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[godsoffortune]

TEST DRIVE # 12



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.



Daring Drinks

A couple of local bars are going out of their way to make new and interesting drinks for their customers to try, in a long-standing war between the two bars. Of course, they're going a little off the rails, so there are some very interesting - and somewhat scary - combinations popping out of the woodworks. And they want everyone passing by to try them.

Electric Eels

An odd ayakashi is causing some of the eels at the local aquarium to become literally electric, causing the eels to shock the other inhabitants in their tanks. This is causing a pretty big uproar and if it isn't fixed soon, someone could die or the aquarium might even just shut down entirely.

Frog Friend

Large frogs are popping up all over the place and following people around. They don't seem malicious in any way, but they are kind of creepy to look at, brightly colored, and leave trails of slippery goo wherever they stand. Oh, and they like to jump at people and knock them over, just for fun.

Gaseous Grandpas

A local home for older men is having a problem with a number of their inhabitants where they literally cannot stop farting and belching. It turns out this is the work of an ayakashi that just thinks farts and burps are funny and knows it's easier to get those sorts of things out of old people. Help the poor old guys out, would you?

Horrifying Hentai

Many known otaku in the area are dealing with a rather terrifying problem - every hentai they watch lately comes into reality very suddenly. Sometimes this means cute, begging girls, sure, but it also means tentacles and aliens and a whole rash of other things too. You'll have to stop the ayakashi that is bringing these 'fantasies' to life in order to save these guys.



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

Farfarello | Weiss Kreuz | Shinki

[rev13_3]

[ You are here to serve as a weapon of god, they'd said. Go into town and stop the creature tormenting animals at this pet store, they said. Your god will give you a name, they said... but they never said anything about who the god he was to serve was.

Perhaps this was a test, to see if he was worthy of serving? If he god didn't like what they saw -- and what was there to like, really? He was a terrible sight, disfigured and half-blind -- then perhaps they would simply leave him there, abandoned to the city. It's a chilling notion. To be abandoned by his god... he doesn't even want to think about it.

And that's why this young man -- perhaps about twenty, Caucasian, heavily muscled like a swimmer, with an eyepatch and deep scars covering every visible bit of skin -- is standing outside of Tanaka's Fish & Reptiles, catching the arm of every passer-by with the same (increasingly desperate) question: ]

Are you my god?

[savemeomi]

Eh?

[ She'd been paying more attention to the brightly colored fish aquarium that she nearly jumps at the random question.

A pause.

. . .

Perhaps she should really watch where she's going and pay attention. 'Cause how did she miss... that? ]

Am I... what?

[ Ouka doesn't quite connect his question to reality. Everything about him is far too surreal at the moment. ]

[rev13_3]

[ She's very pretty. And young, but surely a god can look any way they wish? ]

I'm looking for my god, [ --he repeats, flashing her a great bright innocent smile. The motion pulls oddly at the scars on his face, and he resists the urge to rub at them. No reason to draw more attention to his flaws, after all. If she's his god, then she already knows who -- and what -- he is. Or was. ]

Are you her?

[savemeomi]

[ There's something unsettling about his smile. She's trying her best not to judge purely off of looks, but she's judging a lot. It takes all of her self control not to cringe and turn and run the other direction. ]

Um... no.

[ At the very least, she remembers being lost and confused and how comforted she'd been to have found Aya. At least there's sympathy there for him. ]

But... I can help you find them, maybe? [ Though she's almost hoping he'll say no, just so she can turn and run the other direction. ]

[rev13_3]

[ She seems uneasy. Well, it's not like he can blame her for that. ]

No, [ --he replies gently (or as gently as a monster with a voice like gargling gravel can be), shaking his head. ] I will wait for my god here. That is the will of Heaven.

[ Her offer was kind, though. He'll remember her face, and her kindness. Perhaps his god will permit him to aid her in some way in the future? That would be a blessing! ]

...You don't have to stay. I know I frighten you.

[savemeomi]

[ She's prepping herself to skip out of his life forever when she hears his last sentence.

