Ryoji Mochizuki (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
the13tharcana) wrote2011-11-04 12:05 pm
the13tharcana) wrote2011-11-04 12:05 pm
Application - A Facility // Ryoji Mochizuki (dropped)
OOC Information:
Name: Nayru
Age: 24
Plurk: nayru
E-MAIL: nayru774(at)gmail.com
Are you new? Yes~
IC Information:
Name: Ryoji Mochizuki
Fandom: Persona 3 (Portable Version - Female Protagonist Route)
Timeline: 31st of December, 2009; right after Minako decides to let Ryoji live and he says his goodbye to everyone. Literally seconds before midnight hits the clock.
Age: It's complicated; 17 in appearance.
Appearance:
Ryoji has a pale complexion, black hair, which he keeps swept back most of the time, light-blue eyes and a mole under his left eye. He wears a shirt with black, square-shaped buttons at the front. The shirt itself is white on the outside, and black on the inside - this can be clearly seen on his holded sleeves and colar, though the colar alone is usually hidden by a thin, yellow scarf with black edges. One could almost say that the lemon scarf is Ryoji's identification sign. He also carries suspenders which have a butterfly shape in the junction on his back, a brown belt, and fairly tight, black pants. He also wears black, typical dress shoes with red soles, and never seems to take off his X-shaped bracelet which he carries on his left hand.
History:
Ryoji first appears in the game on the 9th of November, introducing himself as a transfer student in Gekkoukan High School. He joins the same class which the Female Protagonist, Yukari, Junpei and Aigis attend to. It's said that he lived overseas for a long time because of his parents' work, thus the assumption he may not be used to all of the local customs.
After getting assigned to his seat, he's immediately accused of being 'dangerous' by Aigis, though why is that is unknown, and the accusation surprises everyone around, including Ryoji himself. He playfully shrugs it off as a rejection, even though he hasn't even asked Aigis out yet, and says that she's an interesting girl.
Junpei is the first person he gets along with in class, and they became best friends practically from the very beginning.
In turn, Junpei is the one who introduces Ryoji to the Female Protagonist. And right from the point they meet, Ryoji can't stop himself from noticing that she feels familiar and wonders if it really is the first time they shake hands. Junpei laughs at that, commenting that it's the oldest pickup line in the book, ignoring the fact that Ryoji is actually honest about his words.
The second time the Female Protagonist and Ryoji meet, it's in the subway, on their way to school. It's then when Ryoji's kindness and playful attitude really show for the first time, as he wastes no time in bringing up smooth and cheesy lines, trying his best to impress the girl. All in all, it turns out that Ryoji enjoys school, saying that it's really fun to be there.
The newest transfer student becomes pretty popular around school in no time, but he doesn't even hesitate to turn another girl down in order to spend some time with the Female Protagonist. He's not sure what it is about her that is so different, but he definitely takes her more seriously than a mere playful date. He also claims that he feels like he shouldn't treat her like the other girls and wants to be more sincere with her, though he's not sure himself why. He tells the Female Protagonist that he also feels as if he knew Aigis before, but he can't remember anything in regards to that fact and it both saddens and confuses him.
One day, when Yukari and Mitsuru talk on the school's rooftop during class break, Ryoji interrupts them, claiming that some guy asked him to look for the student council president, threatening that the class trip might get cancelled if he didn't. Also using the opportunity, Ryoji decides to push his luck and tries asking the two girls out, but gets ignored by the first and ends up in a painful encounter with the other.
The next day, the boy calls the Female Protagonist on her cell phone, asking if she wants to go out. They meet up in Chagall Cafe in Paulownia Mall, talk about various things and get to know each other better. Among other things, Ryoji confesses that he would like the Female Protagonist, no matter if she were a boy or a girl. It also seems that Ryoji seems curious about relationships, as he comments and wonders about the couples around them. He also says that he gets the feeling he'll find out how he knows the Female Protagonist if they spend more time together, even though he sole thought makes him want to cry. They decide to meet on the school trip.
After arriving in the hotel in Kyoto, it turns out that Ryoji's never been there before and doesn't know much about anything regarding the place. When Junpei ask him where he's been to on his previous school trips, Ryoji claims that he doesn't really remember. Other than that, it seems that nothing has changed, as Yukari is still wary of him and advises the Female Protagonist to watch out with him, and Aigis still claims that he is "no good."
After the trip, Ryoji and the Female Protagonist meet up in Chagall Cafe again. It turns out that the boy has bought himself a souvenir during the trip - a ring - that was supposed to be a reminder of the fun times he's spent there. He hopes he can get more good memories as his life goes on, really fond of his new treasure. Muttering to himself, Ryoji is now positive that he's known the Female Protagonist before. And that he's known her for a very long time. He confusedly wonders if she's the one he's been waiting for all along, not a hint of playfulness in his voice. More than anything else, he seems distressed by the fact.
