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 It's the start of another glorious school year at St. Raphael's Prepatory Academy. The sidewalk in front of the school is lined with leafy trees that have yet to lose their summer coloring, and the air has a light breezy quality, barely untouched by the everpresent air pollutants. In the main building, which is at least a century old, students are hard at work, absorbing knowledge into their heads as fast as pens can scratch on notebooks.(Except for those kids smart enough to sneak in their smartphones. Most of those are busily playing Candy Crush) We focus our attention on the westmost wing of this building, the third floor to be exact. Officially, this corridor is termed the "Academic and Extracurricular Excellence Hall", but when the bathrooms are labeled 'Oedipus' and 'Electra', and room names like "Jung", "Maslow", and "Zimbardo", most students call this hall "The Nuthouse" We focus even moreso, on the room titled "Jung". Inside, the walls are covered up by bookshelves full to bursting, and instead of the standard desks, a variety of chairs fill the room, from a beanbag all the way to an executive office chair. Several students are scattered across the room, all paying attention to a woman dressed in the most eyepoppingly colorful dress any of them had seen. We can hear the tail end of her speech " ...and that's how I ended up nearly destroying and saving CERN this summer." She lets out a little chuckle. "Oh my! I've been talking for nearly ten minutes, and I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Ms. Hamer, and I'm your 'Indepent Studies in Philosophy' coordinator! In other words, I'm here to teach you about Persona!" A huge, sincere grin is spread over her face. "Now, as it's the start of the term, why don't you all introduce yourselves, so we can start becoming friends that much faster!" Ms. Hamer points to the student closest to the windows. "Let's start with you!" Alright, let's get this thing started! Do your introductory posts, and we'll proceed from there. 
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Jul 21, 2014 02:43
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Ms. Hamer can't help but jump up and down with glee. "I am so excited to see my precious charges bonding!", she gushes. And, swirling around in her dress, she adds "And, guess who is the faculty advisor for the Fashion and Design Club? Come check out our booth at the Activity Fair next week!" A wave seems to come over her, as if realizing something. "I should actually lecture, shouldn't I? What would you rather hear about first, your power, or your duty?" Voice your opinions, students! 
FewtureMD fucked around with this message at 01:39 on Jul 23, 2014 |
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Jul 23, 2014 01:35
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Ms. Hamer turns and places a hand on the blackboard. "Well, seeing as things are tied up, I'll use one to explain the other! You all have experienced things others couldn't comprehend, and done things that seem fantastical. The power that allows you all to do these things, we call Persona" Her face screws up with concentration, and she mutters a word. "Saraswati" With that, all the various chalk diagrams begin swirling around, forming swirling rainbow-colored mandalas. "A Persona is the expression of your inner self, the truest window into your soul. With it, you can perform wondrous feats, what most would call 'magic'. I've read your student files, so I have a grasp of what most of you are capable of, but one aspect of your powers has most likely not been explained." The mandalas seperate into a diagram of a globe divided into halves by a line. One side is normal-Earth colored, and the other is a riot of colors and shapes. "The world is much greater than you realize. The physical world is buoyed on a sea of what could charitably be called 'formless metaphysical chaos'. The two meet at a place termed 'The Dreamlands', where the rigid structure of reality meets the boundless possibility of chaos. The minds of humanity wander the Dreamlands when they sleep, recharging and gaining inspiration. This is what allows us to innovate and make things. It's what allows us to be great. But if the barrier based in the Dreamlands was ever to fall, everything you know would be plunged into the chaos." The globe dissolves into a mess of scribbles and lines. The teacher steps away from the board, and fixes the class with a steely gaze, her jokey demeanor evaporated like fog in the morning sun. "Your charge as Persona-wielders is nothing less than the protection of humanity as a whole. We at St. Raphael's will do our best to train you to the utmost of your abilities, and we hope you will make us proud." The bell rings, and just as suddenly as the serious mood descended on Ms. Hamer, a smile breaks out on her face. "I know, it's been a fairly intense class, and you all need some time to process everything. Luckily it's lunchtime, and I think it's Sloppy Joes today! Go enjoy yourselves students, and I'll be seeing you all tomorrow. Au revoir!"
