WXer

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

---

Good things come in pairs. When told this ancient adage, most people do not reflect upon it. On the surface, it seems so shallow and pointless yet it is actually a tribute from ancient philosophers of the ancient Middle Kingdom to the harmony brought by balance in the cosmos. For you see this proverb refers to the dualistic nature of the self and life as represented by Yin and Yang, where every act of brilliant light will undoubtedly give birth to a consequence of shadow. Still, who has the time to wax poetic about some trivial fortune cookie filler?

Unfortunately, Kazuyoshi Asakura has all the time in the world ever since getting hospitalized. He was only there for a few days but it felt like an eternity. He was unable to move because of his injuries yet was immediately informed of the drunken escapade's aftermath when he had first awoken. Kazu could merely stare at the water damaged ceiling or read a booklet on Taoist meditation his mother gifted him though this did little to ease his conscience. The guilt had started to manifest itself at night in one of two nightmares which alternated between each other. The first one had him be a passenger on a now familiar train cart with his only companion being a well-refined attendant though Kazu could never quite make sense of the gibberish the gentleman spoke of. The other, more sinister dream has Kazu back on his motorcycle down a dirt road, racing for his life while being pursued by a shadowy figure maniacally laughing as he gets closer and closer. They both end the same way though - with the sorrowful highschooler abruptly waking up in cold sweat before he could ever reach the end of either metaphysical journey.

On his last day at the hospital, he had found the opportunity to visit the room of his sweetheart. By the door was a whiteboard panel that simply had the words "Mochizuki Ayane" written on it but reading that was enough to tighten his chest and expunge the wind from his sails. Ultimately, he couldn't muster the courage to stay in there for more than a few minutes. The guilt was unbearable as he looked upon the scars he had inflicted upon her. There were no parting words for he was a coward and she was in a coma.

It would be at his home that Kazu would nurse the remainder of his wounds. The main physical injury he had dealt with was a toe fracture that since healed a week ago though he still walked with a very minor limp. However, the real damage to his school life would soon reveal itself as none of his so-called friends bothered to visit him or even give him a courtesy call on his phone. The reason to this was already quite clear as his girlfriend's closest childhood companion happened to be the queen bee of Hinotori High and it seems she had Kazu excommunicated. He has definitely seen her do worse for less. It only added to the stress of all the troubles he was already having which he supposed was the point of this petty scheme.

Hence why we find Kazu unable to sleep in the comfort of his own bed and instead was pondering about a proverb he had read from his booklet. To be quite honest, he was actually thinking about he and Ayane made a great couple when he had read that short passage. The memories weren't all bad, it was just that one night. Hell, he can't even remember much about it. As he exerted effort in trying to recall those sealed moments of his life, Kazu soon drifted into slumber's reprieve.

"Argh, why couldn't that last forever." he would groan as his bedside alarm soon went off after what felt to be a fleeting moment as three hours had now passed. Fortunately for Kazu, his dad was going to drop him off in the family car for at least the first week of the new school year. No matter how dumb of a mistake he would make, at least his old man still had his back. True to form, Kazu didn't verbalize his appreciation for his dad as he chose to stuff his face with bread rolls and fried eggs on the ride over to Hinotori High. Food crumbs fell all over the backseat where Kazu had sat, earning him an earful from the elder Asakura with which Kazu responded to using a high-spirited, formal apology that ended with a deep bow. As they pulled up to the school gate and the youth stepped out, a stern mister Asakura could be faintly heard muttering "...Dumbass."

Stepping back into the school grounds was quite the cathartic experience for Kazu. This place was always welcoming to him as others used to looked on in adoration and envy as his clique sat at the top of the social pyramid. Yet the sneers, jeers, stares and glares he received from the other students he passed by had slapped that rosy nostalgia away and replaced it with the gravity of his new reality. Still, he held his head high and avoided eye contact with everyone on his way to the new semester's starting student assembly.

Arriving at the school assembly hall, Kazu quickly found his old crew. One of the lads had made quick eye contact with him before breaking off and awkwardly stared at the ground instead. The others soon noticed and made sure to have their backs to Kazu. At that moment, he had arrived at a crossroads. While he made a quick decision, it was one of doubt and hesitation.

Kazu found an empty seat at the very back row of his class' designated seating area. He was alone again, naturally.

RWBY: Chasing Shadows

---

A nod and a smile were the only assurances of attention Rio could offer to each of them during this turbulent time, his headache moving up in the world to become full blown nausea. Who knew that the desert heat only made motion sickness worse? Certainly not him, though it only made the young Huntsman a lot more appreciative of the conversation taking place as it provided him with something to focus on. He took note of what each of his companions had shared about themselves and found some common ground to the shared details: Fiona's studious diligence, Saffron's unprecedented undertaking with regards to familial legacy, and even Kohaku's lack of access to the luxury known as soda. These folks were alright in his book.