Days pass and the two meet up in the cafe again, where it turns out that Ryoji's been worried about Junpei who hasn't been himself lately. The boy learns from the Female Protagonist that their friend has lost someone precious to him. Saddened by the fact, he comments that people die and it's the natural order of things. He asks if it's cold of him to think that way.
On the 29th of November, Sunday, the two decide to go to the rooftop, when the school's closed. Ryoji confesses that he doesn't feel right when he's alone, and that he's scared when he's just by himself. For whatever reason, he feels uneasy about tomorrow, even though he can't figure out why. He tells the Female Protagonist that he doesn't want to lose her, and that she's the only one he wants.
On the 1st of December, Ryoji visits the Female Protagonist's room. And even though it's the first time he's there, the place feels more than familiar.
He knows that he did come to see her before. Probably to become friends with her. But then he figures that he got it all wrong. He thinks of Junpei and of Yukari as his friends, but he doesn't feel about them the same as he does about the Female Protagonist. He thinks that what they have is different than being friends.
He can't help but tell her that she has a too kind heart and shouldn't give so much of herself to him. Ryoji doesn't know why, but he has a feeling that he'll probably make her sad. He encourages her to touch him, to make sure that he exists, that he's actually there. When the Female Protagonist catches him by the hand, the warmth Ryoji can feel from the contact brings tears to his eyes, though the reason behind his feelings is still unknown. He asks her why is it like that - a question he knows he won't get an answer to yet - and tells her that it's painful deep inside.
Little words are exchanged as the Female Protagonist sees him off at the intersection after spending some more time with him. After saying their goodbyes, Ryoji makes his leave, probably still unaware what awaited him on midnight that day...
During the Dark Hour, Aigis finds Ryoji on the Moonlight Bridge. She asks what he's doing there, and also comments that he's adapted to the new anomaly far too well for a human. Ryoji says that when he came to, he was already there, and wonders why the scenery around them looks so much different from the one he remembered seeing. Aigis is the first to remember about Ryoji's true nature, and once she says it out loud, Ryoji's memories come back to him as well. It turns out that he's actually a Shadow, the anthropomorphic personification of Death, and thus the avatar of Nyx.
It also turns out that Ryoji and Aigis already had an encounter ten years back, at the exact same location. And while he was in an incomplete form back then, he was still too much for Aigis to handle. So in an act of desperation, Aigis had sealed him in side a human child that happened to be nearby. Ryoji had lived inside of that girl for ten whole years, unaware of who he was, gathering the experience she did during all that time, slowly learning how to be human himself.
After everything is revealed, Aigis proceeds to fulfil her role (since that's what she was created for, after all) and attacks Ryoji on the spot. The boy handles everything calmly, and tells Aigis not to be foolish, because she won't be able to defeat him like this. Aigis doesn't heed the warning, though, and Ryoji is forced to retort to self-defense. Aigis ends up heavily wounded. After the rest of the S.E.E.S. members catch upon Aigis' wherabouts and come running to the bridge, Ryoji apologizes to them and faints, falling to the ground. Awaking to his powers during the Dark Hour apparently had a bigger strain on his - now partially human - body more than anyone could have anticipated.
The next day, Ryoji reveals his true identity to the rest of the S.E.E.S. members, the Female Protagonist included. It turns out that Ryoji is the 'Appriser' of Nyx, and is destined to be the harbinger of Death. He wants none of it, though, and precisely because of the fact that he managed to attain a human form, along with human emotions, he feels nothing but guilt and misery for being destined to do this. But also because he's like this right now, he's able to give his friends a choice.
In essence, Ryoji is the same as Nyx and cannot be killed, but thanks to the Female Protagonist, there's also a part of him that's 'human' now - so he thinks that killing him might just work if death comes from her hands. Ryoji tells everyone that if they were to kill him, all memories of the Dark Hour would be erased, and they could live in peace as normal students until the day of The Fall, unaware of what awaited them. The coming of The Fall would also be slightly delayed if that happened. Otherwise, they would live the rest of their days in fear of what was about to come, leaving them with nothing but despair. He doesn't want them to suffer like that.
Ryoji leaves the S.E.E.S. members to think about it until the 31th of December - because that's the day after which he'll dissolve into the blackness of the Dark Hour and become intangible. He also tells them that they shouldn't worry about him, because he'll disappear with the coming of Nyx, anyway.
There's no word from him for practically a whole month after that.
He's back on the mentioned day, as promised, though, asking if they've made their decision. He gives everyone a moment more to come to terms with themselves, claiming that he'll wait in the Protagonist's room until they're ready. Before that, he also reassures them that he won't feel any pain by 'dying' and that the fact that they should kill him shouldn't influence their decision.
