TEST DRIVE MEME #8

[expiationmods]

Test Drive Meme #8

Welcome to Expiation, a pan-fandom adventure game with elements of fantasy, science fiction, and some subtle horror.

TDM top-levels are open to all, whether you are already in-game or not. New characters, please put TDM in your subject header so we’ll know you’re trying things out! You can also put your top-level in the TDM DIRECTORY at the bottom of the post. New folks are welcome and encouraged to use TDM threads as samples in their application. Current players may use TDM threads as part of their AC proofs.

April's TDM is forward-dated to the end of Gogol, Dara, and Seimei's player plot on April 20th.

You can view our CALENDAR to keep important dates in mind. RESERVES open on April 20 and APPLICATIONS will open on April 23 After this, applications will next open in June 2024.

NEW FOR APRIL 2024: there is now a top level for everyone to post their TDM top levels into! This is for new characters only. Thank you!

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Arrival

You remember a room of blinding white light—so bright that you couldn't make out any details. You heard voices, speaking in muffled tones. It sounded an awful lot like they were talking about you. You were just on the verge of figuring out what they’re saying, you were so close...but what happened after that?

Ah–that's right. You fell into blackness.

New characters are most likely to wake in one of the following locations:

THE DOCKS
You wake to the gentle sound of waves, your body rocking with the movement of the water. Wait—water? Since when was there water beneath you?

Since now, apparently. You appear to be in the lower rooms of a boat…and you might not be alone. There are several of these crafts in the harbor, ranging from larger cruising vessels to small sailboats. The one thing they all have in common is this: they are all half-built, as if someone realized very recently that there is a whole ocean to explore. Wonder where they might be going? Either way, you’d better get out of here, before the construction crew finds you and brands you as a stowaway.

ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT
When you come to, the first thing you hear is the commotion of distant voices and running feet. You feel a warm light on your face…it’s too bright to look at directly, so when you open your eyes, you have to look away. It’s probably for the best. Those stage lights can’t be good for your eyes.

… Stage lights?

That’s right, you seem to be just offstage in an entertainment venue. Someone is fussing with you, powdering your face with some last-minute touch-up makeup, vaguely coaching you on. “You’ll be great! Just get out there and have fun!”

With little room to argue or ask questions, you are immediately shoved out on stage, and find yourself in front of a sold-out crowd. What you find on the stage to help you perform is up to you: a microphone, musical instruments, magician’s tools, a full-blown play, the sky’s the limit.

Break a leg…?

CITY CENTER
“These new statues are so lifelike!” Click.
“I wonder which artist installed all of this? It’s almost eerie, isn’t it?”
“I feel like they could move at any second!” Click click.

You wake in a garden. Not just in a garden—amongst the flowers, almost as if you’re an installed piece of artwork. Are you alone, or posed with someone else? Up to you. You may even find yourself entwined with vines, half-buried in the ground, or subtly hidden beneath a large bush. A few hapless locals stand in front of you, taking pictures. Do they really believe you’re a statue? They’re in for a rude awakening whenever you finally move…

Well. Better dig yourself out of here and figure out what’s going on.

However you awaken, the next time you’re able to stand still and take in your surroundings, you’re approached by a small mechanical creature, which reveals a handheld tablet with a rolled-up parchment within it. Booting up the tablet for the first time brings you the following message:

WELCOME, CHOSEN.
WE ARE SO GLAD YOU ARE HERE.

So…now what?

These new familiar streets

The unexpected expansion of Aldrip means that there's suddenly a vast uptick in things to do. The locals don't seem to find any of this unusual or surprising at all, but the Chosen seem to remember that Aldrip wasn't always like this...how unusual! Well, whatever the case, the city is abuzz with activity…and wildlife, apparently. Thanks to some recent events, there seems to be a surplus of poisonous snakes slithering haplessly through the city, as well as, perhaps, a few lingering pockets of miasma. Best to watch your step…

i. This smells like a sidequest
Businesses and individuals all over town will be giving out quests ranging in size, scope, and request. Any of these will net you a prize from the right requestor. These prizes are mostly just silly little knick knacks, and they don’t seem to have any value, but the locals are adamant that they are quite important! At the same time, some locals may offer more useful rewards, such as money, clothing, food, or even a month’s rent at the local inn, especially for newcomers. Either way, you might have to team up to complete some of these challenges. Grab a partner!

