HADRIEL ( APPLICATION )

[jocoeur]

PLAYER
Player name: Cura
Contact: bevelle, PMs
Characters currently in-game: n/a

CHARACTER
Character Name: Akira Kurusu (Codename: Joker)
Character Age: 16
Canon: Persona 5
Canon Point: 11/20, 20XX

History: wiki style!

Personality:
Although he falls into Atlus' standard silent-protagonist slot, Akira is so much more than just a blank slate with a silent streak. While it's true that he often chooses his words carefully, or saves them for the people that really matter, he has so many more traits that draw people towards him than just being the strong and silent type. It is beneath this gentle, unassuming outward guise that belies his rebellious heart— the Joker who revels in taunting his enemies. Living the life of a Phantom Thief has given him something of a flair for dramatics as well, as the first scene of his story introduces us to a confident criminal running from his pursuers with cocky grin, and showmanship to match.

With responses to questions that tend to range from indifference to playfully cheeky, it is also noted by the members of his team that he has an assertive personality as well. He isn't without a sense of humour either, offering up his phone number when a questionable host-club employee starts acting inappropriately towards one of his friends, having asked for hers instead. We see more of this side of his personality in his outright inability to let transgressions just slide by he is something of an anti-hero, dishing out justice from the wrong side of the law. As the story progresses, he embraces this identity that he has shaped for himself in the shadows, having been an outcast since his incident, as it seems he has finally found a place he fits in.

While Akira can be studious and attentive, he is not entirely a the perfect picture of an honour role student either. He is quite comfortable bending the rules and texting while in class, as well as making infiltration tools if he's lucky enough to be granted some extra time during school hours as well, making him quite proficient. He's just that weird kid in the back that's muttering "Yes! All right," when it's a successful endeavour, that's all. He has the guts to take on a gigantic cosmic burger and come out on the other end of it alive, too. It's that kind of bravery that allows him to befriend even scary-looking, tough-acting former yakuza members.

Even though his sordid reputation follows him to his new school, Akira seems undeterred by the whispering that goes on around him. One of his team mates even comments to him that during that time he "did what [he] thought was cool and didn't care what other people said about [him]." Even if it was a brave front (as sometimes the whispering in the library would get to him during a study period) he seemed determined to face the challenge head on, even helping others to realize that "to be cool, you have to live life in your own way." The truth is, our hero just does what he can to get by, and would more than likely explain it as such, rather than taking any praise for it. It's remarked that maybe "that's why people get kinda pulled towards [him]."

With a few exceptions (ie. the events leading up to the start of our adventure) our hero is more often than not, a calm and relaxing presence for the rest of the team. Several times throughout the school year people come to him for advice even if the subject matter is completely foreign to him, making it obvious that others value his opinion and have even come to rely on him a lot of the time.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons that he was soon elected leader of the Phantom Thieves, and the gang happy to follows him as he goes, trusting in his commands. They are seldom ever led astray, as Akira makes well-informed decisions, weighs his considerations carefully, and often mulls over questions that may have several answers, with a thoughtful "Hmm." He is the sort of person to always have a plan or be planning his next move, even though he may rarely share those details with others.

At a very pivotal point in his story, an outsider does choose to mention his quiet nature, but goes on to say that he "possess[es] the courage and determination to take action." In truth, this quiet, mild-mannered nature he outwardly projects is mostly a ruse. Being that he was dealt a poor hand leading up to his re-location to Tokyo, even from early on in his journey it's plain to see that he isn't someone that will just turn a blind eye to the injustices around him, which is without a doubt the trait that got him into this whole penal mess to begin with. Having been referred to as a "defiant piece of garbage" by his enemies, Joker has a strong resistance in the face of control-based authority, and rebels against the system and its enforcers, ever the trickster.

He is often told that he has an honest look about him, perhaps further confusing people that he meets when they've only heard about his violent notoriety before choosing to get to know him, which can be a difficult task in itself. In due time, people that at first did their best to avoid him find themselves defending Akira later on, saying that he is "a good guy" who "always fights for the sake of others." When presented the opportunity to make a deal for less harsh sentencing, our hero frequently finds himself taking the path of most resistance. We see this most prominently in his refusal to give up his fellow thieves in exchange for what may be a lighter punishment, and choosing to take on all of the burden himself. It has been noted that he "wish[es] for the fortune of others over [his] own well-being."

