Test Drive #28

[godsoffortune]

TEST DRIVE # 28



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.

Fish Face

An ayakashi has taken to attaching itself to people’s faces. Other than just making the person gloomy, it has another, more odd, side-effect. Humans who can perceive things of the Far Shore take one look at someone affected by the ayakashi and can’t stop laughing uproariously. Even gods and shinki will get at least a case of the giggles. Sure, the ayakashi makes the person look like they have a fish face, puckered lips and all, but it’s not that funny, is it? Save people from the ayakashi, in more ways than one.

God-speed, Gnome

The travelling gnome is a cute trend that many people follow, watching where their little porcelain garden friend will end up next in the world as volunteers take him along on their travels. However the gnome has stalled somewhere, and the outcry on the internet is quickly reaching a fever pitch. Is it foul play? Or did the gnome simply get lost?
Hopefully you can help him resume his journey.

Homing Hen

Mr. Motoi's landlady has asked him to sell the chicken he was keeping on the building roof. He sent the hen to his daughter in the suburbs… but two days later, she was back on the roof trying to get back into her coop. He's tried three times now to find her a new home, but she keeps coming back! Something needs to be done. Will you help the hen accept her new owner, or try to convince the landlady to have pity?

Icy Idyll

In an effort to promote the beauty and simplicity of the idyll, a poetry society is hitting the streets of Tokyo, offering free ice cream to whomever can compose a (half-decent) idyll on the spot.
What is an idyll, you ask? Simply “a short description in verse or prose of a picturesque scene or incident, especially in rustic life”.
What do you say? Want to give it a go? No one will judge you too harshly. (Except maybe that person beside you.)

Jujube joy

A new jujube specialty shop has opened, with their key item being “emotion infused” jujubes. With a “secret blend of extracts and essences from exotic, organic herbs and plants”, the company claims that anyone eating their candy will have their mood shifted and uplifted!
Red for bravery. Yellow for happiness. Blue for calmness and relaxation. Green for refreshing energy!
Try a sample (strictly one per person, do not eat two at once) and see for yourself!
The only problem is that that secret blend of herbs and plants seems to be more potent on the physiology of someone from the Far Shore. (If the company knew, they would certainly apologize for the oversight.)




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

Nia | Shinki

[sassywelshcatgirl]

Fish Face

[Back against a wall, her face buried in one hand, Nia practically shivers as she talks to herself through clenched teeth, the picture of a person trying to focus.] Come on, Nia. Get it together. You're strong. You're capable. You can handle this.

[Her breathing finally comes under control, no longer the rough rasps from before. She lowers her hand and open her eyes, watching her fingers in midair. No more trembling. Good. She swaps one of her leather-wrapped chakram back into that hand, then straightens up and pushes off the wall. A shake of her arms, a stamp of her foot, and then she rounds the corner again, pointing one of her weapons at the ayakashi glommed on to a poor man's face.]

All right, you bastard! Time to take you -- [Her voice cracks.] -- take you d--

[No, it's too much. Nia bends double again, wrapping her arms around her stomach like she's trying to keep it from exploding as she dissolved into laughter.] It's just too ridiculous! Aigh!

Icy Idyll

[Free ice cream, eh? Not a bad idea, but what's with this 'idyll' thing? Ah well... they asked for it, right? They can't be expecting too much just picking some random girl off the street.]

[Nia shifts her weight to one leg, puts a finger to the corner of her mouth, and thinks. A moment later her ears perk up as she straightens.]

It was a beautiful day in the city streets, but more beautiful once they gave me ice cream.

[Expectantly, she holds out her hand for the cone.]

Fish Face- Snake | Shinki

[silentscales]

[Snake steps up to Nia, patting her on her shoulder. Even across Snake's usually flat face there's a smile over the poor person with the Akashi on its face. A snake on Snake's shoulder rises up, hissing at the Ayakashi.] "Focus," says Martin. "You can do it!"

[sassywelshcatgirl]

Hey, hey, watch it. [She waves an arm in the direction of his, which isn't the safest gesture when she's casually swinging around a chakram. She's in control, though, so no worries.] How are you not laughing at that thing? Don't tell me you don't find it funny.

[silentscales]

[He steps back, raising his hands. He is smiling, which is almost the same as laughing for Snake. He shrugs a little,] "That's not a reason to not destroy it," says Martin.

[sassywelshcatgirl]

I didn't say that! [Nia takes immediate offense to the idea that she'd slack her job just because it's silly. Which is a good way to get her to stop laughing, actually.] Sure we're going to destroy it. Or at least... drive it off a little.

[No god, no Rend. What a pain.]

[silentscales]

[Snake nods, deadly serious. He puts his arm down so that a large constrictor could speed towards the human, wrapping around his legs so that he can't run. It would at least make chasing off the ayakashi easier, and mean the human would be less likely to get himself hurt.]

[sassywelshcatgirl]

Creeps me out...