Quests and requests can include, but are not limited to, ideas such as:

A local art collector looking for striking photographs of local flora and fauna
The neighborhood food cart owner on the hunt for new and interesting ingredients and recipes
Your neighbor’s search for their missing cat
Requests to clear monsters out of certain areas
Scavenger hunts to find local landmarks, such as murals on the side of buildings, a specific statue, or a hole-in-the-wall business

You're free to use your imagination, the setting, and local NPCs to come up with whatever ideas your heart desires.

ii. Should’ve waited for the patch
This sudden change is going fairly well, but it could be better. Some areas of town will be subject to something that seems like glitches. These effects could range from things going missing or suddenly changing (your favorite lipstick just changed from red to blue?? how odd!) to streets and doorways going into places they logically shouldn’t go to. Your front door isn’t supposed to be at the end of the dock, is it? Better watch your step, because strange things seem to be afoot.

Day and night life

While it’s not an official festival by any means, the beginning of spring is the cherished start of the planting season for the farmers outside of Aldrip, and the entire city comes together to promote it! Chosen are encouraged to take part in the planting process if they desire, but there’s plenty more to do, for those who don’t have a green thumb. Flyers can be found all over town for various competitions, shows, businesses, and events. Just be careful—the city has grown rapidly in a short period of time, and that means crime rates have grown as well. It’s unwise to linger alone after dark. Who knows what someone may find down a dark alleyway…or who knows, maybe they should be more afraid of you.

iii. Iron Chef: Aldrip
Fire up those pots and pans! The highlight of the town center is a huge cooking competition, where locals and Chosen alike are encouraged to bring their finest culinary skills to the table and create a spectacular dish. Those who would rather cheer from the sidelines, or even act as judges for the competition, are encouraged to do so as well. Anyone may enter—and we do mean anyone, so judge at your own risk.

iv. This is not Aldrip’s Best Friends Race
Many local businesses in the Commercial and Entertainment Districts are putting on all sorts of shows and competitions: talent contests, arm-wrestling competitions, fashion shows, dance exhibitions, the sky's the limit. Local business owners will tempt the Chosen into participating by offering rewards: free items, the option to keep costumes they put you in, trophies, all manner of comforts that could entice wary newcomers into volunteering.

Chosen who own or work at local businesses are also encouraged to participate by starting their own shows or contests. They’ll be rewarded with an uptick in business and free advertisement.

The Events Center will be hosting a lavish and well-advertised drag show and competition, and some locals will encourage participation from Chosen of all genders. Most of them will lay off if the Chosen are really not interested (they’re not putting their lives at risk for this!) but some of the more determined and charismatic ones might not take “no” for an answer.

Wildcard

Just because it’s not in the prompts doesn’t mean it can’t happen. We encourage you to look at our new setting page for Aldrip, as well as the world map. Anything that looks interesting there is fair game, so have fun with it!

♡

Comments

QUESTIONS / COMMENTS / CONCERNS

[expiationmods]

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vincent valentine | ff7: rebirth

[depressionnap]

there he is whompwhomp

vincent valentine | ff7: rebirth | new player, tdming

[depressionnap]

i. arrival half-buried.

[In a way, he can't exactly fully blame these people for assuming he's a statue. Even when standing off by himself, he barely budges at the best of times, so if he's been unconscious up until now, well... no fault to them, really.

If anything, it gives him time to try to think about how he's ended up here. Not the most unusual situation, just kind of goofy if anything, and that's something that he can tolerate. So, then, how has it come to this? The events seem disjointed, but Weird Shit going on is kind of almost the norm for the past somethingsomethingyears (how old is Sephiroth again).

Well. He should probably unearth himself. Being in the dirt and having a good think about things doesn't seem to be solving how the hell he got here.

