AU Planning Meme - Pre-Game

[phantommods]

Welcome to the first AU Workshop for Phantom Thieves International! This post is intended to help incoming players plot their AU and figure out who their characters are in this setting and where they want to go. This is completely optional but players are encouraged to use this post to establish some pre-existing CR and goals for their characters.

CURRENT EVENTS

The following events will be occuring in the setting as the game begins:

-There’s an open casting call for extras for the production of an artsy film by a well-known Hollywood producer.
-Pop superstar Leanna Rapide is playing at the Staples Center. Tickets are almost entirely sold out.
-There has been an uptick in vandalism in Chinatown and Japantown, including anti-Asian graffiti as well as light damages to local independent shops and restaurants.
-Tensions remain high as police continue to conduct drug raids in poorer neighborhoods not seen since the height of the war on drugs.

To post to this meme, please use the format below.



<b>Player Name:</b> <b>Character Name:</b> Include AU name if different <b>Original Canon:</b> <b>AU Role:</b> Infiltrator, Operator or Accomplice <b>AU Species:</b> Human or Guide <b>Arcana:</b> The Arcana you hope to assume with this character <b>AU History Blurb:</b> A short blurb about who they are and where they come from <b>Tentative Plans for character:</b> Things you want to do with the character outside the mainline story <b>Pre-Established CR:</b> What are you looking for in terms of pre-established CR as you enter the game <b>Desired CR:</b> What kinds of CR would you like to build in the game?

Comments

[terraburning]

Player Name: Walker
Character Name: Terra Branford
Original Canon: Final Fantasy 6
AU Role: Infiltrator
AU Species: Human
Arcana: The Fool
AU History Blurb: A foster child homeschooled by a draconian old man, Terra is unfamiliar with the world outside the walls. That's basically as close as I can get to 'man who personally murdered her mother raised her to be a living weapon for world domination' so feel free to chip in with better ideas.
Tentative Plans for character: Terra's basic character arc of being uncertain of who she is as a person and slowly learning how to connect to other people is super satisfying to me so...those are my tentative plans I guess?
Pre-Established CR: If there are other FF6 characters around it'd be nice for them to already know Terra?
Desired CR: Basically all of it. All the CR.

[returnher]

Something that might work is have her foster parent be part of one of those crazy super religious "Army of God" types who is all about how they need to teach their kids to be an army to fight all the wicked evil people. It hits a lot of the key points - super isolated, crazy unhealthy upbringing, lack of ability to relate to others at first.

[zangenasai]

Player Name: Ana
Character Name: Nemesis Sudou, Naomi Sato
Original Canon: Evillious Chronicles
AU Role: Infiltrator
AU Species: Human
Arcana: Justice
AU History Blurb: Naomi is the daughter of an affair between a high-profile judge and his mistress. Her mother had her as an attempt to get into the good life, but was threatened before she could even tell the father. So, with that plan falling through, and not really wanting a child, Naomi was dropped at the nearest fire station with only a name. Since then, she grew up in foster care, and it was probably not good. She doesn't really know who her parents are, and as she aged she ended up falling into tougher crowds because they actually gave a shit about her. As time went on and she was further neglected, she kind of just became angry at the world and began looking into her real family for answers as to why the hell she was abandoned. She's not a tiny rage ball who's fallen through the cracks of the foster system, and she spends more time on the streets than anywhere else.
Tentative Plans for character: I want to explore what justice means to Naomi and her dealing with basically being someone who fell through the cracks of the system, maybe even find her a family.
Pre-Established CR: Foster siblings, the kids she met on the streets, maybe even foster parents who didn't know what to do with her or, hell, even half-siblings that can discover each other over the course of the game. Maybe even her dad.
Desired CR: Naomi especially needs CR that will help her deal with her problems and especially help her feel she's not just a number in the system. She is simultaneously a people pleaser because she wants to be wanted and unruly because she feels owed some happiness with all she's been through.

[moneymoneymoney666]

*Slides in*

You mentioned dad somewhere?

[dualpinkpistols]

Player Name: Char
Character Name: Maya Amano
Original Canon: Persona 2: Innocent Sin
AU Role: Infiltrator
AU Species: Human
Arcana: The Moon
AU History Blurb: Maya is a young adult currently working at as a low-level reporter trying to get the next best scoop on all the things happening in L.A. When she was a child, she used to play Masquerade with her other friends. She had to move away from them eventually due to her father, though. Her father, a big inspiration to her, died when she was very young and is the big reason she went into reporting. He was a political and war reporter, and one day he left and never came back. Worried that there might be some particular reason behind his death (say him reporting too much on an unpopular political stance at the time), and pretty sure there's a conspiracy behind it, Maya wants to investigate subtly into it using her job and the leads she gets. But she hates her boss, and she hates how restricted she gets, so she's trying her best to find scoops and write stories that really show the corruption in the world. She's becoming pretty disillusioned with it all, as a reporter, having seen the bad side of people a lot, but is determined to try to remain a "positive thinker" and find some good in the world, or elsewise, make her own. I think she could work to try making her reporting skills useful to the Phantom Thieves.
Tentative Plans for character: I'd like her to be one of the older guiding forces for the younger persona users. Maya naturally has a motherly nature, and is a very positive person, to a fault, even if she's lying and doesn't believe what she's saying herself. She'll make herself keep going to try to help others, so I'll probably have her try to help others. It'd also suit her role as a part-time healer in battle.
Pre-Established CR: People who could have been her friend when she was young (they'd have to have been into Phoenix Ranger Featherman R, because the kids played a lot of that in the Masquerade), but I'd also love if someone would be willing to be her roommate, because oh man, she is a terrible roomie and that would be hilarious. Also anyone who'd be willing to potentially help her with reporting duties, or be a reporter alongside her would probably be fun.
Desired CR: All kinds, really! But I'd really like to see someone get to Maya's "real" somewhat disillusioned side and have her admit what a fake smiler she is because her father kind of taught her you smile through the pain no matter what.

