Shin Megami Tensei: Persona: Jubilee

[digiexpert]

https://www.iwakuroleplay.com/threads/shin-megami-tensei-persona-sheets-ooc.51443/

Welcome, welcome, to the long-overdue Shin Megami Tensei: Persona RP. For the profiles, setting info, and out-of-character discussion, see the thread linked above. I am your host for this story, and while most people would post the rules of their roleplay, this site has rules and honestly you're all mature enough to obey those. At least, I hope you are since the Persona Series has been rated M since its conception. So, without further adieu, let's begin.​

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------​

Las Vegas, Nevada is where we open. The suburbs, a fairly average city all things considered. Even with the glitz and glamour of the Strip, go just a mile out and you're in suburbs. A mile in a different direction, and you're in the middle of one of the driest deserts in the world. A city like any other, just one with a darker side.


Even the schoolkids, though, like to blow off steam. And for that, they go to The Strip, the four mile stretch of Casinos, restaurants, malls, and every possible indulgence under the sun. This is where we start our tale. Late afternoon, in mid-may. Spring Break tourism is gone, leaving just the normal tourists, businessmen, and people looking to unwind.


The Flamingo, the oldest casino still standing on the strip. Even in the day, it's so bright it's almost blinding. Once one enters, it's slot machines as far as the eye can see, broken only by the occasional card, dice, or roulette table.


And it's there, this historic piece of sin city, that the wheels of fate turned along with the slot machines.

Gergana Illiev, having snuck in despite still being too young to use the machines, found herself at her favorite machine once more. Psychic Spin, a machine she wasn't too sure why she was fond of. She slipped in her change, and began the machine turning. Her eyes watched the wheels intensely, as they lined up. She held her breath with anticipation and...nothing. Another spin not won. Undeterred, she slipped in another chunk of pocket change and tried her luck again.

 

[Elyasi]

Dark black heels and the wheels of a guitar case clicked against the hot and steamy concrete sidewalk, the sun beating down on Harmony Liu Dinh's bare shoulders as she made her way along the Strip. An occasional fluffy cloud and a breeze saved her from burning up in the mid-afternoon sun, but she knew that it would set only in a few hours. Humming to herself, the young woman sipped on her Boba tea happily. Her crystal blue eyes gazed at the large bright buildings , looking for a pleasant place to attract people to her playing. It didn't take long to find the place she almost always chose on hot days.

Right across the street from the Flamingo was a large row of fancy fountains surrounded by lush trees and some well trimmed hedges, and the light water spray that would pass over when a strong breeze passed through was just the thing she liked. So Harmony set herself in front of the headless angel statue that stood in front of the fountain and sighed deeply. 'I need just a hundred more bucks for the electric bill. Ugh. I should have saved some of that tourist money from Spring Break. Hopefully I'll be able to make that by the end of the month though.' Today felt stranger than most days, but she just attributed it to the heat driving her a little bit insane, she would much rather it be winter than nearly summer. Slightly exhausted from the heavy school week, she was just glad that the weekend had started. Harmony threw down her dark denim coat that had been tied around her waist then sat down. For a few minutes, she thought about what would be her set for the day if no one came along to help her earn money.

After a bit of thinking, she clapped her hands together and opened up the case, pulling out her acoustic guitar as people started to gather. "Who wants to hear some music?" Harmony stood up with pride, slinging her guitar around her body and stomping on the ground so people could follow the beat.

"Eh-eh-o eh-o
I was left to my own devices
Many days fell away with nothing to show
And the walls kept tumbling down
In the city that we love
Great clouds roll over the hills
Bringing darkness from above​

But if you close your eyes,
Does it almost feel like
Nothing changed at all?
And if you close your eyes,
Does it almost feel like
You've been here before?
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?~"​

 

[Uuko]

Chevron Elarom

Whispers of a tune in the air amongst the noises of traffic and voices brought Ron's mind back to earth. He tilted his head as his eyes focused, making the decorative ears of his hoodie sway in response. It took him a few seconds of scanning the area before spotting the source of the tune; there, near the fountains and not too far away from the bench he was sitting. He couldn't make out exactly who it was or what was happening due to the passing people getting in the way of his line of sight, but he caught a glimpse of a guitar every now and then. Besides, now that he caught the tail of the tune in his ear, it was possible to deduce the singer's voice and the guitar.