Vincent, in all of his imposing garb, suddenly rips out of the vines and dirt. The people who were once excitedly examining him as an art exhibit let out startled yells and scramble away, not sure of what to make of this Pseudo Dracula.]

... [Well that's inconvenient. He really needed to ask them some questions.]

Hm.


ii. oh god someone gave him a phone | network, un: mrmurasaki

where

[That's it. That's the network post.]


iii. wildcard;

[Choose your own adventure, make your own prompt, live your best life! Although I'm taking Vincent after Rebirth, I plan on trying to avoid spoilers for people or warning for them in the header if it comes up!]

text;

[marakunda]

What?

peter parker / mcu spiderman

[spidermenaces]

𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭, 𝐢'𝐦𝐦𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝

(dust is the last thing he remembers. the chilling of a metal armor against his skin, the ground of a distant planet, and then... nothing. once he opens his eyes, it makes no sense. his senses are too heightened for how dazzling this place is, how the smell of makeup overpowers his nose, and peter can barely get it together before he is thrown on stage, mask off, in front of way too many people for comfort.

none of this is right.

uh......

uh......... uh...........

uh............

wait.)

... Is this where half of the universe went? It feels a little-- small. Are we dead-- wait, I'm dead-- I'M DEAD?!

(bye, bye, nope, nope, bye. a web shoots to the ceiling, and he swings over the crown to the door, where he runs through immediately to find someone, anyone.

he's in despair. the first person he finds, he places his hands on their shoulders, panting and wide-eyed.)

Are we dead?!

𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝

(friendly neighbourhood friend, spiderman, at your service. missing cats? he can totally do it, it's fine, this is totally fine-- it feels a little normal, but why does the afterlife have these sorts of issues? probably so that they don't get bored. friendly afterlifey spidey? nah, that's too lame, man.

it's just that he won't accomplish too much looking like that with a cat, probably. with his mask back on, he's offering a hand to the kitty, who looks at the inhuman texture of the armor, and wants nothing to do with it.

won't hinder him from trying.)

Pssst, psst, cat? Come on, cat. I need a win. Just a win? Can we become friends? Come here, psst, psst, psst.

𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐝

(you know what to do!)

first!!!!!!!

[orphne]

[Luckily (or unluckily) for Peter, Kotone misses the opening act. Mostly because she's gotten herself a job selling popcorn out front, complete with cute little yellow-and-red dress like the colors of a popcorn bucket.

She doesn't look at all fazed by suddenly being grabbed, blinking up at the stranger and giving him a friendly smile. He's not dressed like a local, and she doesn't recognize him, and it's been a little while since last time, she thinks, so-]

Depends! [she answers brightly, taking him for another Chosen.] Want some popcorn? It's on sale, today only.

rafal | fire emblem engage

[nilhilistic]

( i. arrival — tangled up )

[ well. this bodes well.

rafal dearly hopes he hasn't been responsible for ending another world. the darkness is frightening. and rafal is not one to be frightened. he's the one who gives nightmares and horrors to others. he's furious at the idea that someone would think to turn the tables on him.

that remaining thought is what he wakes up, enraged and frustrated. his fingers twitch for his axe or at least his dragonstone. ]

Where are my weapons?!

[ he snarls, tearing at the vines. ]

And why is the greenery accosting me?!

( ii. monster killing )

[ once he's gotten the measure of this place, rafal settles in more pragmatically. he commits himself to performing good deeds, even if the banality of such deeds gnaw at him. he was a dragon, meant for greater things. not for this.

but that may be his father whispering in his ear, so rafal pushes it aside. he can do any task. he is determined. prepared. with that, he hefts his axe, ready to go monster hunting. he glances at his partner with a frown. ]

If you are weak, you should go with someone else.

( iii. network | un: revanche )

Do you truly believe your crimes can be forgiven?

( iv. wildcard )

[ got a different prompt you’d like to do? pm this journal ]

ii. monster killing

[totheno1]

[The nerve of this man.]

The frog in the well knows nothing of the sea.

[Is it an insult at just rushing without knowing who he's fighting with or just being confusing? With Nanjo it might just be both.]

