App > Nightgate > Rise

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OOC INFO
PLAYER NAME Kia
JOURNAL starswing
AIM offered wing

IC INFO
CHARACTER NAME Rise Kujikawa
FANDOM Persona 4
CANON POINT Post-true ending, Lovers S.Link maxed- Friend Route

HISTORY

Rise-- originally a shy girl who was bullied-- wasn't born into stardom so much as she was thrust into it by a relative who (without her knowing) submitted an application to a company holding a search for the next big idol. In what seemed to be a fairy-tale twist, Rise won, and was asked to join the big, wide world of glamorous showbiz. Although hesitant to do so, she thought she'd be able to make friends if she was famous and wanted to change, and she agreed to the offer. In no time at all, she had made her debut as "Risette", a cheerful and perky pop idol and actress, and earned herself a fan following. But all of the fame and attention and the audience's captivation with her idol self was exhausting and disheartening, and Rise didn't enjoy playing this fabricated role where no one knew (or even wanted to know) the real her. So she withdrew from the business, claiming stress-induced illness, and returned to Inaba to help her grandmother run the tofu shop, as well as go to high school like a normal girl. Unfortunately, she couldn't escape fame, and people kept stopping for a glimpse of her or wanting to be her friend just because she was Risette.

Then one day, a few boys showed up at the store-- not only to buy tofu, but to provide her with a warning about the Midnight Channel, as they saw her appear on it, meaning she was a potential victim. Rise, as it turned out, had actually seen herself on it, but denied the idea that it was her, saying that her breasts weren't that big. There was a temporary scare with someone assumed to be the killer, but it turned out he was just trying to get photos. Unfortunately, by the time Souji, Yosuke, and Kanji realized this, Rise had already been kidnapped and thrown into the TV. From there, she was trapped in a dungeon that was more than reminiscent of a strip club (complete with head-pounding music, hearts on the curtains, and stripper poles) and taunted by a very provocative yellow-eyed bikini-wearing version of herself-- the Shadow of her suppressed negative feelings. When the Investigation Team showed up to rescue her, the Shadow transformed into a giant satellite-faced rainbow stripper and caused a lot of problems when it proved itself capable of predicting the team's weaknesses and exploiting them. Teddie came to the rescue and Rise finally admitted that she wasn't happy with people liking her just for her idol self, and that there was no such thing as the "real" her. This not only granted her the Persona Himiko but additionally led to Teddie suffering an identity crisis, his Shadow awakening, and more trouble. Just when things promised to be bad without their usual support by their furry friend, a fatigued Rise nonetheless volunteered to take up that responsibility, and joined the fight for the first time as the team's scanning support. Rise officially joined the team after that, replacing Teddie, who then joined the others as a fighter.

After that, the body of Morooka showed up and the police's suspect, a high-school boy named Mitsuo Kubo, appeared on the Midnight Channel to challenge anyone who would want him brought to justice. The gang headed in again, fought his Shadow, and dragged him back. But Naoto Shirogane, young and brilliant detective, wasn't convinced the case was closed and showed up on the news to bait the killer. Sure enough, Naoto became the next victim, and the group rescued and welcomed her as a Persona-user once she faced her Shadow. Thus proving that the killer was still at large, the group couldn't rest easy just yet-- and this was devastatingly true when Nanako, Souji's adorable cousin, was kidnapped and taken into the TV. Chasing after her, they confronted Taro Namatame, the true kidnapping culprit, and took on his Shadow. Once out of the TV, both Namatame and Nanako were rushed to the hospital, where Nanako later died as a result of too much time spent in the other world. Shocked and upset, the group stumbled across Namatame apparently trying to escape from his room. Yosuke became furious and wanted to throw Namatame into the television, as retribution for Nanako and two lives claimed earlier; while Kanji agreed with him, Rise and the other girls were horrified by the thought, and Souji managed to effectively talk Yosuke out of it under the idea that they were missing something important. Further talking after that night (and after Nanako revives!!) revealed that Namatame wasn't the killer-- he'd been led to believe that throwing people into the TV would be saving them from the killer and, seeing that Yukiko, Kanji, Rise, and Naoto were all safe and sound after being tossed in, hadn't realized that it was the opposite and that they'd all been in serious danger.