I'm open to any suggestions to anyone who knows P2, but on the whole I don't think she'd need TOO much altering.

[effthecops]

Player Name: Kasu
Character Name: Margaret "Mae" Borowski
Original Canon: Night in the Woods
AU Role: Infiltrator
AU Species: Human
Arcana: Tower
AU History Blurb: Basically the same deal as Night 1 canon Mae, except her college freakout happened at UC Berkeley and she's gone back to live with her parents in LA. Bea, Gregg, Angus, and Germ aren't around, so she's sad and alone in Hollywood.
Tentative Plans for character: Mae's gotta make new friends! She lost her old friend group since they moved away to college and shit, and she's going to try and cling to other people as new friends to cope with her crippling mental issues.
Pre-Established CR: Not looking for too much pre-built CR, maybe somebody else that knew her from her time at Berkeley.
Desired CR: WEIRD FRIENDS FOR WEIRD CAT

[defectiveagency]

Player Name: Sana
Character Name: Reijirou Enokizu
Original Canon: Hyakkiyakou/Kyougokudou/Mouryou no Hako series (it has many names...)
AU Role: Probably Operator so I can make use of his psychic skills. He's still going to LEEEROY JENKINS his way into fights whether he's useful or not.
AU Species: Human
Arcana: Priestess
AU History Blurb: Enokizu is a 35-year-old failed adult self-proclaimed detective who is uncannily good at solving crimes despite a total disdain for "investigation" or "evidence" or "laws" or "basic logic." (In canon, he does this via a psychic ability to read memories, but I haven't quite figured out how to adapt that). He comes from a very wealthy family and had a promising career as a Navy officer until... shit happened. Right now, he's playing guitar in a bar and running an amateur "detective agency" specializing in lost pets. People tend to assume that he's a criminal or a drug addict (he's totally not anymore) so he has a very antagonistic relationship with the police.
Tentative Plans for character:
Comic relief and incompetent detective work. He'll always be a bit of an overgrown manchild, but I'd like him to learn how to better communicate with people and how to control his emotional outbursts. Although he doesn't have access to much money right now, at some point he'll gain back his fortune.
Pre-Established CR:
Anything's good! He's probably known to anyone in law enforcement, and his estranged father is a very rich businessman/politician so he'll have some name recognition.
Desired CR:
I'd love to bounce him off some of the real detective characters, or have him drag hapless strangers into his crackpot investigations. People who can put up with and maybe even rein in his obnoxious airhead behavior would be great, too.

[bejustorbedead]

it's quite likely Ky and Reijirou had run-ins during Ky's patrols and stings and it's loathe at first sight.

[spiritlink]

Player Name: Chrissy
Character Name: Lyria
Original Canon: Granblue Fantasy
AU Role: Operator
AU Species: Human
Arcana: The Fool
AU History Blurb: A girl with no memory on her past and lived most of her known life as a pawn for an underground criminal empire. She had a strange affinity with animals so she was used to make them fight for gambling. She escaped with a woman who she finds as her mother figure and used to be part of the empire.

Some what keeping a close relation to canon, but I wish to keep some room open in case a Gran/Djeeta wishes to app into the game. Until then, she's just a girl on the run and in hiding.
Tentative Plans for character: Lyria's overall personal arc in the series is pretty much learning about the world around her while trying to figure out who she really is with the help of the friends she makes along the way. So any parent types or guiding friends would be appreciated as she spend most of her life underground with little to no knowledge.
Pre-Established CR: Hey, anyone else wanna run from a crime empire? Besides that, any friends around her age or parent type adults are loved! Lyria tries to make friends with everyone, so be prepared.
Desired CR: All of it, feed me the CR.

[returnher]

Locke has been known to adopt wayward girls with no memories and look out for them in the past, so what's one more?

[looselips]

Player Name: Nix
Character Name: Rin Tousaka (or, more commonly, "Tohsaka," but I prefer to use the EXTRA's official localization to differentiate in case a SN!Rin apps in)
Original Canon: Fate/EXTRA
AU Role: Infiltrator
AU Species: Human
Arcana: Chariot
AU History Blurb: Another foster care kid, who knows all of jack and shit about her birth parents. Headstrong from a young age, Rin ran up against difficulties with ~the system—something which inadvertently kindled an interest in politics in her. Unfortunately, trying to get involved on a local level left her nothing but disillusioned with the whole political process, and she essentially "flunked out" of any aboveboard efforts to enact social change, winding up as a street punk and a vandal the second she was free to go her own way. Always strapped for cash, always looking for something to do, always mad.
Tentative Plans for character: punch as many rich people as possible I MEAN... Punch as many rich people as possible, but also, I would like for her impulses to perhaps become more focused and productive than they will be to start.
Pre-Established CR: WHERE HER FELLOW ANARCHISTS AT by which I mean other street punks/political agitators/people who are willing to get their hands dirty. I would love to have her already involved in some less-than-legal shit, but that's a matter of what opportunities are available for her to seize upon. Also, Rin's employment is probably in a constant limbo of multiple minimum wage jobs, so that could also be used as a way for people to know her.
Desired CR: I would love a stand-in for one or both of the Harway brothers, by which I mean rich people she wants to fight with her fists. Other than that and angry anarchist friends, maybe some people who could help her chill??