Fuuka Yamagishi | Persona 3

[yamagishi]

1. Entertainment District

[There were a lot of things Fuuka could do. She could plant, fix technology, and willing to talk and solve people's problems. Performing on stage in front of others? Totally not. Especially as she was given little instructions of what to do other than to look pretty and sing in front of others.

As she found herself suddenly being shoved in front of an open crowd, all he could do was stare at the person next to her.

Now what....?]

2. Sidequest time!/Network

[This was something Fuuka could probably do. Cooking wasn't her specialty but she had cooked enough where she was somewhat decent at it. Looking around the various vendors and stores, she had to figure out what kind of things could make for interesting food.]

Text: Windyflower

Is there anyone who might be interested in helping me? There is someone who wants me to find some ingredients for a dish. Do you have any suggestions on what might make curry taste better...?

Perhaps pineapple or shrimp...?

[Of course, she was throwing out some ideas that could make for an interesting dish.]

3. Iron Chief

[Speaking of cooking, Fuuka found herself in some sort of competition. She wasn't the best at cooking and since she just got here, she found herself at a loss of what to do. Of course, as she looked at her dish and then looked at the others, she was mumbling to herself.]

Um...I'm sorry, how did you make that...?

[Because at the end of the day, she simply made rice balls as that was all she could really make.]

4. Wildcard

[Surprise me!!]

Iron Chef

[elevatoravatar]

Elizabeth peered over, she had met this person a few times in the metaverse and in the velvet room, but doubted that they would really remember. The timeline is a messy thing and thankfully, most aren't cursed to remember everything. Still she tilted her head a bit.

"There was a vendor I was taken to, who stated that their takoyaki would make your cheeks fall off, despite not using octopus. I simply remembered their secret ingredient which I sniffed out, and used it."

She smiles darkly, "While mine remained intact, I am curious if those who brought us here will suffer that fate."

akihiko sanada | persona 3 (tdm)

[marakunda]

City Center — Flower Statue

(Somewhere in the City center an art exhibit takes place, one full of greenery and flowers, a true display of nature at her best and in the middle of it all is a statue that catches the admiration of the onlookers. It's just a shame that said statue is about to cause a commotion as Akihiko wakes up with a jolt and an audible grunt, startling the people around him enough that one even drops their camera.)

What the — ?

(It takes a good moment for the student to even figure out half of what's happening; there had been some kind of light and then nothing, just waking up buried up to his thighs in soil, covered in vines and a variety of brightly coloured flowers. The onlookers seem perplexed enough to not help the now-moving statue out, some of them even moving on to other things and Aki watches them, shaking his head before he begins to pull the vines that have wrapped around him away.

This isn't how he'd expected the day to end. One moment he'd been in the lounge debating what size beef bowl, and then suddenly unexpected flower arranging....

Akihiko sighs, doing his best to ignore the people who have stayed to get more photos of the flower covered living statue. None of them are helping, just talking loud enough amongst themselves that it's almost starting to feel like being back at school and that's more than enough to get him moving as the young man frees one leg. Now he just needs to sit down and dig a little to begin freeing up the other.)

Do they bury people often here?

Sidequest — Cat

(A cat stuck up a tree had sounded easy enough, something to get him started on learning the lay of the land. The owner had seemed frantic and originally Akihiko had opted to not, there were important things going on. But then the other had asked how he'd feel if his pet was stuck up a tree and after a few mental images of a dog being stuck up a tree (not to mention a quick debate over how said dog wasn't a pet but a valued member of the team thank you), Akihiko had finally relented. How long could it take?

Akihiko fixes the cat with a steely stare. Cats weren't like dogs and after a couple of attempts at calling the creature down, Akihiko opts on the next best course of action; the direct one. Climbing up there would take strength, precision, things he's certain he has and the young man looks at the partner who's come along on the mission.)

How good are you at catching?

Iron Chef — Aldrip

(Somehow Akihiko has been wrangled into being a judge, something that isn't quite aligning with his self-imposed mission of finding out what the hell is going on in this place. The people had seemed earnest and the smell of food sealed the deal. If only the people in Aldrip knew just how atrocious Akihiko's taste in food is; they would have run a mile before asking.