As they approached the bunker, the old war stories about his great grandpa began to flood back into the forefront of his mind. It had been some time since his mother had last told these anecdotes to Rio before his bedtime but the exciting adventures of the brave Vacuan rebels against Atlas imperialists always brought a smile to his face. This derelict site, however, did not bring any promise of exhilaration though it was going to be an adventure of sorts as Miss Lanatae described the expectations of their first ever mission as a team.

"Well, I'm no stranger to pest control. Never went out looking for Grimm inside caverns though." he would state after their accompanying Overseer finished laying out the details. Truth be told, he was more concerned about the state of the abandoned tunnels moreso than the reported Beowolves. Poison gas buildup, structure collapse cave-ins, dormant security systems, hidden bandit hideouts. These were just some of the few dangers that his uncle Mar Redcliffe had warned him of when spelunking, each one supposedly more dangerous than the last. Yet, those tales of caution weren't suppose to scare him. Quite the opposite, they were meant to make him aware of the real dangers a Huntsman would face in the wilderness.

As Rio contemplated on what obstacles they'd encounter inside, Kohaku had suggested a reasonable approach to their task. "Don't doubt yourself, miss Kohaku." he would state, noticing the stutter at the end of her statements. "Maybe we won't have ten paces between us 'nd the wall but I might be able to hold off the Grimm at that distance." Unloading his weapon from the back of the vehicle, Rio would display the Boatman's Due's full glory in its halberd mode. If they truly didn't have space to move around, least he could take point effectively and make sure their predators will think twice lest they impale themselves on his blade.

Gundam 0094 (Invite Only Roleplay)

---

Two ships silently passing each other in the night. Yet, they both met their iceberg.

It was the noble decision to rescue the survivors of this unfortunate incident but Disker Isaacs was never one for outdated concepts of chivalry. No, he was entirely for the option of self-preservation which would have been to not get entangled in yet another Federation versus Zeon spat. But, he wasn't the man sitting at the head of the table and any protests from the unscrupulous engineer would merely fall on the metaphorical, and most likely literal, deaf ears of the captain. Must be nice to live up to an old age, he had thought as he observed the makeshift meal for the militaires from a dimly corner of the mess hall.

Such thoughts of mortality were common in his mind. The destructive power that even they, a non-military entity, could possess had been indicative of how fast the arms race had actually escalated for the Earthsphere since the start of the One Year War. Hell, even after working on reverse engineering the AMBAC system for the Federation, Disker couldn't believe the raw power they could harness just a decade and a half later. Even just a few hours earlier, the fruits of his research and from others like him had taken even more lives at a time of perceived peace... Such lamentation was a waste of time though; Disker had to redouble his efforts in trying to identify anyone from the survivors he might have known from that regretful time of his life.

As mentioned earlier, the crew of the Cathartes had no nation to call home but this didn't mean they left their enemies behind. After all, if any of these so-called survivors could identify the ex-Titan-gone-rogue researcher, Disker would probably see the end of a noose at the end of it all. Not to mention he wasn't the only prize on board for any Dakar lapdog looking to get a bounty big enough to retire with or a Zeon true believer looking to purge the cowards who abandoned the cause. Just thinking about all these very real and plausible security threats on board was enough to make the usually serene sniper exhale a sigh of exhaustion. Luckily, from his extensive effort, he concluded that none of these unfortunate souls were here on purpose. Just horrible circumstance.

Yet, this didn't put his mind at ease. He proceeded to the salvage bay in order to take a closer look at what Team 1 had brought on board, hoping to find any clues with regards to the assailants' identity. Disker suspected that they weren't the only ones being targeted by a conspiracy. "How convenient for two unaffiliated ships to get the same route in the vastness of space." he would mutter to himself as he left the mess hall, proceeding to his destination.

The Digital Expanse {Digimon x Megaman RP}

It was the oddest dream. There he sat, clutching his chest due to a shortness of breath, staring at what could only be described as a stress dream. Luso was not quite sure what to make of the odd contrast of a grassy field towered over by imposing communication infrastructure. Even odder the accessory latched on to his arm and, upon closer inspection, it looked quite familiar. He couldn't remember where exactly he saw it before, and the flashing "Welcome" message only served to taunt him further. It must have been one of the random items he got from Aleph's online catalogue but which one was it. None of them had been this visually intrusive.