OR

Character Name: Shinji Matou
Original Canon: Fate/EXTRA
AU Role: Operator
AU Species: Human
Arcana: Magician
AU History Blurb: An eight-year-old child prodigy with a superficially well-to-do lifestyle. However, despite the affluence of his family, Shinji suffers from parental neglect and was essentially raised by the internet. His parents only value him in as much as he continues to be "special," so he has a pretty warped view of both his own and others' values as human beings! Also, he's worked pretty aggressively to make a name for himself in the online gaming community, because he's desperate to receive praise and attention from anyone for any reason.
Tentative Plans for character: Help this damaged child so that he can maybe grow up into an adequately adjusted human being, please god
Pre-Established CR: People probably wouldn't know Shinji IRL, but he absolutely has a rep in the online gaming community and runs a semi-notorious blog, so nothing would delight me more than someone who knows of his online persona finding out that, actually, he is a mouthy eight-year-old.
Desired CR: See tentative plans, kid needs people who will be nice to him and give him positive attention and, like, maybe tell him that he doesn't have to be better than other people to be worth something.

[zangenasai]

Okay but

Naomi and Rin as ANGER sisters

[conquerorofwaves]

Player Name: Shini
Character Name: Sinbad. In AU, full name is Sinbad Tisoni
Original Canon: Magi - Sinbad no Bouken
AU Role: Infiltrator
AU Species: Human
Arcana: Chariot or Emperor
AU History Blurb: The child of a Lebanese-american woman from Ohio, and a naturalized Iraqi immigrant, he got some ambitions into breaking into the music business with sick guitar shreds and lyric writing. His dad unfortunately is currently in jail due to a dockworker's strike gone south. Sinbad and his mother insisted that their father never hit anyone.
Tentative Plans for character: A mix of trying to figure out the events that lead up to his dad's arrest, the trials of trying to get into the music scene, and general trouble with a High school brat who has issues with authority.
Pre-Established CR: Generally I play him as an only child, but siblings or other relatives would be great. Maybe some friends as part of a garage band of sorts.
Desired CR: Close friends - both troublemakers like him and those trying to keep him out of trouble, maybe mentors in the performing arts, and people he can regularly butt heads with over ideas. Also he does a lot of part-time jobs to help his mom out, so coworkers or teachers concerned about his grades can work.

[effthecops]

did somebody say garage band?

b/c every garage band needs a bassist, right

[bejustorbedead]

Player Name: Shini
Character Name: Ky Kiske - Kyle "Ky" Kiske in AU,
Original Canon: Guilty Gear
AU Role: Accomplice
AU Species: Human
Arcana: Justice
AU History Blurb: A member of the LAPD's vice squad, Ky generally bust drug usage and prostitution, he's still a greenhorn and thus still easily flustered in awkward situations, but he's bound and determined to do his job in a way that makes his squad members call him an overachiever.
Tentative Plans for character: Ky wants to make it to Detective, plan is roughly discovering the corruption in his precinct, struggle with his sense of ethics and morality as the Phantom Thieves come into play, until he reluctantly throws his lot with them.
Pre-Established CR: fellow cops or investigative sorts, people he previously cuffed, and again open to have relatives in the AU.
Desired CR: friends, people he keeps an eye out on - either as a protective big brother/father type, or to make sure that person stays out of trouble.

[mouflon]

Rin is super FUCK THE POLICE so I would love for her to have or have had a run-in with Ky at some point!

[megacurious]

Player Name: Runner

Character Name: Augustine Sycamore (Augustine Sauveterre in AU)
Original Canon: Pokemon X (game)
AU Role: Operator/Accomplice
AU Species: Human
Arcana: Death
AU History Blurb: A college professor working at UCLA who is also a son of an American lawyer and French retired professor. Despite his likable and social nature to his students and colleague, he is a target of many rumors after his mother's case from 10 years ago caused her client's suicide due to accusations of a murder. Also, he has a fallout with his friend who is also a son of the disgraced politician.
Tentative Plans for character: Basically, if he's an Operator, he tries to be a mentor and peacekeeper to the Phantom Thieves while if he's an Accomplice, he usually share about his mother and his cousin's (who is also a lawyer) cases that may relate to them or the plot itself. But most importantly, he tries to avoid avoiding his problems through other people and trying to lose his inability to act.
Pre-Established CR: Relatives, students, and people who knew his mother. Also, I'm open to Pre-CR with other Pokemon game characters.
Desired CR: All of them! But most importantly, he needs a CR that helps him out of his past as he still struggles to move on despite showing a smile most of the time.

Character Name: Cyan Reyes (I'll try to make an account in the near future in case I managed to finish his icons)
Original Canon: Original Character
AU Role: Infiltrator
AU Species: Human
Arcana: Moon
AU History Blurb: Born into an influential Filipino-American family, 16 years old Cyan is known as a miracle heir. But due to rumors and scandals involving his CEO father and his heritage, he became a bullying victim through his middle school and high school. Despite this, he longs to grow his inclusive side and dreams of being accepted into society when he graduates. He is also an MMO gamer. Though I'm accepting some better ideas if you can.
Tentative Plans for character: Cyan's personal arc regarding of trying to live a normal life not only outside of his life as a Phantom Thief, but also from his family's social status. Again, this is just tentative.
Pre-Established CR: Childhood friends, MMO online friends, and any friends that his family knew of
Desired CR: All of them! This kid needs friends!

[conquerorofwaves]

Cyan and Sinbad could go to the same school, Sinbad being initially 'Ugh rich boy' but grows nicer because he hates bullies more.

[infinitejustice]

Player Name: Chris
Character Name: Athrun Zala
Original Canon: Mobile Suit Gundam SEED
AU Role: Infiltrator
AU Species: Human
Arcana: Justice
AU History Blurb: Athrun is the son of a wealthy politician, attended boarding school in New England, and joined the Air Force when he turned 18. A couple years later, he has a tour of duty as an F-16 pilot in the Middle East under his belt. However, he's since had a falling out with his father, who has taken a turn for the xenophobic and nationalistic ever since his mother's death in a terrorist attack. It's left him with a drive to combat xenophobia and aggressive nationalism as a way to set right what his father made wrong.
Tentative Plans for character: One of Athrun's problems is that he carries his father's sins as if they were his own, and it's one of the reasons why he's so admantly anti-nationalist. He needs to work on that so that he's no longer shackled by his father's reputation in his own mind and can be his own man.
Pre-Established CR: Nothing in particular, other than maybe some classmates at UCLA. He's going there to further his studies now that he's back in the US.
Desired CR: All kinds! But definitely people who lean toward physics and computer science. Those are his loves.