Although there are occasions Akira appears to be absent-minded or even a bit spacey, whether this is a clever cover or a product of being distracted by his double life is anyone's guess. In action however, he is observant and dependable, often a shoulder to lean on for his friends, and someone they can easily confide in. He is no push over and he often can be seen standing up for others, as well as calling people out on their wrongdoings, both friends and foes. He does have a stubborn streak as well, as noted by one of his best friends, that "once he's made up his mind, he won't take no for an answer."

While it not always evident at first glance, Akira does have an increasing sort of charm about him as you get to know him (who would believe he cares about house plants or works at a flower shops with a criminal record, after all?) and his transition into a gentleman thief has perhaps helped to spark that charismatic nature. He has a "free heart" and "never stops choosing his own path." It would be easy to argue that this turn of fate certainly helped him to regain some confidence in a trying time, and wouldn't be off-base to say it contributed to that ever-growing allure.

Inventory:
MAGICAL WARDROBE CHANGE:
While he otherwise he will be mostly wearing Shujin Academy's fall/winter school uniform, when viewed as a threat or heading into a questionable situation, Akira's attire changes into his Phantom Thief gear. It offers protection from most hits that might put a human on their rear end, as well as giving him access to his weapon of choice, a short sword/dagger. For reference: school uniform + bag / phantom thief.

WEAPONS:
While in his battle gear, Joker's weapons of choice are large knives, and a gun. Since becoming a Phantom Thief he has become proficient in the use of both.

CELLPHONE:
Standard smartphone that all the kids these days are using. Has a strange Navigation App downloaded onto it.

RANDOM ITEMS:
Silk Yarn x5
Tin Clasp x7
Plant Balm x3
Recov-R: 100mg x5
Protein x2

Abilities:
FIGHTING.
Joker can certainly hold his own in a fight, and uses a knife to slash-slash up close, and a gun to bang-bang from a distance. He is quick and agile, often using turns and flips in battle dramatically, while at the same time delivering hearty and hurtful blows to his enemies. He can even dodge incoming chalk hurled at him in the classroom.

INSTINCTS.
Like a good, respectable thief, Joker possesses strong intuition and instincts. Taking a moment to quietly reflect, he often notes when he can "see something" or "feel it" from a distance, in the case of both enemies and shiny treasures. He can be quite stealth, hiding himself away in the shadows of nooks and crannies and only coming out for an ambush when the time is calculated just right.

BREAKING AND ENTERING.
What kind of thief would he be without these skills? Thanks to the instincts mentioned above he has started to truly hone his thieving skills, becoming adept at lock-picking and infiltration.

NEGOTIATIONS.
Whether trying to convince a shadow to fight for him instead of the enemy, or if the fiends have taken one of his allies as a hostage, there is no denying his ability to negotiate with some less-than-desirables out there. His calm and calculating nature likely lends itself well to work like this, though it is certainly not a success every time.

PERSONA.
For simplicity's sake, Akira will only have access to one Persona while in-game, his first and trademark ally, Arsène. This Persona has an affinity towards Curse magic, and is weak to both Ice and Bless skills. He will be equipped with the following moveset:

Eiha: Light Curse damage to 1 foe
Eigaon: Heavy Curse damage to 1 foe.
Cleave: Light Physical damage to 1 foe.
Brave Blade: Colossal Physical damage to 1 foe.
Sukunda: Debuff agility of 1 foe for 3 turns.
Dream Needle: Light Physical damage to 1 foe. Medium chance of Sleep.
Adverse Resolve: Auto Increase critical rate when being ambushed.

Flaws:
From the outside looking in, Akira has a whole lot of reasons why people would look down on him. Thanks to a run-in with a less than stellar aspiring politician, he has since been branded as a delinquent, someone prone to violence, and even dangerous.

Rumours seem to fly around him where ever he goes at school, and the gossip doesn't even stop when he's within earshot. This all stemmed from perhaps what is one of his greatest weaknesses: being unable to turn away someone in need. Doing what he thought was a good deed landed him with a reputation that he hasn't yet been able to shake, despite seeming to walk the straight and narrow. Because of this he could easily be taken as someone that brings about only chaos and mischief even if its quite far from the truth. He doesn't seem too interested in proving himself to most people that may judge a book by its cover, further lending itself to the tales behind his criminal record.

There are also times when, even though it may be beneficial to, Akira keeps finer details of his plans to himself, which in turn can hurt those around him, even if he has convinced himself internally that it is for the best for things to play out a certain way. Although his intentions lie with not wanting his friends or loved ones to worry about him, it can often come across as just the opposite with them picking up on the fact that he is hiding something from them instead.

SAMPLES
Action Log Sample: test driven +1