takamagahara | Test Drive #34

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test drive

Test Drive #34

TEST DRIVE # 34

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.

Jingle Jeans
The fresh new spring fashion trend is accessorized denim. Super-accessorized! Bells, chains, beads, zippers, belts and more drip from every inch of this season's hot styles, and the stores need someone to model their new stock -- and bring in the buyers. It's your job to convince the fashion-savvy residents of Tokyo that these new jeans are exactly what their wardrobe needs, without getting your five chain belts tangled.

Kitty Kibble
A huge, panther-shaped ayakashi is haunting the streets of Asakusa, and the pigeons at the local pigeon shrine have disappeared! Take care of this feline predator so the surviving sacred birds won't end up as dinner on the wing.

Lagging Laundry
The residents of an Ikebukuro high-rise have an unusual problem: no matter how sunny the day or how long it's been hanging, their laundry just won't dry! Do they have a moist microclimate? An ayakashi of mold and despair? Or do they just need someone to get all that wet laundry to the nearest laundromat with a dryer until the weather warms up?

Melon Mania
A gardener in Ueno has planted a brand-new strain of muskmelon in his window boxes, and this plant is going wild! Vines have taken over the exterior of his apartment building, and beach-ball-sized fruit are popping up all over. He needs help bringing in the harvest… but his neighbors are begging for this plant to wind up in the compost heap so their lives can go back to normal. Whose side will you take?

Nice & Neat
A community art project is being hosted at the Tokyo Art Museum! Jigsaw-shaped pieces of wood about the size of a hand have been handed out to artists and crafters throughout Japan, and the pieces have just been shipped back. Now, they have to be assembled into one giant jigsaw puzzle for display. There's just one problem: someone forgot to number the pieces before they were shipped! Now they've got a 20,000 piece puzzle whose pieces don't match, and it has to be finished this weekend for the grand opening. Help!

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!

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

You really want to risk it?!

I'll skip that one. With my luck, I'd end up with it all over my clothes and out a beer and yen, even if the drink was good. Then I'd be paying even more yen for dry cleaning. As they say... if it isn't broke...

[In fairness, the alcohol would be safer than water in those days of antiquity. That Iskandar has some actual justification in preferring wine. It probably explains a lot about early history. Everyone was young and drunk - decisions unfolded accordingly. Not that today's older leaders are much better. One only needed to read the papers for that.

But Waver's thoughts go more along the amused lines of Christ, with how this conversation is going, we sound like a pair of lushes than the thoughts of how alcohol soaked decisions in ancient times stacks up compared to those more sober of the modern world. Not... that... that's inaccurate, at least for Iskandar, but Waver would like to think he isn't that bad when it comes to this particular vice! Really!

... and the verdict is the beer isn't great, so...]

... that so? Let's just go out to an izakaya when this is over. We deserve better than swill after cleaning up this mess.

[Maybe he shouldn't encourage bad habits... oh hell, screw it. He wants that beer now and he definitely wants the food, and Iskandar will probably be as pleased as punch to go along with any schemes that certainly will end up with him charming the establishment into giving him pints on the house.]

You have no patience for a lot of things.

[Now Waver's voice is full out lilting as he grins, wagging a puzzle piece at Iskandar. Is someone going to get teased for not helping with the puzzle? Someone's going to get teased for not helping with the puzzle. Even though he knows it'd bore Iskandar out of his gourd and a bored Iskandar isn't a helpful Iskandar and he doesn't expect him to help at all.]

Edited 2018-11-13 07:40 (UTC)

[Archer notices the frown and decides to keep from using such nicknames. Shinki memory is a fickle thing; better to not endanger others by reminding them of possible past. Better to be safe than sorry.]

I'm called Archer. A pleasure. [technically speaking.

He follows Waver with ease, keeping his guard up. A shinki is ayakashi bait, a fact that he uses to his advantage way too often. Two shinki are a delicious meal that's going to draw more attention the longer they stay in one place. His companion seems to be a squishy mage type, so he needs to fight for two. Not that he minds.]

[Cats have a much stronger sense of smell, Da Qing's nose was already wrinkling as the bag was passed over and his face set into a frown as he smelled it. Blood. Unmistakably blood.

He looked up just as the gardener lunges.] Hey! [He springs forwards as well to try and pull him away from the other man.] Come on, calm down. Let him go.