"Gah, only ten minutes went by..." For the umpteenth time the hooded boy pulled his phone out and glanced at it, mumbling to himself. His head drooped to one side as the phone made the short trip back in his pocket once more. The day was quite warm today, but nothing Ron couldn't handle under the shade provided by Chesire, his hoodie. In fact he was actually enjoying the warmth of the sun against his clothing before needing to step into the mall with his friends where it's always air-conditioned. Speaking of friends, who would've thought that he would arrive at the meeting place so much earlier than usual? Then again he was free, so.

Ron's mind wandered back to his previous thought; today's plans. Depending on the number of guys and gals coming, they'll definitely visit the games store and the fashion shops. He recalled someone mentioning about a decent karaoke place that they found recently, so that might happen after the window shopping. That, or ogling at the casinos and clubs like last time. Oh and probably get something to eat somewhere between all that.

Chesire twitched once more as Ron's phone went off with a merry tune, breaking his thoughts yet again. His phone was out and showing with a single hand movement, eyes already reading the text message. Technology was really convenient these days, what with the preview that pops up for the texts you get. Of course if it was a long text, one would require actually unlocking their phone and accessing it from the mail list.

"Lovely." He voiced, getting up from his seat. The message was from one of his friend, the organizer, so to speak. It was a mass text apologizing that today's meet up isn't going to happen.

As he was about to go back home, he was reminded of the singer from before. With a shrug [it wasn't as if he had anything important to do] his feet took steps to the fountains in his usual solo walking stance. To others he might look shady, what with hands in Chesire's pockets and face half-shaded by its hood; if it wasn't for his short stature for being a fifteen year old, who knows what people would've thought about him. It didn't help that when he was alone like this, he didn't really care about others; if they don't make way for him, light collisions occured. Most just give a face and move on, but a few do drop ugly curses. Not that those were replied by anything more than his teal fringes drifting out from the hoodie.

Ron wasn't sure how to describe the singer. She was marvelous to say the least; her dark attire made her contrasting complexion and hair seemingly shine, and if that wasn't enough the way she was playing her guitar and singing at the same time without messing up was impressive. Her voice was strong yet soft to Ron's ear, sort of... inspirational, perhaps. There would not have been a single doubt in him if she was actually a singer, not that he was all that knowledged about those things. Regardless, he found himself standing with the crowd listening to her sing for quite a while.

 

[Xylime]

Miles tapped his foot to the beat as he listened to the music coming from his computer. With his break from school, Miles had taken the time to practice his music, both writing and playing it. At the moment he was studying, the way the instruments blended together. He listened for parts that sounded especially good, for horrible notes that he'd stay away from. As the song neared its end, a knock came from his bedroom door. Miles paused the song and opened the door, revealing his mother on the other end. She smiled at him and held out a shopping list. "Care to do me a favor dear?" The frown on Miles' face was evident, but he nodded his head regardless. He took the note and scanned it, making sure there wasn't anything he'd have to ask about. When he verified everything on the list, he gave his mother another nod before going to the bathroom. He pulled out the sunscreen and lathered his exposed arms and face with it. Being Irish, Miles seemed to burn far easier than most. When he felt his skin would be safe from the harsh sun, he made his way to the door of his family's apartment. His mother handed him money for the groceries, along with enough for him to eat somewhere for lunch. Before Miles took it, he signed, 'I don't need that Mom. I'll be coming right home.' His mother insisted, and Miles reluctantly accepted.