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Jul 28, 2014 23:38
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A loud voice booms from behind Chuck, "Ninjas? How lame is that? Check out this year's crop of Philoso-Nerds!". The speaker is a burly boy, wearing a Knights letter jacket. He sneers slightly "This group seems even freakier than the usual crop. When will this school stop admitting people whose families don't occupy the same tax bracket as the rest of us. Whatever. I need to protein load." With that, the boy turns to leave with his posse. The name 'Masterton' is emblazoned on the back of his jacket.
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Jul 29, 2014 04:10
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The hulking boy in the letter jacket turns around and stalks back to the group after hearing Aisling's outburst. He leans in closely, so that the lunchroom monitors can't hear what he's saying. "Listen, freak," Masterton growls in her ear, "I'd love nothing more than to knock that attitude out of you, seeing as I can't stand mouthy chicks. But I'd get kicked off the football team, and we can't have that can we? You still need to learn your place though, so here's what we're gonna do. Meet me in Madison Square Park after school for a little...contest." An ugly grin spreads over his face. "You can even bring your little friends if you want. Nothing makes humiliation better than an audience. If you don't show, I'll let the whole school know you chickened out. Oh, and make sure you bring your appetite." The bell rings, and Masterton stands up. "If you rejects will excuse me, I've got gym next, and I think we're playing dodgeball. I need to stretch my pummeling arm. Ciao!" He leaves the lunchroom with his cronies, and the rest of the student body starts to clear out. Looking that your schedules, it looks like you have US History next, and end the day with a Study Period.
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Aug 3, 2014 22:39
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St. Raphael's Study Hall, 2:45 PM St. Raphael's tries to limit distractions during the school day, and while it has a state of the art computer lab, some parts of the school are kept "unwired". The warmly paneled walls, pleasingly oriented bookshelves, and comfortably padded chairs all work together to allow students to work hard and do their best academically. Of course, academics are the last thing on the mind of a certain group of students huddled in the back corner. You all have 15 minutes until the end of classes, and the beginning of Masterton's dreaded challenge. What will you do with the time afforded to you?
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Aug 13, 2014 04:43
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St. Raphael's, 2:59 PM As the clock ticks ever closer to the end of the school day, a palpable tension settles over the campus. Word has spread all over school of the lunchroom confrontation, and the challenge issued. There are two paths that lay before you, one of outright defiance, and one of secretive vengeance. Which will you take? The bell rings in 10...9...8... In the bottom of your posts, could you indicate whether your student is going to the park, or to prank Masterton's dorm? FewtureMD fucked around with this message at 19:14 on Aug 17, 2014 |
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Aug 17, 2014 17:16
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Park Patrol You all head towards the nearest subway station, swept along in a stream of prep school blazers. Waving your school-issed metro cards, the lot of you manage to squeeze into a packed train car. All eyes are on Aisling, as the prep-school gossip network works at quantum speed. The train lurches, and the lights of the station slide away to the background music of metal wheels on tracks. Next stop: Madison Park, and a date with Dogs-tiny Adora's Bizarre Prankventure The first stop on your noble quest: St. Raphael's Main Office, location of the Master Dormitory Key. The guardian of this treasure is none other than Ms. Ethel Beavers, feared Head Administrative Assistant. Under her handknit sweater covered with frolicking cats, lies a soul harder than steel. The ice blue eyes behind her hornrims have bored into the soul of many a miscreant. "State your purpose, student." It's do or die time, Adora. Time to make a roll, K Prime! FewtureMD fucked around with this message at 00:26 on Sep 3, 2014 |
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Sep 2, 2014 23:26
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Adora Ms. Beavers looks you up and down, as if analyzing every fiber of your being. She sighs, and rummages through a drawer. A keycard is produced, and swiped through a card reader on the desk. "This is good until the date changes tonight. Go get your things, miss." A glare is fired from behind a pair of classes. "But if I find one thing out of place..." with the threat hanging in the air, Ms. Beavers turns back to her knitting. Park A voice booms out, "Who're you calling a meathead, freak?" The sea of prep school uniforms parts to reveal Chuck Masterson, standing atop a table laden with hot dogs, one of his minions holding an mp3 speaker blaring 'Bad to the Bone' at top volume. "Step forward, and prepare for utter humialtion!"
