Name:
Age:
Grade and Class: (Generally 16 = 10, 17 = 11, 18 = 12 without being moved up or being held back. All students are in class B of their respective year)
Tell Me About Yourself: (Personality)
How can I identify you: (appearance)
What is your history: (history)
Do you ever feel a sense of D?j? vu in your everyday life?
The past shapes the future, but does the future also shape the past?

I swear that the future is my own, and I will do all in my power to change it:
x____________________.

(The rest of the SU is not contained within the contract, but is necessary for the SU)

Persona: (remember, the most common ones are Deities, mythological beasts and heroes, and real world people with a certain mysticism about them. For canon ones (which are allowed) just googling Persona 3, 4, or 5 and "Persona List" will bring up the SMT wiki with a list of canon personas per game and their arcana).

Arcana: (from the list above)

Persona description: (what your persona looks like. Remember most human and humanoid personas will tower above the average person. Beasts will vary in size. Personas don't have much of a personality, since they are extensions of you).

Persona Types: (two from the list above).

Anchor to the Past: (This is your character's most important memory, and fuels the Persona summoning. This memory has greatly shaped your character in some way or another. Both trauma and profound joy shape us in special ways, and even events that seem unimportant at the time may cause great ripples in our lives.)

As soon as you sign your name, the book vanishes into thin air.

"Surprised? Don't worry, it's not gone forever. It'll reappear when you need it. Now, unfortunately we're still short on time. As much as I'd love for us to continue on, there are still things you need to do to set the stage for our next encounter. We'll meet again before you even know it."

And just like that you slipped back into sleep, as if nothing here was real.​

 

[Miningsilver]

Ooh Persona! When I first joined I saw this pop up but was too late (and nervous) to join! I'll express interest in joining this. Let me just think up a character.

 

[Junier]

Making a sign-up for Emperor :)
Emperor arcana is open!

What?s the minimum you?d like to know for history, GM?

(And the title of the OP still says ?Memory?s Edge,? so you know.)

 

[Stinging Bea]

Claire Auron / 16 Years Old / 10-B​

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Date Of Birth​

August 8, 2013​

"How can I identify you?"​

"What...? Is there something wrong with your own eyes? Well, whatever. I'm about 5'0" tall... and don't you even think about cracking any short jokes, either. I like to keep myself trim, something that I guess I can thank to my gymnastics classes. My hair is obviously brown. I've tried the short look before, but I've always liked it better nice and long, usually keeping it to just the middle of my back. Any longer and I have to get it a quick trim, otherwise it will just get in the way. My grandmother tells me I have my mother's eyes, but I've never really seen her so I couldn't say for sure.

As for clothes, I usually just go for whatever's comfortable. I do like to wear skirts, be they cotton or denim, pleated or otherwise. I usually mix and match the style accordingly, wearing tank tops and t-shirts when casual or wearing blouses and collared shirts when the affair calls for more formal attire. I guess if you really wanted to you could call this a weird tick of sorts. I have two things that I always find myself wearing no matter what. The first is jacket. There's no real reason to this one. It's comfortable and helps if it gets chilly, and if it's too warm for it, I'll just tie it around my waste. Simple as that. As for the other item I can't go without. That's the necklace from my grandfather. It means a lot to me... not that any of this is your business, though."

"Tell me about yourself..."​

"That's... pretty demanding, really. I don't see why you need to know so much about me... I'm a pretty studious and down to earth sort of girl, you could say. I was raised that way, making sure to always put my academic-related activities and goals before those related to personal pleasure or play. I was taught from an early age that if anything is truly worth having, you need to be ready to bust your butt to actually achieve it. As a result, I always make sure to spend plenty of time studying to guarantee that I pass any exam or test that comes my way. Of course, I don't just sit around with my face in a book every chance I get. I'm also an active member on the school's gymnastic team. It's a good source of exercise and it serves as a pretty good reliever when I need a break from studying. Outside of gymnastics and schoolwork, I do have an interest in dogs. They're so friendly and cute. I kind of wish grandmother would let me have a puppy, but she always refuses when I ask...

Of course, I have friends. Stop giving me that stupid look like I'm sort of overworked loner. There's a group of girls I do hang out with a lot, usually on the weekend when things aren't as hectic or busy. They describe me as a bit assertive, and that I'm one to never really hold back. They tell me I'm not afraid to speak my mind and let someone know just what I'm thinking... But can you believe that? I'm pretty reserved, I thought... but whatever. It's not like it matters what you think of me, anyways. Now bring on the next question you obviously have, creeper."