[mouflon]

Long time no see and also, are you ready for Rin to take her misplaced anger out on Athrun?!?!

[fifth_wheel]

Player Name: Brantron
Character Name: Iris Amicitia
Original Canon: Final Fantasy XV
AU Role: Infiltrator
AU Species: Human
Arcana: Lovers
AU History Blurb: UPTOWN GIRL, SHE'S BEEN LIVING IN HER UPTOWN WORLD
Okay, but seriously. The idea I have for Iris is essentially that she's from a moderately well-to-do family and is involved with a guy from the wrong side of the tracks. My general idea is that, while the boyfriend in question is in fact from a rough section of town and probably involved in some less than legal doings, he gets set up and busted by the cops for something he genuinely didn't do. Possibly this leads to a bunch of his friends getting into similar trouble, with a strong implication that Iris' wealthy and disapproving family may have had a hand in things. Faced with a corrupt police force and unable to count on even her family for help, she manifests a Persona out of a desire to get back at what she sees as a miscarriage of justice.
Tentative Plans for character: She'll be looking for a place to stay since she doesn't trust her parents, and trying to keep one step ahead of both them and the police.
Pre-Established CR: I would honestly love to have another player in the role of the boyfriend from the wrong side of the tracks, possibly having escaped from the police through a timely awakening of his own Persona.
Desired CR: I'm honestly down for just about anything.

[streetwolf]

This guy is probably too shady to be boyfriend material, being a homeless delinquent and all. But if you need someone to be mistaken for her boyfriend then I volunteer him.

[streetwolf]

Player Name: Kitty
Character Name: Kouta 'Wayne' Uedera
Original Canon: Rose Guns Days
AU Role: Infiltrator(most likely) or Accomplice
AU Species: Human
Arcana: The strength
AU History Blurb:His cannon backstory doesn't actually need to be changed much.

Wayne's an orphan boy, whose been passed from a few foster homes until he ended up with a family in the city. Instead of waiting to be picked up and moved again, he bailed and ran off to live on the streets.
Tentative Plans for character: Either the cannon- A good person takes him under their wing and he ends up slowly becoming a responsible guardian who looks out for people.

Or he could go full ruthless vigilante route without Rose reigning him in.
Pre-Established CR: Delinquent friends! Other kids that hang out on the streets for him to watch out for. Also he probably knows some police officers and city workers who go through the shady parts of town.
Desired CR: Any. My plan for him is going to change based on who talks to him really.
The most barebones plan

[mouflon]

STREET KIDS

Rin is pretty much a delinquent herself, albeit of the anarchist punk variety. She might not be a good influence on Wayne but this is pretty much the exact kind of pre-established CR I'm looking for myself.

Updated because I had a second idea

[occultured_gentleman]

Player Name: Ket
Character Name: Isaac Morton
Original Canon: Devils and Realist
AU Role: Infiltrator
AU Species: Human
Arcana: Undecided but either Magician or Fortune
AU History Blurb: All very vague because I'm still ironing it out, but here's what I have so far.

Isaac is from a wealthy high society family and was attending a ritzy boarding school. While there he and some from friends who were all fascinated with the supernatural started and 'occult society.' They imagined themselves as very edgy but really it was just rich kids sneaking out to the woods and telling each other spoooooky stories and talking about how bigfoot is totally real and that one house down the street is waaay haunted. And messing around with incense and runes and tarot cards because they're totes doing reeeal magic you guys.

It all came crashing down when he and his friends were caught sneaking into an abandoned building that they thought was haunted. His parents were embarrassed and outraged and immediately pulled him out of that school and brought him home. They got rid of all his 'dangerous' occult paraphenalia, insisted that he cut ties with all his friends, insisted that he start seeing a psychaitrist, and have enrolled him in a new school closer to home. They are also watching him a lot more closely now.

tl;dr eccentric teenager has a weird hobby, parents overreact and stifling environment brings a sense of rebellion.

Tentative Plans for character: Secretly start up another club for 'occult investigations.' Because persona nonsense isn't enough, let's also hunt for cryptids.
Pre-Established CR: Honestly, in an AU setting I'm a huuuuge sucker for setting up au family nonsense so siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. would be amazing. And I'd certainly be willing to tweak parts of the backstory to accommodate.
Also since he's returning to LA after going away to school for a couple of years, maybe people who knew him before?
Desired CR: A new batch of friends willing to look for ghosts and bigfoot and stuff. Or just put up with him while he babbles about all that stuff.


OR


Character Name: Albert Morcerf
Original Canon: Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo
AU Role: Infiltrator
AU Species: Human
Arcana: Undecided, open to suggestions
AU History Blurb: Vague as heck because I thought of this like ten minutes before bedtime and could definitely use some ideas

Honestly very like canon. Albert is the classic bored, spoiled, rich kid. His father is powerful and influential. I'm thinking politician or maybe businessman in this case. His life was going great until he discovers that one or both of his parents is involved in something terrible.


Probably illegal, definitely immoral, maybe there's an old crime being covered up, maybe innocent people are being thrown under the bus so his dad can increase his own power or fortune, something like that. Perhaps there's an even worse scheme in the works. It doesn't matter because enough money and power can get you out of anything.