Likewise, Archer. [The social niceties must be observed, right?

Most Casters are and Waver certainly doesn't move like a fighter to boot as they go along. More like a forensic detective - which might be great in hunting down clues but may be a little... worrying when faced with a live predator. But! There is some good news! Although he doesn't move like someone seasoned to combat, he's watching the surroundings with a certain level of calculation and wariness that suggests he's at least been around fights.

So while Archer will have to handle anything falling under 'close' and 'actual combat', at least Waver looks like he won't get in his way! Hopefully! ... maybe a prayer to your god is in order after all.

Then Waver narrows his eyes, staring ahead into what can only be a construction zone for a high rise; from the pit carved out deep in the earth rises a skeleton of steel and concrete clawing at the sky. The crews haven't managed to start on the outer shell of the building - the floors are open to the sky and swept by the winds racing through the heights. Two cranes have bundles of girders half hoisted to their destination hanging above the pit like the sword of Damocles; there are more stacked below along with other construction material like large, cavernous pipes for connection with the water mains and the sewer system. Debris is everywhere - bits of rebar sticking up here and there to stick the unwary. A labyrinth filled with pitfalls, convenient hiding places and other dangers, fit for this cat to play with what it considers a mouse.

What a lovely place for a fight, in other words. This will be fuuuuuunnn.]

Joy. [Flat.] It's in there.

[The snark falls away; Waver's all business. Though, if his heart was still beating, it'd be hammering its way out of his chest right now.]

What charming terrain. [Though perhaps he can make it work for them.] I'm going to tag it with a curse so it can't sneak up and ambush us easily. [Priority one: Prevent it from out-maneuvering and flanking them while increasing their chances of doing the same to it.] And see if we have to worry about any bystanders getting caught up in a fight. [Priority two: risk assessment. Starting with potential casualties.]

Hopefully this presents a challenge to your partner's liking.

[Priority three: Communication. Both of getting Archer's partner here and a general 'okay, how are we approaching killing the thing?']

[Da Qing's grabbing at the guy's shoulders, slowing him down, and Zhao's discovering that, while not fast and definitely not any kind of trained, their weirdo gardener is strong. He grabs for the hands on his throat as black sparks bloom across his vision, and throws his thumbs right against the nerves in the wrists, forcing the fingers to spasm and let him drag them away.]

Fuck--

[First things first: get out of arm's reach. He takes a big step back, rubbing at red marks that are going to be bruised tomorrow.]

All right, you're sitting down.

[He steps back in, prepared this time, with a foot sweep that sends him sagging back against Da Qing.]

And then we've got some questions to ask you, asshole.

[On further assessment, perhaps the akayashi is a blessing in disguise after all. Iskandar can whet his appetite for battle a bit and if they're due greater challenges, he won't have as much battlelust to burn out of his system.]

You don't make it hard.

[... there's a sort of fondness to that sigh as he continues to take in the terrain, flickering a look at his partner. Iskandar is the type to wear his heart on his sleeve. He laughs louder than anyone Waver has ever met in his short unlife, rages harder, blazes warmth like wildfire, ... is more of an idiot and an hedonist than the shinki can ever believe at times. Larger than life.

(It's because of that, Waver feels that if Iskandar ever chose to really hide something, discerning it would be... tricky. If only for the fact when one puts everything out there all the time, people don't expect anything to be held back.)

He would have no other god.

Then Waver's hand sweeps back as a crane feathered fan materializes in a shimmer of mana. This is it.]

This is going to be one interesting conversation.

[Waver dips his head.]

Gods first.

[It's a relief to see that Waver seems to posess more common sense than most mages, and won't get in a way. Archer is aware that his Caster is a very rare non-squishy mage that's itching for a good fight. Well. Then Waver's attention is caught by the construction site, and Archer can take a guess it's where their prey is hiding. Lot of traps, dangerous terrain, and ayakashi on the loose. Perfect.]

There are some homeless hiding on lowest levels. [he observes idly, reaching for his phone.] It's most likely hiding a floor or two above. Good spot for a cat.

[He's already calling his god, waiting only for him to pick up before Archer starts speaking.]

Caster. Ayakashi was spotted. I'm on the spot, thought you might be interested - no pressure. There is another shinki with me and we are yet to contact his god. [a smirk is already forming. Archer knows that nothing will get Caster's attention like a promise of a hunt, and a challenge.]

