(no subject)

[godsoffortune]

TEST DRIVE # 07



Whether you're trying to figure out how your character would fare in this setting, trying to get some samples together, or just dipping your toes in the water, you've come to the right place! The Test Drive is here to make your life easy by letting you see what the game is like without actually joining it first. So here is how it works:

1: Post a starter with your character, including whether they are a god or shinki in the subject line.
2: Act like your character is established enough in the setting to allow your thread to go places.
3: Take on any god/shinki of your choosing, as long as they're not already in the game!
4: Comment around to the other people on the meme.
5: Have lots of fun!

To get you started, here are some ideas for thread-starters! Feel free to come up with your own ideas if these don't strike your fancy, though.



Echoing Endlessly

Many people in the area are complaining about a strange echo following them around. It never seems to go away and, in fact, collects more and more echoes with each passing moment, creating a cacophony of sound. There have been reports of a few people slowly going crazy because of this echoing. It's your job to find what's causing it and put an end to the echoes!

French Frenzy

The new craze has swept over the city! Everything French is so in right now, and everyone wants something newer and Frenchier to make them stand out from the crowd. Just your luck, you happen to have something very French you can peddle - or maybe you can convince someone just how French your very Japanese things are!

Gateway Guardians

A very strange old shinki has left you with a very simple request: guard this door and don't let anyone through. It looks like a totally normal door on a totally normal house! You might be curious to peek through it, but it's locked and you were told not to go through yourself either...

Helping Hands

There's an ayakashi roaming around that is literally just hundreds of hands that randomly grab people and things and move them around before disappearing. The odd thing is that they are... actually doing good things? Maybe it's a scheme to suck people into a plagued afterlife without being caught, or maybe they just really want to help people out.

Irksome Illusions

There's a certain street in the downtown area that has some of the craziest rumors being spread about it. Apparently going down this street will just bring you back to the entrance, but when you turn around to head back you'll only find yourself at the entrance again. Moreover, there are a lot of creepy things that whisper and appear as you walk, more with each turn you make...



If you're uncertain about anything, feel free to check out the Premise, Rules, and FAQ posts. And don't hesitate to ask any questions you might have on the FAQ!
When and if you're ready to join the game, check out the Taken Characters before throwing in a Reserve and starting on your Application
Have fun!

Comments

Kageyama "Mob" Shigeo | Mob Psycho 100 | God

[shigeo]

Echoing Endlessly [Mob has taken up these odd tasks with some ease, since they're reminiscent of his job as an exorcist... it's the first time he's running the show, though, so he's taking his Shinki with him to investigate. Apparently it has less to do with strange spirits or psychics in this strange place, or at least the entities responsible aren't vulnerable to psychic energies according to the people that've filled him in. But that doesn't mean he's just going to send his "Shinki" in alone. He'll go along, concerned for their wellbeing as well, even if he's a bit awkward at expressing it. The sound is irritating as they get closer to the source, but he doesn't back down.]

French Frenzy [Poor Mob hasn't gotten anything French to sell, but there sure are people trying to sell it to him. He awkwardly has been trying to reject pushy salesmen all day, but he's such a doormat... by the time a woman approaches him and starts using crocodile tears, he's broken down.] Oh no, I'm sorry... please don't cry... hang on, maybe I have some money... [He's just forlornly looking through his coin purse...]

Gateway Guardians [He's not able to affect a lot of things with his psychic powers for his job as a God, since the Ayakashi aren't able to be destroyed by them, but that doesn't mean he can't use that power on other Gods and Shinki. He abhors using them against people, but he's been asked to perform this job, so here he is...] I can't let you in.

Irksome Illusions [Wandering around a corner and running face-to-face with a 14-year-old in a black gakuran is probably not helpful to the spooky atmosphere. But despite his tense body language, he calms down briefly when he sees who's bumped into him.] Oh. Sorry. You don't seem like a ghost.

Echoes

[lighttheway]

[ The god's shinki is a HUGE huge man. He seems to be rather content to follow the god's lead in this. It's easy for him. He was a soldier in his previous life. And while those echoes vaguely remind him of things he's glad he's forgotten about, he will push forward with his God, that strange lantern sitting at his side, closed for the moment. ]

It sounds like we're getting closer to it. Do you want me to go in first?

[ He makes an excellent meatshield ]

Princess Daisy | Super Mario | God (Terpsichore)

[howdoesyourgardengrow]

French Frenzy

You know, luckily that Peach totally taught me how to make these!

[Finding a spare kitchen was the hardest part of all. But she found it, with the help of some of the friends she's made, she grins, putting the macarons together.]

Everyone wants these delicious french cookies! And weren't they super fun to make?

[Pushing them together and putting them on a serving platter, Daisy jumps into a cool one legged pose.]

Aww, yeah! We should bake something else while we're all pumped up! Who wants to help me make a cake?

[sweetdeath]

Those look amazing! Hey, don't mind if I do--!

[He'll just be snagging one of those macarons and savoring a really huge bite.

And his mouth's still full when he keeps talking.]

You said you wanted help with a cake?

Souma Kanazaki | Ensemble Stars! | Shinki

[kendont]

Francais?

Ah, excuse me! Pardon the interruption, but I have something very important to share!

[The polite voice comes from a man wearing some sort of convenience store apron. With his left hand, Souma offers forward a small kappa doll. It's very Japanese, handcrafted and beautiful, but that doesn't seem to be the point he's trying to make here.] This item has been specially delivered from France! For a special price, it could be yours... Eh? Why is it being refused without even a second glance?

[His emotions get to be a bit too much, and all of a sudden, he's whipping out his katana with his right hand and swinging it around. The stranger he'd just tried to sell this kappa doll too is now too horrified to stick around, running off and screaming about the madman with a katana. It's creating such a scene that other people are beginning to see him, as well.

Still waving his sword, he shouts:]

Please wait! It is very important that I sell this item! Why is everyone fleeing?!

Guarding!

[That door is very curious, isn't it? Initially, Souma had thought so as well, but as soon as he had approached it, he was instructed to guard it. The old shinki had such an air of authority to him that he wouldn't dare question it, so now he stood with his katana at the door.

