takamagahara | TEST DRIVE # 17

TEST DRIVE # 17

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.

Courtly Cadavers

Several dead bodies have very suddenly returned to life. Not only that, but they seem to be possessed by very courteous and polite spirits. So there are reports of half-rotten beings bowing down to young ladies and kissing their hands or holding open doors for other passersby. It's really nice, sure, but also really disturbing.

Dark Deeds

In the middle of the night, there is a spirit that keeps turning off all of the street lamps. Fortunately, there aren't many cars on the roads at this time. Unfortunately, the spirit is also putting out all of the cars' headlights as well. And no cell phone lights or flashlights work during that time either and it's starting to cause a lot of accidents.

Endless Eight

There are eight blocks in downtown Tokyo that have taken to repeating endlessly. As you reach the end of the eight block, you find yourself stepping onto the first block again. No amount of turning or redirecting yourself will allow you to leave the eight blocks - until you stop by a cafe with a couple of bunny girls out front and make a purchase, that is.

Further Forward

Many in Tokyo want nothing more than to be on the cutting edge of technology! And there are some wealthy people who want to be even further ahead than everyone else. That's why they've sent out a general call for new types of technology to be brought to them. And if what you bring is impressive enough, you might get yourself a nice reward~

Giant Goats

Several farms on the outskirts of the city have reported a very sudden and tremendous growth in their goats. That's right, there are two-story tall goats hanging out with the other farm animals. Other than being very large, they seem mostly the same. But since goats will eat anything, well... Let's just say a couple of farmers are going to need new barns soon.

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

Oh, I don't doubt they'd comply if they could understand. They seem friendly enough. [Komaeda sighs as he watches another person run, screaming, from a shambling bow.] My concern is whether they can understand. The reactions they've been getting from people haven't really been subtle, but they don't seem to be getting the hint...

I'm not sure they're going to actually understand us. But I suppose there's only one way to find out, right?

[And with that, Komaeda is striding away from Garry, straight toward the nearest zombie. Garry would land a god who's suicidally unconcerned for his own safety. And no matter how often luck bears out Komaeda's confidence, well...it's still probably no easier on Garry's blood pressure. If shinki even have that.]

[Good thing he's already dead, because HE CAN'T DIE FROM A HEART ATTACK]

[Being near a rotting corpse is the last place Garry wants to be, and yet he doesn't hesitate even slightly as he hurries after Komaeda. Sure, he's digging his fingers into his shirt and practically merging into Komaeda's back, but he's still coming along.]

[Really, his god doesn't seem like a bad person, just.... out of touch with reality. It feels like he needs to watch over him to make sure he's alright, and Garry isn't sure if that's some sort of shinki thing or just him as a person.]

[Komaeda has genuine affection and concern for his shinki. Garry hasn't demonstrated any particularly exceptional talents yet - certainly nothing on Ultimate level - but Komaeda knows that the worlds they come from are very different. Talents may express themselves differently where Garry is from - or perhaps his area of greatest skill hasn't come up yet. And, after Hinata...Komaeda finds himself more willing to look past even a complete lack of Ultimate talent; even after finding out what Hinata was(or wasn't), he hadn't been able to get rid of his feelings of fondness. And Komaeda has a responsibility to Garry that he never did with Hinata - to say nothing of the fact that, talent or no talent, Garry is friendly, kind, braver than he appears(he is following Komaeda rather than running), and both accepts and worries about his god in ways that Komaeda knows he doesn't deserve.

So he's not trying to give him a heart attack a shinki can't possibly have. Komaeda's just practical enough to know that Garry is too easily frightened to let that hold either of them back. He needs the occasional push to do what needs to be done, and is usually the better for receiving such nudges.

Besides, how will he ever stop being scared if they don't at least attempt to deal with these zombies?

He stops directly in front of one of the zombies, giving it a smile and a friendly wave of greeting.] Hello! I'm sure it must be disorienting to suddenly be out of the grave and all, so I'm sure it's unintentional, but the fact that you're decomposing zombies is alarming people even with how courteous you all have been. Could I ask you and your friends to leave town for now? If you're trying to get accepted into society, I think you might need to go about it some other way.

[This is your god, Garry. For better or worse.

