takamagahara | Test Drive #29

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test drive

Test Drive #29

TEST DRIVE # 29

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.

Keepsake Knots
There has been a trend of knotted friendship bracelets sweeping through junior high schools. Making the bracelets is a quaint pastime, but it is also becoming something more. The superstition of making wishes while knotting the bracelet has an unusual effect. Amazingly, those who wish particularly strongly have made a tiny, piglet-like protective spirit appear when the bracelet is finished. Of course, the humans can’t see it, but ayakashi do. Knock out the ayakashi trying to get at the good spirits and encourage the positive atmosphere of friendship at school.

Listless Lions and Leopards
The big cats at the famous Ueno Zoo are listless. And while it’s normal for cats to rest for a large part of the day, this behaviour has been going on so long it’s downright worrying.
Answer the prayers of both the zookeepers, who are at a complete loss of what’s wrong with their cats, and the visitors, who want to see the lions and leopards being their big, powerful selves. Just be careful- you might need to get up close and personal with them to find out what the matter is.

Monkey Matsuri Makeup
Wild monkeys are revered and catered to in many areas. One small city has a festival honouring the monkeys that come and grace the local hot springs with their presence. The main feature of the shrine-carrying procession is that everyone is done up with elaborate face paint to make them look monkey-like. Indeed, many residents and tourists also get their faces done up.
Many hands makes light work, so do your best to lend a brush and emulate the style. (Or not. That’s how things go.) If you do a good job, perhaps you will receive some hot spring passes as a thanks!

Necktie Noose
It is a low time in Japan’s hiring season. The desperation of young graduates who have been looking for a job since April has finally reached critical levels, causing an outbreak of ayakashi. These ones have a penchant for curling around neckties, slowly becoming tighter and tighter as they whisper words of despair.
Save these people from giving in to their dark desires and slay the ayakashi.
If your shinki hasn’t been practicing how to cut only what they want to cut, some other creative methods might have to be used to ensure the safety of the human. (Or go with the Spartan method. That works too.)

Onion Overdrive
People at a festival are subjecting themselves to a world record onion chopping race. Organizers are going for “most onions being cut in one place at one time”, and “most onions peeled and sliced in one minute”. (The record is 615 grams, by the way.) Whether you are a spectator taking in the cloud of onion vapor, a participant due to the prayers of your follower, or someone who has to clean up all these chopped onions in the end, there will be tears.

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

Shin goes to the window and lights up, doing this little motion where he looks for something at his chest height first before going into his pockets for his lighter.

He stands next to the window, almost leaning out and looking out at the night sky. He tries to let his chaotic thoughts settle as he takes one long drag after another. The act of smoking seemed to be doing at least half as much to calm him as Adrien's comforting had. Shin could still feel an ache in his chest, but somehow that just felt old hat. Like it belonged there, even if it was uncomfortable, even painful.

He lets his eyes droop closed, warding off the dancing shadows outside the window. He still couldn't feel his face, either, and he generally felt vaguely like he was going to float away. And he would do a lot of things right now for some potato chips and beer. Still, the giddiness and real relaxing sensation of the high was gone. Instead he was feeling a distinct sense of anxiety and trouble stopping his mind from jumping back to paranoid thoughts, like that somehow this was all a trick. He knew it was the drug, but it didn't help all that much with the anxiety.

When Adrien gets back he jumps, and then lets out a sigh seeing that he was just offering him some eye drops. "Thanks," he mutters with a weak smile. Keeping his cigarette in his mouth he gets the eye drops in effortlessly and hands the bottle back to Adrien.

He turns back out the window, breathing out into the open air. "So, the part that really bothers you is that it's illegal? I don't really understand why that matters, though. It's not like we're part of their world anymore."

"Well, I mean that's a big part of it." He murmurs taking the bottle back and setting it aside on his desk. "It's illegal which bothers me because I used to be a - I guess you'd call it a public servant? I mean I guess that's what you'd consider it fighting crime and all. But it's a more complex issue."