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Sep 30, 2014 17:20
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Porkin' Out in the Park Masterson hops down off the table, and gives a curt nod to the Music Goon. The speaker is silenced. The large boy clears his throat, and begins to speak "Thank you all for coming out today for yet another Masterson Mauling! Star on the field, king of cool, and subject of many a girl's daydream" He pauses to wink at a gaggle of girls with hiked up skirts. They coo and melt. "Since I've got practice later today, today's humiliation will be in the form of a hotdog eating contest! I need somme ammo for these guns!"He flexes his arms as he says this. "The skinny chick with the anger issues needs to do this, but any of her loser friends are just as welcome to join her, or cheer along for 'support'! Get in place everyone, I got poo poo to do." With that, he sits down at one of the plates laden with weiners. Around you, a vast array of camera lenses are aimed at the center table. No matter what happens here, every prep school kid in Manhattan will know the outcome less than 5 minutes after its over. Take your places! Alright, so. Most conflicts in the waking world will be resolved by Contests. It would look bad on St Raphael's if its students were brawling in the streets! A Contest proceeds in rounds, where each participant makes a single skill roll, using the Overcome action. In this case, it'll be an Athletics roll. If one participant succeeds, they get a victory. if they succeed with style, aka by 3 shifts or more, they get two victories. First person to 3 victories wins the whole shebang. Any ties mean the situation changes due to a dramatic twist. Participants and spectators may also try and make Create Advantage rolls, but if a participant tries and fails, they also forfeit their Overcome roll for that round of the contest. Let's do this!
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Oct 15, 2014 03:27
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Chowdown Showdown Masterson's crony counts down as you all take your seats. "3...2...1...EAT!" The contest has begun! Let the the first round rolls commence! Skill to Roll: Athletics Situational Aspects: The Power of Friendship Advantages against Masterson: N/A Gorbash, it's an individual plate of wieners, but its all of you vs. Masterson.
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Oct 30, 2014 20:03
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Round One Outcome: TIE! Aisling and Masterson scarf an equal amount of dogs, while Chuck makes a valiant effort, and Alita really only manages to get mustard on her face. But now, with the dramatic entrance of their friend and classmate Shadow Nova, the Nuthouse kids have renewed resolve and vigor! What will happen in round 2? Only time will tell! Invokable Aspects:My Sidekicks Are the Best!, The Power of Friendship Round 2...GO!
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Nov 6, 2014 20:01
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Chowdown Bolstered by the cheers of the crowd, the challengers begin to scarf down hot dogs even faster than before, while Masterson looks a tad queasy. The cheers are particularly loud around Alita, and students are jostling to try and get the best camera angles. Most snapshots are sent out with "Shes not even chewing!" as the caption. As the team munches their way forward, another fresh platter is placed in front of the contestants. The contest continues! Victory Count Alita: 2 Chuck: 1 Aisling: 1 Masterson: 0 Round 3, go!
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Nov 12, 2014 01:53
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Chowdown Intensity The last platter is set in front of the contestants. It's do or die time. Are you Victory Count Alita: 2 Chuck: 1 Aisling: 2 Masterson: 0 Round 4, go!
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Nov 15, 2014 02:23
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Finale The crowd cheers wildly as Aisling and Masterson go head to head. The two stare daggers at each other as they shovel hotdogs into their maws. This is the final platter. Reputations are on the line. They both reach for their last dog at the same time! The kids around them go dead silent. Masterson begins to chomp down, the thrill of looming victory evident on his face. Aisling however, uses the ninja provided water to soak her dog. And as Masterson coughs on a bit of dry bun, Aislings swallows the last half of the wiener! Victory! The sea of uniforms around them goes nuts. No one has ever bested Masterson in anything before! A flurry of social media posts goes out across the city, as the prep school elite spread the word of the weirdly cool kids from St Raph's.