Unfortunately, that means that anyone who gets even a little too close is met with a sword pointed at their face.]

Halt! I realize that it is extremely rude for me to so suddenly point my weapon, but seeing that it is now my job to protect this door, I cannot allow anyone to pass! [He looks very firm about this. Maybe a little too firm...] Does your hesitation to leave mean that my motivations are being questioned?

To be honest, I am not certain what lies behind this door. A kind elder requested my assistance, and with my honor on the line, I can do nothing but obey!

Lil French things?

[twiceinhabited]

[Amane's from the store over, trying to peddle her own fares (and probably stealing Souma's customers?), which are anything with flower decorations. Her own headband and vessel form being the sole inspiration for this.

But then, she saw the commotion and stopped in alarm. She quickly runs over and stop at a safe distance. That's probably not a real sword (... she thinks), but it probably can still hurt someone.]

Everyone's fleeing because you're being loud and waving the sword around. Please, quiet down and lower the sword.

Equius Zahhak | Homestuck | Shinki

[mechafillya]

Gateway Gaurdians
[Stand in front of a doorway and make sure no one gets through? Equius was HATCHED to do this job. He stands mightily in front of this very normal looking door, his feet shoulder width apart and arms folded over his chest, staring impassively, disapprovingly, at anyone who might DARE look too closely him and this door.]

[When you (you!) approach to investigate, he stands up even straighter, holding one hand up imperiously] Absolutely not.

Irksome Illusions
[It didn't take Equius long to realize that he was caught in a loop, and since then, he stopped walking. Instead, he found a nice, quiet shadow to loom in, and watched as other people came down the street, getting stuck in the loop with him. The fourth time you unknowingly walked past him, he speaks up, moving only a little more into the light]

It's better if you stop. The voices only get worse the more you keep going.

Gateway Guardians

[revolutionfalcon]

[Unluckily, the old shinki has apparently been asking for help from more than one passing party, and Shun was just coming to check out what the hell was so important about this door when the hand comes up.

The disapproving look is matched by a subtly derisive one from Shun, the kind that asks how this guy expects to stop him if he does want to, but he keeps his tone a typical level of detached in his response. As he speaks, he looks the shinki up and down with a swift, piercing glare.]

What makes you think I was trying to get through the door? You're not the only person that old shinki talked to.

Lloyd Irving / Tales of Symphonia / Shinki

[easilytrusts]

【GATEWAY GUARDIANS】

[Lloyd figures if he could remember anything before coming here, that he's probably done harder things in his life before now. Hell, even since arriving and doing this whole shinki thing he's had some pretty difficult tasks to handle and probably a lot more ahead of him.

But this is just the worst.]

Man, how long does he want me to wait around?

[It has to have been an hour now. Maybe two. Lloyd had been more than happy to help the old guy out and everything, but he realizes now that he should have at least asked gramps exactly when he would return. So here Lloyd is, leaning against the door he swore to protect, looking about as bored as a person could get. It had been kind of fun at first, coming up with cool things to say to deny people entry, or trying to guess at what's in the house since Lloyd isn't even allowed to go in himself - but at this point, he's kind of run out of ideas.

He gently knocks his head against the door, drowsily looking skyward and grumbling.]

What's so important about this dumb house anyway?

hi breathes on

[razzledazzles]

That's what I'd like to find out.

[Well, Jae-Ha has been watching this guy turn away people left and right. It's entertaining, to say the least, but now he's just curious. What's in there? It's got something about it that tells him he should find out... And that shinki is awfully mysterious, isn't he?

So here he is, down from the tree he was perched in and now standing directly behind Lloyd. He claps a hand down on one of his shoulders in a friendly way.]

Excuse me! If you don't mind, I'd like to go inside.

hazel grouse | saiyuki | god

[churchbelle]

faux french

[French things being in sure is... a unique trend. Playing the snake oil salesman isn't new to Hazel, as such, although usually it's on his own terms and very much not about peddling wares, as it were. This time, someone's handed him a half sheet of paper with a short script on it and told him to improvise.

So while he's reading that, mostly to himself...] Bonjour, y'all... I do declare, this lil sham ain't likely to see much success.

[Just before he loses this wannabe French-products-peddler's attention, though, he gets a pat on the shoulder and an instruction to tell the people about that lovely French hat he's wearing. The literal cowboy hat. It might as well have DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS written across its front, for how much it's obviously a cowboy hat—

And Hazel can't believe what he's hearing.]

Ya can't pick the least French thing about me and have me passin' it off as the genuine article— Are ya listenin' still, sir? No?

[No. The answer is no. ...After a minute, holding up the little script he was given to work off of,] I'm sellin' these fine French advertisin' guides, if y'all are interested...

illusions

[He's been going down the same street for ten minutes now. Or rather, he's gone down the same street maybe four times - first a coincidence, second suspicious, third to be sure and fourth... a mistake.

He's had better ideas. That didn't take ten minutes, but he's been here for the rest of that time just leaning against the side of a building on this mysterious street, arms folded, unimpressed. So maybe he can't figure out how to leave, whatever, he's not going to come out and admit that—!]

Afternoon, [he'll say, to any other fool who's stuck in this crappy street.] You come down here huntin' for mysteries? Bit anticlimactic, ain't it?

illusions

[razzledazzles]

It's almost like we're stuck.

[A stranger talking to him is a welcome invitation, after the brief irritation at being bought back to the beginning of this street again and again. There's new writing on the walls that hadn't been there before, he's sure of it— but still, he says "almost" stuck. An illusion can't keep him here forever!

And he's rather certain it can't extend upwards forever, too. Anyway, he finally looks over at Hazel instead of up at the sky with his pondering— hello.]

...It would be a shame if our pretty faces were lost here forever. Why don't we find the source of this together, then?

Keith | Voltron | Shinki

[temperedwill]

[French Frenzy]

[Good thing I am currently in France and have all the French things. Keith was watching the strange fad sweep through people. He's never been the type to follow fads and he can be pretty far removed from what's in the in. Witnessing people going bonkers over something foreign like this was honestly kind of...scary? Weird?]