He's moving to sit at his desk typing at the keyboard, pulling up some music. Nothing he turned up too loud he just needed background noise it helped him sometimes when he was stressed, maybe it would help Shin, too. "As an illegal substance it's not regulated which means it could be dangerous. Sure I'm certain it's like tobacco on it's own harvested safely and everything but it isn't."

Turning in his chair he's facing Shin gesturing with a hand. "It's not monitored and there are some people out there that do terrible things. If you got a bad batch or pissed off some dealer and they wanted to get even with you they could wreck you and you'd never know and I don't have the knowledge to help you. I know nothing about drugs or stuff like that."

Fingers raked through blond hair. "I don't want you to hurt yourself like that. I don't like the thought of you taking your life in your hands just for a cheap thrill. You deserve better than that. Does that make sense.? People... people have their vices and addictions; obsessions some healthy some not - some seem healthy but aren't. Point is... You're my Shinki it's my duty as your god to keep you safe as best I can."

Shin keeps looking out the window, not wanting to really catch Adrien's eye right now. He appreciated the music though. It did help Shin, and he caught himself finding the notes in his head, and his right hand itched to move to match it. He doesn't pay it any mind, even as he fingers imaginary frets.

He stops though when he lets out a sigh with his smoke, "I mean, I'm already dead, how much more can things like that do to me? How likely is that even to happen?" He closes his eyes again and shakes his head, "I... just don't feel right without it. Everything feels better, feels like it makes sense, like it's in place."

His voice drops, barely audible over the music, "doesn't hurt so much."

"You'd think that right? But.. people can get sick here. God or Shinki - it doesn't matter." Adrien has been looking things up. He's been paying attention since he arrived, listening. "People vanish.."

His eyes fixed on Shin. "They die and sometimes they don't come back. I don't want to watch you die again, Shin. I thought that a lot of these people died too young - there are children here. People who died in the middle of things and never finished what they started. I thought that might be why they were pulled here. Now I'm not sure. But-"

His tone changed slightly taking on a very determined edge. "I won't let you self-destruct when I can stop you. Sure stuff can be bad and it... it hurts but there's so much good to see, too." He's moving to his feet toward Shin. "I won't have your death on my conscience. If you hurt, if you need something we can talk it out, find something constructive to channel it into but not this."

Shin lets his head fall against the side of the window, his arm hanging out of it. He opens his eyes into a glare out at the temple yard, "How the fuck am I supposed to talk it out when I don't even have the slightest clue why I'm like this?" He pounds his fist against the closed window, "What the hell was my life like?" It was a dangerous question, and he knew that all too well. Even asking it made his heart skip a beat. He takes a long drag and speaks with the smoke blowing out from his words, "I don't really care for any reason than I want to know how to stop being such an amazing fuckup."

"Well, I know we can't into specifics because you don't have any but that doesn't mean you can't come to me when you don't feel right. I want you to. I want you to trust me and come to me with your problems. I want to know when something is wrong in a way that isn't a sting or blight. It would help us both out in the long run. I can't tell you the cause I can't even strip away the feeling. I would if I could. But -"

[And the young god pauses here, thinking; choosing his words with the upmost care and caution.] "But even so I can be here with you in the moment. I can - I can be here and try to cheer you up. We can try playing music together. watch movies, distract your brain. Something!" A bitter little laugh left him and he's gripping Shin's shoulder. "You're not a fuck up. You're lost, new, and afraid. Big difference.."

"I'm not sure I even know when something's wrong until it's too late." He tries to suppress the ache in his chest, "It doesn't feel like it's just that. I feel like I've done nothing but screw up one thing after another since I got here." He keeps smoking, but a hand goes up to that shoulder that Adrien grips, "At first I was just happy to have a place to live, but now I just want to keep moving. I feel uncomfortable, like I've been in just one place too long."

"And that's fine. I'll know it. I can feel your emotions. That's where the sting comes from. I know when you feel bad so I can come to you but you have to let me in. You have to talk and be willing to let me help. I can't do anything for you if you shut me out, Shin." Adrien smiles.

