takamagahara | (no subject)

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Dokugaku nods. "Don't cause a scene, you mean." He's a decent fighter with his sword and he knows shinki are capable of a few defensive maneuvers in their human form, but that still doesn't mean it's an ideal combat lineup. Not for a full-blown ayakashi.

Then he smirks a bit. "Well think of it this way - they're sucking up good luck, right? Neither of us have much of that in the first place, so we shouldn't be prime targets at all."

It's a jab at himself as much as Hakkai, but also one he doesn't mind making since he knows this guy has no clue about their past scraps. It's also casting a pretty wide net, not a specific memory, so it's gotta be safe right? He's not looking to blight his own brother after all.

"And to make sure we can kill it," Hakkai agrees. "Only a shinki wielded by their god can do that."

They're likely to cause a scene regardless, but at least mortals are going to forget about it.

With a bright smile, he adds, "Please, there's no need to lump my luck in with yours!"

That smile gets a small one out of Dokugakuji too. He didn't know Hakkai that well of course, but the quick shift was a familiar look. Not everything about shinki were lost after all. That made sense to him, if his limited experience with a brainwashed Kougaiji was anything to go on.

"Oh, thanks for the reminder," he answers perhaps a little pompously and sarcastic, but it was hard not to want to match the man. "As if I'd completely forget that shinki couldn't be wielded by anyone except their god, including to destroy an ayakashi." Of course now that he's gone and said that, they were sure to end up finding the thing anyway.

He rubs at his shoulder idly, getting anxious for a fight now. "So... split up to cover more ground, or stick close because we aren't tied together at the hip kinda thing?"

"Well," Hakkai says innocently in return, "you are new, of course."

It's a good question, though. His expression goes thoughtfully abstracted as he glances out over the casino. It's big enough that two people searching separately will mean a significant reduction in search time, but Hakkai isn't certain just how well youkai abilities might work against ayakashi -- or, for that matter, which abilities Dokugakuji might have. It hasn't come up.

"Stick together, I think. Even if you can't use my other form, I can hold the ayakashi off with borderlines."

He looks a little incredulous, like just because he's new doesn't mean he's helpless. "Oi..." But Hakkai has a point anyway. "That's true, I guess." He puts his hands down at his sides. "I'm definitely still learning what a shinki's powers involve." It seemed about as vague and random as some of the various powers youkai could exhibit.

"But!" He holds up his arm in a flex motion. "Don't think I can't handle myself either!" There's a flash of a grin there, but he does know that touching an ayakashi is bad news, and his style of combat is pretty up close and personal. That may not be the best idea to get that close to one. "Alright, so maybe a walk around the perimeter first off? Could be they have other buildings aside from this main one."

"That's all right," Hakkai murmurs, dryly. "So am I. But that's not a bad idea."

He gestures towards the door: it's lucky they haven't gone too far inside the casino just yet. The crowds are thick, even with the bad luck curse, and Hakkai never enjoys shouldering his way through crowds. Much less so when the crowds can't see him coming and won't make way.

Being dead is terribly inconvenient.

"Shall we?"