What even constitutes as French? Why should I care about wanting to buy this?

[Not with the program. This one.]

[Gateway Guardians]

[This was something he can do with ease. It was boring and he often found himself doing things here and there to past time, but he knew to be vigilant. Sometimes he would pace or do an exercise or two. Most of the time he stood in front of the door. His curiosity of what was behind the door wasn't enough to make him consider trying to look in thankfully.

He holds his hand out.]

Do you have business to be here? [He looks ready to fight if he has to.] I can't let anyone through here, so beat it already.

[Irksome Illusions]

[This was really messing with his head. The whispers mostly. He could get over the things that appear because at least he can visually see them. The whispers sit in the back of his mind and claw at it and he can't help but feel slight irritation and anxiousness to well up in his chest.]

Okay, what the hell.

[He leans against one of the walls. After being at the entrance three or four times, he's trying to decide his options. Being stuck in a loop was figured out by the third time. The fourth was earnestly to make sure anyways.

The most frustrating part was that he came to investigate due to rumors and now he doesn't actually know what to do with the situation.]

There's got to be a way to stop this.

Irksome Illusions

[shigeo]

It's probably the work of an evil spirit.

[Hopefully you weren't too startled by the sudden introduction of a soft voice by a strange 14-year-old wandering out of one of the dark alleys. He's in a school uniform and doesn't look particularly threatening, at least...]

If it is, then we just need to exorcise it.

Keito Hasumi | Ensemble Stars! | god

[lecturehall]

ECHOES ARE REALLY JUST BAD ACOUSTICS

[Honestly, why had he come here? Everyone makes simple mistakes, sure, but who would have thought that just walking around would attract so many voices?! He was hardly even scouting! It was just a walk so why was he stuck power-walking away from a cavalry of disjointed voices, hugging himself?

It's downright shameful and, after a point, it becomes too shameful to bear. He's a "god" here isn't he? And more importantly he's Keito Hasumi, a man who has built an empire from nothing. There had to be something he could do, even without his shinki readily at hand. The myriad of voices croon louder as he pivots and shouts the first thing that comes to mind.]

I-It's not that hard to harmonize!

"""""""""HELPING""""""""" HANDS

[Helping shmelping! Just because something might look like it needs to be rearranged doesn't mean it does! While Keito can tolerate some minor adjustments to his organizational systems, trying to file away the paperwork he's currently working on is too much!

Particularly when he's had to deal with it for the past ten minutes.]

Enough is enough! Undoubtedly your "help" would be beneficial to some incompetent slob who lives his life in disarray but that person is not me and that place is not here. [He's not really talking to anyone in particular, just scanning his surroundings for where the hands might be.] If you would like recommendations on where to go, I'd happily provide them but—[As he lectures the air one of the papers he'd just been writing on starts to float away. Keito scrambles for a nearby paperweight.]—O-oh no you don't!

[And he throws the paperweight. Except the ayakashi isn't really as solid as he was hoping. The paper gets hit as well as... well. Anyone who happened to be walking by.

Damn. A guy should really apologize for something like that, huh? Nah. Keito's just rushing into the middle of the room and looking for the stupid meddler.] Hey! Hurry and bring that here. I need to catch it while it's out and about!

echo echo echo

[kendont]

H-hasumi-dono!

[Along with the echoes of a new voice come panicked footsteps from behind Keito. Maybe some of those echoes had been Souma's quiet voice all along— but it doesn't matter, because now he's caught up. He looks very troubled, his eyes teary and his sword out.

As for why he was here? Well, he certainly hadn't told Keito he would be.]

Hasumi-dono! These streets echo like the depths of a great canyon! Just one word was enough to set them off, and since then, I've been trying to outrun them. There's no escaping it! Even these words are becoming too much—! Uuuu...

[Help him... He's swinging his sword so much that mortals are going to notice.]

leo tsukinaga | ensemble stars! | shinki

[ucchu]

1- some casual vandalism

[He was supposed to be helping out with a little advertising, but giving Leo a task and keeping him on task are very, very different things. Case in point: he managed to write one line on the posterboard he'd been handed before inspiration struck, and now he's feverishly scrawling lines of music onto a wall after covering the posterboard front and back with his latest composition. People standing too close to the wall are likely to end up with notes drawn on them, but he doesn't seem to notice (or maybe just doesn't care); he just bounces right along, singing happily to himself as he works.

Getting in his way (or just trying to get his attention at all, really) will stop him for a second, though, long enough to make a few quick shooing motions at the offender.]

Move, move...! I'm still working, so let me finish before it's all lost!

2- irksome illusions

...huh? Which way was I going again..? Where is this, anyway?

[Leo frowns up at the closest wall, staring at it for a few moments like that'll answer everything-- it's definitely familiar, he's sure he's been here before, but getting himself stuck on this weird street is really throwing him off. He was supposed to head this way... he thinks. Maybe. Look, most days it's hard enough to get him to remember who his god is, you can't expect him to pay attention to directions.

At least he's not the only one here- ah, but then again, they might just ruin it for him.]

It's familiar, but-- no, no, don't tell me! I'll definitely think of it. [But there goes one of those creepy whispers, right on cue, and he quickly throws his hands up to cover his ears before he can hear what it says.] Aah, I said don't tell me! Weren't you listening?!

1

[chaoticdrifting]

Hey, you just spoiled the shot!

[Tsukasa stumbled as he was pushed out of the way, the shutter on his camera clicking and no doubt making a mess. Not that he had any expectations that this one would turn out any better then the others he had taken, but he was trying. As it was, he had been getting less disappointed that his camera skills seem to just either be lacking, or there was something that just distorted the film to create the weird images that it produced.

Maybe it was the whole thing about being dead? Not that he really worried about that. For some reason, he felt almost relieved when he was told he was dead. Well, outside of the nagging feeling that he left something really important behind in the process.]

Maybe I should try it again...

[He raised his magenta camera again, adjusting the lens on it one more time.] Just one more shot... can you hold still please?