"I'm not expecting you to be the perfect Shinki your first while. Heck, it's impossible. But I do ask that you do your best. It's okay if you make mistakes as long as you learn from them." Feeling Shin's hand on his he nods. "I don't think that that's the problem. I think you're not used to being wanted. I think you're expecting to be pushed out. That won't happen. I won't send you away."

Edited 2018-06-07 09:44 (UTC)

Shin doesn't quite realize that he's stinging Adrien again as he admits, "I wish I could believe that." Adrien didn't deserve this kind of doubt. He'd done nothing to earn it. Maybe it was the paranoia from the weed speaking, but maybe it was something else. "I don't know how to let you in."

"You will eventually." There's that familiar feeling on the back of his neck and he heaves a sigh. He's going to have to shower in holy water by this point, kwami help him. "That's the hard part but I'm here. And I'm not going anywhere. I'm with you. You'll never be alone again."

Adrien seems to consider this bit of a pickle they'd gotten themselves in. "It can be hard but... I know a good starting point I think." He smiled. "Talk. We just talk. Share things, anything that pops up, okay?" He waits for Shin to finish his cigarette then closes the window. Gesturing to the sofa he's moving to take a seat.

"I was a Shinki before. Did I tell you that? I was scared and lost.I didn't know myself. Just my name and a few other things. Languages, a few other skills but not much else. I know what that's like - we can talk about it. I understand it. We might not be exactly the same but we're not as different as you might think."

Shin tosses the butt out of the window and moves to join Adrien on the couch. He's honestly surprised to hear Adrien's confession. It was really hard to imagine him as a shinki for some reason. "You... were? How did you deal with it?" Because he hasn't been able to think of a single way besides resorting to drugs and women.

Honestly, Adrien's probably had to deal with the feeling of him sleeping around. He wouldn't sting Adrien over this, though, so it was possible that Shin had just taken to sleeping around. That would be the best case scenario, though Adrien would know full well that he died because of the jealous husband of a client.

"It feels like my only skill is flirting," he sighs. He hadn't given much thought to the little things, like the thick callouses on his left fingers, or the way he always found the beat when Adrien put music on. Or how if Adrien hummed something he knew, that he'd pick up humming the base line. That had been far less noticeable than other habits, like coming home from the convenience store with beer the first time Adrien sent him, and needing to remember not to grab beer every other time. Or the way he flinched when he noticed something in his room even slightly out of place, or his strict morning routine, or how long it took for him to stop automatically waking up at six in the morning.

"Mmhmm. Well, I had a good goddess. She looked after me and taught me stuff. I learned how to be a shinki. I learned borderlines and barriers and rend... Cooking. There was a piano in our temple and I played music on that. It helped me sort out things.." He smiled gently. "If you want to try there's a keyboard here - the full baby grand is over in Marinette's but it's just across the way there.."

Gestured a hand toward the temple that was adjoined to his by the massive greenhouse. "It's over there in the lobby. I'm sure she wouldn't mind since we all kind of come and go as we please. Since we agreed to a merged space."

Adrien hummed then shook his head. "I'm sure there's something else. You seem to be pretty good with music. You're always catching on when I hum or play something. Not a lot of people can do that. Do you want to try playing the keyboard or something? See if there's anything that speaks to you about it? Maybe if not a piano we can find you another instrument. There are dozens to try - I'm sure something will click with you."

He closed his eyes. "And if that doesn't work we could try dance or cooking, art... anything that sparks some interest."

"The Goddess Fortuna, right?" He'd met her once, even though he'd seen her around the temple.

He stands and moves over to the keyboard, running his fingers across it. He didn't feel anything, from this, but he tries sitting down anyway. His fingers don't rest on the right keys, and even the sheet music doesn't really mean anything to him.

"I don't even know how to read music," he mutters. "It looks like Greek to me." He picks at some keys, but really doesn't seem to know what he's doing based on how long it takes for him to find some basic chords that anyone who practiced a lot would not have naturally drifted towards with their hand placements.

"That's the one. Marinette. She prefers being called Marinette."