Oh, tug at her heartstrings, why don't you? Call Ouka demanding, rude, annoying... whatever you'd want. But one thing's for sure, any time she's been demanding, rude, or annoying, it's been because someone deserved it.

This guy... doesn't seem to. Unfortunately.

She holds back a sigh. ]

How do you know this is the place to wait?

[giftedistheterm]

[Most of the residents of the Near Shore are ignoring the man completely, not so much out of rudeness but rather they aren't even aware of his existence. It's one of the quirks of being an agent of heaven, Simon's learned, but it can't be good for a lost and confused shinki's self esteem.

Simon is more aware of what's going on, he's watching the man from afar before he begins to approach, though he's still caught by surprise when he gets close enough and is grabbed before he can ask what the trouble is. The god goes still in the face of that fear, searching Farfarello's face at first with confusion...and then with concern.]

They didn't tell you?

[Simon is almost as new to this as Farfarello, but he had thought that heaven handled these sorts of things themselves, assigning shinki to gods as needed. The numbers don't always match, but Simon as a god had been provided with a 'soulless' shinki...was this what happened to normal shinki when there were not enough gods? They were just left abandoned? The thought rankled at Simon but he tries to keep that off his face.]

[rev13_3]

[ As Simon's words sink in, Farfarello's face crumples. Releasing Simon's sleeve he takes a step back, clutching his hands together in a writhing, white-knuckled knot over his heart. His mind doesn't remember how to pray, but his body almost does.

They didn't tell you? So he was right -- his god wasn't simply late. ]

He's not coming.

[ There's a faint lilt to his words, not dissimilar from Badger's accent... although Badger never sounded this lost. ]

I'm unworthy.

[giftedistheterm]

No, I didn't mean...

[The accent does remind him of Badger...but it's very true that Badger never inspired an urge to hug him carefully and tell him it's going to be all right. Simon doesn't do that, he doesn't know the shinki nearly that well, but the urge is still there. The poor man looks absolutely devastated, only strengthening Simon's resolve to help him somehow.]

...they didn't tell you who was coming. Not that that no one will.

[Though there is no hug, Simon does reach out, putting a hand on Farfarello's shoulder and giving a gentle squeeze. It's a little awkward, he knows so little, but he knows he needs to do something to make this right.]

[rev13_3]

[ He can't feel that gentle squeeze, but the sight of a sympathetic face is a comfort. And, too, the fact that Simon is willing to touch him at all is surprising -- this man clearly has knowledge that Farfarello lacks, and yet he lowers himself to touch him.

It's too bad this person isn't his god, he thinks, uncharitably. This person seems kind. The god for a creature like Farafarello can't possibly be so kind. ]

He's testing me then.

[ His lip curls up, despair giving way to loathing, of both the self- and the god- varieties. ]

Do you know him? My god?

[giftedistheterm]

[Or Heaven is a bureaucracy and bureaucracies never run as smoothly as they like to pretend they do, Simon thinks, frowning as he bites back from sharing that thought out loud. Instead what he offers something quite a bit gentler.]

I'm sorry, I don't know who they might be. It could be just a misunderstanding...though if they are testing you, then they're wholly heartless.

[Simon withdraws his hand, smoothing it over his mouth as he thinks for a moment. He could offer to name this shinki...but he knows there's a certain stigma around shinki serving more than one god and he doesn't want to get Farfarello into trouble. But Simon is quite prepared to take the responsibility for that. After all, didn't he hear that everything a god does is just? And if the god Farfarello is waiting for is being cruel...then as far as Simon is concerned he'd be doing the shinki a favor.

Simon gestures with both hands, open to Farfarello as he decides to make the offer.]

I would name you, if you'd like.

[princessofdragons]

[What an appearance... Yona does not recoil from it, but she knows on sight that this must be someone who has weathered a lot of turmoil: war or torture or something equally horrific. Is conflict truly so inevitable regardless of one's nation? She doesn't want to believe it so-- surely there must be peaceful ways to resolve disagreements without sacrificing the welfare of citizens.

For this man, however, Yona smiles sadly and shakes her head.]

No... I'm merely a scoundrel who's been given this title of 'god.' I deserve no such recognition.