Ushiromiya Ange | Umineko No Naku Koro Ni | God

[counterfactual]

Gateway Guardians

[ Ange could not care less about whatever lies beyond the door. The only reason she took the request was because she couldn't find a good reason to say no, especially when the shinki had asked her so nicely. She thought it would only be an hour or two at most, but she's been here for almost three hours now and with no end to this in sight.

She lets out an exasperated sigh before turning to face the door and knocking on it, not very gently. ]

Helloooo? Listen, I don't know why I'm needed here in the first place, nobody has tried to—

[ She abruptly cuts herself off when she sees somebody approaching. If they're here to try and get through, she'll do her best to stop them, but if they aren't... well, then they'll be volunteered to take over guarding duties for her. ]

--

Irksome Illusions

[ If this is somebody's idea of a prank, their sense of humor must be really terrible. Ange is less than impressed with the creepy whispering and random apparitions. It was startling the first couple of times, but after wandering through this street for a while, trying to make sense of it, she's starting to find them annoying.

The moment she spots somebody who seems to be more than a ghost she hurries up to them, two heads are better than one and all. ]

Hey, do you have any idea what's going on here?

--

CYOA!

Gateway Guardians

[myninjaway]

[ Your own shinki is probably not the person you were expecting, but you'll have to make do! ]

Hey, Ange! I was looking for you!

[ He's carrying two instant ramen soups and two pairs of chopsticks. When he sees her, he hurries over. Carefully. He's apparently experienced at this instant ramen thing?! ]

Someone told me you're doing them a favor, and they asked me to bring you this in case you're hungry! [ He hands her one of those soups. It's still warm, by the way. ]

Pearl | Steven Universe | God

[roseknight]

Wow so french

[Pearl does not peddle. But she is pretty intrigued by the amount of French wares that are supposed to be showing up lately. It might be nice to just look. She did like a lot of the elegance classic France had to offer, so she's just going to peek.

But it's sure disappointing to wander onto things that are not nearly as French as they claim to be. She may or may not be scolding a setup she's wandered upon of very cheap imitations.]

It isn't very honest to be saying any of this is French. Some of these even have labels that say they were made in Japan--

Illusions

[She's curious about illusions like this. To be so widespread it would have to come from something pretty powerful. Which meant it would be something that had to be dealt with.

The whispers were throwing her off, now hat she was actually here. And that has her maybe a little more on her guard than she should be because the closest tangible noise is causing her to spin around, spear already drawn--

and it's just another god or shinki.]

Oh. It's just you.

Wow such French very baguette

[mybadhabit]

What is French, anyway? [Sonic scowls down at the beret in his hands, turning it over as he tries to figure out what makes the hat "French" and just not regular fashion.] We don't have French where I'm from, just Japan. Is it a style?

[He'd be okay with it being a style. he kind of likes the black and white striped shirts that are everywhere]

Randel Oland | Pumpkin Scissors | Shinki

[lighttheway]

Endless Echo
It's probably a very good thing he can't remember anything of his life before this. If he could, the echos would have probably had him on the floor, holding his head, eyes shut tight until it went away. Until he could open his eyes and not see the bloody hands coming from the floor or hear the endless chant of "Toten Sie" that was his dreaming and sometimes waking world.

As it was, the huge man just stopped for a moment, looking around. He put his hand to his ear to strain to hear it. "It sounds like it's coming from over there..."

French Frenzy
Randel stands there with a massive bag of french bread. There is a sign in front of him that says "For the Love of God, take some." He has been trying to sell them all day. There's just one huge problem. That problem. Randel himself. The man is well over 7 foot tall and covered head to toe in gruesome scars. It doesn't matter that he's really a big softy. He looks intimidating as hell. It doesn't mean he's not trying.

"Um...you there. You want some bread?"

Gateway guardians
Sometimes, Randel is a gentle giant, kind and warm. He takes care of stray kittens and only eats asparagus salads. He's committed to helping those in need and making the world a better place. Right now, he is not that man.

Right now, he is Gespenst Jäger. At his belt sits a small lantern. It bathes the area in an eerie blue light. Those gentle eyes of his has changed into something dark and distant and fearsome. He had been told to guard the door. He will. He is a soldier and he will follow orders. Nothing will get past him and if they try, they'll learn what it means to go up against a man whom, while he had been human, literally walked up to tanks without fear.

When someone approaches, his voice is gritty and cold, like shattering glass. "Stay away." From the door or from him. It's hard to tell at this point.

hon hon baguette

[howdoesyourgardengrow]

"Sure!"

Daisy totally walks up to him in her orange leotard, digging for her wallet. She pulls it out and digs out some money.

"Here you go! Did you make it yourself?"

She loves baking since her best friend taught her how. Peach was still on her mind even here and she's so excited to maybe see her on her adventures.

Ionasal.kkll.Preciel | Ar Nosurge | Shinki

[lighthousekeeper]

French Maid:
Aah...umm...! [One of her first days of actual work outside of training and she just had to placed outside for advertising. It's a bother, but the pay is good, the outfits are cute, and her coworkers are nice enough. She would be having a hard time approaching shoppers and catching their attention at all if not for the fact that her French maid outfit draws people's gaze.]

Excuse me, b-but Cafe de Como's theme today is "French Villa". I hope you can join us... [Feel free to have a flyer thrust in your direction or shoo off any creeps who might be bothering her.]

Helping Hands
[The ayakashi is probably easiest to attack when it's busying itself with moving things around. It may look weird, and it had stung when it tried to grab her, but it's Ion. This girl is way too forgiving, and she's become vaguely endeared to the collection of hands. After all, it helped her with sorting some parts and scrap metal she salvaged from a toaster that had been thrown out.

Now it's taking longer this time with sorting out some garbage, but if you go in for an attack, Ion's quick to jump in the way with her arms spread out to shield it.]

Stop it! It hasn't done anything wrong!

Wildcard: Throw any prompt at me.

French Maid

[oathkeeper]

[Luckily for Ion, Sora was working today as well but he's a bit late getting there. He slides to a stop beside her and snatches the flyer she had in her hand and grins at her.]