"What is your history...?"​

"What business is it of yours? We just met... I don't even know your name! Oh, stop giving me that look... Fine...

I moved to Havencross when I was about five or six years old. I used to live in Salem, a small city located in Virginia, with my mother. As best as I can remember, it was always just the two of us when I lived there. I never really knew who my father was. I never saw him and to the best of my memory, mom never talked about him anyways. If I was to be so bold, I guess that he either abandoned her shortly after I was born or I was the result of a... one night stand. Not that it matters, though. It never really bothered me that I didn't have a father then and it doesn't now.

Anyway, from what I can remember we never really had a lot of money back then. Mom worked at a local super market, often pulling double shifts to make ends meet. I didn't really have to stay on my own for that. I was barely tall enough to reach the bathroom sink on my own without a booster step, after all. I usually found myself staying over at the neighbor's house back then. I don't really remember too much about all that, though. I thought we were happy, despite how stressful life was for my mom. I now know that there was more going on behind the scenes. Mom... she was suffering from extreme depression. I was too young to know all the details about it... too young to help. In the end, she ended up taking her own life and next thing I knew, I was alone.

I didn't know what I was supposed to do or what was going to happen to me. I thought at first that maybe the lady who used to watch me next door was going to take me in, but that was quickly ruled out. She and her husband had three kids of their own to take care of after all. I remember there being talks about foster care. At the time I really didn't know what all that entailed, but at the end of the day I'm glad that really didn't work out. I've heard some pretty nasty stories about the whole thing, after all. In the end, the social workers managed to contact my grandparents, Richard and Beverly Auron.

I had never really had many encounters and interactions with them before. I had seen them once or twice, usually around the holidays or on my birthday, so I wouldn't exactly say I was thrilled or excited to suddenly find myself living with them. They weren't outright strangers to me, but I wouldn't exactly say we were much more than acquaintances. Regardless, I soon found myself being shipped off to the city of Havencross, North Carolina... and with it, an entirely different way of life as well.

My grandparents... life with them was much more structured and grounded. For starters, they were both fairly wealthy. My grandfather made his living as an attorney early in life and was responsible for running his own law firm when I moved in. As for my grandmother, she made her living working as a pediatrician at a local hospital. One would have probably expected the duo to spoil me. After all, they were my grandparents. However, it was the exact opposite that happened. Both of them went above and beyond, treating me was if I was their own daughter. There were rules and expectations. There were curfews and punishments. Sure, we bumped heads at times, but... I respect them and I'm thankful for all they did and how they pushed me. Don't get me wrong, I respect my mother for having raised me for those first few years. But I shudder to think where my life may have been right now if things would have continued back in Salem as opposed to where I am now."

"Do you ever feel a sense of D?j? vu in your everyday life?"​

"Isn't that just part of life? I get up, eat breakfast, go to school, go to gymnastics practice after... I mean, it's just the sign of an average week to me."

"The past shapes the future, but does the future also shape the past?"​

"...This is pretty philosophical compared to your last questions. Did something happen between then and now? Well, whatever... I'm no scientist, but I've seen a few movies on time travel and read a few books on the subject, but I've never seen a case in any of those where doing something in the future effected the past. So... I guess no...?"

Arcana​

Lovers​

Persona​

Ishtar​

Persona Type​

Healing And Electric​

Anchor To The Past​

"You're really nosy, aren't you? As if you couldn't tell by this point, it's my grandfather. Don't get me wrong, both my grandparents are great! But the way he truly stepped up to more or less be my father..."

I swear that the future is my own, and I will do all in my power to change it: XClaire Auron

 

[Skystrike]

Joshua Rivers

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Date of Birth: February 10th, 2012


Grade and Class: Grade 11, Class B


Tell me about yourself: ?I've been told that I'm rude very often. Honestly, I don't see why.?

Joshua has been told that he's ?arrogant?, ?stuck up?, and even ?condescending? by plenty of his peers and even his family. Their thoughts are not without merit: Joshua tends to believe that everything is obvious. Questions from others are often met with sarcasm, or if he feels you are bothering him too much, he will just ignore your questions. This behavior extends to everyone?from friends, to family, to peers, and everyone in between. If confronted about his behavior, he will deny it, saying that he is not arrogant. Because of this, his reputation consists of him being a jerk.