[But her smile warms then, and she offers her hand.]

But if you'll come with me, I know we can find them together. I'll search with you as long as it takes.

[rev13_3]

[ Farf stares at her hand in confusion for a moment, before anger breaks across his face. ]

I serve no god but mine! [ --he snarls. The overwhelming rage and impulse for violence welling up inside him scares him, and he quickly takes a step back away from the girl, folding his arms over his chest before he can give in to the temptation to each out for her. ]

If you are not my god then you don't command me. [ His voice is a horrible rasp. ] Heaven itself instructed me to await my god here. Do not ask me to defy the will of Heaven.

I wasn't going to tag with him and then I--

[oneblackcat]

[Because having Nagi as a shinki hadn't been nervewracking enough.

Omi cannot dispel the tension from his body and mind as he approaches. He's angry, he's bitter, and a storm of painful memories swirls about him in tandem with the vision of an earthly demise he found far too much dark satisfaction in seeing. If only he could have seen it without it meaning this.

Nagi was different. Schwarz both may have been, but at least Nagi's worst offense was trying to kill him. Farfarello holds part of the blame for Ouka's death. It's an utterly unforgivable sin and Omi has half a mind to immediately release him.

He won't, however, because he knows if he does, that's only opening up the possibility for Schuldig to snatch him up. That's far more dangerous than he can afford with the welfare of Ouka, Ken, Aya and (whisper it) Tot to think about.

So he closes the rest of the distance, watching Farfarello stop one person after another to ask the same question again and again. Omi comes to a stop a few feet away and interrupts the latest hapless pedestrian before they can respond.]

No... I am.

[rev13_3]

[ The Elders' ritual had been disrupted, their ancient lives snuffed out, Rosenkreuz's grip on Schwarz broken. They were finally free... and Farfarello had made a terrible mistake. He'd abandoned his mission, and he'd abandoned his team, and for what?

Sally Schmars had used her telepathy to allow him to feel sensation -- whether he wanted to or not -- and so he felt every excruciating moment of his last hours on earth. Normally electrocution is quick and painless. His death was neither.

The pedestrian, already forgetting the frightening scarred man and his odd questions, wanders off, and Farfarello regards the newcomer with curiosity. For some reason, he thought his god would be old, wizened. Bearded, perhaps, like the character on the movie poster in the shop window across the street.

But that's doubt, and when faced with one's god doubt had no place. Smoothly, Farfarello drops to his knees, hands clasped as he beams earnestly up at Omi. ]

I'm yours to command, my Lord.

[oneblackcat]

[This suddenly feels even more dangerous than Omi had thought it would be. Such an earnest, eager-to-please smile ought to be a good thing to see in a shinki, but on Farfarello, it just looks creepy. Omi's not all that comfortable with being addressed as 'my Lord' either, but he's unwilling to show such uncertainty or weakness in front of his newest charge.]

...Good. Let's go, then.

[He turns and starts walking. His mind continues to race and wrack. Where would Farfarello stay? How would he fend off Schuldig? It's ironic that after spending six weeks being wary of Nagi, his first inclination now is to have the telekinetic move into the main house with him as a safety measure. Why, oh why, of all gods in The Far Shore, did he end up with Farfarello?]

How much did the heavens tell you about me? [Specifically, Omi is looking for answers on whether Farfarello knows his name, what he's been appointed 'god' over, and that he has a shinki already.]

[rev13_3]

[ He hesitates just the barest moment when Omi turns and walks away. The angel had said that they were here to defeat a demon plaguing the pet store, hadn't he? But no matter -- his god is not to be questioned.

He finds himself automatically matching pace with Omi, just a step behind him and to his left, right in his most vulnerable blind spot. From here he can protect his god... not that his god needs protecting, of course. Still, he falls into a familiar-feeling stride, swinging his head slightly back and forth as he walks so as to best scan the surrounding crowd for threats. ]

You are the god I am to serve. [ That's really about it. ] If I am worthy, you may choose to use me as a tool to fight demons. This is my redemption.