Once out of the apartment, Miles walked at a slow pace. He wasn't one for unnecessary exercise...or sweating. The sun felt good every once in a while, and Miles took the time to enjoy it. The walk was long, but Miles didn't like to waste money taking the bus. Finally he reached the Strip, and he pulled out the list his mother had given him. He read it over a few times in his head, wanted to make sure he wouldn't forget anything. As he neared the Flamingo, Miles' eye caught sight of a figure near the fountains. He paused and turned his head to see a girl with a guitar case. He smiled and awaited to hear what she could do. However, the smile soon faded as the girl began to sing, and Miles' brows furrowed. He would never admit it, but Miles had a secret hatred for singers. To be gifted with an ability he wish he had. I bet she doesn't even appreciate how lucky she is. Before his anger could get out of control, Miles began walking briskly, passing the Flamingo and continuing onwards to the grocery store.

 

[Requiem]

Fortune, darkred

"Double Down" Malachi said passively, moving some extra chips to the pile. In front of him were two cards, totalling out to fourteen. A somewhat precarious total to have in the game. The other players watched him curiously. He'd won the last seven hands and his chips were piling up rather quickly. The card came down and he smiled.

From that point on, the rest of the players went about their business, and Requiem left the table with roughly two-thousand dollars more in chips than he'd started with. He decided that that was probably enough for one night though. He didn't want to tempt fate by pushing his luck too far. He exchanged his chips for cold hard cash and grinned. It was a good day. He left the Flamingo and headed outside. There, he saw a girl playing the guitar by the fountain.

It was normal to see young musicians playing by the fountain, hoping to get noticed by one of the Casino managers, looking for their big break. She was pretty good, all things considered. Casually, he reached into his pocket and pulled a one hundred dollar bill out, and dropped it into the guitar case. He gave her a polite smile and walked past, heading to the grocery store. He was technically under age, but the owner knew him and didn't care, so he got what he wanted.

 

[driftingstar]

The summer sun beamed down on vehicles on the street and pedestrians on the sidewalks without discrimination. Heat rippled upwards until the landscape up ahead seemed to shimmer. Despite the extra warmth it trapped around her head, Erica was glad for the shade cast by her wide-brimmed hat and the hint of a breeze that ruffled her skirt from time to time. Sure, the outfit might have looked better suited for a trip to a park than a walk to the grocery store, but far stranger sights could be found on the Strip...probably. It was rare that she went through the area alone, but it was the shortest route when going from the mall to the store in question, and none of her friends had been headed this way. I hope they don't mind that I left so early...but I just don't like the idea of sneaking into places we're not supposed to go... If she peered through the crowds at the right time, she might have even spotted them - a group of chatting, laughing teenagers on their way inside one of the many casinos - but she decided not to try.

Her mood lightened as the sound of music drifted through the air. The foot traffic around her didn't stop, but she didn't need it to, not really. If she watched closely, she could step into and through the gaps naturally made as people progressed, and that allowed her to reach the source without a single collision. What she eventually found was a girl with a guitar set up just in front of a fountain. Of course she stopped to listen; walking away from music just wasn't natural for her. I've never heard this song before. I wonder if she wrote it herself? Erica wanted to ask, but the middle of a performance was probably not the right time, even if she had thought curiosity was reason enough to ask. She listened a little longer before quietly stepping forward. A folded bill - only a $10, but her finances made that meaningful - dropped from her hand into the case; there was a scrap of paper attached to it by a clip. The note read, 'I liked your song. Good luck!' With that, she slid back through the crowds and to the main path, resuming her walk to the grocery store.

The burst of climate controlled air made her shiver as she stepped through the store's entrance. That break from the heat was welcome, though, much like getting out of the larger crowds. Erica quickly grabbed a cart and dropped her bags inside. When she did so, a bottle of water fell from one of them, then bounced off the cart's wheels and rolled away. She didn't spot it, though, since she had moved out of the flow of traffic to look over her grocery list. Hmm...produce, cereal, dinner ingredients... As she read, she took off her hat and placed that in the cart too. ...juice, milk, eggs...Grandma picked out things on sale, huh? she thought with a sigh. It wasn't a bad thing, exactly...but it did mean a long walk back with a lot of bags. Again.

