Let us proceed with our contract at once.

RED PAVEMENT: OC-DRIVEN PERSONA (5) INSPIRED RP

Take your heart! Did you think those rotten adults stopped when you left high school? Forget that! Blanche University didn’t have anything special going for them until rumours spread about a gifted set of vigilantes supposedly attended the school. Whether you’re with them or against them is up to you, but one thing is for sure – something is amiss, and those rotten adults deserve what’s coming to them. Unless… aren’t you an adult now?

This is an original role play universe using the PERSONA (WITH AN OBVIOUS SPECIFICITY TO PERSONA 5) universe as it’s inspiration. So get your phantom suits ready! The play will be run on a free-form, plotting basis - the aim being for members to create their own plots and story lines, exploring the universe we have created while simultaneously shaping it with an emphasis on character development. Join as a Phantom Thief, an avid supporter, a shadow, or a confidant. Anything goes.

Blanche University is a prestigious international post-secondary institution set just outside of Tokyo. Students of all paths of life come to attend for the most knowledgable of professors and the most intensive of studies. Wielding careers for most graduate students, it is no wonder why people work their asses off for scholarship or money. The holy grail for elite students (or rich students) never found focus for anything else besides their prestige – except now. 

Word says that there’s a group of do-gooders that are putting bad people in their place. For them and their supporters (and maybe even their opposers), they don’t know what’s coming. The research lab downstairs has been a leader in biotechnology and research, and their professor, Mr. Fan, has quite the large following of admirers. His latest showcase flourished a new species of combined animal… his kind smile is hard to resist as he is quite young, but some people are quick to speculate if his passion for genetic mutation isn’t really for bigger plans.

You do not need to have played Persona to join us! Although it might help you understand some of the quirks and campiness, it is 100% not necessary. The Persona series is usually about a group of young individuals that go into a “shadow realm.” The shadow realm is where people reveal their “true selves,” and their darkest desires are shown. The group of aforementioned young individuals is able to change the hearts of the shadows in the shadow-verse by fighting them using special “personas,” these personas give them powers. Need some help? Spoilers head, but take a look here.

      { ☢ } “…I can see that my wording has left you confused.” Johanna commented, sighing for a moment before continuing on. “Surely you remember when your friends Akira and Ryuji confronted the one you call Kamoshida, correct?” A story she had heard retold quite a few times within the group.

“I will tell you this. That event was the catalyst for those two to become Phantom Thieves. Surely thinking harder about that will lead you to a conclusion about what it takes to become a member of this group.” Hopefully that was enough for Mishima to understand. She didn’t even want to consider going in depth about the Metaverse and Palaces.

“So they weren’t Phantom Thieves before Kamoshida…” 

Which made sense, of course. Before the confrontation with Kamoshida, Akira hadn’t even been at the school. So of course it had only started recently - which meant Akira and Ryuji had truly been the first two of the Phantom Thieves. Had Ann come in later?

Mishima had never asked for the details because he never wanted to cross the line.

     { ☢ } “It works as I described it to you earlier. It is a manifestation of your rebellious spirit. Your desire to see change in the world given form. However, you cannot awaken to such a power in this world. You must visit a world separate from this one in order to awaken to such a power.” Johanna explained.

        { ☢ } Brushing some stray dust off her shoulder, Johanna shrugged. “Last I heard, the owner of this particular room only ever hired one maid to clean this room. You can see how well that worked out for him.” The girl said, coughing once more. How could anyone stand to live in this place…?

“I trust that cleaning this room is within your capabilities, however. You seem like a much more competent maid than the last one hired. If you are not up to the task, however, I certainly would not blame you.”

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The same thoughts that plagued Johanna were surfacing within Kirumi’s mind as well; dark, dank, and filled with noxious particles that could kill a man slowly; how could anyone accept the lackluster assistance of that maid? Her opinion remained unspoken on that matter, however, not wishing to sound…ruder than necessary. ❝ I wish I had known about this sooner; to see him living in this space so horrible breaks my heart… How could someone study or work day in and out with such a mess? ❞

A small glance was shot toward the girl as she spoke about capabilities; this room hardly scared her in terms of cleaning requirements, but it certainly perturbed her that someone could accept this environment on a daily basis. ❝ This room is hardly a battle I cannot handle, fufu. ❞

       { ☢ } “Then by all means, begin cleaning at your leisure. I shall assist you if you deem it necessary, but you seem the type to want to get things done herself.” Johanna only assumed that because this girl reminded her of herself in terms of her pure conviction, so she assumed they had similar morals.

A long time ago, the world was introduced to the concept of Quirks. Supernatural abilities that more than 80% of the world’s population now possesses. Before too long, those who had been given the gift of a Quirk got into a business that was all but fantasy until now.

The business of being a superhero.

Many unruly individuals had decided to use their Quirks for evil, and the world needed heroes to put a stop to them. To that end, academies and other such areas of learning were created to train bright-eyed young men and women, and turn them into respectable heroes of the future.