Joshua genuinely does not mean to be as snide as he is, though. One thing he will agree with others on is the fact that he's pessimistic, as that he believes anything that can go wrong will go wrong?although he prefers ?realist?. He is quite serious to the point of being gullible sometimes, and will take most jokes at heart instead of seeing them for what they are?a joke. The result is that when someone responds to a jeer from Joshua, he is quite offended by it. Towards those he cares for, underneath his exterior lies a caring and perhaps even overprotective being. Joshua is also extremely apologetic, often apologizing for things he had no part in causing.

Joshua's reason for being the sarcastic and snide teenager he shows everyone instead of the worrywart he really is lies in his self-esteem and insecurity: if he doesn't show anyone his true self, then he cannot be taken advantage of. As having seen and experienced what being a ?nice? person brings you, Joshua refuses to invite that kind of trouble to him.

Joshua's hobbies include hiking, which he uses to say that he stays fit, reading, and, of course, video games. He also spends a lot of time connected to the internet, as he has made quite a few friends on the internet. He wouldn't use the adjective ?nerd? to describe himself despite those two hobbies, though. Even though accomplishing schoolwork comes quite easily to him, he finds it to be a chore, so he often finds himself procrastinating until the last minute.


How I can identify you: ?I'm pretty tall. Although, for the longest time, it sure was looking like it wasn't going to turn out that way. I'm also my eyes remind people of the ocean.?

Joshua is light brown in color and standing at 6 feet even, with curly brown hair that reaches to his neck. He has a slightly muscular build from spending his time hiking mountains. His eyes are a striking blue that's comparable to the ocean's tone. For clothing, Joshua prefers blue and black as colors, and, depending on the weather, can usually be seen wearing a plaid button-down shirt and jeans. He almost always wears a watch on his left wrist.


What is your history: ?I've seen some things that no kid should ever have to see...?

Joshua is a native of Portland, Oregon, and is not originally from Havencross. The first memories of his life that he can recall were seemingly peaceful ones. However, when he was four, his parents could not reconcile their differences?Joshua's mom did not want to be the ?stay-at-home mom?, but his father disagreed--and got a divorce, with Joshua's dad, a lawyer, moving across the country and leaving Joshua and his mom, a medical school student, behind. Despite her original wishes, Joshua's mom shelved her dreams of becoming a doctor temporarily to focus on Joshua. The two traded the two story house they lived in with Joshua's father for an apartment on the other side of Portland.

The next few years after that was a juggle between school life with his mother and visiting his father occasionally. Joshua's mom often worked long hours all week, leaving Joshua to take care of himself. The boy's mother made sure that he kept up with his school work, and when the weekend came, she dedicated all of her time to him, occasionally taking him hiking in the nearby mountains that surround Portland. Not all of the time (or money) could be dedicated to taking trips though, so often the boy and his mom found themselves going to the library or exploring the city. He was also encouraged to get involved in after school clubs, or a sport, but Joshua didn't care for those. He focused on keeping excellent grades in school and then heading straight home. Deep down he understood the situation that they were in?Joshua's mom moved with his father from her home state of Michigan to Portland when she was pregnant with her?but what he wished for was more time with anyone, especially his mom.

Despite their divorce, Joshua's mom and father remained on quite good terms. Joshua came to associate ?sumertime? with ?Father time?, where for two months, he lived with his father on the other side of the United States. The boy looked up to his father?a quiet, calculating man who seemed to know everything. Summer time with his father were much more exciting than the other seasons with his mother, and sometimes, he wished he could stay there with him. But, in a flash, it was August and once again Joshua would have to return to being alone at home until evenings when his mom came home from work.

By middle school, Joshua's mother was able to return to medical school. Joshua himself continued to press on with his school work. For reasons unknown, his father stopped seeing him every summer?a sentiment that he did not appreciate. Attempts to divulge information from the lawyer ended in frustration. The boy's mother tried her best to keep her son's mind focused where it needed to be as good grades would later be key to being successful; however, the rude remarks she made in private towards friends or family on the phone about his father revealed that she shared the same frustration. In his frustration, and perhaps under his mother's guidance, Joshua took on a snarky attitude towards most. This abrasiveness warded off people like the way a shell protects a hermit crab's soft insides from predators.

Around the seventh grade, Joshua's mom began dating she met while working. Suddenly when his mother came home in the evenings she was with someone else now, which was quite an unusual situation for the young teen. The man seemed decent enough and thought nothing about it as the three started to go on hikes and the like together. However, the man's facade was soon shed, with only Joshua noticing the signs of it. The man was quite charming and cunning, leaving Joshua's mom completely oblivious. The boy tried to warn his mom about his suspicions that perhaps her boyfriend is not what she thinks she is, but this was met with harsh remarks. Soon, the man became physically and emotionally abusive towards the woman. The feelings of hopelessness he felt from not being able to do anything to help his mom and the exasperation that Joshua's mother did not listen to him welled inside him like a geyser. The next two years is when he realized when he realized people will mistake your kindness for weakness and take advantage of it. It was quite a struggle for Joshua to maintain his grades, but no matter how hurt outside and inside his mother was, she would continue to push him to success.