Unless you have a dumb, idealistic kid who decides that he has to stop you. And after Albert discovers the nefarious goings on, what else can he do? And why stop there? His Dad probably has associates who are just as dirty, right? (Like a Banker or a Judge or something....) See where this is going?

tl;dr Dumb rich kid finds out that one or both of his parents is doing something awful and he deals with it in the most sensible way possible. By becoming a phantom thief.

Tentative Plans for character: Get him in waaay over his head. Albert is not good at considering consequences and he's a TERRIBLE judge of character.
Pre-Established CR: Family? Siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, open to anything.

Other rich kids with controlling and possibly untrustworthy parents
Desired CR: Poor role models(Since he won't have the Count here)
Also patient friends to keep him from getting himself killed(Because he won't have Franz here)

Re: Updated because I had a second idea

[has_too_many_moles]

I offer Yukio whose biological father was an occultist murder?



that is the best I could think of to au a son of Satan. So sue me, lol!

[moneymoneymoney666]

Player Name: Phi
Character Name: Gallerian Marlon, Gallagher (insert surname here)
Original Canon: Evillious Chronicles
AU Role: Accomplice, or maybe Operator? Idk.
AU Species: Human
Arcana: Heirophant
AU History Blurb: Growing up in an affluent family, attending Harvard Law School in his youth, and going on to become a lawyer and then judge. Gallagher has a ten year career as a judge, and is a fairly well respected figure of the law. Gallagher had also made numerous questionable decisions in his life, including becoming a teen dad at one point, getting involved in a legal conspiracy involving major corporations, and overall having witnessed much of the corruption of the system from within it. Composed, formal, and also a complete workaholic. I mean pretty much most of his family is dead anyways so not like he has much else than 60 hour work weeks. He is very much in favor of legal reform, although he isn’t wholly open about it. While not a Persona user himself, he acts as the thieves’ insider with the law. Also he’s, not corrupt as hell like in canon but he still loves his money.
Tentative Plans for character: Gall is fundamentally conflicted, between his position and between what he thinks is morally right. It is a conflict between his own personal morals, and society’s morals. While he knows that by aiding the thieves as he is he has to stand by those convictions, or else suffer the consequences, he wonders whether or not those convictions are write in the first place. And whether or not by acting on them, he’s going to truly be able to change anything in the first place.
Pre-Established CR: Probably other law people, not like he gets out much otherwise. Also he has a bastard daughter (zangenasai), so that’s fun.
Desired CR: Please let him Dad people. Please. Also it’d be nice for him to meet people who are far less lawful than he is, it’d make for some interesting developments. But yeah I’m up for anything really.

[has_too_many_moles]

Dad? Yukio has rotten luck with dad's but third time is the charm?

[paintbrushes]

HIGHLY, HIGHLY TENTATIVE BUT-

Player Name: Chesca
Character Name: Relm Arrowny.
Original Canon: Final Fantasy IV
AU Role: Operator or Infiltrator, leaving more toward the former.
AU Species: Guide. Probably either a pigeon or a crow, depending on how much I'm willing to handwave away how realistic it is for people to be willing to overlook a crow following around randos in the middle of LA screeching at them.
Arcana: Moon
AU History Blurb: Little babby guide, one of the youngest. Created just in time to be shoved into this whole business, but not in time to actually have a chance to be invested enough in humanity to care about doing her job. Currently mooching off a kind elderly man (who can be assumed to be an offscreen Strago, though that would be revised in the unlikely case that an actual Strago apps in.) Growing increasingly angered by the systems that are supposed to take care of her elderly benefactor repeatedly failing him in his old age, enough so to actually be driven to at least do what she's supposed to be doing temporarily to resolve that situation.

Tentative Plans for character: Her Minor asset would be spent on an interest in and natural talent for art that has resulted in her either already being a small-time internet celebrity or becoming one shortly after the start of the game because she's a BIRD WHO DRAWS AND DOES NEAT TRICKS and everyone likes cute animal videos. She'll be trying to leverage this to get a fundraising campaign going for the ongoing care needs of this old guy who feeds her, but BEING A BIRD she will need outside help to achieve this. PLS HELP HER GAIN SHORT-TERM INTERNET STARDOM SO SHE CAN FULFIL HER DREAM OF STARTING A CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN.

NATURALLY that might cause issues with regard to a need for low profiles. GUESS HOW MUCH SHE CARES it is zero she cares zero.
Pre-Established CR: With her being so young and also a bird, there's not a whole lot of room for pre-established CR. If anyone who fits the same profile as the elderly man in aforementioned backstory (kind enough to feed a random birb and put up with in constantly coming back demanding more food, likely to encounter financial distress in the near future) I'd be happy to switch them in!

Other than that, if your character has fed her in the past she'll remember that they're massive suckers and go back for more food.
Desired CR: PEOPLE WEIRD ENOUGH TO KEEP A CROW IN THEIR HOUSE. People who will take a bird into the burger place to try the ridiculous burger challenge. People who would have funny reactions to being insulted by a bird. Incredibly hygiene-conscious people who want nothing to do with her but who she can be attached to. IDK SHE'S A BIRD.

[conquerorofwaves]

Gonna say, where I used to live, crows and ravens are just as common as pigeons if you're still waffling on which one to use.

[discerp]

Player Name: Kalyn
Character Name: Mikan Tsumiki
Original Canon: Super Danganronpa 2
AU Role: Operator
AU Species: Human
Arcana: Prooobbly the Hanged Man
AU History Blurb: Much of her backstory can remain unchanged-- Neglected and bullied by everyone since she was young, but also moved around a lot so she was always starting over at new schools until fairly recently. Constantly putting herself into weird situations, taking on debts, letting people do whatever they want to do because all attention is good attention and no attention means people don't care about her existence. Got into nursing/taking care of others because A. it was useful and something she was good at
B. she could help people
and C. it gave her power over the only people she'd consider weaker than she is.