One such academy is U.A. High, one of the most prestigious and well-received schools out there. This is where those with dreams of being a hero can only hope to go to. And today, you have been accepted to join the ranks of its students. Today, you shall begin your journey to harness your Quirk, and become the hero of your dreams.

You shall become the pillars that support our future! You will learn what it means to go beyond any limits you had before! You will learn the meaning of U.A High’s motto…

                                    Plus… ULTRA!

Welcome to the world of Pokemon!

In this world, many Pokemon choose to take up a job that’s treacherous, but rewarding. The job of working for a guild! Exploring dungeons and fighting any hostile Pokemon lurking about is an everyday occurrence to these brave adventurers. And today, you have been chosen to join them, and be a member of Wigglytuff’s Guild!

You will be expected to give it your all every single day, and work to help make the world a better, safer place for all the Pokemon who depend on the guild to help protect them!

And as you work, doing your best to show what a brave hero you are, remember these super important rules of the guild!

ONE! DON’T SHIRK WORK!

TWO! RUN AWAY AND PAY!

THREE! SMILES GO FOR MILES!

         { ☢ } “You are proper almost to a fault…” Johanna muttered to herself before opening the door to the cafe, ignoring any customers that might have been there as she walked up to the attic with Kirumi close behind. She saw no reason to waste time explaining herself and who she had with her. All of that could be handled later.

Once the two of them had reached the attic, Johanna coughed briefly from the amount of dust present in the room before turning to the maid. “Here it is. The owner of this room has done a decent job of cleaning it, but it could certainly stand to be cleaner.”

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A smile lifted her lips for a split second as the other agreed almost immediately to retract the given name; it wouldn’t be wise on her to say such in public when others were ready to see her as someone suspicious of delinquency for these actions. Still, some were more lenient and others didn’t care, but Kirumi could hardly stand to have her first name uttered so easily by one she just met.

As soon as her feet touched the attic’s flooring, her nose crinkled in an instant. Dust! Dust fluttered about her face freely—without care—as if it were meant to stay here! Cobwebs were strewn about boxes, boxes turned over on their sides, materials stained from the debris in the air– ❝ Oh…Oh, dear… I had no idea that your…staff were this incompetent. ❞ Her mind likely was overly sensitive to the scene before her and causing her to see more mess than there actually was, but…who could blame one who kept her home sparkling?

        { ☢ } Brushing some stray dust off her shoulder, Johanna shrugged. “Last I heard, the owner of this particular room only ever hired one maid to clean this room. You can see how well that worked out for him.” The girl said, coughing once more. How could anyone stand to live in this place...?

     { ☢ } “I see. It is a pleasure to meet you, Kirumi-san.” Johanna said respectfully. She stayed silent for the rest of the walk, but luckily, there wasn’t much distance left. Soon enough, they had made it to the entrance of Leblanc, and Johanna stopped in front of the door.

“We are here. Feel free to enjoy the delicacies this cafe has to offer before you go to work. Once you are prepared, I will show you to the area you shall be cleaning.”

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❝ Please, do not refer to me by my given name, Ma’am; we are not at all close enough to have such a thing transpire between us. ❞ The words were thrown out almost instantly, her features hardening for only a moment; for someone who just admitted to knowing about Japanese culture, she spoke her name as if they were friends for months.

As soon as the duo arrived outside of the building, her hues shifted upward, carefully inspecting the outside for any damages that may require her hand. ❝ …I am always ready to clean; please, do escort me to the area I am required to handle. ❞  

         { ☢ } “You are proper almost to a fault...” Johanna muttered to herself before opening the door to the cafe, ignoring any customers that might have been there as she walked up to the attic with Kirumi close behind. She saw no reason to waste time explaining herself and who she had with her. All of that could be handled later.

      { ☢ } “I am familiar with Japanese customs. However, I have no other name. My name is simply Johanna. Nothing more.” She responded, not even turning around to face the other girl as she spoke. “If you are uncomfortable with calling me that, you may call me whatever you deem appropriate, because I have no family name to give you.” Another pause.

“You certainly are a very professional type of maid, aren’t you? It’s… refreshing to see someone who takes their job as seriously as you.”

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❝ I see… ❞ Well, she wasn’t unused to some being prone to such an existence; however, she felt the need to ask, because some from the western world did tend to introduce themselves with one name, leaving the other to nervously wonder if they are speaking to them with the proper respect. ❝ Then it is pleasant to meet you, Johanna-San. ❞

Once more did a pause happen as she wondered if she forgot anything; with a tick of notification within her mind, she realized. ❝ Ah. Pardon me, I have forgotten to introduce myself as well. My name is Toujou Kirumi, a maid who attends school out of town of here. ❞

     { ☢ } “I see. It is a pleasure to meet you, Kirumi-san.” Johanna said respectfully. She stayed silent for the rest of the walk, but luckily, there wasn’t much distance left. Soon enough, they had made it to the entrance of Leblanc, and Johanna stopped in front of the door.

      { ☢ } “This way, please.” Johanna gestured for the girl to follow her as she began to walk in the direction of Leblanc. It was times like these that she wished she could return to her Persona form in the real world so she could just drive herself over to her destination.