The more he thought about it, the worse of a migraine he got. It didn't help that the dreamscape's sun light was certainly brighter to the cloudy weather he was used to. However, this only momentarily blinded him to fact that there were others with him. One of them had even verbalized the same sentiment of confusion Luso had, wondering where they were. This was obviously his subconscious manifesting itself, he rationalized. But why a small blonde girl?

Even in this new world, Luso was hesitant to approach the people around him. It shouldn't matter though as they were just gonna disappear the moment he wakes up, and so he proceeded to ignore the cries for help. Instead he moved towards the only noticeable feature beyond the horizon, the lone cell tower. Discovering the marked box with the symbol matching his own, the odd trinkets he found inside finally jogged his memory.

"I definitely got these for a retro game unboxing a few weeks ago." he said to himself, realizing that this lucid dream was definitely related to Aleph is some way.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

<Snipped quote by Hero>

That's a lotta characters

A lot of boy characters

@DruSM157

Just means we should have a FeMC like Persona 3 Portable. Bring on the reverse harem!

RWBY: Chasing Shadows

---

Rio Redcliffe was no stranger to a scorching trek across the forsaken trails of the Vacuan desert wastes. While this might sound like hell to most sane people, this was actually the leisure highlight of Rio's yearly summer camping trip with his extended family. However, this time was different. Treading on the dusty roads with an all-terrain jeep had given the country bumpkin motion sickness, seeing as this was among the handful of times he had been in a car. The assurance that it would only be a few more minutes until they reached their destination did ease his queasiness, though he was still glad that he had taken the rightmost seat of this open air vehicle in case he had an... emergency. Other than that though, Rio had been used to being crammed shoulder to shoulder into the back of a cart along with his cousins like a tin of sardines as his family ventured into the city market to sell produce every other fortnight. At least his teammates had the decency to use washing detergent moreso than his kin.

Of course, that wasn't the only thing Rio had noticed about his teammates and his accompanying Overseer. How a raucous brute like him got chosen to be among those seemingly more refined was quite the mystery. As Nivea spoke and encouraged the rest to speak, an opportunity to lift that shrouded veil soon presented itself. Soon after their chaperone had finished her introduction, Rio cleared his airways with a brief cough before speaking about himself.

"Ahem. S'rry about that, name's Rio Redcliffe." he would state, taking a quick glance at each of his teammates' faces before continuing on. "Like miss Lanatae, my family emigrated from one of the other kingdoms, in this case Mistral. How-ever, I'm as Vacuan as sand-spiced sarsaparilla on a scorching sunburner like t'day as I've been here all my life. It's a pleasure to make y'alls acquaintance." He had hope his earnest introduction had made a good impression on his team. After all, they were gonna look after each other from here on in.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

As mentioned on Discord, here's my application.

The Hanged Man

178 cm | 80 kg | 17 | 2nd Year | Male

ＰＥＲＳＯＮＡＬＩＴＹ

Well-meaning, easygoing, and a bit of an airhead. The young Kazu was quite popular among his classmates during his first year at Hinotori highschool. Even after a life-altering motorcycle accident, he still maintains his cheerful demeanour. However, there is an unignorable air of hush, distrust, and disgust from the people who have heard about his ill-fated encounter on that one summer night. The peers he once considered friends have started to pity or ignore him, frustrating Kazu to the extent that he has chosen to be by himself outside the classroom. Slowly, his ostracization from most school social circles is chipping away at his once bright outlook on life and turning it bleak.

ＡＲＣＡＮＡ

XII - The Hanged Man

ＰＥＲＳＯＮＡ

Hell's Angel - a raw and wild expression of freedom which struggles against the bindings of societal expectations. In the mythos of Judeo-Christian religions, it is said that the angels that rebelled against the allmighty god Yahweh were cast out from heavenly Paradise and into the deep, burning infernos of Hell. Yet, the form of Kazu's Persona is not what a biblical angel is depicted as in any religious text. Instead, this psychological manifestation of power takes the motif of biker outlaws that the recent loner has recently found admiration for due to their self-reliance. Regardless, the Hell's Angel acts as the ever-present guardian of Kazuyoshi and as the personification of his unsung, obscured deeds.

ＳＫＩＬＬＳ

• Speed Master - The devil blesses the open road as his messengers curse upon it. At the start of any encounter, Kazu instinctively casts Sukukaja on himself and raises his reflexes with the essence of speed.
• Agi - The fury of Hell is cast upon an unfortunate soul, dealing notable Fire damage as their flesh is charred and their bones turned to ash.
• Tentarafoo - As the Hell's Angel rushes to reap the roadkill designated by Kazu, it lets loose a ghoulish howl along with a dust cloud of brimstone. Those that live through this malicious mirage might be left in the wake of Confusion.