Once the two are alone in the room, Ryoji reminisces about the good times he and the Female Protagonist had together. He's sad that they have to meet in her room under circumstances like these. He's also worried that the S.E.E.S. members have decided to let him live, after all, so he's still using the opportunity to persuade the Protagonist to kill him, since - in the end - it is her decision alone. Ryoji even changes into his Thanatos form just to show her what kind of monster he is.
Fortunately or not, the Female Protagonist's resolve does not falter. And all Ryoji is left to do is accept and respect her decision.
Since it's probably the last time they speak like this, Ryoji thanks her, says his farewell to her, and apologizes to her. He says that he wishes that they had more time together, but he's definitely fond of the times they did get to share. And as a reminder, he leaves the ring - the one that he's gotten back in Kyoto - in the Female Protagonist's care. He claims that it's the proof that he was 'human,' for however short a time, and that everything would be easier to bear for him as long as she held onto it.
Still before leaving, Ryoji tells everyone where they'll be able to find Nyx on the destined day and how to confront Her. He also apologizes to Aigis for all the pain and suffereng he's put her through. The blond girl responds to that telling him that he was both her enemy and her friend, which he is really glad to hear. Ryoji claims that it's the last time they'll be able to see him like this, but that he'll be always watching over them.
His last words, 'best wishes in the coming year' might indicate that Ryoji hopes that the S.E.E.S. members will be able to stop Nyx somehow, as impossible as it seemed - and with one last smile thrown in everyone's direction, he leaves the dorm.
Personality:
If needed to describe Ryoji's personality in a few simple words, 'gentle', 'friendly' and 'kind' could work fairly well.
When we first meet him, Ryoji has no recolection of his past. And even though it feels a bit weird to him at times (especially when asked about things he should know, but somehow doesn't) he doesn't seem to dwell on it too much. He knows his name and that he's apparently seventeen years old, even though he doesn't recall anything from his chilhood or how he's gotten to the point where he is now. He also knows things any normal seventeen-year-old boy should probably know, but he has no idea where he even attained that kind of knowledge. Ryoji somehow labels it as normal and takes it for granted that he's a mere human being, just like everyone else.
Keeping that in mind, he's curious about people in general and the world around him. If something looks potentially fun, and full of new memories to attain, high chances are that he'll be all over it. 'Shy' isn't a word that fits to describe Ryoji's personality, as he rarely feels self-conscious. He's usually the one to come out to someone and introduce himself first, eager to get to know them. Because of his friendly character, he tends to get overly flirty when it comes to girls - and sometimes the whole forwardness might be taken the wrong way even with guys. He's convinced that if people enjoy and feel good in his company, they'll want to hang around him more. That's why he usually tries to say things he thinks people would like to hear and never hesitates to say a compliment out loud. He's also able to be playful at times, and pulling a harmless prank or two on someone is totally a go - especially if he has a partner in crime he can scheme with.
It's a stated fact that Ryoji feels bad whenever he's alone. He yearns for company in order not to feel lonely, and that's probably also the main reason behind his flirtatious acting. He thinks that surrounding himself with people is bound to make his loneliness go away, even though it probably doesn't really work like he imagined it would most of the time. Looking at this, being so open with people and showering them will all kinds of compliments might be somehwat of a means of winning people over. But despite all this, Ryoji's intentions are always sincere. One could say that he's simply fond of people.
He also yearns for physical contact, even though he never really acts upon the need, understanding that people have something called 'personal space.' Another person's touch is something that is able to prove that he is 'real;' that he does exist as who he is. It's one of the few things that actually make him feel alive.
The Female Protagonist is the first and only girl he actually wants to be more sincere with. During his meetings with her, Ryoji always gets overwhelmed by nostalgic feelings, but he does not understand where they come from and what do they mean. He simply knows that she's very precious to him, in whatever way that may be. He's both happy and unhappy about the fact that she trusts him, because despite his good will and intentions, he can't rid himself of the feeling that he'll make her sad in the end. He even goes as far as to say that his feelings for her feel like a kind of 'forbidden love.'
It's after he recovers his memories and realizes who he really is, is when the cheerful and outgoing attitude of his disappears almost completely. Ryoji becomes more detached and starts avoiding people on purpose, mainly because he's afraid of hurting anyone that might try to get involved with him in any way. He feels guilty with his sole existence and hates seeing people being sad, even though it's inevitable at times.
Having a connection with the Universe - or with Nyx, in particular - on an ethereal field, Ryoji has access to bits of knowledge humans normally don't. He seems to have a good understanding about things like life and death in general, but rarely talks about it unless brought up. Probably because it's usually far from a cheerful topic and he imagines his outlook on it all might seem cold to some. He believes that fate exists and cannot be changed, as cruel as it is.