Remember, you gotta speak loudly and with confidence! Then we'll get all the customers!

[He's wearing a butler outfit to match the theme, not nearly as super cute as her maid outfit not by far, but hey- together they cover both sides of the spectrum. Who could resist the fresh smile of a young man in a suit?]

Hey there! Welcome to Cafe de Como! Come try out our new drinks today you'll love it! Today's theme is "French Villa"!

Sameen Shaw | Person of Interest | God

[indigo5a]

Gateway

[ The war between the gods must still be raging, somewhere. A mostly one-sided war, and Shaw had been on the losing end. The agents of Samaritan had them pinned. They needed to get out, but not everyone was going to make it. Why she stepped in there to be the martyr, she doesn't know. But she did it, and they got away. The last thing Shaw remembers is the hail of bullets coming her way as the escape doors slammed shut on Root and the others.

Go on, then. Don't look at me that way.

It's funny how she never expected anyone to miss her when she was gone.

Now, she's not so sure what gone really means. Nor does she really think about 'god' in the same sense, given the fact that she now is one. Or so they say. But she knows it's bullshit. Because unlike the gods she remembers, Shaw does not possess the ability to know everything. The eyes are in the sky, in your computer, in the streets, in your phone. And they all connect to a consciousness that Finch and Claypool created.

She is no god, and neither are the ones who sent her here. Still, there is no harm in playing along. Until such a time she can figure out what to do next.

Meanwhile, she sits there with a gun in her hand, guarding a door. What's behind it, she doesn't know and doesn't care. But if they want her to guard it, then sure. Why the hell not. If someone wants in, she gets to shoot her gun. Win/win. ]


Wildcard

[ ooc: Come at me! :) ]

Gateway

[lighttheway]

[ He'd seen her sitting there for a while now. He knows a soldier when he sees one. Or at least he thinks she is. Mostly because he was too. Or, he vaguely remembers being one. He's blissfully unaware of the absolute horrors he had gone through. It helps a lot, honestly. It makes him much warmer and more open.

It is what makes him walk up to her where she sits. This huge, lumbering man with more scars than common scene. He gives her a shy little smile and digs around in the huge pockets of his tattered green fatigues. ]

Here... I know guard duty is hungry work.

[ It's a can of sardines and what's probably spam. Hard to tell. The tin is dented and the label is gone, but it looks like it came from some really old military rations. ]

Kenji Miyazawa | Bungou Stray Dogs | Shinki

[undefeated_by_the_rain]

Gateway Guardian

[Kenji is happy to do a favor for the old shinki. Young people should help out their elders whenever they can, right? So he's sitting on the steps of the house, patiently waiting. He'll happily chat with whoever comes by, but the second anyone gets too close to the door he steps in front of it.]

Ah, sorry. You're not allowed in.

Irksome Illusions

[Kenji is trying his luck at solving the mystery of this strange little street. Walking in one direction takes him back to the entrance, just like they said. The opposite direction gets the same result. He scratches his head, puzzled. But then he brightens right up as he spots someone coming his way.]

Good timing! Can you help me out with something?

Illusions

[doestheickyjobs]

Maybe! You're going to have to give me more details than "something."

[It's the first time Axel's been down this street, because he's not even here to solve a mystery. He's just here picking up some lunch before his shift. Or that was the plan, anyway, before some kid stopped him.]

Harklight | Aldnoah.Zero | shinki

[chuugi]

Gateway Guardians

[ Harklight was good with handling requests. He just had this natural predisposition towards taking orders and following through with them. Even if he himself didn't understand the basis for it, he was glad to be of service to the old shinki that tasked him with this job. His stoic face and otherwise calm demeanor towards anyone who might try to venture towards the doors will remain steadfast. ]

I'm sorry but this door is not to be opened by anyone.

[ Not on his watch!! ]

Irksome Illusions

[ Well this is embarrassing. He's gone and got lost from his god while trying to return home?! Harklight doesn't know what's happening but this is definitely ayakashi behavior. If he runs into anyone else he'll give a brief nod. ]

You're stuck in here too, then? I guess we have no choice but to try to find the source of what's causing this or make an attempt to find a way out.

gateway guardians

[galactically]

[All it takes for Sheryl to make a quick assessment of Harklight as she places her hands on her hips is one long, lingering glance at him. Whoever this man is, his image screams "security guard" all over.

There's a delicate arch of her brow to go with her down curve of her lips.]

Why not? How come there isn't a sign on the door, then? Absolute nonsense!

Yoon | Akatsuki no Yona | God

[tensaibishounen]

French Frenzy

[Never let it be said Yoon was one to pass up an opportunity to stock up on funds. Even now that it’s no longer needed quite the same way (and he is very determinedly not thinking about that fact), the influence of growing up impoverished and having to market himself for survival leaves its mark.

It’s also safe to say that living somewhere with a fully equipped kitchen and a library makes for a dangerous combination. This boy has roughly quadrupled his culinary repertoire since arriving a few weeks ago. Ahem.

He has a nice little stand set up with an array of plates and baskets. French bread! French toast! Crème brûlée! Crêpe Suzette! Come get all the delicious French food your stomach (and pocketbook) can handle. And in case you’re thinking of passing it by....]

Hey! Come try a free sample?

[He’s betting you’ll be hooked: he is a prodigy, after all.]

[razzledazzles]

Oh?

[Free? That gets Jae-Ha to skid to a stop. He doesn't recognize this person at all, but he's not worried about it, eyes locked on the food. It smells great... and there's something nostalgic about it, as well, so of course he's going to reach over and pick up a little sample.]

Ahhh, how delicious! [He needs to bring some of this to Yona!!] How much for this bread?

Raven | Elsword | God

[killnasods]

[French Frenzy]

Having a giant robot arm tended to attract the eyes of people, especially those looking for something new and 'foreign.' Raven did not know what this 'French' thing was, but there were a few people trying to sell him things that clearly were 'French', or asking if his accessories were.

He was trying his best diplomacy on the civilians without actually losing his temper, but even for someone who had herded people like Elsword before, it was getting kind of tiresome.