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Nov 17, 2014 16:28
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Masterson "I don't need your pity, freak." He slaps the water out of her hand. "You may have won today, but I know your type, and you all disgust me." Masterson stands up and starts walking away, crony-less. "...always wanted to leave this fuckin' shithole of a school anyway..."
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Nov 19, 2014 17:22
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As the group hugs and enjoys their victory(with varying levels of enthusiasm), the crowd begins to disperse. As well wishers pass them by, you all notice a tall figure striding purposefully towards you. Sudden he begins to bark at the group. Any remaining students flee at the sound of an Authoritative Voice. "What in the seven hells are you lot doing!? What part of 'keep a low profile' did you not understand!? It was the second line of your acceptance letters! We are going back to the dormitory! NOW!" Huh, you never knew faces could actually turn puce. "Oh, and I already texted Adora, so she'll be there. If she can read it through all the smoke." The man darkly sniggers as he turns around. "After me everyone, you all have lost the 'being beyond my sight' privilege, and we're taking the train back."
FewtureMD fucked around with this message at 21:59 on Nov 20, 2014 |
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Nov 20, 2014 21:52
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The man in the suit leans in closely to Aisling, and lowers his voice to a menacing whisper "That hippy-dippy Hamer may go on about feelings and emotions, but she's your daytime caretaker. Once the bell rings, its my job to watch out for you misfits, and its my job to teach you how to loving fight for the future of humanity. I'm Mr. Yamada, and you were too busy blasting your iPod on move-in day to catch my name. Now," and his voice rises to a shout,"DOUBLE TIME!!"
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Nov 21, 2014 05:04
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"Suffering fosters comraderie, newbie!", as the group begins to file into the subway station.
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Nov 21, 2014 05:38
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The crowd in the station is giving the group some weird looks. The juxaposition of the prep school uniforms with everyone's...unique appearances is apparently the mental equivalent of mixing baking soda and vinegar. Mr Yamada manages to hear Alita's question over the hubbub of rush hour commuters. "It's been towed already, and its back in our private garage! Lucky timing too! you didn't put enough quarters in the machine, miss." He pauses to shrug on his jacket. "Here's our train, students! Step lively! Hup! Hup!"
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Nov 21, 2014 23:20
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You all exit the subway, rising from the gloom into the warm tones of a New York sunset. The group proceeds to trudge a few blocks away from the station, Mr. Yamada leading from behind. He's keeping a special eye on Aisling, of course. Mr Yamada dashes ahead, pausing in front of a brownstone. "home sweet home everyone! Go put your schoolthings in your rooms, while I finish preparing dinner. It's chili!" He beams. The effect is unnerving, like seeing a dog driving a car. "We'll talk over dinner, and have a debriefing after we all help with cleanup." He glares at Aisling and Mio. "Chop-chop!" Alright, here's a bit of free time! GO ahead and explore the house, and I'll give you guys meaty plot hook/cliffhanger right before American THanksgiving. Oh, and here's a map: http://imgur.com/uGIQG2e
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Nov 25, 2014 04:23
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Home Sweet Home As you all settle down into your rooms, time marches ever onward. Soon enough, you all hear a noise from up near the ceiling. It seems that the crown molding hides several speakers in each room. Mr. Yamada's voice issues from the hidden soundsystem: "Dinner's ready! Let's all assemble in the dining room! After washing your hands properly, of course." Somehow you can hear the glare in his voice on that last statement. ~Hand-Washing Ensues~ You all file into the dining room, table set and servings already dished out. For those who abstained from the afternoon's contest, there is a bowl of piping hot chili, with individual-sized portions of sour cream and shredded cheese by each plate. Three other place settings feature a bottle of Pepto-Bismol, a spoon, and a small packet of Maalox tablets. Seated at the head of the table is Mr. Yamada, wearing an apron covered with Tabasco bottles. "Take your seats, students! I trust you can figure out who sits where? Eat up, and then I need to debrief you on tonight's mission!"