Abilities:
After awakening to his powers, he's able to change into his Shadow form - and this one looks exactly like the Persona, Thanatos. As Thanatos, he is able to hover in the air, fight with a sword (inflicting heavy slash damage) and cast magic spells (Almighty damage, Fire damage). We never actually see him fighting in-game beside one point, when the Female Protagonist awakens to her powers for the first time. While berserk and really violent that one time, Ryoji's actually never hostile when he can control himself, and wouldn't retort to violence if really, really needed.
He's also able to blend in with the darkness, and disappear within it completely, just like he was able to do in his previous, Pharos form. This shows when the S.E.E.S. members try to run after him after one meeting, and he practically dissipates right before their eyes. This definitely makes traveling easier for him, as he's practically able to disappear in one place and appear in another - but that also has its flaws, as it's only able to happen at night, or at least whenever there is heavy shadow around, or lack of light in general. He loses his physical form then, but is still able to observe and talk with anyone around.
Being a Shadow, it's also highly probable that Ryoji doesn't need food to keep himself alive (but does eat things from time to time, because part of him did become human, after all, so at least he's able to enjoy it) nor does he need sleep. Not like any normal human needs to, at least. He might need to simply 'rest' from time to time in order to 'replenish' his energy, and that might as well happen whenever he's blended in with the darkness around him.
There's also the issue of the intensity of things Ryoji is actually able to feel. At one point, he does say that he won't feel any pain by 'dying,' though one could elaborate on that and wonder if he didn't simply say that to make others worry about him less, once it would come down to it. We never actually see him cry or blush, which might come from the fact that he's simply able to control his emotions fairly well, or simply doesn't feel things as intensely as any normal human should when faced with all kinds of ordeals.
Roleplay Sample - Log:
He said his goodbye, throwing everyone just one last glance - throwing her one last glance - before turning in the direction of the dorm's front entrance. All the while, the gentle smile on his face never faltered. Ryoji wanted them to remember him like this - all smiles and kindness and friendliness - and first and foremost, still human. He knew he was bound to change into something unrecognizable in moments to come.
If he were to be honest, the thought scared him a bit. How ironic was it that he ability to feel human emotions seemed like such a blessing at first, and now, when the end was so close, all he could do was curse it? He gave his friends a choice, because he couldn't make that kind of choice for himself. It didn't matter just how much he didn't want any of this to happen. From the moment he was born into this world, his fate had been set, and he had no place to argue, because the will of Nyx was absolute. A while back, he probably wouldn't even mind. Now, he did anything but.
He was scared. Scared that the change he was about to be forced to go through would malfuncion. Because he was different now, and what if sweet oblivion wouldn't overcome him completely? If he were to keep even a small part of his human subconciousness while becoming a monster that was going to slay his friends and eventually bring the destruction of the world... just imagining it terrified him. The pain would be unbearable.
So even if it was a selfish thing to wish for, he dearly hoped that the blackness of the Dark Hour would make all of it fade into nothingness, just like he told his friends it would.
Roleplay Sample - Journal:
[And then, the Dark Hour hits, and the environment before him stills and changes in a heartbeat - giving the city before him an eerie kind of glow, with streets tinted red and closed coffins all around. It's there, and he knows what is about to happen.
Then he starts to feel an odd sensation at the end of his fingers - a sensation that is kind of hard to describe - and it actually makes him wonder if it will hurt or not. The darkness was slowly starting to nibble at him, and soon, he was finding himself with his eyes closed.
He could swear that he's closed those for just a short moment, though.
And all of a sudden, the sensation is gone completely, and once his eyes are open again, there's no darkness around him. As there's no street he was just a second ago in the middle of, no blood on the streets, no moon on the sky--]
Huh?
[Ryoji takes a moment to look himself over. And he's not really as much confused about the change in environment, as he is in the fact that he still looks human - and still feels human - and--]
... I don't understand.
[He seems to be the same. He didn't change... But why? And... he looks around this time, also confused to find himself in such an unfamiliar-looking place. He's pretty sure this isn't what oblivion is supposed to look like.]
Where am I...? Is there anybody here?
This game includes horrible mental and physical torture of your character. After reading the rules/faq for clarification, how do you expect your character to handle this and continue to function?
Considering that Ryoji is Death himself, the topic is anything but unfamiliar to him, and very likely, the one thing he's actually not afraid of in the slightest. He wouldn't be indifferent to his friends' deaths or suffering, of course, but he'd most likely find that more sad than traumatizing. Taking Ryoji's overall views on life and its understanding, I believe it would be really hard to actually break him. I can definitely imagine him being the last sane person on board if something really big were to happen, while trying his best to keep everyone else's hopes up.
Ryoji might have a harder time dealing with physical torture, though, but the fact that anything he feels - good or bad - is definitely more subdued compared to a normal human's might help him with that one a whole deal.