"I apologize, but I do not know what this 'French' thing is. Please stop bothering me." Raven could probably use a lot of help. They kept forgetting he was there and coming back to him again. People are trying to touch his arm.

[Irksome Illusions]

Well this was strange. Every time he walked down the street, he ended up back at the start. Raven had tried this several times, only to reach the same conclusion-something wierd was going on here. It could be magic, or maybe even a demon curse, or even advanced technology? It didn't feel robotic though.

And he'd started hearing voices, something that Raven didn't want to even think about at this point: he'd had enough voices in his head telling him what to do for a whole lifetime.

So, he looked around to make sure bystanders were out of the way, before raising up his cyborg arm, the metal lighting up before sending out a huge jet of fire out into the illusionary street.

It didn't go well-Raven immediately detected something was wrong when he heard the rushing of flames coming towards him. Noticing someone coming up behind the cyborg, he leapt and covered them with his metal arm, hoping against all hope that would be enough. "WATCH OUT!"

French...

[subtract]

[Correction: Add is touching his arm.

More like latching onto it and trying to pry the vents open, actually. He probably snuck in through the last crowd while Raven was distracted. Good luck getting him off now.]

Ahhhh, what a fascinating design, air circulation system similar to Genos...? But the hand looks more like a bladed claw than a normal hand...

Fubuki Tenjoin | Yu-Gi-Oh! GX | Shinki

[blizzardrock]

Gateway Guardians
[Fubuki is (unexpectedly, some might say, but those people are filthy liars) serious about his current, finishing-line-not-in-sight role of GATEWAY GUARDIAN, and has drawn up a boundary right behind him, which is genius maneuver, as he's sitting right in front of the door.]

[That may change.]

[Soon.]

[Where is that old shinki]

Ahahaha... Guess I'm not cut out for this, after all...


Something Else
Now, now. If you want a piece of me that badly, you'll have to wait in line.

[The ayakashi growls. Must not be a fan.]

Guess there's no accounting for taste. [He shrugs. Now then, his god isn't here yet, so—]

[The ayakashi suddenly lunges. And shatters straight through Fubuki's boundary. He makes a valiant attempt to dodge, but his arm gets grazed.]

Oh... [Must really not be a fan.] Crap.

oooh my god (Something Else)

[revolutionfalcon]

[At this point, Shun's starting to think if he meets one more person who reacts to ayakashi with quips instead of anything at all reasonable, he's going to drop them himself once he's done dealing with the monster.

There's more important things to focus on right now, though, and he skids to a stop a few steps back from the creature, a soulless, white-robed shell of a shinki trailing along behind him.]

Instead of wasting time saying how screwed you are, get out of the way.

[His tone is firm, and though he's speaking to Fubuki, the majority of his attention is on the ayakashi, whose attention is now caught between the two targets. Maybe he can take advantage of that...]

Schuldig | Weiß Kreuz | Shinki

[volksdaemon]

[Echoing Endlessly]

How anyone could complain about an echo was beyond him. He'd gained consciousness less than an hour ago and already he could tell it was just too quiet for his liking. The lack of memories didn't bother him nearly as much as this, somehow. While others buzzed about looking for the source of those echoes to stop them, Schuldig wanted to find the source to know how they were caused in the first place. Maybe he was a little impressed, too. That kind of thing was so insanely simple, and yet people were losing their minds over it. It was beautiful in that way and, for whatever reason, it felt familiar too. He'd tried for a solid minute to fight the instinct for clearing the haze in his own mind - like he'd had to that once or twice before too - and that feeling kept clashing with an admittedly childish reaction to do something he was inherently being convinced he wasn't supposed to do. Just to see what would happen, he supposed. There was a saying about that, but he was above a cat after all. He wasn't even human, he was sure now. Doubly sure, even. So what could he possibly have to lose by checking out somebody who could cause echoes, huh? Nothing. Not even a life he didn't have anymore.

So he hung out by a tree with his hands shoved loosely in his pockets, a trained eye watching for the physical gestures of someone who wasn't just passing through. No, he wanted someone else whose 'job' it might be to look around here and mine them for clues.

"Hey," he began as casually as he could in Japanese despite his foreign dialect. "Are you from around here? See, I was wondering if I heard right about an echo. Must be my mistake, huh? Probably meant the rumble of an earthquake crack instead. Was there one around here, recently?"

Maybe it would sound lame to someone who spoke Japanese as their native tongue, but if they passed him off as a dumb foreigner then he'd be quickly forgotten and he didn't really mind that. They could assume he was mishearing someone talking about the sound of hibi (earthquake cracks) forming instead of hibiki (echoes) and move along, or they might be keen enough to see through his little white lie. He felt pretty confident in his lying, though - that he could appear to be nonthreatening while hiding his motives.

... There was just one problem. He'd overheard the 'job' bit earlier without being directly spoken too, so he hadn't actually interacted with anyone since 'dying' - or 'reviving', whatever he was doing at the moment - and just run off on his own personal mission to find these echoes. The first person normal person on the street he tried his subtle interrogation technique on didn't even react to him at all. That worried him. The next person didn't pay attention either. By the third time, he stopped caring how he appeared to onlookers and just started to get agitated. Being dead, that he could live with - so to speak. Losing his memories, eh... They didn't seem terribly important ones to have lost in the first place. A dull, quiet whisper in the back of his mind compared to the roar of the city that only came through his ears... and now combined with being ignored somehow? Perhaps as part of his punishment for dying, that was reaching a new low. The frustration became evident on his face as he cautiously backed up towards the tree where he'd been stalking the masses in the first place.

"Was zum Teufel," Schuldig cursed instinctively. Causing panic was something he understood implicitly. It was a sort of emotionally manipulative devilry, sure, but one he was sure he was normally above feeling personally. Not in ages, anyway. It was a distant memory - of a sort.

But now, if anyone saw him starting to get worried, surely they'd just ignore him like all the rest. However, someone actually speaking directly to him might just get more than a friendly greeting as he continued to look very out of sorts, for more than his strikingly non-Japanese appearance now.