However there's no despair brainwashing and apocalypse starting this time around, she's just struggling to get through life to go to college for nursing at. At least that's all I got so far!
Tentative Plans for character: I really want to see her establish good relationships with people and become a little more confident in herself. I'd like to get her involved in nursing stuff and I mean, hey, it happened in canon so i'm also curious/would be interested in her going down the ~wrong path~ and being brainwashed/lured to the dark side, so to speak.
Pre-Established CR: I really don't have any limits on stuff. Is your character a jerk who'd totally bully Mikan, cut her hair, take her money/make her responsible for your debts? HAVE AT IT. I feel like she may have one or to people she's close to, but for the most part she's been bouncing around schools for a while and doesn't really reach out to people anymore since she's pretty convinced everyone secretly hates her or that she's not worthy of having friends...
Desired CR: please go someone hug this child. Getting her to a place where she's not bursting into tears and/or begging forgiveness for the smallest slights, real or imagined, would take a bit of work but I'm willing to work with anyone on it. I JUST WANT HER TO BE HAPPY.

[zangenasai]

I WANT HER TO BE HAPPY, TOO...

...Naomi might not be the best influence, but she would totally make it her mission to teach Mikan to be an anger nugget like her because then you don't get stepped on if they met.

Spoilers: Don't get life advice from someone as fighty as Naomi

[lyrids]

Player Name: Ric
Character Name: Misora Hibiki (aka Sonia Strumm, but I'll be using her Japanese name for the AU)
Original Canon: MegaMan Star Force
AU Role: Infiltrator
AU Species: Human
Arcana: Lovers
AU History Blurb: Born and raised in Japan by a sickly single mother, Misora would often sing about the sights of the outside world for her, which led to her entering a talent contest and subsequently being catapulted to stardom as an idol. Unfortunately, her mom soon died of illness, leaving Misora in the care of an exploitative talent manager. The grief and rage she felt at the songs she made for her beloved Mama being used by an odious man to get rich quick led to her Persona's awakening, and after knocking him down several pegs she fled Tokyo, and her fame, through Mementos, finding her way to LA. She's now laying low while leading as ordinary a life as she can... outside of Phantom Thief work, which she thoroughly buries herself in to avoid actually dealing with the sadness of losing her only family.
Tentative Plans for character: Someone needs to help this child learn to deal with grief like a normal person holy cow. After that, she might consider going back into music, with mixed feelings.
Pre-Established CR: Chances are Misora didn't make it halfway across the world through the realm of Shadows on her own. Whichever kind-hearted Thieves helped her get over and settle in her new place might also be interested in making sure this grade-schooler doesn't completely burn herself out...
Also any Japanophiles might recognize her from her idol career but that's like her worst nightmare.
Desired CR: Anything and everything. She needs some friends, but moreso responsible adults to actually look after this poor kid.

[conquerorofwaves]

Music? Definitely possible CR hooks with music, though their genres would be completely different.

[vistapoint]

Player Name: Amber
Character Name: Geo Stelar
Original Canon: MegaMan Star Force
AU Role: Infiltrator
AU Species: Human
Arcana: The Star, tentatively
AU History Blurb: Raised by two loving parents in LA, Geo had a happy life up until his father, a scientist (possibly a Metaverse researcher?), disappeared without a trace during a project. This affected Geo greatly, the boy withdrawing from almost everything outside of school... and, well, within it, too. No bonds means less chances for getting hurt, right? Three years since then, Geo's adjusted as well as he can, but recently he's come across the rumor that his father's death were part of something covered up by someone important because Geo's father and his teammates were getting too close to... something they didn't want brought to light. Pissed off that something so important was just swept under the rug, Geo started pursuing more of these rumors to find out more...
Tentative Plans for character: So thanks to the general backstory of the first Star Force game, Geo comes built in with a good character arc: get this boy to open up and accept some goshdang friendship. Other than that, I would kind of like for him to get into what exactly happened to his father--I don't know if the Metaverse researcher angle would fly but in the event that it doesn't, I can come up with something else!
Pre-Established CR: Classmates who know him as that really smart but super unfriendly kid, concerned family members or neighbors.
Desired CR: I'll take just about anything! I'd especially love anyone particularly relentless in helping this kid come out of his shell.

[conquerorofwaves]

Classmates possible, maybe some well-meaning but kind of dim teacher decided the extroverted but failing at grades Sinbad and smart but reclusive Geo needs can help each other out by assigning them to a group project?

[returnher]

Player Name: Void
Character Name: Locke Cole / Colin Locke (goes by Locke)
Original Canon: Final Fantasy VI
AU Role: Infiltrator
AU Species: Human
Arcana: Hanged Man
AU History Blurb: Locke is originally from San Diego, California. He had a penchant for exploring abandoned and dilapidated buildings. Generally not sure where he was going, his life was changed when his girlfriend, Rachael, was killed by police in what should have been a routine traffic stop. The officer was acquitted by a grand jury citing imminent danger, something Locke knew full well to be absolute bullshit. Since then he's now attending UCLA and heavily involved in social justice, which has to date earned him two broken ribs and pepper spray in the face on five separate occasions.
Tentative Plans for character: Locke will be throwing himself headlong into the Phantom Thieves, and is all about social justice and ESPECIALLY about taking down The Man. I'm hoping to get him to mature in this and get a bit more sensible, he's definitely a bit of a firebrand right now.
Pre-Established CR: Fellow students at college would be great. Locke is usually protesting things so it's likely people have been accosted by him about this or that issue. Also some actual friends would be good, he can be pretty likable and chill when he isn't out "fighting the fight" as it were.
Desired CR: Definitely looking to get Locke some good friends he can hang out with and who can help him mellow out a bit, but otherwise pretty open!