Questions? Comments? Crazed and creative statements? Those go here.
!!! I am so excited to finally give this game a try~ <3
Name: Nayru
Age: 24
Plurk: nayru
E-MAIL: nayru774(at)gmail.com
Are you new? Yes~
IC Information:
Name: Ryoji Mochizuki
Fandom: Persona 3 (Portable Version - Female Protagonist Route)
Timeline: 31st of December, 2009; right after Minako decides to let Ryoji live and he says his goodbye to everyone. Literally seconds before midnight hits the clock.
Age: It's complicated; 17 in appearance.
Appearance:
Ryoji has a pale complexion, black hair, which he keeps swept back most of the time, light-blue eyes and a mole under his left eye. He wears a shirt with black, square-shaped buttons at the front. The shirt itself is white on the outside, and black on the inside - this can be clearly seen on his holded sleeves and colar, though the colar alone is usually hidden by a thin, yellow scarf with black edges. One could almost say that the lemon scarf is Ryoji's identification sign. He also carries suspenders which have a butterfly shape in the junction on his back, a brown belt, and fairly tight, black pants. He also wears black, typical dress shoes with red soles, and never seems to take off his X-shaped bracelet which he carries on his left hand.
History:
Ryoji first appears in the game on the 9th of November, introducing himself as a transfer student in Gekkoukan High School. He joins the same class which the Female Protagonist, Yukari, Junpei and Aigis attend to. It's said that he lived overseas for a long time because of his parents' work, thus the assumption he may not be used to all of the local customs.
After getting assigned to his seat, he's immediately accused of being 'dangerous' by Aigis, though why is that is unknown, and the accusation surprises everyone around, including Ryoji himself. He playfully shrugs it off as a rejection, even though he hasn't even asked Aigis out yet, and says that she's an interesting girl.
Junpei is the first person he gets along with in class, and they became best friends practically from the very beginning.
In turn, Junpei is the one who introduces Ryoji to the Female Protagonist. And right from the point they meet, Ryoji can't stop himself from noticing that she feels familiar and wonders if it really is the first time they shake hands. Junpei laughs at that, commenting that it's the oldest pickup line in the book, ignoring the fact that Ryoji is actually honest about his words.
The second time the Female Protagonist and Ryoji meet, it's in the subway, on their way to school. It's then when Ryoji's kindness and playful attitude really show for the first time, as he wastes no time in bringing up smooth and cheesy lines, trying his best to impress the girl. All in all, it turns out that Ryoji enjoys school, saying that it's really fun to be there.
The newest transfer student becomes pretty popular around school in no time, but he doesn't even hesitate to turn another girl down in order to spend some time with the Female Protagonist. He's not sure what it is about her that is so different, but he definitely takes her more seriously than a mere playful date. He also claims that he feels like he shouldn't treat her like the other girls and wants to be more sincere with her, though he's not sure himself why. He tells the Female Protagonist that he also feels as if he knew Aigis before, but he can't remember anything in regards to that fact and it both saddens and confuses him.
One day, when Yukari and Mitsuru talk on the school's rooftop during class break, Ryoji interrupts them, claiming that some guy asked him to look for the student council president, threatening that the class trip might get cancelled if he didn't. Also using the opportunity, Ryoji decides to push his luck and tries asking the two girls out, but gets ignored by the first and ends up in a painful encounter with the other.
The next day, the boy calls the Female Protagonist on her cell phone, asking if she wants to go out. They meet up in Chagall Cafe in Paulownia Mall, talk about various things and get to know each other better. Among other things, Ryoji confesses that he would like the Female Protagonist, no matter if she were a boy or a girl. It also seems that Ryoji seems curious about relationships, as he comments and wonders about the couples around them. He also says that he gets the feeling he'll find out how he knows the Female Protagonist if they spend more time together, even though he sole thought makes him want to cry. They decide to meet on the school trip.
After arriving in the hotel in Kyoto, it turns out that Ryoji's never been there before and doesn't know much about anything regarding the place. When Junpei ask him where he's been to on his previous school trips, Ryoji claims that he doesn't really remember. Other than that, it seems that nothing has changed, as Yukari is still wary of him and advises the Female Protagonist to watch out with him, and Aigis still claims that he is "no good."
After the trip, Ryoji and the Female Protagonist meet up in Chagall Cafe again. It turns out that the boy has bought himself a souvenir during the trip - a ring - that was supposed to be a reminder of the fun times he's spent there. He hopes he can get more good memories as his life goes on, really fond of his new treasure. Muttering to himself, Ryoji is now positive that he's known the Female Protagonist before. And that he's known her for a very long time. He confusedly wonders if she's the one he's been waiting for all along, not a hint of playfulness in his voice. More than anything else, he seems distressed by the fact.