[[OOC: Still not sure I want to go with Shinki yet, but thought I'd try it out.]]

[cyberfly]

It was an odd mission, but perhaps Nagi was used to this sort of thing by now. Ayakashi were unpredictable, and could cause all kinds of problems, big and small. Most of them began much like this one: strange phenomena that humans might attribute to ghosts or aliens. Human imaginations could cook up all kinds of explanations for what they couldn't see. Little did they know the things that existed in the place between worlds, the living one and the dead one. Nagi would not have guessed as much, he thought. He had a solid and practical mind after all, and had no concept of afterlife or gods.

The irony was, of course, he found himself in that very supernatural state now. He didn't think too hard upon it, though. It was what it was.

He had been observing the street for quite some time now, watching for those who could hear the echoes and seeing how they behave. Maybe he could deduce some patterns there. Where the echoes came from, and who they affected. But there was one particular person who caught his attention for another reason altogether. A man perpetually ignored by the passersby. A newbie.

Nagi considered letting him just flounder, but something compelled him to initiate contact. He wasn't sure exactly what. And so he stepped out from the alley where he'd been standing and walked calmly across the street to the tree where the guy stood.

"You're from the Far Shore."

He got straight to the point.

Uzumaki Naruto | Naruto | Shinki

[myninjaway]

Echoing Endlessly

[ Naruto knows, he just knows, that this mission is going to be a piece of cake! He's already decided that he won't stop until he's the greatest shinki ever. And no matter what, he's not going to give up. That is his way.

So! People said there's an echo following people, huh? He doesn't get what's so bad about that. This mission seems kinda lame. He doesn't even have to be his very stealthy self to investigate, an ayakashi has to be behind this since Heaven's asked them to look into it. And if all he needs to do is find the thing that's making things noisy, he knows just what to do! Forming a seal with his hands, he creates a few clones (just 25 or so, a reasonable number for the mission) then claps loudly to get their attention, addressing them from the top of a tree. ]

Alright! We gotta get this over with before someone else comes, or they're gonna snatch up this ayakashi! We need the practice, you know?! [ He can see their faces (his faces) light up with resolve as they all nod vigorously. Well, they're him too, so they get it. Being a shinki is tough, since he can't fight the ayakashi whenever he wants to, but he just needs to lure it out and get turned into shinki form. And that's not happening unless he finds a monster. Even if it's really lame. ] Let's get to it!! We're doing it at the count of ten!

[ They all grin to each other and spread out. Naruto (the original) stays up there, with arms crossed, nodding to himself as he waits until time is up. Yes, this is good. Because after all, if the thing's messing with people by being noisy—

—all he needs to do is make things even noisier to lure it out! ]

Three... two... ONE!!!

[ At the count of one, every single one of his clones starts yelling at the same time, from different parts of the area. Loudly. If anyone else hears this, it's a real nightmare (maybe even worse than the ayakashi itself). His clones are banging on things too, stomping on others... But for the record, they aren't breaking anything. He may be the world's loudest shinki (and proud of it!), but he knows he has to be careful with other people's stuff. ]

We're ready!! Let's see what you've got, monster!!

[ With this level of noise, the monster just has to show up, right? And then he'll... ehh... draw a barrier around it, or whatever. That's not the important part! ]


French Frenzy

[ This is the third ramen shop that closed due to this French friendsy everyone's talking about. Bread, bread, more bread... Ugh! That's anything but friend-sy! Friends eat ramen together. This is a disaster! Naruto quickly jumps over rooftops in extreme haste, trying make it to the last ramen shop, his haven, where he can find the Best Ramen in this city. His stomach is growling. His heart is trembling. That shop has to be there... It has to be!!

With a hand on his stomach and his mouth drooling slightly, he reads the sign. ]

Bullan... what... What's this...?!

[ The sign has a curvy western word on it. And then it says their specialty is ramen-flavored bread now.

Naruto falls on his knees. The world is over. ]


Your pick

[ If you want anything else, or something more serious or in a different tone, I'm up to it! o/ ]

Echoing Endlessly - I hope you don't mind, I have been DYING for this

[mybadhabit]

[This tree's already occupied, and as Sonic watches Naruto make his shadow clones, he feels his eyes twitch. Never mind the fact that all the orange reminds him of middle school, that's not how ninjutsus work. He would know. He's studied them all his life.]

You can't just... you can't just MAKE clones like that out of thin air! That's not how it works! That's not at all how it works!

Jade Curtiss| Tales of the Abyss| Shinki

[commoncurtissy]

Je ne parle pas francais.:
[Jade suddenly found himself in possession of some strange little sculptures that he really could have done without in his life. But here he was with them and he was so badly wanting to get rid of them.

Thank goodness that French things are in all of a sudden. They're so strange that they are undoubtedly French (or so he's going to tell people). And rather than just give them away, he might as well make a few yen along the way. After all, even if he finds no value in the hideous things, doesn't mean someone else won't find them absolutely charming.]

You there. You look like you're a person of good taste. Might I interest you in some refined art imported from France?

[Of course, being a older gentleman with that intelligent smile and handsome face, anyone would believe him, right?]


I have got to hand it to you...:

[Interesting, interesting, interesting... Jade is fascinated by this ayakashi roaming around and doing random good things. He's just as suspicious as he is curious about the thing, so he's just following it and making mental notes of its goings on. He wonders if it should be exterminated or left alone. Well, of course that's not really his call to make.

He watches as the ayakashi moves a potted plant out of the shade and into the sunlight.]

Well now, what shall we do about this thing? It doesn't appear to be harmful, but looks can be rather deceiving, can't they?

[He pushes up his glasses and he gives a knowing smile.]

Jade your statues are scaring nearby children

[fontechnician]

I wouldn't call them 'refined', but I'll take your word that they're French.

[Not that he wants them, and while the the expression on his face is more shock than disgust, it's certainly clear.]

Sanzang | Warriors Orochi | God

[sanzohoshi]

[Echoing Endlessly]

Hmmm... This isn't good... [Understatement of the year award goes to--?? Sanzang brings her hands up to her mouth, the long water sleeves that hide her hands nearly touching the ground.]