At the start of the ninth grade, the man was finally arrested. Joshua and his mother were finally released from the oppressive shackles the mother's boyfriend had opposed upon them. However, the damage had already been done. Joshua had become an incredibly sarcastic person, to the point where some were a little intimidated by his attitude. To the ones he cared about though, he became quite overprotective, perhaps to the point of being slightly overbearing, asking whenever his mother was leaving what her destination was. It was around this time he began slacking in school as well, which--while it was to his mother's dismay--it did not surprise her either. Halfway through the school year he also learned that his father had remarried and moved to Havencross. He was also informed that he now had two stepsiblings, which greatly pleased him, as he had always wished for another sibling or two. Despite finally communicating with Joshua, his father continued to disallow visits to him during the summer.

At the end of tenth grade, Joshua's mother (who was finishing up medical school) told him that he would depart from his life in Portland to go live with his father in Havencross. Joshua's immediate answer to this was no; how could he leave his mother and friends behind? The woman did not give her son a choice, though, accurately predicting his answer. He will go to live with his father in Havencross for a while, and that's that. Soon the sixteen year old was on board an airplane en route to Havencross. In Havencross, Joshua would have to become accustomed to a new life with his father, stepmom, and stepsiblings, as well as attending the newly opened St. Dominic High School, courtesy of his father's wealth...

Do you ever feel a sense of D?j? vu in your everyday life?: "... Sometimes, yes. But I think that's just my daily routine blending together, so I guess it's more repetition than anything. Getting up, going to school, going to work... doing those sorts of things everyday, all the time, you'd probably end up feeling like you've done something before... Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to ramble on this long."


The past shapes the future, but does the future also shape the past?: "I... what? What kind of question is this? Here's my serious answer, and it may shock you: Considering the tiny problem of it being literally impossible without time travel, which as far as I know, is also literally impossible, I'm going to have to say no."


I swear that the past is unchangeable and I will do all in my power to remember:
x Joshua Rivers

Persona: Morpheus

Arcana:

Temperance (XIV)
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The greek god of dreams has taken on a mythical appearance, draped in a bluish-purple shaman's robe with red frills, with a light blue halo hovering around its head. The ?legs? and ?arms? aren't actually part of the god of dreams?only the blue, wispy spirit ?wearing? the robe is Morpheus.


Persona types: Ice/Debuff

Anchor to the Past: The hardship and feelings of hopelessness Joshua endured in his early teens as he could only watch a situation that he could not change unfold.

 

[PastelPhoenix]

What?s the minimum you?d like to know for history, GM?

(And the title of the OP still says ?Memory?s Edge,? so you know.)

Fixed the title.

Also for history I just want a basic outline. You don't have to tell me much (unless you want specific plot devices related to the history to show up), I just like knowing a few things like family or lack there-of, any super-major events that characters would know about through rumors of what have you, or basic details like being from a different place.

 

[Junier]

Nice, that's perfect for the idea I have right now, then. Thanks!

 

[PastelPhoenix]

Evan Zhang​

Age: 18
Grade and Class: 12 B

Tell Me About Yourself:

Uhh, I've always been pretty bad at self introductions. I guess I'm fairly normal? My grades and stuff are pretty good, and I've never really been in major trouble. I like cinema and filmography and I've spent a fair amount of money on my camera and recording equipment. Not as much as the pros spend or anything like that, but still a good amount. I used to make a lot of short movies, had a tiny club for it and everything. I just... haven't felt like doing it in a while, you know?

I guess I look at the bright side and everything. I don't really like judging people or giving up before I even started. Things usually aren't that bad. I've been pretty tired lately, and sometimes it's hard to find that good side to life or whatever situation I've ended up in, but I know it's probably there somewhere.

Other than that, I've been throwing myself in school work recently. I still watch movies and play games, but I need to get a good job. I wanted to go to film school, but I don't think that's in the cards right now.

How can I identify you:

Spoiler:

Pretty boring, right? I have dark hair like my parents, but my eyes are lighter than my father's. I guess I dress well? I made an effort to look more like the directors I saw in interviews. Over time it just stuck, I'm rarely in super casual clothes anymore. That photo was from my last vacation with my mom, so it's probably the most up to date thing I have. I think most people would probably recognize me from the camera. I carry it around still just in case I see something good to take a picture of.