Days pass and the two meet up in the cafe again, where it turns out that Ryoji's been worried about Junpei who hasn't been himself lately. The boy learns from the Female Protagonist that their friend has lost someone precious to him. Saddened by the fact, he comments that people die and it's the natural order of things. He asks if it's cold of him to think that way.
On the 29th of November, Sunday, the two decide to go to the rooftop, when the school's closed. Ryoji confesses that he doesn't feel right when he's alone, and that he's scared when he's just by himself. For whatever reason, he feels uneasy about tomorrow, even though he can't figure out why. He tells the Female Protagonist that he doesn't want to lose her, and that she's the only one he wants.
On the 1st of December, Ryoji visits the Female Protagonist's room. And even though it's the first time he's there, the place feels more than familiar.
He knows that he did come to see her before. Probably to become friends with her. But then he figures that he got it all wrong. He thinks of Junpei and of Yukari as his friends, but he doesn't feel about them the same as he does about the Female Protagonist. He thinks that what they have is different than being friends.
He can't help but tell her that she has a too kind heart and shouldn't give so much of herself to him. Ryoji doesn't know why, but he has a feeling that he'll probably make her sad. He encourages her to touch him, to make sure that he exists, that he's actually there. When the Female Protagonist catches him by the hand, the warmth Ryoji can feel from the contact brings tears to his eyes, though the reason behind his feelings is still unknown. He asks her why is it like that - a question he knows he won't get an answer to yet - and tells her that it's painful deep inside.
Little words are exchanged as the Female Protagonist sees him off at the intersection after spending some more time with him. After saying their goodbyes, Ryoji makes his leave, probably still unaware what awaited him on midnight that day...
During the Dark Hour, Aigis finds Ryoji on the Moonlight Bridge. She asks what he's doing there, and also comments that he's adapted to the new anomaly far too well for a human. Ryoji says that when he came to, he was already there, and wonders why the scenery around them looks so much different from the one he remembered seeing. Aigis is the first to remember about Ryoji's true nature, and once she says it out loud, Ryoji's memories come back to him as well. It turns out that he's actually a Shadow, the anthropomorphic personification of Death, and thus the avatar of Nyx.
It also turns out that Ryoji and Aigis already had an encounter ten years back, at the exact same location. And while he was in an incomplete form back then, he was still too much for Aigis to handle. So in an act of desperation, Aigis had sealed him in side a human child that happened to be nearby. Ryoji had lived inside of that girl for ten whole years, unaware of who he was, gathering the experience she did during all that time, slowly learning how to be human himself.
After everything is revealed, Aigis proceeds to fulfil her role (since that's what she was created for, after all) and attacks Ryoji on the spot. The boy handles everything calmly, and tells Aigis not to be foolish, because she won't be able to defeat him like this. Aigis doesn't heed the warning, though, and Ryoji is forced to retort to self-defense. Aigis ends up heavily wounded. After the rest of the S.E.E.S. members catch upon Aigis' wherabouts and come running to the bridge, Ryoji apologizes to them and faints, falling to the ground. Awaking to his powers during the Dark Hour apparently had a bigger strain on his - now partially human - body more than anyone could have anticipated.
The next day, Ryoji reveals his true identity to the rest of the S.E.E.S. members, the Female Protagonist included. It turns out that Ryoji is the 'Appriser' of Nyx, and is destined to be the harbinger of Death. He wants none of it, though, and precisely because of the fact that he managed to attain a human form, along with human emotions, he feels nothing but guilt and misery for being destined to do this. But also because he's like this right now, he's able to give his friends a choice.
In essence, Ryoji is the same as Nyx and cannot be killed, but thanks to the Female Protagonist, there's also a part of him that's 'human' now - so he thinks that killing him might just work if death comes from her hands. Ryoji tells everyone that if they were to kill him, all memories of the Dark Hour would be erased, and they could live in peace as normal students until the day of The Fall, unaware of what awaited them. The coming of The Fall would also be slightly delayed if that happened. Otherwise, they would live the rest of their days in fear of what was about to come, leaving them with nothing but despair. He doesn't want them to suffer like that.
Ryoji leaves the S.E.E.S. members to think about it until the 31th of December - because that's the day after which he'll dissolve into the blackness of the Dark Hour and become intangible. He also tells them that they shouldn't worry about him, because he'll disappear with the coming of Nyx, anyway.
There's no word from him for practically a whole month after that.
He's back on the mentioned day, as promised, though, asking if they've made their decision. He gives everyone a moment more to come to terms with themselves, claiming that he'll wait in the Protagonist's room until they're ready. Before that, he also reassures them that he won't feel any pain by 'dying' and that the fact that they should kill him shouldn't influence their decision.