Thinking and deduction while the fog increases in Inaba made Souji realize that the real (really this time) culprit was Adachi, his uncle's detective partner, and this led to another chase inside the television. Adachi admitted that he'd been the one to push the first two victims in and then manipulated Namatame to do the rest while he sat back and watched-- for the sake of amusement and entertainment. This eventually ended in a beatdown and Adachi confessing to the crimes, and everything going back to normal.

Until three months later, when Souji was about to leave Inaba and return to the city. He received a letter from Adachi that hinted that the case wasn't over yet and prompted more investigation. The FINAL puppet master behind it all was...

... A gas station attendant, or the goddess Izanami in disguise. When the team pursued her into the television and fought through her dungeon, the final battle was at hand. Halfway through, she revealed her true form as grotesque, giant, and rotting, and lashed out at Souji. One by one, his teammates took the blow for him and were pulled into darkness, and Rise was forced to watch when Souji himself was dragged down. But, through the strength and support of his friends, Souji made a comeback and dealt the final blow to Izanami and THEN the world was saved. The fog disappeared and the TV world became pristine and beautiful. Souji then boarded the train for home while his friends reaffirmed their bonds and vowed they'd always be close.

PERSONALITY

Just what you'd expect from an idol, Rise is energetic, optimistic, and bubbling over with friendliness and affection. She's also... kind of shameless and a flirt, although she doesn't overdo it by any means. There aren't a whole lot of topics that can embarrass her, and she's usually the one to bring up those topics in the first place, never minding how awkward it makes everybody else around her. She can be nosy and highly inquisitive, and okay sometimes her hyper and chipper attitude can get a little too much for some people, and okay sure, she'll get uncomfortable when viewed only as Risette, and she's prone to dramatic tears and the occasional angry outburst, but Rise isn't a ditz. She can smile and pose, but she knows when to be serious and focused, and she's intelligent, reliable and supportive, devoted to contributing to the fight as much as she can and supplying the team with the information they need to take on their battles. She definitely has her thoughtful moments, and sometimes second-guesses herself about... well, herself, and what she really wants, but she always solidifies her resolve in the end-- in this case, she decides to return to showbiz in the spring, determined to show the audience all of the other aspects of her personality, and not just the ditzy part that's Risette.

According to her grandmother, she's like tofu: "looks weak and fragile, but it's actually pretty resilient. Even though it stands out because it's not like any other food, it can be mixed in with any recipe or flavor." And it's true; while appearing to be frail, Rise has a very strong will and insists on doing everything in her power to help her friends. This is seen when she helps analyze and provides support no less than ten seconds after facing her Shadow, even though she's been weakened by her time spent in her dungeon. She can stand out in a crowd, but she can also blend in just as well, and her acting abilities are mentioned several times. She's very good at adapting.

In short, Rise's determined to do her best, but she wants to have fun doing it.

SAMPLES

Geez... I know I said I was going back to the city to get back to work, but this isn't what I meant. Getting kidnapped once is mooore than enough, you know! But the Rise now definitely isn't the Rise from back then, so if you think you're gonna get away with it, think again--! ... Whoever you are.

Waiiit a second, maybe that funky dream wasn't just because of some bad tofu or something. I really wish I could have dreamed about Senpai, though, instead of that old pointy-nosed guy. There's something... weird about this place. Besides the fact that I just woke up here, it's just a feeling I'm getting. And if I'm here, what about Grandma? She's going to get worried, I just know it... but I'm not gonna get anywhere if I don't figure some things out first.

If that's the case, I shouldn't be doing this alone! Hellooooo, anyone out there! If anyone's seen a really cool and mature and handsome guy, or a-- I need someone who'd really stand out-- guy who looks a lot like a punk, but he's actually a big softie, oooor a bear? You'll know him when you see him, he's pretty obvious. Oh, and a short-haired girl who has a great kick, but you might not know that unless you hit on her, or a black-haired girl who's all about elegance until she laughs, or a-- well, she looks like a miniature detective and talks like she's thirty, so she's hard to miss too. And a guy with headphones. If you could let them know that their cute friend is looking for them, it'd be a huge help. And I'll even throw in an autograph from Risette if you're super helpful. ♥

Just wait, guys! I'll find all of you and do my best to get to the bottom of this!