So noisy! [The echos seem to grow and she tilts her head this way and that, the jingling of her headdress adding to the noise.] Hmm... Well! We can't let this keep going on!

[She claps her hands--er, sleeves?--together and turns a bright smile to whatever god or shinki happens to be near-by] Where should we start? It's something that wants to be heard, probably, right? If we keep making noise, maybe it'll appear!

[French Frenzy]

[She stares for a long moment at the sword in her hands, her expression a mite troubled.]

They keep saying this is an authentic weapon of Joan of Arc, but... I never saw her wield anything but a spear!

Maybe she had a lot of different weapons...? [Still, she's supposed to be helping to sell this, but she can't really bring herself to outright lie.] Hey, since I met her, I can tell you all about her instead! --Huh? Of course it's the truth, she was very sweet--!

[Sanzang looks baffled at how no one seems to believe her. Like. Excuse you guys, she fought beside hr, she knows these things??]

[Irksome Illusions]

[She's been wandering back and forth in amusement at this little trick, however it works. She narrows her eyes a moment, sizing up the street, before she takes off at a run and jumps at about the line she thinks is where the switch starts and--]

Look out!

[When the illusion thing kicks in, she comes jumping through the entrance, possibly right into you?? Oops.]

Illusions

[lighttheway]

[ Crashing into Randol is like colliding with a brick wall, honestly. And the wall is probably the softer of the two. She slams into him and he doesn't even move an inch. Instead, for a moment, his heavily scarred hands grab onto her to steady her. Hopefully, nowhere inappropriate, but when you have hands his size, it's sort of hard not to...


So he's now letting go and stepping back, mentally preparing for the slap he's certain to come. Already, he's apologizing. ]

I'm sorry, Ma'am... I didn't mean to.

Hak | Akatsuki no Yona | God

[raijyuu]

Gateway Guardians

[Hak is trying very hard to look blasé instead of annoyed.

If he’d known that sake was payment for guarding this door, he wouldn’t have obliged the shinki’s offer of drinking it. Now he was stuck. It was aggravating, but he wasn’t so dishonorable as to reject the request after the fact.

So here he stands, leaning against the wall of the house next to a completely normal door, his hands folded behind his head, one foot crossed over the other, and his glaive propped against the wall beside him. His eyes appear closed, until someone comes near, at which point he opens one and peeks at them.]

The door's off-limits.

[Is it an alert, or an invitation? Depending on how tough (read "fun") you look, it could be either.]

[razzledazzles]

[Hmm... It won't do. This man seems too strong to mess with directly. Jae-Ha's been watching from afar for the most part, as person after person were urged away, or fought away. Impressive— but he's rather curious about that house.

He uses now as a chance to jump down behind the house, slipping around the corner to... try and slip behind Hak while he deals with that stranger, over there. This isn't working very well at all, so when their eyes meet and his hand meets the doorknob, he can only spread a thin smile.]

Ah, I was caught.

nike lemercier | soredemo sekai wa utsukushii | shinki

[drizzle]

Echoing Endlessly

[Whenever it came to sounds of any kind, it isn't strange to have Nike be on the case, even if the sound wasn't musical in nature. The idea of having an ayskashi plague anyone through sounds didn't sit very well with her at all. She couldn't accept it, believing it was the worse way to torture anyone.]

It shouldn't be too difficult to find the source. I mean, the reports did say it was happening in this particular area, right?

[Although she points out that particular fact, Nike can't exactly zone in at the exact area where the source could possibly be located in -- environmental sense and all. The voices of the sky and her surroundings don't exactly point the direction for her, not in words at the very least.]

Do you think if I sing my rain song it could be of any help here?

Gateway Guardians

[The request made by the old shinki wasn't too difficult to follow. She was asked to guard a door and not allow anyone else to go throught it -- human, ayskashi, or any other celestial and spiritual beings neither.

When she first accepted the job, it wasn't a strange nor difficult one to accomplish. Just the idea that she could be of help and use to one of her own was an honor. He seem to be an elderly kind of shinki, so she thought he was someone to respect due to his age and wisdom. A little like the children of this world would for their own grandparents. Show them a great deal of respect towards them.

Although she knew this, there was already an issue cropping up.]

I feel a little bored. Just waiting and guarding this door on my own.

[There was nothing to do except stay put for who knows how long. It's only been two or three hours, but she couldn't help wonder when she'll accomplish her mission. Is it until he returns?]

What should I do? I already made a promise to look after this door for him. I can't back out now, can I? [She was at a loss on what to do. It didn't help she was beginning to grow more and more curious over the importance of the door and what was over at the other side.]

Helping Hands

I have to see this! It has been to be one of those folk tales or urban legends that everyone seems to enjoy telling nowadays.

[The tale of the one hundred hands was the story she was talking about. Although she knew most stories, especially the supernatural kind, weren't usually lies as most humans would like to believe as a form to protect themselves; this particular one was an astounding one to hear. Very unusual, very suspicious, and Nike wanted to witness it.

How was she going to? By baiting it. Nike will unlock all the windows of one of the homes in her area, near the shrine, knowing the owners of the home were currently on vacation. They had asked for protection to their home, but decided to use it for the good of the town and everyone by catching and purifying an ayskashi back to the after life. That is, if the rumors were false. Right now, she was awaiting for its arrival as she hides behind a nearby lone tree in the area. A thought will cross her mind as she turns to her partner with some concern.]

H-Hey. If the reports are true, about this ayakashi being harmless, what are we going to do? I know we can't allow it to roam free and all. [But. There's always one. And it was clear on her facial features: there was concern and pity for the harmless ayakashi. This may be the reason she wasn't a deity figure because she would have been a very soft one.]

Helping Hands

[sweetdeath]

Look, if it's really not hurting anybody, I don't think we need to worry about it! But we've got to figure out what's going on first.

[Tsuzuki shudders. Hundreds of hands! Grabbing things! Moving them around! If it turns out to be a threat after all, that could go really wrong.]

So, did you hear anything about where it was last? I think some kids at the schoolyard mentioned the train station.