Once the two are alone in the room, Ryoji reminisces about the good times he and the Female Protagonist had together. He's sad that they have to meet in her room under circumstances like these. He's also worried that the S.E.E.S. members have decided to let him live, after all, so he's still using the opportunity to persuade the Protagonist to kill him, since - in the end - it is her decision alone. Ryoji even changes into his Thanatos form just to show her what kind of monster he is.
Fortunately or not, the Female Protagonist's resolve does not falter. And all Ryoji is left to do is accept and respect her decision.
Since it's probably the last time they speak like this, Ryoji thanks her, says his farewell to her, and apologizes to her. He says that he wishes that they had more time together, but he's definitely fond of the times they did get to share. And as a reminder, he leaves the ring - the one that he's gotten back in Kyoto - in the Female Protagonist's care. He claims that it's the proof that he was 'human,' for however short a time, and that everything would be easier to bear for him as long as she held onto it.
Still before leaving, Ryoji tells everyone where they'll be able to find Nyx on the destined day and how to confront Her. He also apologizes to Aigis for all the pain and suffereng he's put her through. The blond girl responds to that telling him that he was both her enemy and her friend, which he is really glad to hear. Ryoji claims that it's the last time they'll be able to see him like this, but that he'll be always watching over them.
His last words, 'best wishes in the coming year' might indicate that Ryoji hopes that the S.E.E.S. members will be able to stop Nyx somehow, as impossible as it seemed - and with one last smile thrown in everyone's direction, he leaves the dorm.
Personality:
If needed to describe Ryoji's personality in a few simple words, 'gentle', 'friendly' and 'kind' could work fairly well.
When we first meet him, Ryoji has no recolection of his past. And even though it feels a bit weird to him at times (especially when asked about things he should know, but somehow doesn't) he doesn't seem to dwell on it too much. He knows his name and that he's apparently seventeen years old, even though he doesn't recall anything from his chilhood or how he's gotten to the point where he is now. He also knows things any normal seventeen-year-old boy should probably know, but he has no idea where he even attained that kind of knowledge. Ryoji somehow labels it as normal and takes it for granted that he's a mere human being, just like everyone else.
Keeping that in mind, he's curious about people in general and the world around him. If something looks potentially fun, and full of new memories to attain, high chances are that he'll be all over it. 'Shy' isn't a word that fits to describe Ryoji's personality, as he rarely feels self-conscious. He's usually the one to come out to someone and introduce himself first, eager to get to know them. Because of his friendly character, he tends to get overly flirty when it comes to girls - and sometimes the whole forwardness might be taken the wrong way even with guys. He's convinced that if people enjoy and feel good in his company, they'll want to hang around him more. That's why he usually tries to say things he thinks people would like to hear and never hesitates to say a compliment out loud. He's also able to be playful at times, and pulling a harmless prank or two on someone is totally a go - especially if he has a partner in crime he can scheme with.
It's a stated fact that Ryoji feels bad whenever he's alone. He yearns for company in order not to feel lonely, and that's probably also the main reason behind his flirtatious acting. He thinks that surrounding himself with people is bound to make his loneliness go away, even though it probably doesn't really work like he imagined it would most of the time. Looking at this, being so open with people and showering them will all kinds of compliments might be somehwat of a means of winning people over. But despite all this, Ryoji's intentions are always sincere. One could say that he's simply fond of people.
He also yearns for physical contact, even though he never really acts upon the need, understanding that people have something called 'personal space.' Another person's touch is something that is able to prove that he is 'real;' that he does exist as who he is. It's one of the few things that actually make him feel alive.
The Female Protagonist is the first and only girl he actually wants to be more sincere with. During his meetings with her, Ryoji always gets overwhelmed by nostalgic feelings, but he does not understand where they come from and what do they mean. He simply knows that she's very precious to him, in whatever way that may be. He's both happy and unhappy about the fact that she trusts him, because despite his good will and intentions, he can't rid himself of the feeling that he'll make her sad in the end. He even goes as far as to say that his feelings for her feel like a kind of 'forbidden love.'
It's after he recovers his memories and realizes who he really is, is when the cheerful and outgoing attitude of his disappears almost completely. Ryoji becomes more detached and starts avoiding people on purpose, mainly because he's afraid of hurting anyone that might try to get involved with him in any way. He feels guilty with his sole existence and hates seeing people being sad, even though it's inevitable at times.
Having a connection with the Universe - or with Nyx, in particular - on an ethereal field, Ryoji has access to bits of knowledge humans normally don't. He seems to have a good understanding about things like life and death in general, but rarely talks about it unless brought up. Probably because it's usually far from a cheerful topic and he imagines his outlook on it all might seem cold to some. He believes that fate exists and cannot be changed, as cruel as it is.