What is your history:

I was born here, as was my parents. I think my great-grandparents actually migrated over, but I never really knew them. I had a pretty normal childhood, a bit safe and restrained but still normal.

I found my interest in film when I was 14. I guess I've always liked it, but I never had a chance to record until then. I found a group of friends to record with, and we've been fooling around ever since. Our goal was always to win the city's short film contest, but we were just kids so we never went far.

My mother passed a few months ago after a long period of illness. We all knew it was coming, but it still honestly hurt. Dad's been pretty out of it since, and I really haven't had the will to do much.

Do you ever feel a sense of D?j? vu in your everyday life?

Uhh, not daily. Sometimes I'll feel like I remember walking down the same street, but that's something with the brain acting up, isn't it?

The past shapes the future, but does the future also shape the past?

Uhh. I really don't know how to answer that...

I swear that the future is my own, and I will do all in my power to change it:
x Evan Zhang

Persona: Chilong

Arcana: Hanged Man

Persona description:

Spoiler:

Not quite ascended to a Dragon yet not quite devolved into a fish, Chilong retains parts of both his Fish Koi and Dragon heritage and notably lacks the horns of his true dragon brothers.
Persona Types: Wind & Support

Anchor to the Past: The first time he finished a movie. It may have only been twenty minutes long, but the feeling of all the hard work of his group coming together at once was worth the effort.

 

[MurkMire]

Name: Lucien Mallory

Age: 16

Grade and Class: 10 - B

Tell Me About Yourself.
Well, uh... as told by a lot of people, I'm known as a 'bad egg.' I only have interests in being alone... and reading. I have a lot of books to bury myself in... oh, I also like to watch people. For some reason, it's a way for me to learn. I guess, about how people... work? I dunno.

My aunt doesn't really treat me like a bad egg, but I doubt she doesn't feel that way. So, I spend a lot of time by myself. I never was good at making friends, because I only ever got in fights, or just hid away from being social. It's just... tiring. It makes it worse when I'm stuck in an enclosed space with someone else.

I, uh... I like coffee, and rain. And reading, beyond that.

How can I identify you?

Spoiler:

Well, you can tell I'm tired all the time. Got rags under my eyes, but I prefer being awake at night. Even less likely when someone may bother me. I wear pretty layered clothing, even when it gets warm. Makes me feel safer around in public. I wear dark pants, and regularly black shoes.

Also, I got black hair, with bangs that frame my face. I don't really brush it well, so it gets kinda wild from time to time.

What is your history?
It's... lengthy. I'm what's known as an "estranged" member of the family. Parents being wealthy business goons... and the siblings waddle in their footsteps. Me, meanwhile, wasn't born with such ignorance. From the day I was born, I think they knew I'd be the black sheep of their flock.

So, needless to say, growing up wasn't really fun. Coldness from the folks, and douchebaggery from the brother and sister. So, I just kinda hung out in the library when I was around ten. Able to just sit and drift off to elsewhere. Being home schooled, I learned a bit from the tutors.

But, uh... there was an incident. I was thirteen, sitting in the library, when the siblings rolled in, and just decided to rip my favorite book from my hands, and tear out the pages. Then, throwing them in my face. I kinda blacked out, but when I 'snapped back' to reality... it was bad. I wretched from the sight, and was badly beaten before I was sent away.

Well, I'm carted off to a boarding school for punks like me. For a few months, actually. I don't know if it was better or worse, but I was thrown into the broom closet for the fights I got in. Anyway, those few months go by, and someone claiming to be my aunt shows up. She demanded I go with her.

Not a lot of choice, I went with it. She was pretty cool, she worked as a back alley doc, and had an okay place for me. Right now, I kinda just think... and read... and think some more.

Do you ever feel a sense of D?j? vu in your everyday life?
Deja vu? I mean... sometimes I do. I get a lot of sneers from people whenever I'm out in broad daylight. Maybe it's because I look like a punk? Or, maybe something else.

Other than that, not really.

The past shapes the future, but does the future also shape the past?
That's pretty interesting... I mean, I'm sure that holds up, somehow. It just sounds like it should. Like... if someone saw their past in a different light?

Anchor to the Past
I think a really big part of my life... well, my aunt had shown me her old book collection, which was even more impressive than my old family's library. The content was more interesting. More philosophical, more analytical, more... interesting.

She took good care of me for the last three years, and was the only person who really thought well of me. In a way, she is what gave me a second chance.