But walking was fine too, she supposed.

“By the way, I just realized I have yet to introduce myself, and i apologize for that. It is nice to meet you. My name is Johanna.”

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Slowly did she stride behind the woman before her, eyes trained upon her back to ensure she stayed a reasonable distance out of politeness. ❝ Is that really all you go by? Is this your family name or given name? ❞ She paused, fingertips tugging at the fabric of her skirt. What she knew not about this person kept her from addressing her fully, the length of politeness extending to the very name one possessed—or even their clothing if she saw a tear.

❝ You see, as a maid, I cannot refer to those by given name; it is deemed as rude and unprofessional, and I am unsure if you are foreign or not to know any better. Ah—forgive me, the customs in Japan, if you are from the western world… ❞

      { ☢ } “I am familiar with Japanese customs. However, I have no other name. My name is simply Johanna. Nothing more.” She responded, not even turning around to face the other girl as she spoke. “If you are uncomfortable with calling me that, you may call me whatever you deem appropriate, because I have no family name to give you.” Another pause.

“Hey, uh.. Have you seen a… tall guy around here? Lightish, longish hair? Probably looks angry about some price tag or something else dumb? ‘Cause I swear I was just next to him a second ago…”

      { ☢ } “I cannot say that I have seen anyone fitting that description. However, I would be willing to assist you in looking for them if you so desire.” Johanna said, looking around the immediate area to see if she could locate someone who fit the description the boy had offered.

      { ☢ } “…Oh.” Johanna wasn’t actually expecting this girl to accept the offer. She was just making a joke after all. She saw the girl was dressed as a maid, so she decided to give her a non-serious job offer, to lighten the mood. But now, she seemed so eager to actually do this job, Johanna couldn’t turn her down at this point.

“Well, I suppose if you truly want to, I won’t turn down your offer.” She paused for a moment to think, before speaking once more. “Very well then, follow me, and I shall lead you to the area you shall be cleaning.”

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The other’s reaction fazed through Kirumi’s excited demeanor a bit, her expression softening to show her twinge of embarrassment behind it; had the offer really not been something she meant to say in the first place? If not obvious by her clothing style, then surely by the way she addressed herself, the other should have caught on to her need to work.

Still, who was she to point this out when the offer had been so graciously offered to her, regardless of true intent. Deeply, she bowed to the other, her hands pressed firmly against her skirt. ❝ Thank you very much. Please, do lead the way. ❞

      { ☢ } “This way, please.” Johanna gestured for the girl to follow her as she began to walk in the direction of Leblanc. It was times like these that she wished she could return to her Persona form in the real world so she could just drive herself over to her destination.

But walking was fine too, she supposed.

       { ☢ } “I am sure there is something you could do around here…” Johanna muttered. If this girl had a similar philosophy to her own, she would be more than happy to give her something to do.

“Hm… Perhaps you could spend time cleaning up the attic at the cafe my associates and I find ourselves at quite often. The maid service hired to clean it does an… inadequate job, to say the least.” The suggestion was mostly a joke, but Johanna wouldn’t mind if someone actually took the job of cleaning it.

⚜ ━━━━━━━━━

At such a kind offer, celadon hues practically sparkled in delight though her features lacked any sort of change within them. Most would find this offer as…rude to request that someone clean for them, but to Kirumi, this felt too wonderful to be true. ❝ To have offered me that… ❞

Words halted as she attempted to find the exact way to express her extreme gratitude; who knew that their offer to someone to clean for them would end in a sparkling basement? A win-win situation for the two, but—once more—to Kirumi, this was the equivalent of being offered a free meal just for being alive. ❝ Yes, yes, I will clean your attic and make sure that you see the very reflection of your face in the floor; thank you, Ma’am–thank you so very much; I am grateful to you for your wonderful offer. ❞

      { ☢ } “...Oh.” Johanna wasn’t actually expecting this girl to accept the offer. She was just making a joke after all. She saw the girl was dressed as a maid, so she decided to give her a non-serious job offer, to lighten the mood. But now, she seemed so eager to actually do this job, Johanna couldn’t turn her down at this point.

        { ☢ } “Hm. That’s rather unfortunate, to put it lightly.” Johanna stared at the door in question, before looking at the girl. “I’m not entirely certain. I’ve never been one to sit around wasting time. I like to be efficient when possible, and sitting around doing nothing is quite the antithesis to that.”

⚜ ━━━━━━━━━

Such logic resonated with the maid herself, never one to stand around and just wait without some reason behind it. With a swift exhale, a hand extended toward the doorknob once more, a gentle twist of annoyance following suit. ❝ To stand around is to allow work that could be accomplished to lay in wait; I cannot stand it myself either; if there truly is anything I may accomplish for you, then please do tell me so that I may cease standing here idly. ❞

       { ☢ } “I am sure there is something you could do around here...” Johanna muttered. If this girl had a similar philosophy to her own, she would be more than happy to give her something to do.