Being determined is a good skill to have, Hibiki would say the same thing!

Um, sure. But if you're lonely or anything... Then just say so.

[Chris makes a face, and... seeing and hearing his reaction, she's starting to realize how she might come across after he said something like that.]

Look, it's just... I don't know you, and it's not easy for me to just let people in when I don't know them, alright?

Elfnein, Hibiki says the same thing about being able to eat a lot at a buffet.

A wise decision! It wasn't worth all the effort anyway. Just a curiosity.

[Young and drunk is probably one of the most succinct and accurate descriptions of state of his army then. They wouldn't do half of the stupid things - glorious, yes, but sometimes incredibly stupid - they did were they sufficiently sober and mature to comprehend what the hell are they're doing. Or why.
Not that Iskandar would ever hesitate. No matter how sober he was. Or any of his generals for that matter. They were all bunch of morons. Save maybe for Ptolemy. And Eumenes. But only them. The common sense minority suffering from perpetual, stress-induced headache. Still they too were swayed by his vision and played a part in his follies. Idiots they may have been but they were his idiots. And they achieved some of the grandest deeds in history together.]

One would think they would at least buy us a drink or treat us to dinner, for all the help they are getting. Clearly they think we have no need of such things!

[He is joking. He knows very well that even if any of the poor, overworked staff of the museum could spare a moment to ponder such a frivolous topic... Even if, they would be perfectly right expressing such an opinion. Technically, neither gods nor shinki explicitly have to drink, eat or sleep to sustain themselves. All those things certainly do a lot to improve their condition and general well-being but they are far from necessity.
Meanwhile the people here push through on sheer grit, dread and panic, not eating or sleeping properly themselves. Thus expecting they would extend full hospitality to their supernatural helpers would not only be simply asking too much but downright insulting and cruel. And Iskandar is not that kind of monster. Their management might be imbeciles but the staff deserves none of the scorn.]

In truth though, I wonder if we'll be able to find any establishment that would still be open. It's already quite late.

[That would be the least of their problems. Ordinary mortals usually ignore gods and shinki. They are not invisible, far from it. People's eyes just glaze over them. There are many occasions where it is beneficial. Trying to order meal and drink in an izakaya is not such an occasion. One needs to put in some real hard work to keep the mortal's attention. There are, of course, those who are more sensitive to the supernatural. They're the one that require less effort. Still they are few.
It's one of the things that irritates Iskandar immensely about being a god. It shouldn't be that way! How can you ignore a god and not fear his wrath?! Still none of the mortals do it intentionally. It just seems as if they have great difficulty in maintaining focus while in presence of god or a shinki.

Yet this is all future's worry. For now his quite comfortable where he is.]

Hmpf! Right now, I could be called patience itself.

[Da Qing catches the gardener, pulling him towards the sofa and letting him fall onto it. Luckily the man seems dazed enough from being knocked off balance that Da Qing kneeling half on him, claws at his shoulder is enough for him to not struggle, for the moment.]

I wouldn't move if I were you and answer our questions. Best you cooperate.

[He gives the other man a quick look over, he doesn't seem too worse for wear despite being strangled.]

It works for a lot of different reasons?

[Too that Iskandar does not reply. Not in words at least. He just gives Waver a slight nod.

When they enter the building, it's dark. Whatever light there was outside just doesn't seep in. The artificial lights are few and far between. First floor doesn't do the future office space justice. It's all cramped. Clearly used as storage. Filled with parked equipment: all the machines the construction company probably prefers to keep inside in this weather. There are some forklifts, a melex or two, and stacks upon stacks of construction materials of every possible kind. So many places for a predator to hide. Should the ayakashi want to stalk this area they could be in trouble.

Second floor is not cramped at all. Quite to the contrary. There's nothing there but empty space and some supporting pillars. There are no dividing walls. No external panels or glass on the building sides either. Gusts of icy wind travel right through the whole building unhindered.

It's the third floor which is most shielded from the elements. No surprise then that the building's illegal occupants found a spot there to set camp. Right under the scaffolding the construction company left for some reason even after they moved work to higher floors. Sudden flashes of gold give away the presence of the cat. It doesn't seem to sense them yet though.