[ Okay, the angel didn't tell him that last bit, but it's obvious, isn't it? He wasn't a good person -- no good person would look the way he does, think the things he's been thinking -- and fighting demons is a good thing to do. Ergo, he is here to redeem himself.

If his god permits. ]

[plastiqc4]

[ It's totally wimpy and unprofessional, but there it is, a gasp, a jolt: ]

Waaah!
​
[ So, it's not really the whole body is scarred all over thing or the eye-patch thing, or even the grabbed randomly by the arm while minding my own business thing that startles Naru the most. It's the what the fuck Schwarz thing, and he thinks this is a very very good reason for alarm. He's not exactly the combat type and would most definitely be mince meat if he ever had to go up against the tank of team Schwarz. He's heard enough from Knight and Bishop. Even if he had his C4 with him right now, it's not like he could set off bombs in the middle of the streets of Tokyo. ]

F...f... [ Farfarello?? Is on the tip of his tongue, but he manages to calm down enough to remember that some people here are actually shinki and if the guy actually recognized Naru, he'd probably already be dead or quickly on the way to being dead. He clears his throat awkwardly. ]

I mean, for sure, not your god. But I'm a god?

[rev13_3]

[ Farfarello's eyes narrow... not at the skittering over what might have been his name, but at the admission that there are multiple gods here. (Yes, the Heavenly welcoming committee told him as much, but that doesn't mean he has to like it.)

Nobody will ever have to tell him about the policy of showing respect to one's god by only bowing shallowly to others. If there's ever been a have-no-other-gods-than-me shinki, it's Farf.

His only response to Naru's comment is a dismissive snort. He releases Naru's sleeve like it's soiled, and folds his arms across his chest, head bowed, content to wait patiently for his god to arrive. Never mind that he was desperate to find them a moment before -- now, he's the picture of patience, a man of stone. ]

[plastiqc4]

​[ Phew!! Naru gives a breath of relief when Farfarello releases him. He doesn't even notice the disdain with which it's done. His first instinct is to beat a hasty retreat. He's quite sure even Bishop would approve of this course of action. But he gets this nagging sensation in the back of conscience that says maybe he should at least make sure the guy is ... taken care of? It seems all sorts of wrong to leave an angry and confused Schwarz wandering the streets. If he can make sure this god of Farfarello's is actually on his way, then Naru can punt the responsibility to them.

He ventures bravely: ]

What happened to your god?

[rev13_3]

[ And now he's supposed to answer for his god? Blasphemy. Complete blasphemy. His god is unknowable, vast, infallible. He's not late: he will arrive at precisely the right time, as only he can determine. ]

I was commanded by the angel to wait here for my god.

[slantedcross]

[...who killed you?

No, seriously. Youji had to work extra hours at the flower shop because you were, at one point, a hit, and they didn't kill you, so he didn't get paid that week. Who the hell killed you?]

I could be.

[Omi already had Nagi and Tot had Ken... and Youji was not known for bright ideas.]

Do you want me to be?

[rev13_3]

[ Farf is visibly taken aback by that suggestion. He doesn't know whether to be offended at the idea that one can simply choose, or intrigued at the prospect.

If he considers serving a god of his choosing, is that a betrayal of the god he was assigned to?

...Signs point to yes. ]

What I want doesn't matter.

[slantedcross]

Sure it does. Shinki are supposed to advise their gods, for one thing.

[So this isn't the sort of smooth-talking Youji usually does, but if the other side has control of their berserker, then... well, this will make up for that.]

You should choose an established god. The population here is unsteady, and I previously worked with shinki who'd been abandoned by their god. You should protect yourself.

[rev13_3]

[ Farf dismisses the part about protecting himself -- from what he's learned so far about himself, he can protect himself just fine, thank you.

The part about choosing a god, though... that part he's going to be stuck on for awhile. ]

My god has already been chosen for me. To choose another god would be a... [ And there his voice trails off, and he stares at Youji in horror. What he'd taken to be tufts of hair at the front of his head are actually horns, and there's something wrong with his eyes. They're glowing, like coals.

Disturbed, Farf takes a step back. ]

What are you?