[paintbrushes]

I don't know how open you are to suggestions, but it occurs to me in a modern AU the idea of keeping someone's memory alive and not letting the person who wronged them escape judgement vs. allowing their loved ones to process grief in peace might make an interesting metaphor for his ingame refusal to let Rachel die and conflict with her family.

Maybe he could be really big on not wanting anyone to forget that 'this is Rachel and a grave injustice was done to her' - yelling about it on social media, bothering local news outlets constantly even way after the fact, etc. - and in conflict with a family who just wants to be able to grieve (and who maybe process their grief in part by blaming him for 'dragging her into trouble', whether that's fair or not).

[kotoritori]

Player Name: Brantron
Character Name: Mato Kuroi
Original Canon: Black Rock Shooter
AU Role: Infiltrator
AU Species: Human
Arcana: Star
AU History Blurb: Okay so I suddenly realized how good this would be as a Persona AU so time for word vomit on my phone. Basically Mato is a middle school student who runs into a lot of awkward social problems as she tries to make friends. Some of these failed friendship overtures venture into the realm of mild violence, controlling behavior, and the like. Only she comes to find out that a lot of these problems are being created, orchestrated, or simply made worse by the school guidance counselor who is kind of a sociopath. And since she’s just a kid and no one would believe her, Mato’s frustration at her perceived powerlessness gives way to a Persona.
Tentative Plans for character: Navigating the trials and travails of middle school friendships. Finding her bravery. Learning to speak up for herself and her friends and fight against overwhelming odds.
Pre-Established CR: Friends, either involved in the bullshit described above or not. She’s also on the basketball team, so maybe teammates or older students who help her train. Teachers work too.
Desired CR: Everything!

[timetogetdown]

Player Name:

Character Name: Lúcio Correia dos Santos
Original Canon: Overwatch
AU Role: Infiltrator or maybe operator
AU Species: Human
Arcana: Probably the Star
AU History Blurb: Younger than his Overwatch self, Lucio is a college undergrad from Brazil who got some nice scholarships that let him go to school at UCLA despite being pretty damn poor. Studying poly-sci in hopes of figuring out how to enact positive social change by running for office back home some day, making money on the side as a DJ at nights.
Tentative Plans for character: I want Lucio's personal arc to have him butting heads with corporate corruption, much like his canon self. Ideally by the end of the game he would pull some kind of large scale resistance against a corporate action aiming at bullying poorer neighborhoods. I'll figure it out when I know more
Pre-Established CR: UCLA classmates?
Desired CR: *shrug emoji*

Character Name: Zolk
Original Canon: B-Team (Original Character)
AU Role: Infiltrator
AU Species: Guide
Arcana: Justice, Judgement, Magician, or maybe Chariot. Lotta options
AU History Blurb: The angriest guide, taking the form of a brightly colored lizard in the physical world and a similarly colored kobold in the metaverse. Zolk apparently used to be a slave of a powerful shadow until an infiltrator freed him. Zolk now uses his extensive knowledge of the metaverse and of alchemy, as well as his FURIOUS AND RIGHTEOUS ANGER, to aid his saviors and to tear down oppressors everywhere.
Tentative Plans for character: Ideally Zolk should make ALMOST as many situations worse as he makes better due to his short temper and violently destructive tendencies.
Pre-Established CR: Other Guides. It could also possibly a more veteran PC who freed him from servitude.
Desired CR: People who can help him be less angry, or at least to channel his anger into productive pursuits.

Character Name: Takeshi Sato
Original Canon: Persona inspired Tabletop Campaign (Original Character)
AU Role: Infiltrator
AU Species: Human
Arcana: Strength
AU History Blurb: The Center on the West Burbank High School football team. Also the youngest child of a family of super intense and successful people. Takeshi struggles as the pressures from his success driven family and the testosterone laden football team conflict with his own comparatively mellow and kind hearted nature, and tends to act like more of a muscleheaded jackass than he actually is because he feels like he has to to keep the approval of the people around him. In the campaign, his persona was Gilgamesh.
Tentative Plans for character: Takeshi needs to be torn between siding with the bullies who are his friends and the people they're bullying that he really wants to defend but doesn't feel like he can, so that he can grow as a person.
Pre-Established CR: Other football players? Bullying victims? I dunno
Desired CR: People who can stand up to him and get him to be less of a dick. People who need standing up for that he can reluctantly decided to help. Artists.

[returnher]

If you're looking for a classmate and fellow protester, Locke can definitely provide. I feel like he and Lucio would generally be around the same age and taking some of the same classes/getting thrown in the same jails after a round of pepper spray from the cops.

[righthandbrand]

Player Name: Mei.
Character Name: Celica, haven't decided completely on an AU name yet sorry!
Original Canon: Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia.
AU Role: Operator.
AU Species: Human.
Arcana: Priestess, maybe Sun? One is blatantly obvious, the other is a fun spin.

AU History Blurb: Following canon loosely, Celica is the daughter of a religious fanatic that has made more foes over the past few years than friends due to his insatiable greed. Growing up with several half-siblings in a run down estate in the country, she along with the others, were kept ignorant to their father's decline in popularity among their peers, though most of the children thought poorly of him. Think of it like an orphanage, except everyone has the same father. There was a raid and as a result, a fire broke out and consumed most of the land, claiming the lives of several of the children. Celica herself believes to be the only survivor... but perhaps there were others. There were too many to keep track of after all. With her father arrested and the religious movement either dismantled or in hiding, Celica was shipped off to a boarding school in a foreign country for her own protection. If she remained in the states, no doubt she would see her father on the television constantly and not wholly recover from the traumatic experience of losing her entire family. Now older and a bit more wise, she returns to the country she was born in to pursue her own path.