Abilities:
After awakening to his powers, he's able to change into his Shadow form - and this one looks exactly like the Persona, Thanatos. As Thanatos, he is able to hover in the air, fight with a sword (inflicting heavy slash damage) and cast magic spells (Almighty damage, Fire damage). We never actually see him fighting in-game beside one point, when the Female Protagonist awakens to her powers for the first time. While berserk and really violent that one time, Ryoji's actually never hostile when he can control himself, and wouldn't retort to violence if really, really needed.
He's also able to blend in with the darkness, and disappear within it completely, just like he was able to do in his previous, Pharos form. This shows when the S.E.E.S. members try to run after him after one meeting, and he practically dissipates right before their eyes. This definitely makes traveling easier for him, as he's practically able to disappear in one place and appear in another - but that also has its flaws, as it's only able to happen at night, or at least whenever there is heavy shadow around, or lack of light in general. He loses his physical form then, but is still able to observe and talk with anyone around.
Being a Shadow, it's also highly probable that Ryoji doesn't need food to keep himself alive (but does eat things from time to time, because part of him did become human, after all, so at least he's able to enjoy it) nor does he need sleep. Not like any normal human needs to, at least. He might need to simply 'rest' from time to time in order to 'replenish' his energy, and that might as well happen whenever he's blended in with the darkness around him.
There's also the issue of the intensity of things Ryoji is actually able to feel. At one point, he does say that he won't feel any pain by 'dying,' though one could elaborate on that and wonder if he didn't simply say that to make others worry about him less, once it would come down to it. We never actually see him cry or blush, which might come from the fact that he's simply able to control his emotions fairly well, or simply doesn't feel things as intensely as any normal human should when faced with all kinds of ordeals.
Roleplay Sample - Log:
He said his goodbye, throwing everyone just one last glance - throwing her one last glance - before turning in the direction of the dorm's front entrance. All the while, the gentle smile on his face never faltered. Ryoji wanted them to remember him like this - all smiles and kindness and friendliness - and first and foremost, still human. He knew he was bound to change into something unrecognizable in moments to come.
If he were to be honest, the thought scared him a bit. How ironic was it that he ability to feel human emotions seemed like such a blessing at first, and now, when the end was so close, all he could do was curse it? He gave his friends a choice, because he couldn't make that kind of choice for himself. It didn't matter just how much he didn't want any of this to happen. From the moment he was born into this world, his fate had been set, and he had no place to argue, because the will of Nyx was absolute. A while back, he probably wouldn't even mind. Now, he did anything but.
He was scared. Scared that the change he was about to be forced to go through would malfuncion. Because he was different now, and what if sweet oblivion wouldn't overcome him completely? If he were to keep even a small part of his human subconciousness while becoming a monster that was going to slay his friends and eventually bring the destruction of the world... just imagining it terrified him. The pain would be unbearable.
So even if it was a selfish thing to wish for, he dearly hoped that the blackness of the Dark Hour would make all of it fade into nothingness, just like he told his friends it would.
Roleplay Sample - Journal:
[And then, the Dark Hour hits, and the environment before him stills and changes in a heartbeat - giving the city before him an eerie kind of glow, with streets tinted red and closed coffins all around. It's there, and he knows what is about to happen.
Then he starts to feel an odd sensation at the end of his fingers - a sensation that is kind of hard to describe - and it actually makes him wonder if it will hurt or not. The darkness was slowly starting to nibble at him, and soon, he was finding himself with his eyes closed.
He could swear that he's closed those for just a short moment, though.
And all of a sudden, the sensation is gone completely, and once his eyes are open again, there's no darkness around him. As there's no street he was just a second ago in the middle of, no blood on the streets, no moon on the sky--]
Huh?
[Ryoji takes a moment to look himself over. And he's not really as much confused about the change in environment, as he is in the fact that he still looks human - and still feels human - and--]
... I don't understand.
[He seems to be the same. He didn't change... But why? And... he looks around this time, also confused to find himself in such an unfamiliar-looking place. He's pretty sure this isn't what oblivion is supposed to look like.]
Where am I...? Is there anybody here?
This game includes horrible mental and physical torture of your character. After reading the rules/faq for clarification, how do you expect your character to handle this and continue to function?
Considering that Ryoji is Death himself, the topic is anything but unfamiliar to him, and very likely, the one thing he's actually not afraid of in the slightest. He wouldn't be indifferent to his friends' deaths or suffering, of course, but he'd most likely find that more sad than traumatizing. Taking Ryoji's overall views on life and its understanding, I believe it would be really hard to actually break him. I can definitely imagine him being the last sane person on board if something really big were to happen, while trying his best to keep everyone else's hopes up.
Ryoji might have a harder time dealing with physical torture, though, but the fact that anything he feels - good or bad - is definitely more subdued compared to a normal human's might help him with that one a whole deal.
Questions? Comments? Crazed and creative statements? Those go here.
!!! I am so excited to finally give this game a try~ <3