ＴＲＡＮＳＦＯＲＭＡＴＩＯＮ

A futuristic racing suit based on his perceptions of top professional track drivers is what Kazu changes into upon transformation.

ＷＥＡＰＯＮ

Kazu relies on his heavy biker boots as his preferred weapons of choice.

ＨＩＳＴＯＲＹ

Life was great for Kazuyoshi Asakura. He has a supportive family that wasn't hurting for money, he was surrounded by people who partied with him every weekend, he had a sweetheart of a girlfriend that he took on dates everywhere, and he wasn't failing his classes. Unfortunately, as he would soon find out, life is fickle and can turn on a dime.

It was a warm summer night, perfect for a party out under the stars on a grassy field. Of course, what party would be complete without under-aged drinking. While he can't remember much else from the night, he did remember thinking that he could drive back home. Unfortunately, that would be his last thought before waking up in a hospital bed with a cast on his leg and some lacerations all over his body. His parents were angry but not just because of the accident he had gotten himself into. No, they were furious that Kazu had gotten his girlfriend into that accident as well.

She was in a much worse condition. Bruises covered her arms and a major scar across her face could be seen just from a quick glance. Guilt had gripped Kazu's heart. For the rest of his stay in the hospital, his mind would just replay the night of the accident and try to think of what he could have done differently to avoid this. Regardless, the repercussions of his actions would soon make themselves apparent. First, the Asakuras had settled out of court with regards to his girlfriend's medical fees and reparations. Secondly, rumours of his dumb accident had spread like wildfire at Hinotori high school. Thirdly, his driver's license had only been suspended due to a low alcohol concentration though this was a mere formality since his motorcycle had been totalled. Lastly, his summer homework still needed to be done.

By the time the school year had started, most of his physical injuries had healed. The same cannot be said about everything else.

ＭＩＳＣ

• He has trained in taekwondo
• Theme song

Justice League Unlimited: AMONG US

I haven't heard from R2 in a bit but he should be posting soon from the looks of things.

RWBY: Chasing Shadows

A river

Personality

Along with the rest of his cousins in the Redcliffe clan, Rio grew up venerating his great grandpa as a near-mythical hero figure from the time of the Great War. The Redcliffe patriarch was said to be brave, shrewd, generous, wily, and a whole bunch of other traits befitting a gentleman desperado. Though he had never met him in person, Rio wanted to become exactly like him.

So at a young age, a burning sense of justice had ignited within the wannabe hero who sought to stand up against oppressors and fight for the downtrodden. While his intentions were good, his naivete got him into a lot of fights with kids that were often older than him. Coupled with an exaggerated confidence fuelled by chauvinism, Rio was an easy choice for schoolyard bullies though his bruised body always cashed cheques his tenacious spirit wrote. These childhood antics have largely shaped who he is today: a headstrong scrapper with ideals and courage that is hounded by insecurity and single-mindedness.

A bit older now, he's been made aware of these issues and tries to keep his cool. However, if someone says the wrong thing about his friends or family, it'll be time to throw down.

Appearance

Rio stands at a height of 5'8" and at a weight of 71 kilograms. While his build is mostly on the lean side, this isn't immediately apparent as he is almost always wearing one of his sandstone rancher coats. Though, those coats do also cover the collection of minor scars he has accumulated throughout the years. The same coats also have his personalized symbol embroidered just below their left breast pocket. Said symbol is based on the Redcliffe's ancestral home village in Mistral is which known for its cherry blossoms.

According to his parents, the deep hue of his blue hair and eyes were the primary reasons he had been given his name. To contrast this, Rio often wears red undershirts in an act of petty teenage rebellion though he draws the line at the comfy pairs of bleached blue jeans he wears daily. Lastly, he always has a pair of leather gloves on as it is practical to do so when out and about under the hot Vacuan sun.

“I'll back down when I'm knocked down.”

| N a m e: |

Rio Redcliffe

| Alias|Nickames|Titles: |

The Mistrali Kid, used earnestly by him and mockingly by his peers

| G e n d e r: |

Male

| A g e: |

16

| Kingdom of Origin: |

Born and raised in Vacuo

| Race: |

Human

| History: |

A legacy of roguish bravery hangs over the head of this hesitant Hunstman-in-training.

While Vacuo is not as prosperous as the other kingdoms, its people are proud and the Redcliffe clan are a testament to that. Originally refugees from Mistral who fled during the Great War due to Mantle's encroaching influence, Rio's ancestors were quick to become patriotic partisans to their new home. When peace had finally reached the land, the Redcliffes were on the winning side of history and that victory could never be taken away from them.

