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[godsoffortune]

TEST DRIVE # 09



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.



Old Officials

There's a business that is desperately wishing the older members of their workforce would bow out. They've been sitting on death's door for so long and are doing little to help the company. The younger managers only want to step up and take their place! Help convince these ancient businessmen to step down.

Peanut Party

A celebration for peanuts is sweeping through the city. Peanut butter, peanut cookies, even just plain peanuts are being sold, thrown, and praised all over. It's your job to help spread the peanut love, either by helping to make the tasty treats or by buying more peanuts from the next town over.

Quiet Quail

Oddly enough, a request has come in from a quail, of all creatures. It thinks very highly of itself and knows that it's super mega important, but it has such a hard time being anything but quiet. Your job, should you choose to accept it, is to draw attention to this quail - make it stand out like not other quail has done before.

Roaring Riders

A rowdy motorcycle gang has been plaguing the streets for a few weeks. Every night, at midnight, they make their engines roar out in unison, waking everybody in town. The riders themselves are good guys, they just have this one nasty habit that they refuse to give up because it pays tribute to their patron god. Do you have the heart to get them to quiet down?

Slick Sevens

The newest tourist stop is a large casino. It's said that everyone who enters the casino has their luck stolen from them at the door. That might just be silly superstitions and bad gamblers talking, but there is definitely an ayakashi there who seems to feed on people's luck. Maybe that's what's causing everyone to lose so much.



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

hello!

[bussounoshima]

[Wow, don't ignore her new bird friend, Konzen. That goes exactly against the spirit of the prayer she's answering right now. The quail's prayer. Which she is answering 100% for the novelty value.]

Confidence works about as well as anything else, you know. [Still. Talking to the quail.] Don't take no for an answer- you don't need to act any way other than what you're comfortable with. You should be fine as you are, right?

[Of course the one time a priest around here does their job and gives actual good life advice it's to a fucking quail. Sharak happens to glance up at catch Konzen's eye- and freezes on the spot. Probably because she's been caught talking to a fucking quail? Or perhaps for some other reason, since she does have plenty of confidence.]

... Hey.

[bon_bon]

[ And she keeps talking. Now that he's stopped to stare take another look, it's apparent that she's talking to a bird. A pep talk, of sorts? Hell of Konzen knows. Maybe it's a ... monk thing.

She glances up and looks a bit alarmed. Maybe this was supposed to be a private discussion?? ]

Hey.

[ Very eloquent, this one. After a dubious pause: ]

What are you doing?

[bussounoshima]

[Sharak slowly stands up, watching Konzen carefully though she keeps an air of disinterest now that initial surprise is gone. A relative, perhaps? But Genjo is an orphan, she knows that much. And he has a divine mark as well.]

Answering a prayer. It seemed like it might be interesting.

[... She straightens up.] 28th of Arhat, Sharak Sanzo.

[bon_bon]

[ A prayer, for a bird. This face. You get this face. ]

Maybe you lot really do need a union, [ he says dryly. Seriously, how many sanzos are there? According to Genjo, there are at least three. This make four? ]

[bussounoshima]

[There are supposed to be five even without alternate universe genderswaps! Be grateful Uten-sama got eaten by a scorpion lady.]

That'd require some cooperation on our part and that isn't really our speciality. [Fifteen years and Genjo's the first of her coworkers to even visit...] But if you say that, I assume you know another?

[bon_bon]

[ Fuck Uten-sama, Konzen's already up to his ears in sanzos. Genjo Sanzo is quite enough on his own, by the way. ]

I know a few.

[ He hasn't met this 'Ukoku' sanzo yet, but he's heard him mentioned. And he has no reason to doubt Genjo on it. ]

What is your specialty? [ Hopefully not gun-shooting, he's had enough of monks with guns. ]

[bussounoshima]

[As far as Sharak knows, "a few Sanzos" means... Genjo and Ukoku. Fuck Ukoku, tbh, she'd take Uten-sama's digested corpse over him any day of the week.]

If you mean my speciality as Sanzo, I suppose it's "defence". [She gestures to the sutra wrapped around her shoulder as she walks closer to Konzen.] That's the power of this Kouten scripture.

[But also gun-shooting. #justsanzothings]

Are you going to introduce yourself as well, or just ask questions?

[bon_bon]

[ Her specialty sounds less threatening, but Konzen is still somewhat wary. Having seen Genjo's sutra in action firsthand, he has no doubt that this so-called 'Kouten' scripture must have some equally devastating capabilities. She hasn't pulled a gun on him yet though, so that's promising. Maybe it's just a Genjo thing.

He scowls a bit at her last remark, but he really has no excuse for his own surliness. He finally says: ]

Konzen.