Adrien watched him curiously. Fighting the urge to go adjust his hands and show him where they should rest. "It's fine. I didn't either but that didn't mean I didn't know how to play. I knew.. enough just not everything. I knew finger placements and a few basic chords. I found out you retain knowledge. Things like languages, learned skills... "

Adrien hummed softly. "But you are musically inclined. Even if the piano and keyboard might not be your instrument of choice you did pick out chords and scales that are pretty common for all of them. We could try something else for you."

He sighs a little, "Drugs, smoking, beer, piercings, I bet you it's the guitar." He seemed to fit the part of a punk rocker, even if that hadn't been the clothes he immediately gravitated to when he showed up.

He looks to Adrien, still feeling lost, "Isn't this dangerous? Isn't it like trying to find out who I was?"

"Well, it'd be wrong of me to assume but..." He's reaching for Shin's hand as he comes to stand next to him. "Judging by these it's certainly not an oboe." He laughed softly arching a brow. "Well, not exactly. When I found the piano at Mari's I gravitated toward it like it was natural like a duck going to water. The same thing happened at the fancy party with the dancing..."

Adrien tilts his head slightly. "As long as we don't dig into the hows and whys of it we should be fine. There's finding things that seem familiar and comforting then me sitting here telling you hey Shin you were this and that and you did this and loved that and ... I'm not telling you anything we're not digging at anything. We're just trying things out."

Shin looks at the calluses on his fingers, "I never noticed those...." He smiles a little, laughing, "Well, I guess if you were fine, I should be okay, right?" He was a little scared to press into these things, but he also believed Adrien about this at least.

"It just seems so tempting to ask when there's just these little bits of information." He wanted to know who he was. How he died. He also knew he couldn't know.

"I noticed them but I didn't know what they might be from. I've had suspicions for a while..." Adrien shrugged. "If you feel any pain I'll know it and we'll ease off but honestly? I don't know anything about you that would put you in any real danger. Anything I tell you is purely my personal suggestion. Music worked for me that's what brought this up."

He laughed softly. "For all I know you play a ukulele in a hammock every Friday or something. So we should be fine."

Shin laughs, trying to imagine himself doing that. It was a possibility, as far fetched as it might be. "I guess it doesn't hurt to try. I have noticed I do like certain kinds of music." Adrien has probably noticed that he likes punk rock and classic rock, though mostly punk rock.

Adrien smiled gripping his shoulder. "We'll figure it out. Who knows maybe that's your thing like how pianos were my thing. I'm sure everyone has something that draws them. And we all have our own styles and preferences." Adrien kind of was still learning what musics he liked and didn't but this would be good for both of them. "It'll be fun. I can teach you to read music."

Shin smiles back up at Adrien, "When I was just thinking how glad I was to not have to deal with school anymore." He gives a gentle chuckle as his mind wanders off.

"Most of the new gods had some life before being gods here, right?" He grabs the music book from the top of the keyboard and idly flips through it, "do you remember it? What was it like?"

Adrien snorts. "It's not as bothersome as actual school. I'm a pretty decent teacher and Music isn't like a lot of subjects. It's actually really pretty fun."

"Hm? Uh huh."Adrien smiled faintly. "I remember it now. I didn't when I was a shinki. It was something else really. Do you remember that picture at the stairs? The blonde woman? That's my mother."

Shin hoped he was right about learning music being fun. He couldn't see how it could hurt, either. At least beyond being annoying and boring.

He was surprised to hear that Adrien kept a large picture of his mother hanging in the main hall. Thinking about it, it explained where Adrien got his looks. He looks at Adrien, brows knotted with mild confusion, "Why not your whole family?"

"Whole family? Oh you mean.." Adrien shrugged. "I have pictures of my father on my cellphone. I guess since my emotional mindset about my father isn't the best or the most pleasant so that might be why there is no trace of him in the temple. Even his office is a sewing and design studio for Marinette."

He could feel a pang of something resonating with him there. "He wasn't a good father then." Shin didn't need to ask. Somehow he could just recognize it. Some little hint about the way he moved, the look in his eye. "It sounds like it's worse than not 'the most pleasant'."

Test Drive #29

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