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Nov 30, 2014 19:34
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After a refreshing fruit salad for dessert, you all file downstairs into the control center. The room is dominated by a mahogany table, while one wall has a bank of computer monitors set up, along with what appears to be a...record player? that seems wired directly into the wall. As you all settle down, Mr. Yamada begins to speak. " Tonight we'll be conducting your first field mission. I called it a debriefing earlier" he shoots a look at Chuck, "because my Persona has oracular capabilities. SOmetimes tenses get a bit mixed up for me. But I digress. Ms. Hamer may be your theory instructor, but I will be providing hands-on training and support, as you all protect the Dreamers that keep our world spinning." He steps over to a rack full of what appear to be records. He pulls one out, and to your surprise, it's a pale green instead of the usual black. On the label is a WWII-styled helmet with leafy branches tied to it. "This is a Cerebral Disk, or CD. It contains a recording of a Dreamer's delta waves, and I'm going to play it after lights out. We keep a recording of every known Dreamer in the city on file, just in case we need to send in Persona-users like yourselves. When I play it over the in-house sound system, your minds will synchronize with the Dreamer's, and you will enter their Dreamland. When inside, your job is to discover what is disrupting the Dream, usually manifesting as a problem of some sort, and solve it. By doing so, you will keep the formless chaos at bay, and keep the world safe. I'll be monitoring you as I sleep, with Bast's abilities. Now, since you all will be synced up with the Dreamer, any changes you make will persist. THis is a good thing, since any mission like this takes multiple nights to complete." He sits down, having placed the CD in the reader. "Are there any questions before I start the clock for Study Time?" He smirks, "You do have mundane issues to attend to as well."
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Dec 9, 2014 04:55
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Mr Yamada's hand snakes out and grabs Chuck by the wrist. "I'd like for my personal space to stay sacrosanct when divining the future.", he growls. "Now to answer all your questions before I send you all off to study. You are still students, after all. " To Aisling: "We're protecting the Dreamers from what we call 'Oneirophages', nasty beings that want to foment endless chaos. Which would be bad", he sarcastically states. Yamada turns to look at Mio: " You don't need to know the Dreamer's identity. As long as they stay anonymous, they stay safe. Unlike you, they can't fight back." "Alita, your bike is in the shed out back. If I get any hint of you breaking the law while riding it, you're downgraded to a trike. Clear?" He turns to address the group as a whole. "Tonight begins the greatest trial any of you have ever undertaken. I will do everything in my power to protect you. You are my charges, and I will keep you safe. One last note, lights out is at 2230, and the CD begins playing at 2300. Now, homework time! March!"
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Jan 13, 2015 22:29
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The House Mr. Yamada's voice comes to life through the soundsystem. "2225, students! Time to brush those teeth and get to bed. Cavities are just as implacable as Oneirophages, you know..." --------- 2230 Hours A quiet has settled over the dormitory, as the echoes of shared-sink squabbles fade away. The Independent Studies students are all drifting into slumber, ready for the trials that lay ahead. A program in the control room activates when the computer's clock turns over to the aforementioned time. The CD Player's turntable begins to spin, and a needle finds the proper groove in the pale green disk. All through the house, a jaunty march begins to play, beckoning the students to step ever deeper into slumber, into the collective unconscousness of all humanity. To step into...Dreamlands As you all float above a riotous landscape filled with color and motion, Mr Yamada flies ahead of the group. If you squint, something that vaguely looks like a cat-headed lady is floating behind him, formed from mist. "Our objective for now is over there!" He points to a large forest below you, and at the same time, the rest of the Dreamlands slide out of focus, as if nothing in the universe matters aside from this forest of gigantic trees. Suddenly, a dark pillar of energy emanates from the trees, and you are sucked down, down, down into the forest, crashing into the ground. Luckily none of you are hurt, but Mr. Yamada is nowhere to be seen, and what appears to be a crimson beetle the size of a bus is looking at you from the other side of the clearing you seem to find yourselves in. What do you do? ********************************************************************************** END OF PROLOGUE
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Jan 27, 2015 03:42