The zombie's response to Komaeda is to shuffle-turn to face him, and then, somewhat stiffly, take his hand. At which point the zombie bows, and - ]

...ah...kissing someone's hand works a little better when you actually have lips, you know. [Now even Komaeda looks faintly repulsed, but the feel of dead teeth being pressed against the back of his hand isn't pleasant at all.]

[Getting closer to the corpse- even from behind- has Garry feel nauseous. This is what every single horror movie warns you about, he's positive. Yet somehow he manages to keep his feet moving. In the end... He guesses it's not really if he's scared or not that's important. After all, aren't all these other people running around scared?]

[And.... His god is very much not scared, but instead of that being a reassurance, it makes Garry want to fuss more. Luck is a usually thought of as a good thing, but he's pretty sure it's more fickle- just like Komaeda is always talking about good and bad luck. His god seems so very confident in that luck of his.... Overconfident, Garry wants to say, although he knows that a god surely must be that way for a good reason. Or maybe even apathetic? He couldn't say for sure, only that he has to wonder how much value Komaeda places in his own life...]

[It makes him worry. Perhaps it's because he's dead that he values Komaeda's life more than he himself seems to. All Garry knows is that he wants to protect his god, keep him alive and well, and, in a way, their complete opposite approach to things like fear almost feels as if that's one of the ways of doing that. Maybe, together, they can find some sort of equal balance. Is that what it means to be a shinki and god partnership?]

[Who knows. All the Garry knows is that watching that lipless mouth kiss his god's hand is GROSS GROSS GROSS, and the horrified squeaky sound that comes out of him would be hilarious if not for the situation. Or maybe it's still hilarious. What might be a little more surprising is how his hand suddenly shoots out, firmly shoving the corpse's head away.]

[There is a disturbing cracking noise, and Garry makes a choked sound in the back of his throat.]

Why did it have to be corpses!?

[Komaeda's quite surprised by Garry actively reaching out and shoving the zombie away. As he'd thought, Garry is much braver than he acts - at least, when he feels it's vital enough. He chuckles, glancing back at Garry.]

You know, I'm lucky to have such a thoughtful shinki. But are you sure you want to stay here, Garry? I don't believe they can be reasoned with after all, and that limits our options. If I'm going to intervene, I'm afraid it's only going to get uglier than it already is.

[Hastily flapping his hand as if he can fling the zombie germs off of him, Garry warily watches the corpse blink (as well as it can) before it begins to wander off. Much like with its prior attempts, it seems to just slowly begin to shamble off in search of another person to be.... courteous to. That, at least, has Garry slowly ease up a little bit.]

You might be right.... I wonder if something wrong happened to their minds when they were shoved into new bodies? [Well, he guesses he doesn't matter. Sighing, his shoulders slump.] A god related to death should really be taking care of this.... There's a good handful, wouldn't you think?

There are, but if they're not intelligent, their numbers shouldn't really matter. You shoved that one rather violently, and yet it didn't respond with hostility. So if we attacked them, it's likely they wouldn't even move to defend themselves. But the business of...dismantling them would be rather gruesome. ['Killing' obviously isn't the right word.]

What do you think? Should I dispatch them? You don't have to be involved, either way. I shouldn't require protection.

[For his many other failings as a god, one thing can be said for Komaeda - he does actually seek Garry's opinion on things, and tends to give those opinions some weight - not to mention showing genuine concern for his shinki.]

[And, in turn, Garry does his best to try and think carefully when his god asks his opinion. It's become pretty obvious to him that his god thinks a lot, to the point that he's not entirely sure he can keep up with it. Whatever kind of person he was in life, Garry is pretty sure it wasn't a Nobel Peace Prize winner. Still, this much is the least he can do.]

[After a few moments of thinking, one hand curled at his chin, he comes onto an answer.]

It might be better for everyone involved- including you, too- if maybe we didn't dismantle them- [Another grimace, because oh that sounds horrific.] -but rather, maybe... Just tied them up and got them out of the way? There's no telling what kind of creepy thing might happen if you do that, or if it'll even work.

You could use me to do that, right? That way we don't have to recreate a scene out of a horror movie, but also no one has to deal with them anymore. At least until we figure out how they even got into these bodies....

[Hand swinging down back to his side, he looks to Komaeda to gauge if that's an idea worth meriting.]

TEST DRIVE # 17

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