takamagahara | (no subject)

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test drive

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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!

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[ Complaining about a better way to do something while also doing it the hard way is kind of Mao's trademark, but this time he's glad to help. After all, he heard the prayer from the little bird too, and seeing it in person, well. It's kind of cute. Why not help it out?

Of course, all that's forgotten when the other shinki comes up and is... floating?? He can't help but stare down at her feet as he hands over the quail (he can't tell if the quail is as impressed as he is). ]

Is that--am I supposed to be able to do that too?

[ If it's a shinki thing then he definitely needs to get his god to teach him that. On the other hand, though. ]

If you can fly and the quail can fly, what did you need help for?

[ Mao's not upset, just deeply confused. Everybody can fly and is just refusing to; this makes no sense. This is as he finally looks away and starts to judge the jump for the pole. ]

[Hey, it's not entirely a bad thing! Plus, well. The quail is adorable. Who doesn't want to give it some attention!

...even if she's floating like a ghost.]

Eh? Do what?

[It takes her a second to realize what he means and...she ends up wobbling, and lands back on the ground, back on her feet.]

Sorry! It's...I don't know? I've been able to do that for a little bit, and I think it's a...spiritual power? I've been able to do it for a bit, but it's nothing like when I'm being used by my god.

[She peers back up. She's silly, isn't she.]

I'll get back up in a moment, I just have to get in that mind set of...being able to walk on air again. it's kind of hard.

[What she wouldn't give to have her memories. But she knows something terrible would happen if she knew them too.]

[ His eyes get big when she drops down again and he forgoes his plan to jump in favor of crouching at the edge of the roof and looking over. She even landed on her feet. That's pretty impressive, even to somebody who's found himself to be pretty graceful for a dead guy.

Mao listens as she tries to explain but the only part that makes sense is the part about it feeling different than being used. Otherwise, he's a little lost on the spiritual power part, but even so, it's pretty cool.

He also glances at the quail but other than looking a little fluffier than it did a minute ago, it seems all right. ]

You don't have to apologize. I didn't mean to break your concentration! I think I'll wait till you're up here before I go further, though.

[Maybe in her former life, she was a cat. (Maybe not; the quail might not have been happy with her if she had been). But she's glad she didn't fall over. She didn't want the bird hurt!

As it is, she owes the poor thing something for the scare.]

It's okay! It happens. I'll be there in a sec!

[By that she means she'll be taking large steps on air to get up to where Mao is standing. Leaping steps on air. If she doesn't think of it too much, she's just fine. Funny how it works.]

[ Mao didn't want either of them hurt so this time he's careful not to draw attention to the fact that she's not just flying, she's air striding. Like it's perfectly normal. For her it must be, and he tries to focus on that.

As she gets higher he scoots up to the edge of the roof. This feels like it might be a stupid idea but what's the worst that could happen? He's not going to die.

Mao jumps from the roof to the closest lightpole. It could have gone better but he's at least got enough of a grip on it to hang on, then he starts to climb toward the top. ]

I think the top of this should be high enough, right?

[Air running even! She doesn't know how she knew this, but she doesn't question it too much, like Mao-otherwise she might stop doing it again, and they'll fall again.

But she makes a noise, impressed with him too, and looking out for him. Just in case he slides.]

Yeah! I think so! That should give him a lot of attention once we're high enough!

[ It's not air running, but he's not exactly weak either. That said, it's a relief when he's able to shimmy his way to where he can get his hands on the top of the pole to pull himself up properly. Not having to be afraid of falling and breaking his neck helps, though, and it lets him focus more totally on what he's doing and less on how she's definitely flying.

Only then does Mao realize there's not really room on top of a skinny pole for both him and the bird, but that still might be OK. ]

If you want to pass him to me, I can set him on top of the light because it's further out over the street and it'd look really cool for him to be standing up there. So you better stand up as tall as you can, OK?

[ The last is addressed directly to the quail. If it can ask for things, surely it can understand things too, and he really is still of the opinion that the quail needs to be its own best cheerleader, or at least help them out a little. ]

[She won't discount Mao for this! He's doing pretty well. True, they don't have to worry about death because...well. They are dead.

But there is an issue of getting the bird up onto the pole-or the light in this case.]