I swear that the future is my own, and I will do all in my power to change it:
x Lucien Mallory

As soon as you sign your name, the book vanishes into thin air.

"Surprised? Don't worry, it's not gone forever. It'll reappear when you need it. Now, unfortunately we're still short on time. As much as I'd love for us to continue on, there are still things you need to do to set the stage for our next encounter. We'll meet again before you even know it."

And just like that you slipped back into sleep, as if nothing here was real.

Persona:​

Arahabaki​

Arcana:​

The Hermit​

Persona Description: An ancient Japanese aboriginal god since the Kofun period. The Momunofu were his servants and before his religion was submerged by the Shinto pantheon, Arahabaki was worshipped in Japan's northeastern regions as a god of travelers. He was also worshipped by Nagasunehiko, an enemy of Emperor Jimmu, and so by the Emperor's orders Arahabaki became a symbol of treachery, rebellion and heresy and his worship was forbidden for a long period afterwards. However, this is only mentioned in the Tsugaru Soto-Sangunshi (which was said to have been compiled in the 1970s) which has been concluded to be a false document.


Persona Types: Physical | Buff

 

[Miningsilver]

Ok, I think this is good. If I need to better it just lemme know!

Bill Pearlstein||17||11-B

Tell Me About Yourself:​

Bill is incredibly ambitious about his studies, being able to get into St. Dominic?s was just the thing he needed. Since he has much to prove to not only himself, but his parents as well, he tries his best to be the ?perfect student? by doing as much as possible. Doing a club activity, doing his best in class, yet he can?t quite find the time for a chat at a restraint. This all comes at the cost of high stress. He keeps up his ?perfect student? self throughout a day, but once he goes into his room, he would collapse within an instant. But he still denies that he overworks himself and tries his best to prove himself as someone that can do something. Yet sometimes the stress can break through without him realizing until it bursts through. That is one of his greatest fears.

​

Because of his constant pressure to strive for perfection, he isn?t quite one for small talk, mostly wanting to talk about assignments or ask questions, that is until he breaks away from a school-centric mindset. Once he is free of school thoughts he just becomes quiet, not because of shyness or social ineptitude, but because he?s mentally drained, becoming more like a zombie. This has led to a silent thought brewing in the back of his mind, to just take one day with no rules or order, just to live a carefree day with no worry. But he has yet to find a day to allow him for that, because of him needing to appease his parents and himself, to show that he can do something.

How can I identify you?
​

Bill?s years of strain is certainly visible, his eyes have clear bags under them and his irises don?t have the bright blue hue as they did when he was younger. They don?t have that same ?full of life? look to them. His black hair would follow suit, constantly in a jumbled mess, but he keeps it hidden with a simple cap, which allows him to hide his messy hair and the hair that does show through is minimal and thus straight on the outside. His clothes are simple enough, for Fall and Winter they?re rather drab, a simple large and brown button up coat that keeps the cold out along with a similarly shaded pair of jeans and dark boots. During the Spring and Summer, he livens up his wardrobe with some more color, he wears a simple t-shirt that?s a forest green with a small purple circle where his heart is. He wears a simple pair of jeans that always seem to be fresh that contrast with grey shoes that have certainly seen their fair share of weather.

What is your history?
​

As he primarily grew up in Massachusetts, his parents were set on him going to Harvard. But that would have to wait as his father?s job brought him to North Carolina. His school years kept him under constant pressure. As he worked through school, constantly trying to do his best, his parents learned of St. Dominic Highschool. Them finding out about this school ended up stacking all pressure onto Bill for him to get a scholarship and get it. Which, after a year of regular high school, would allow him this chance. Now he has something to challenge him to his limits, with his parents always on his back.

Do you ever feel a sense of D?j? vu in your everyday life?
​

?D?j? vu? Not particularly often, but often enough to be noticeable. A line that you swear you?ve written before, picking up a page or pencil from the same spot. It?s not much, but still.?

The past shapes the future, but does the future also shape the past?
​

?That?s? odd. No, I don?t think the future affects the past. Unless time machines can be made that is, and I doubt that.?

I swear that the future is my own, and I will do all in my power to change it:​

x______Bill Pearlstein______.​

Persona: Sobek

Arcana: The Hierophant

Persona description:
​

Much alike Anubis, instead of taking the primarily human form from myths, Sobek takes on an anthropomorphized crocodile. But unlike Anubis it is much more tribal, wearing a number of skeletal ornaments and a wooden cane topped with a skull with a purple flame on the inside.