[ Why is being social such an effort? ]

[bussounoshima]

[Kouten's speciality is defence. Sharak herself is more versatile. Also, wow, Genjo was much more polite and well-spoken when they met. So far Konzen is not impressing anyone.]

Nice to meet you, Konzen. [Maybe.] Now you can add another high priest to your "few".

[bon_bon]

[ Genjo wasn't raised by the Merciless Hag. Try spending a few hundred years in her presence, and maybe you'll end up a little bitchy, like Konzen. ]

Hn. I guess I can.

[ He glances down at the bird, and maybe it senses Konzen's gaze. It turns its face up and then flutters about. ]

Are you ... done with it? [ Prayer, whatever. ]

[bussounoshima]

[So none of the Sanzos have an excuse for their attitude problems, I guess...

Sharak looks down at the bird too, thinking for a moment. Hmm, it seems to like Konzen paying attention to it.]

... I will be in a minute. [Kneels down briefly to pick the quail up and hold it out in front of Konzen.] Hey, say something nice to it.

[Join the quail fan club.]

[bon_bon]

[ No. Not joining the quail fan club! ]

....nice??

[ What's nice? Seriously. He can barely speak nicely to people, much less birds. But, weirdly enough, he does know a little bit about wild animals. ]

[bussounoshima]

It's not complicated, just flatter it somehow.

[Join the club!! Don't make her start shooting!!]

It's this thing's wish, so make it come true already.

[This quail definitely wanted attention from Konzen in particular, yes.]

[bon_bon]

How do you even know....?

[ Don't shoot! What the fuck.

Konzen gives a sigh. ]

You have a lot of ... feathers.

[ Fail. Total fail. And yet, the bird bobs its head up and down, like it's pleased. Hell of Konzen knows what it's thinking. ]

Come here.

[ The bird flutters up and perches on Konzen's hand. ]

[bussounoshima]

It turns out gods do hear prayers, even if I never thought they answered them before this.

[Such faith in the heavens from the highest ranked priest in western Asia... No offence, Konzen. Sharak raises an eyebrow when the quail obeys, a little amused.]

It likes you.

[bon_bon]

[ Konzen snorts at that. ]

Not really. I'm just ... it's something I can do.

[ His god power. He can affect people too, but only if they're trying to attack him. ]

[bussounoshima]

[Her thoughts automatically go to that as well, if can he only use that ability on animals or if humans are vulnerable too... The quail looks happy enough, all the same. ]

Regardless, I think it's happy to have your attention. Even if your flattery could use some work.

[bon_bon]

I don't really do flattery, [ he says bluntly. On the one hand, it means he sucks at social graces. But on the other hand ... at least he's not going to lie to you. ]

Do you usually take prayers from birds?

[bussounoshima]

I'd call you honest, but that might offend our friend here. [If he couldn't think of one honest compliment besides "you have a lot of feathers".]

And... [Shrugs.] Perhaps. It sounded interesting, so I thought I should give it a try.

[bon_bon]

​How do you offend a bird? [ he says with a huff. Maybe the bird finds this attitude offensive, because it puffs a little and then pecks the back of Konzen's hand. ]

OW!

[ Yeah, just because he can ask animals to do things, it doesn't mean they actually will be friendly all the time. He shakes his hand, causing the bird to flutter off, and it promptly sits on Konzen's head next. He sighs. ]

[bussounoshima]

[... Snk- okay she won't laugh. Not gonna laugh.]

Like that, I suppose.

[bon_bon]

[ Don't give him that face! NOT funny, Sharak. Not funny. ]

Don't ...

[ poop, is what he's about to say but it's too late. ]

Get off of there, come on.

[ The stupid thing shifts a little bit as Konzen takes out his handkerchief and tries to clean up some of the mess. Gross! He's gonna teleport straight into the shower after this. ]

What's the matter with your bird?
[ he says with a scowl at Sharak. Obviously this is her fault. ]

[bussounoshima]

[She's not gonna- okay, she's laughing. It's funny when the quail poops, it's somehow even funnier when Konzen takes out a handkerchief.]

Hahahah! You really have an interesting way with animals, Konzen!

It's not my bird. [But this is absolutely her fault. She's not sorry.] It obviously has a will of it's own.

[bon_bon]

[ Not your bird? You could've fooled Konzen. She certainly seems to get a lot of amusement out of his bird poop situation. He brushes the bird off and sics it on Sharak. It flutters and sits on her shoulder. ]

Hn. I suppose they only listen to me when they feel like it.

[ Which is much like a child. Maybe that's the way it ought to be, anyway. ]

[bussounoshima]

[And Sharak quickly moves the quail from her right shoulder to her left. No pooping on the Kouten scripture, quail. Or on her at all, if possible, but especially not on the scripture.]

Even animals have pride of their own. You can't expect them to do as they're told just because.

[And she manages to say that with a mostly straight face, even.]