Yet, their other possessions could be taken away as famine, banditry, and Grimm attacks had left them destitute. Once again finding themselves displaced, Rio's parents and uncles and aunts had moved to the capital city just before he was born, living under a single leaky roof. Through their sheer determination and a couple of lucky breaks, the Redcliffe's were able to provide a stable albeit modest home to Rio and his extended family as ranchers on the city outskirts.

While he did not have many luxuries as a child, he did have his family's legacy that his mother had fondly recounted to him every night just before bedtime. Being a hero was in their blood, he thought, and so it would be that he'd get into scuffles with the nosy neighbour kids, the stuffy schoolyard students, and even his older cousins when they forget to mind their P's and Q's. Naturally, this lead to Rio desiring for more in life and give even more back to his community. He couldn't be a ranch hand forever and so he would try his damnedest to get accepted into Shade Academy, eventually become a full-fledged Huntsman worthy to stand in the same family pantheon as those that have come before him.

What came easy to others did not naturally come easy to Rio. Many nights were spent studying and doing drills on top of the daily chores he had to do after attending school. Yet, this made the day he got his acceptance letter all the more sweeter. He would be the first in his family to ever attend Shade Academy and this just had to be celebrated. Yet, he could not properly enjoy himself for he knew this was merely the beginning of the next great chapter in his life. Come wondrous dark or perilous light, Rio Redcliffe stands ready.

| Semblance: |

After a week long camping trip in the Vacuan wilderness, Rio's semblance manifested itself during an episode of extreme thirst under the scorching desert sun, which was soon followed by the tallest drink of his life. His mind's eye had visualized an oasis beyond the horizon and its existence was true. Dubbing it Water Wanderlust, the semblance allows Rio to locate concentrated bodies of water. The distance from and the size of the aqueous collections affect his detection ability as smaller bodies require more concentration to keep track of while further whereabouts become nearly impossible to precisely pinpoint.

| Weapon and Fighting Style: |

The Boatman's Due is a compact, Dust-fed railgun that can transform into a paddle-shaped halberd. Commissioned by Rio's father as his Shade Academy acceptance gift, this weapon is adorned with bronze and treated wood laminates which result in a light yet durable frame that is easy to maintain. The Dust storage compartment bears an ornamental skull to invoke fear in those that face Rio though that rarely occurs.

The emergence of Rio's semblance has largely influenced his approach to combat. While he was always keen on being defensively opportunistic through the usage of cover and consistent movement, the ability to keep track of nearby people's intracellular fluid allows him to plan moves with near perfect intel. The most glaring flaw on this semblance reliance is the innate lack of water inside most Grimm. Regardless, Rio will always play it safe and keep foes at a distance while only going in for close quarters combat when all other options are exhausted.

| Strengths and Weakness: |

Strengths:

• Courageous - Yes, he gets scared but Rio has never backed down from a challenge.
• Nature Survivalist - Working on a farm and living off the land has given him many insights on foraging.
• Ascetic - A life devoid of splendor has led him to steer clear of overindulgence.
• Persistent - One can only fail when they give up and Rio Redcliffe knows not the meaning of surrender.
• Loyal - Unless they've acted dishonourably, Rio will always stand by his friends' side. Heck, he'll even try to find a way to regain his friend's honour for them.

Weaknesses

• Quick To Anger - Passion often needs an outlet and Rio's tools of artistry are his fists.
• Vindictive - Unless the grudge is settled squarely, he will not forget how you have crossed him.
• Traditionalist - Rio has a hard time grasping concepts that go against what he has been taught before.
• Intrusive - Due to his eagerness, Rio often inserts himself into the private affairs of others even without their knowledge or consent.
• Proud - Though he is quick to help others, Rio prefers to do things by himself if it only concerns himself.

| Greatest Fear/Fatal Flaw: |

There is a lot of pressure mounting on Rio to succeed and it has dictated his lifestyle outwardly and on a subconscious level. While having some stress for motivation is healthy, Rio's quest for validation is always seeking for more problems to solve regardless of his ability to handle them. The impact of each failure gnaws at him far longer than it should, piling on to his anxieties that he actively avoids by keeping himself busy. Yet, success doesn't even bring him much reprieve as evidenced by his acceptance to Shade being eclipsed by the worriment of actually being in a prestigious Huntsman academy.

One can only hope that reaching his ultimate dream of being a Hunstman will finally bring him peace.

| Miscs : |

Theme Song