Persona Types: Physical & Cursed

Anchor to the Past:
​

Do you have those moments of pure frustration and anger? Well, Bill has had that moment, one night, while working on a big paper for English which was to be submitted on the following day to get a grade to use for scholarships, he finally cracked. Feeling like an empty husk he broke half of his pencils into halves and tore up many old assignments that weren?t needed. Then he just sat still and took a short rest. In his mind he was filled with anger and frustration, and now he is afraid of it happening outside of his room, where all can see.

 

[Nero]

Back again, and about time too.

Jacqueline "Jackie" Fletcher

Date of Birth: June 7, 18 y/o

Grade and Class: 12B

Tell Me About Yourself: Jackie is many different things to different people. To her teachers, she's an unfocused troublemaker and an undedicated slacker. To her parents, she's a bright and rapidly maturing young girl with a spark of wisdom yet to ignite. To her sister, she's a waste of talent and in with the wrong crowd. Jackie herself wouldn't agree with any of them. If you were to ask her, she'd tell you about how everyone expects too much out of her, how nobody want's to let her follow her own dream, and how she's always being compared to her older sister's successes.

Maybe if you were to ask an unbiased individual who somehow knew the ins and outs of Jackie's entire character, thoughts, and life story, they'd say that everyone is both correct and incorrect to a degree. She's most definitely a bright kid, or at least was at an earlier stage in her life. She's matured, although her immaturity still shines through. Her wisdom might be wasted, but she still shows talent. People might hold her on too high an expectation, but she can definitely reach that height if she tried. She might not be following her dream, but she hasn't got her directions planned out to get there anyway. And she… well, actually, her teachers might've done well to judge her.

Behaviour is one of Jackie's biggest problems. As a good-hearted, intelligent, and practical young woman, she had the potential to become a respectable and charismatic student. Her soft shell hardened over the years, however, and her sincereness with it. Still plenty sociable, she's grown to become facetious and somewhat of a prankster, yet a sourpuss and a bit of an asshole when not in the mood. Despite having what appears to be a negative output, she's still affable and empathetic in her own way, and does take people into consideration. Jackie's moods seem to be entirely dependent on which side of the bed she wakes up on, and it can be hard to tell which is which. While plenty of days she's welcoming and jokey, others she's just not feeling the humour and tends to get a little on the snarky side. It doesn't help that her humour is a little snarky to begin with. At first plenty of people might wrongly assume that she's reserved and unfriendly, but her friends have come to learn that she's more genuine inside than the comments she makes and the way she behaves in class.

Jackie's biggest love and most blatant personality kink is music, whether it be listening to, talking about, writing, performing, or just being able to relax in her bedroom and strum a few chords when she's bored or upset, knowing that her connection to music is always there. With so much drama at school, at home, even between her friends, her retreat has become her defining hobby. A guitar player herself, she tries not to limit herself to her familiar rock and blues, branching out to funk, hip-hop, and jazz, and listening to an even broader range. Her primary genres, modern garage and 10s/20s alt, can probably be accredited to a portion of her personality, being the susceptible young girl she was when she first started mingling with others who shared her interests.

How can I identify you: Standing at 5'7", with a slim petite build, Jackie's attire commonly consists of singlets and loose shirts, and jean and chino shorts in the summer, plus coats, jackets, and full jeans during the colder months. She prefers to keep her outfits simple, and her clothes are generally fairly plain in colour and style, bar her collection of numerous band shirts. She's no stranger to accessories, often adding a black fabric choker to her daily attire, as well as a small piercing on the bridge of her nose, for however long she can get away with it before the school forces her to remove it.

What is your history: Being born into a family of financially stable doctors shouldn't have made for a tough upbringing. Well, okay, maybe it didn't. And it sure wasn't for Mia, firstborn of Dustin and Lisa Fletcher of Virginia Beach. Her mother and father, a clinical professor of medicine and a biochemist, were thrilled to discover their daughter's interest in science at an early age, and eagerly guided her down an academic path. As young Mia grew older, it was clear to all that she would follow in the footsteps of her parents.

Six years after Mia's birth, the Fletchers welcomed another daughter into their life. Jacqueline, or "Jackie" as she grew to be called, was a splitting image of her older sister. She acted the same, dressed the same, and looked quite the same too. Once she began primary school, it was apparent that she had her sister's smarts too, and the family encouraged her to take an interest in the sciences. Jackie, who had very much taken up her sister as a role-model, was all to eager to follow in her footsteps. While Mia played netball, Jackie played tennis. When Mia begun playing piano, Jackie learned the guitar. And as Mia begun to dedicate more and more of her time to her studies, Jackie grew bored.