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Chapter One: War, What Is It Good For? **************************************************** A Place Beyond Time and Space  Two silhouettes stand in front of a stained glass window, as "Ave Maria" plays in the background. Let us see if we can hear some of their conversation... "It seems as if the other side has finally made a move" "Finally! I was getting so bored with this lack of resistance!" This figure seems to be pouting a bit. "If that amuses you, my next bit of information should be positively delightful" "What's that now?" "The move in question has been made in Woodpecker's territory." The pouting figure begins to guffaw. "Woodpecker!? She's going to go berserk! I love it!" "Calm yourself! This is not a manner in which an Awoken should act. And we have a general meeting to attend, so do please try to act with some decorum." "I'll try, but I make no promises~" The scene before us fades to black, before coming back to focus on our heroes, who are confronted by something wildly outside of their expectations... FewtureMD fucked around with this message at 04:08 on Jan 27, 2015 |
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Jan 27, 2015 03:42
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From the other side of the clearing, the beetle slowly lumbers towards the group. As it trundles closer, a high pitched voice can be heard calling out from behind said beetle, increasing in volume as the owner of said voice gets steadily closer. "Gunther! Gunther! C'mere boy! Charcoal said she'd have my head if I lost our transport againnnnn" The beetle reaches the middle of the clearing, just as the voice reaches the edge of the grass. "Oh there you are, you silly billy! Let me give you a biiig tummy rub." That anyone would coo lovingly to such a large insect is already odd enough, but dd to that the fact that the speaker in question as a 5 foot tall black ant in an army helmet carrying a rifle, and the situation is a few magnitudes beyond 'weird'. The ant seems to finally notice you, and her(?) eyes widen in shock. The rifle slung over the ant's shoulder is brought to bear on the group, shaking a bit. The ant shouts nervously "Intruders! If you are not registered combatants in the Conflict, I am authorized to shoot you where you stand on orders by Her Royal Majesty Queen Onyx! But I wont! Because you found my friend." The muzzle of the rifle is now pointed at the ground. "You have 30 seconds to tell me who you are, before I summon the rest of my squad, and let my captain decide what to do with you, so I'd hurry up and talk!" In one of the arms not holding the rifle, you can see a gleaming silver whistle. The ant is obviously serious about its threat.
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Feb 6, 2015 03:33
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The ant slaps what would appear to be her forehead, as realization dawns on her face. "Oh my gosh! You must be the new mercenary unit I was supposed to debrief! You weren't supposed to show up until tomorrowwww" Her antennae wriggle in an...embarrassed fashion? "I wasn't done with my welcome speech, but follow me back to HQ, and I'll fill you in as we march." With a minor smack to the rump equivalent on the beetle to get it moving, the ant begins to walk towards the high grass. "I'm Licorice, by the way." As she walks, Licorice begins to talk. "As you know, this is Forest, the world we live on. Since time immemorial, Onyx and Ruby have been at war with each other for total control of the realm. It used to be that anyone not in either of the Families was just caught in the middle, but ever since the Treaty of 50th Leafchange, the usage of mercenary units has been allowed in the Conflict. And that's where you come in! Last Snowfall, we got some exciting new weaponry from a new manufacturer, and we're testing their efficacy in merc units before we commit to a higher production order. You may be the linchpin that turns the Conflict in favor of Queen Onyx! I'm so jealous! I'm stuck here in the 83rd Cavalry...but at least Gunther makes for some good company! Isn't that right boy? " Licorice starts scratching the beetle ' s chin. "Whoosagoodboy? You are!" She stops suddenly when she sees the group looking at her oddly. "Ahem! We should be getting close now, Fort Oak is right over this last ridge. Prepare yourselves, I know I was overwhlemed the first time I saw it..." Before you lies a bustling swarm of insect activity around the roots of a gigantic oak tree. Everywhere lines of shiny black carapaces march to various destinations, and you can see the target practice ranges busting with activity as well. Occasionally a non-ant can be seen, like with the dragonflies taking off from the landing pads every so often, or the large beetles hauling supplies around. Licorice chimes in "Totally amazing right!? Let's hurry and talk to Charcoal, so you guys can get kitted out. I want to try and see the Sisters of Battle practicing their CQC maneuvers!" FewtureMD fucked around with this message at 05:39 on Feb 21, 2015 |
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Feb 21, 2015 05:30
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