Iskandar surveys the scaffolding with growing suspicion. It was designed for construction workers, yes, but Japanese ones. Not for a man of his posture. It might not hold were he to try and go there. He would rather not collapse all of this steel and wood on the people below.]

Well, it's better come to us because I'm not climbing those flimsy sticks.

I... guess. If you really stress the application of it.

Just turn into another one of that dunce, okay?

[ It's rare for Archer to call- if he does it's never for chit-chat, so Caster finally got conditioned to do that one thing: answer the phone when it rings.

That's it, when it rings. Not two hours later. Not three days after. At the very same moment. Look at all this progress that was made. ]

What? [ He takes the phone and notices Archer doesn't even let him speak. Ah, yes. Ayakashi on the run. And good old trick of staying online until the other party warps themselves there. Caster frankly has no idea why it works so well- but the skill of teleporting to the person on the other end of the metaphorical line? That he perfected.

He materalizes before Archer gets to finish the "another shinki with me" sentence ]

Yo! [ That's the greeting he gives, his eyes fall on Waver and he gives him a slight nod. ] Nice arena to have-

[ At least someone is excited for the high-rise construction site... ] It's hiding out there, huh?

[ Quick strategy talk is a must, would be good to know what the other guy is useful for- for example. Also, Archer, are you sure you want to have your vessel name called within witness earshot? Not Caster minds, but he saw Archer being on the end of shinki spell already.

It was hilarious. ]

[ it could be something to do with the way the shorter girl looks. it could be that she's bored. after all, Avenger dislikes few things as much as the act of being idle. even if this job wasn't to her liking or utilized her talents in any way, she might as well try to make something of the experience even if that something is becoming more familiar with the other person stuck with her. ]

Hm. If you have any actual money to spend on such things, be my guest. I see little point in browsing now that I think about it. [ so she'll just sort of hand the magazine over. though she definitely dog-eared a few pages... ]

[Chris was about to suggest maybe letting her slide in to pick up another copy of the magazine, but before she can, Avenger is handing it off to her. She blinks, and nods, saying "thanks" before she begins to look through it.]

I like to at least look at them and think about it. Normally I'd be pretty embarrassed to dress up, but I like to look for a new outfit every three months.

[She notices the bookmarked pages, and smirks to herself. Looks like this other girl is more interested than she lets on. Let's see what she took an interest in...]

Isn't the banner unwieldy? I hardly have any control over where it flutters. So, if it obscures your vision, I can't be blamed.

[ it makes senses to her. a tool should befit its purpose but it seems that raising morale as a standard is made to do is hardly needed in the type of fighting they will be doing. it's much more beneficial to her outside of her Vessel. ]

...would it be sturdy enough?

[ she reaches up and presses her hands into the soft layer of leather and foam separating them from the outer metal shell. it bows heavily with her efforts but, then again, were she of the mind to do so Avenger feels as if she might just punch a hole right through what essentially feels like an oversized tin can to her. ]

I have my doubts.

[ Avenger had no stake in the answer one way or the other. she almost takes the contrary point just for the sake of argument. any argument. ]

What threat are the artists to me, if they were rightfully to blame? [ like many things in this new life, that sounds like it isn't her problem. or a problem for Future Avenger.

she takes a glance at his pieces while she awaits the reply, taking stock of the colors and patterns visible to her. seeing if, mentally, she can place them anywhere amidst what she already has laid out. ]

(ooc: sorry for the delay on this! totally welcome to continue, or do something on the intro post instead. I had some RL stuff going on and also hyper-focused on canon review and getting my app written up. orz)

Wishing doesn't make them infallible. [ Avenger has no stake in the outcome, so long as their work can produce results. there are worse things to be doing right now. or she could be doing nothing at all.

...yet she still feels some semblance of pride in her progress so far, and skepticism in watching Berserker go about this task with careful dexterity. ]

This hardly suits you.

Cut...?

[ she pauses, turning the tip of the blade to the ground even as her gaze is lifted to the windows high above. ] You misunderstand my plan. I aim to sear the overgrowth right off of the building. Surely, such modern construction can withstand an open flame?

[ Avenger has no idea. some houses that she has seen were made of little more than twigs and sheets of paper compared to the sturdier brick and mortar buildings. this one had to be quite sturdy to ascend to the height of a few floors. it's akin to a castle, in a way, but more hospitable. ]

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Test Drive #34

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