[But beggars can't be chooser, right? Nia hurries after the snake, bringing one chakram up to slash the ayakashi with a little twist for extra kick. She can't help but feel like something's missing, same as every time she got in a fight, but no help for that.]

[silentscales]

[The snake wraps up the human's body, wrapping up and around the person until even their head was kept still. He walks forward, letting Nia do the fighting, but getting ready to help if it came to it.]

[sassywelshcatgirl]

[Nia just goes off on the thing, hacking and slashing away with a feral sort of savagery until the ayakashi can't take any more. It releases its grip, swimming away through the air at top speed.]

[silentscales]

[Snake had been waiting for that moment, striking out himself, and managing to grab onto the Ayakashi before it could get away. He throws the Ayakashi onto the ground before it could sting him so that his partner could go back to trashing it. What would she do without him?]

[sassywelshcatgirl]

Errm. [Nia scratches at her cheek with one finger, the chakram half-dangling from her palm out of the way.] Thanks for the assist, but... it's not like we can kill it, right? Now it's just kind of sad.

[silentscales]

[Snake lets the thing scramble away from him and fly off, looking after it before turning back to Nia and offering a shrug.] "I still don't get all of this," says Martin.

[He is the new guy still. It's been hard to tell what he's understood and what's gone over his head.]

[sassywelshcatgirl]

Long story short, we can't kill any of the bastards unless we're our gods' weapons. Then they have to do the spell that does it.

[Shrugging, Nia tucks her weapons back onto the hook of her belt.]

icy idyll

[priforprince]

Hmph.

[ Nia receives a swirly, cream-colored ice cream cup for this effort, but not the respect of the person posed against this storefront over here. ] Vanilla ice cream for a vanilla offering.

[sassywelshcatgirl]

[One of Nia's ears visibly twitches as she shoots a sidelong glance at the girl.]

Free ice cream is free ice cream. And what's wrong with vanilla, eh?

[priforprince]

A flavor as uninspired and insipid as the verses that yielded it.

[ Hibiki steps forward. Very well. It seems a demonstration is in order. ] Stand aside.

[sassywelshcatgirl]

Don't know how to break this to you, but I've got better things to do than come up with flowery babble just 'cause some guy on the street asked me to. [She does, however, stand aside. Nia's just that little bit curious about this Special Inquisitor wanna-be has to say.]

[priforprince]

Allow me to show you the true form of the idyll.

[ Hibiki stands directly in front of the ice cream vendor, so there can be no avoiding her presence.

And begins

to sparkle. ] Hey.

[ A hand goes over her heart. ] The sun beams down from the heavens, blessing all who rely upon it. Its golden kisses spangle the trees, and leaves my heart burning for cool respite from a too-ardent passion.

[ SPARKLES INTENSIFY. ] Where is the icy refreshment that can cool my aching breast.....?

[ Nailed. It. ]

[sassywelshcatgirl]

[Nia's expression of surprise lasts right until the girl opens her big mouth and a load of flowery bollocks starts spilling out. By the last word she's slumped like she's lost her very will to live, disbelief and dismay writ large across her face.]

So the 'true form of the idyll' -- [and she can actually do a pretty good Hibiki thanks to her own low voice, or rather, she would actually do a good Hibiki if not for her irrepressible accent] -- is so incredibly overdone and flowery that any normal voice would choke on it?

1/2

[priforprince]

A normal voice could never capture it, no.

[ She's going to ignore the rest of what you said and just twist the part that makes her Special. Because that's how she rolls.

Thus it is with a smug expression and a lifted chin that she holds her hand out for her imminent ice cream -

- and - ]

[priforprince]

[ - no sooner does she have it than she's dropping it.

A small bird, noticeable as a spirit to those from the Far Shore, swoops in balancing a bowl on its back to catch the treat before it's completely wasted. Barely...safe.... ]

VANILLA AGAIN?!

[sassywelshcatgirl]

[Nia tends to be serious if not downright dour.]

[TENDS to be. Which means she's not above pointing and laughing, half bent over with her other hand wrapped around her stomach.]

If the reward's any measure, looks like mine was every bit as good as yours!

[priforprince]

[ That laughter isn't bothering her it isn't it isn't it-- ]

Again! I'll compose a superior idyll!!

[ Hibiki whirls on the ice cream vendor, index finger thrust in their face. ] I'm competing again! This time, you won't be able to satisfy yourself with such a measly tribute!!

[ The bird wobbles in midair. So, did you....not want this ice cream? ]

[sassywelshcatgirl]

Here you go, birdy. Let me ease your burdens... [Nia is perfectly capable of sounding gentle and caring when it gets her closer to getting that ice cream away from it.]

You sure he's actually got anything other than vanilla in that cart?

[priforprince]

[ The bird nearly collapses in gratefulness. Keep that...for....for the amazing god....

Nia's question, however, is met with a scoff. ]

Preposterous! Whoever heard of a vendor with only one flavor?

[ Um. The ice cream guy is looking kind of sheepish now. Funny you should say that, mister... ]