In fifth grade, Jackie was an excelling student. Having tried to keep up with her older sister, she had pushed herself to limits beyond anyone else in her year level had. With a sharp intellect, a vast creative talent, and a well-built body, she was able to dominate all her classes at school. Just like her sister had, people would tell her. Her past and present had been just like Mia's, and her future was looking mighty similar. There was nothing wrong with that though, as that's exactly what she'd always wanted. In her eyes, Mia was perfect.

As Jackie's sixth grade came around, Mia begun her eleventh. Now with a goal in sight, a Masters degree in physics leading to a PhD, Mia began to focus solely on her schoolwork, neglecting her sports, music, and social life. The close bond she shared with her sister strained the longer she distanced herself, and the perfect idol in Jackie's life had never seemed so flawed. Determined to not waste her time working when she could be living, Jackie decided to stop taking after her sister. She reversed her priorities, enjoying being with her schoolfriends during her last year, coasting through schoolwork, and furthering her guitar skills. Despite taking her schooling less seriously, she still passed with flying colours, and was sent off to secondary school with high expectations.

She never did manage to live up to those expectations, however. Learning new things in a new school, with no reputation as an established star student, Jackie found that her new study plan didn't cut it anymore. While still being able to take class easy without falling behind, her teachers were less than impressed with her work ethic. It was well justified, too. As the years went on, Jackie began to struggle more and more in class, trying less and less, and eventually abandoning any ideas of an academic future. She decided to go further with her music, having become her largest hobby over the last few years, and formed an alternative rock band with a few friends who shared her mind-set during her tenth year. As her eleventh year finally rolled around, she had dedicated most of her spare time to the band, trying to make a name for themselves and dreaming of hitting big. This deeply affected her grades, much to her family's chagrin, and after viewing her end of year results the family decided to make a change.

Jackie's parents blamed themselves. They believed that they hadn't controlled the situation, and that Jackie was still an incredibly bright girl who just needed a hand to keep herself motivated to work. Mia took the situation much more personally. She knew just how capable her sister was, and how she had thrown it away because she was too impulse. The connection between the two finally snapped, and the argument that ensued had no resolution. To solve her education problem, it was decided that Jackie would spend her final year at St Dominic High in a much more stricter school environment, and the family would move to Havencross for the year thanks to her father being offered to work remotely after the town's pharmaceutical boom. Mia would stay at home and continue her studies, and the two sisters said goodbye on bitter terms, as did her band, who had decided to split due to their indecisive future. With no band, no friends, and no idea how she was going to pass her final year, Jackie didn't have a great year to look forward to.

Do you ever feel a sense of Déjà vu in your everyday life?: "Of course. Even the most monotonous stuff seems like it was destined to happen again, in the moment. Almost feels like life trying to send a message, even if it's just a silly little reaction."

The past shapes the future, but does the future also shape the past?: "Jeez, uh... I guess, in a way? Well, maybe not directly, but sometimes in an effort to change our future, we have to start before that. So while what we do in the past directly affects the future, the future is what drives us to do things in the past in the first place. It's what keeps us progressing as a species. Why life strives to live. Hell if I know, I'm making this up as I go."

I swear that the past is unchangeable and I will do all in my power to remember:
x____JF_____________.

(The rest of the SU is not contained within the contract, but is necessary for the SU)

Persona: Sarasvati, Hindu goddess of knowledge, music and the arts.

Arcana: High Priestess

Persona Types: Nuclear/Psi

Anchor to the Past: "When I first decided to make my own choices and be my own person was the moment I first found myself, but the moment I lost who I once was. It's the original link to both the highs and the low points of my life."

 

[leocain]

Is there still place? I want to try joining.

 

[Junier]

sorry; i'm not going to have the time to both make an app for and continue to play my character -- i can't prioritize another minimal sandbox, especially when I have my own stuff in-development.

i didn't really intend to join the first one, so i'll state it clearer this time: i've lost interest. sorry again! i'll see ya'll around.

 

[Nero]

Is there still place? I want to try joining.

Yeah, it's still open. Dunno when it's gonna start though, but if you wanna have a go then the spot's open for you.

 

[PastelPhoenix]

Magnificent Magilou and Skystrike are accepted again. Welcome back!

Nero and Murk are accepted.

MiningSilver is accepted, but you might want to change your styling. It being center text throws off the flow a bit (I'd save it only for the title and paragraph breaks), and that purple is basically unreadable on Dark theme (I had to highlight it).