Right! We're going to make you stand out!

[The bird seems thrilled, if a little nervous about it all. But it fluffs up, and smooths down, as Masaki carefully hands the little creature over.]

[ Mao crouches down to scoop the bird up from her, then puts one foot on the neck of the light and leans out. He's as gentle as possible in setting the quail down; it doesn't seem like the kind of bird that spends a lot of time up in trees, so this might freak it out and that's not what anybody wants! ]

You're going to have to stand up but it'll be worth it.

[ Once he's sure the bird isn't going to fly away or fall off, Mao retreats till he has both feet on the pole again, then looks at the girl. ]

OK, that was step one. Now, how do we make people notice?

[ It's kind of hard when they can't see or hear them... ]

[And the bird-though a little fluffed up at first-shakes it off, and seems to be all for being on top of the light. Step one: complete! But...he had a point. Unless they did something to call attention to themselves, and that would take some doing, they wouldn't be noticed.

She bit her lip, before glancing back at Mao.]

I guess we're going to have to do something really strange to get people to notice. I thought about glitter or something raining down but...that wouldn't work. Damaging things wouldn't be good either.

[This was going to be hard, to throw attention to a quail. HMMM.]

[ Mao crouches down and folds his arms on his knees, thinking as he looks at the people walking by below them. He doesn't want to cause damage either and of course, it's important they don't risk injuring the quail. Kind of rules out fireworks or fire at all, really. ]

What about streamers hanging from the light? They'd work like glitter but they'd stay longer. And when it gets dark we can get spotlights. Those will definitely get people's attention!

Oh!

[She claps her hands together.]

That's a great idea! I don't know about the spotlights, but I think I know where to buy some streamers!

[Paper ones, naturally. They should have a bunch at the store, she's certain of it.]

I can go get those right away! Ah...what colors should we get?

I don't know about spotlights either but we can figure it out later.

[ Mao grins--it's good to at least have an idea to get started with! ]

If you want to buy them, I'll stay up here so we can start putting them up right away, since it's a lot easier for you to get up here than me. And if you can find any that are kind of reflective or shiny, those would be the best! Otherwise bright colors like red and blue, I guess.

[Maybe flashlights will do? They'll figure it out! But she brightens, and bounces a little...still on air, for all she's not thinking of it.]

I'll look for those! The bright colors and the reflective shiny streamers. I'll be right back!

[She won't say 'be careful' or ask him if he wants help down. He's in a great spot, and...well, there's not much of a worry about him hurting himself, all things considered.]

[ Seeing her bounce like that makes him want to move forward and catch her, but that'd probably make things worse because it'd draw attention to the whole floating thing. He doesn't move except to nod and watch her go. ]

I'll be here! And so will you, right?

[ Because why not talk to the quail? It can't answer, of course, but there's no reason not to since he's pretty sure it can understand. ]

It'd be pretty rude if we went through all of this and you flew away, after all. I hope this goes how you want it to and you feel better after.

[And that might make both of them drop until she has it under control again. Not a smart thing. They might not die, but they might still get hurt.

The quail seems to understand. Or...well, he still puffs up, shakes himself, and settles in, as if to fall asleep.

Silly bird.

At least Masaki had air slid down to the ground, and was going off to the nearest dollar store or something similar to get the streamers. Reflective streamers coming right up!]

[ Given that he doesn't want either of them to end up on the ground unexpectedly, he'll just keep on doing what he's doing for now.

Mao just kind of sighs when the bird starts to fall asleep. Something about it seems familiar but it's like anything else he tries to remember, not even substantial enough to be called hazy. He dismisses the feeling and focuses on how he's going to help hang these streamers. They're gonna--ah, he didn't say so! ]

Hey, make sure you get tape too!

[ No trouble to shout it; it's not like anybody can hear him but her, after all. And the quail. Probably. ]

[Yeah good plan. Poor Mao though, his only companion is a quail that's about to fall asleep.

But she might have heard him, maybe not, it's hard to say. But she goes off, but she goes off, and about ten or so minutes later, she comes back, with a bag swinging in her hands.]

Sorry to keep you waiting! Anything happen?

[She didn't know if anything could happen, other then burd being burd but you know.]

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