Tentative Plans for character: Coming of age cliches as Celica learns what it's like to live on her own. It'll be a lot of self-discovery, once she starts to make friends. Not entirely sure if I'll start her off in high school (canon age is 17) or put her directly into UCLA by slapping another year on her age. I'm leaning towards the latter.

Pre-Established CR: Childhood companions. Church goers--maybe they attend the same services frequently. A roommate, maybe? Others close to her age is the ideal. She is excellent at caring for others, but lacks the emotional fortitude to express her love easily.

Desired CR: The above. I would like it if she had a roommate since it's difficult to justify her living by herself, but the likelihood of her rooming with anyone other than a girl her age is slim. Maybe a place of employment where she can live as well? She can look after younger children too since it's ingrained in her mind from a young age to do so.

[terraburning]

So uh tentative backstory for Terra is that her literally insane grandfather/foster parent raised her to be a soldier in the Army of God.

They could maybe become 'raised by religious nutbars' buddies? I dunno, I'm still feeling out the details.

[robinhoodedcrow]

Player Name: Mars
Character Name: Goro Akechi
Original Canon: Persona 5
AU Role: Infiltrator
AU Species: Human
Arcana: Justice

AU History Blurb: Warning: Spoiler-ish content ahead, please highlight to read: Akechi was born the illegitimate child of an ambitious politician and his mistress, and grew up an orphan; his father was never there from the start and his mother killed herself when he was very little, so he has almost no memory of her. Passed around foster homes, he grew up feeling unwanted and unloved. He is given the ability to enter the Metaverse early on, and gains the power of Persona when he accidentally comes upon his current foster parent's palace: a galley ship, where all the children are viewed as slaves and he the captain. Unable to bear the injustice of his situation, Akechi uses his persona to confront this corrupt adult, but without a guide, he goes too far and destroys the shadow, killing him by accident.

Despite the shocking incident, Akechi continues to explore the extent of his power, entering Mementos and discovering the shadows without palaces there. Having achieved "justice" against one adult who wronged him, Akechi decides to use his power to find the adult he holds responsible for his crappy childhood: his father. Without a name, he uses Mementos to seek out people who may have information that will lead him to his father, while continuing to enact his justice against others he holds accountable to him for wronging him in some way, by killing their shadows in Mementos. He has only done this a few times since his awakening, however.

Currently, he is traveling to LA, through Mementos, to follow a lead: he believes there may be someone in that city who has information on his father. He'll use whatever resources are available to him to aid him in his search, including joining up with other persona users if that's what it takes.

Tentative Plans for character: I would like to explore the choices Akechi makes, here and, in some ways, in his canon, and the real consequences of those decisions, especially in a place where he really may not feel special. His sense of justice and his thirst for vengeance has not fully manifested as yet, due to a lack of tangible target. I would like to see if he will develop further down the path he has started to walk, or if he can establish links that will help pull him back from that road.

Pre-Established CR: Other children from the foster system would be great; as for adults, perhaps ones who might possibly hold the information he needs? As his father is a character who could be played which, I mean, I would die for??? but lbr keep dreaming, perhaps they knew/knew of his mother? From where I'm playing him, Akechi doesn't have the kind of connections he would need to gain recognition as a detective prince, yet, so he'll just be your typical teenager for now.

Desired CR: Friends seriously, this guy needs to learn how to make some. People who will call him on his bullshit too. Negative CR would be great as well, esp from people who might catch on to what he's been up to, like law enforcement or detective types, but even individuals who may not agree with his particular views on justice could be fun to play around with!

Sorry for all the white text, but I figure better safe than sorry with this guy!

[moneymoneymoney666]

I mean.... look.

Gall is essentially just Not Evil!Shido(Or going of off canon, Judge!Shido). in this AU. While it’s possible he could be Akechi’s Dad, I could also just see him as being one of the people who influences him down the path of his “justice.”, given the right circumstances in place to make him want to take that route. I mean, there’s tons of ways things between them could go and honestly it’s all rather interesting.

Also idk why the text is appearing green for me it’s supposed to be White.

[stormboarn]

Player Name: Mars
Character Name: Richard Plantagenet; Richard Plante
Original Canon: Baraou no Souretsu
AU Role: Infiltrator
AU Species: Human
Arcana: Devil

AU History Blurb: Born intersex but raised male, Richard has two older brothers, a father who loves him, and a mother who despises him. Their family used to be wealthy and held a lot of power, but have lost all of that; Richard's father leaves on a business venture to gain some of their former glory back, but dies in a tragic accident. His older brother elopes with an older woman and his other brother leaves for college, only to be later kicked out for alcohol-related incidents. With just himself and his mother left at home, she tries to make money by selling Richard to some sketchy men, using his unique physiology as a selling point. He manages to escape before they do anything to him, and runs away into the countryside. He meets a kind shepard who takes him in for a time, but he chooses not to stay and tries returning home. There, he learns that his father's death may not have been an accident like they had been told, but deliberately done. He leaves to seek out the answer to his father's death and find the one responsible.

Tentative Plans for character: Richard has a complicated sense of self, not least warped by the disparate feelings he received from his parents. I would like him, while he's on his own, to get a chance to grow past his insecurities and open himself up to other viewpoints, to help him construct a more complete picture of himself.

Pre-Established CR: Fellow classmates, perhaps? Others who may be staying at the safe house would be fine; I figure Richard is originally from England and came to LA via Mementos, so he'd probably need to stay at the safe house, at least at first, b/c he has no money. He's still a teenager, so he'd be going to the high school.

Desired CR: Positive CR would be great, Richard could really use some, especially people he could eventually open up to and trust with his secret. He just in general needs more positive people in his life, the only one he had is dead, so... I would love to find him a better mother/big sister figure too, someone who can help him have good female role models and not, y'know, his own mother...

---

Pretty solidly going with Akechi this round, but this popped into my head last night and has been knocking around ever since, so I figured, why not?