 

[Elyasi]

Harmony::The Empress

"And the walls kept tumbling down (oh where do we begin?)
In the city that we love (the rubble or our sins?)
Great clouds roll over the hills (oh where do we begin?)
Bringing darkness from above (the rubble or our sins?)

But if you close your eyes,
Does it almost feel like
Nothing changed at all?
And if you close your eyes,
Does it almost feel like
You've been here before?
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?

If you close your eyes, does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harmony noticed as she was ending her song a few people seemed familiar to her, and briefly smiled at a few of them. As Harmony finished her song, she bowed politely as the part of the audience that stayed lightly applauded her performance; and then they threw their spare change or even a dollar or two and walked away. "Thank you very much! Have a nice day everyone!" All she wanted to do was be polite to the people who gave her a chance and listened to her song. Most wouldn't give her a second look because she was a singer on the strip. There were plenty of other musicians that had years of experience on their belt. Yet she wouldn't let that discourage her. The young girl sighed lightly and decided to take a short break as a bongo player asked to join her. So she agreed to the temporary partnership, sipping on her Boba tea and sitting on her jacket with her acoustic still strapped to her body. 'Ah better make sure I keep what I just earned before I decide to start splitting it with others.' So Harmony began to pour the change into a large ziploc bag that she had prepared just in case she earned a good amount of small change. Yet she noticed a few dollars in there, and it made her a bit ecstatic on the inside. The one bill was folded up and clipped to a small note intrigued her, so she picked it up and read it to herself quickly. It was definitely a small, but short and sweet note that made Harmony appreciate the song that she had created and gave her a bit more confidence in herself. She stuck the note inside her phone case as a momentary little keepsake and kept going through the change.

It didn't take too long before she noticed the hundred dollar bill that someone so politely placed in her guitar case. She would have never thought that anyone in Vegas would be so gracious as to just give her that much money for a street performance. Now Harmony had enough to pay the electric bill for the month, and the spare change could be either saved or would go to others who needed it too. It made her even giddier, and so she was encouraged to do one more song for the day and then for once in her life she could relax and play video games the rest of the weekend. The young woman asked the bongo player what kind of song he wanted to play, and she sung it, split the money and closed up her case. For once, she could end the day earlier and probably get a couple things to make dinner for the night. Harmony quickly checked her phone to make sure she wouldn't be late for the LAN tournament she was hoping to attend if she had gone shopping. Yet she had just enough time to do so.
​

 

[Magician's Adviser]

Derek was tired, aching, but satisfied, empty boxes lined up against the wall and every bit of furniture in place. Our protagonist gave a deep sigh and flopped onto the bed, not that he stayed for long after getting a look at the clock. Damnit, I can't nap this early on a Sunday. So the new kid slowly rose from his bed, stretched a little, then proceeded to take a light blue T-shirt and a pair or slightly worn jeans from his closet. Derek then stepped in the shower. After getting clean and ready to face the world, the blue-clad boy walked past his parents in the living room watching TV, and turned his head a bit. "Hey guys, is it cool if I walk around town for a bit?" Derek requested, "I have my phone with me, if it helps." Mr. and Mrs. Smalls looked at each other and shrugged, then gave their son leave to get acquainted with his new surroundings.

As he went on his merry way Derek overheard people here and there complaining about the heat, but he didn't mind. Hell, the weather was almost nostalgic for Smalls, save for the relative lack of humidity, which was more feature than bug. After a few right turns, a dead end, a left turn, and a surprisingly small amount of time, the new kid in town found the fame of Las Vegas: The Strip.

All the cool places in the world and Smalls had all day to- wait. Fuck.Derek grabbed his wallet from his left pocket, and inspected it to find a ten dollar bill, a penny, and a gift card for a game store back in houston that's now useless. Okay, so he didn't have much of a budget, but Derek had time in spades. But what to do. Luckily, as the kid wandered he came across a computer cafe, one of the smaller buildings sported a sign: "LAN tournament tonight at 6 PM, entry fee: ten dollars."

Perfect.