The salad Akihiko is presented is beautiful, vibrant green leaves, glistening red tomatoes and after a few bites Akihiko puts the fork down, looking thoughtful.)

Needs more protein. Meat. Beef would go well with this, perhaps an egg or two.

Wildcard

(Feel free. Text threads also cool.)

The prettiest flower of them all

[drugsnotclubs]

[The art show has definitely made it a pain in the ass to get through the middle of the city. People are up and out and active, marvelling over each display, and even stopping in the middle of the walkway, regardless of anyone trying to get by or go somewhere. Honestly, he should have figured out some other route. It would at lest speed up learning his way through the large city that Aldrip had become overnight.

But that grunt and complaint is a voice he'd know anywhere, and, much like the NPCs he'd been internally bitching about, Shinjiro comes to a dead stop. That's definitely Akihiko. (It's about that time, isn't it? A handful of new people with new crimes, thrown into whatever this 'world' happens to be.) While he can't be too surprised, he also had never let himself actually hope to see him again here. After all- its kind of a shitty thing to wish on someone, right? Being dragged into whatever this mess is just for Shinjiro's selfish wants to see Akihiko again? He'd never expect or want somrthing of the like. But just the sound of Akihiko bitching is enough to loosen some of the set of his shoulders, it being familiar enough to feel
.. homey. (Sappy sentiments he hates and will deny forever.)

He half-turns and moves automatically towards him, watching the boxer dig at the earth and gripe. His hands stay shoved into the pockets of his old coat as he approaches- its a bit worse for wear, but kept up-- with a few patches and decorative stitching that he clearly didn't add himself, covering up the tears from those bullets. He's only been here six months, so the time doesn't show tpo much on him-- the length of his hair a little longer, maybe, face slightly less hollowed out from the repreive of constantly fighting death that this place brings.]

...Thought I was supposed to be the one pushing daisies.

[He speaks out as he approaches at Akihiko's sides and withdraws a hand, offering it out for the boxer to take and be pulled up.]

Kei Nanjo - Persona 2

[totheno1]

I - CITY CENTER
[It's honestly, embarrassing that he let his guard down enough to have ended up here. Even if there was no way to stop it, Kei simply tends to analyze situations like this one from a disjointed point of view. Enough time for people to snap a few pictures of him before he finally removes his biker's helmet from his head, a few strands of hair comically standing upright, using his other hand to push his glasses up his nose.]

Truly, a precarious situation...

[Ahh it spoke! A few of the locals look surprised as he tries to move despite the vines around his feet. This would be so much easier if he still had his sword. He looks towards the nearest person.]

You! Could you aid me?

[He's not really asking as much as demanding.]

II - CITY CENTER - A MODERN MAN REQUIRES MODERN SOLUTIONS
[It's still hard to believe - the city, the 'phone' that looks even more modern than anything he could have had his hands on (prototypes or not), the weird mesh between modern and the sort of fantastical element that seems to permeate everywhere he looks.

The local business owners easily spot Nanjo as a Chosen, but they are rather surprised that he doesn't seem to want to do the usual spiel to get the free items, but rather ends up talking with them enough to be able to figure out their business models and propose a few suggestions to increase their profit ratio in exchange to help run their businesses. Few take up on his offer, but he does manage to get eventually get one handshake. This world hasn't quite caught up to a Harvard student who was majoring economics, and if he's stuck here for a while, he figures he might make the most of it. Just getting things handed to him won't make him the number one man of Japan...or this world.]

III THE DARK ALLEY
[It's unwise to be out at night, he was warned, but Kei didn't feel like he had too much to worry about. Despite a lack of sword, he had found a wooden weapon he could wield if he truly needed it. That, and he had to admit to himself that it reminded him of old times...

If there was anything he had learned, it was that a city tended to show its true nature when most of its eyes had gone to sleep. People seeking a quick opportunity, or someone who might need help. Either way, it was a good way to gain information, if he was to figure out more about the world and (more importantly) if it was possible to escape it. It was only a matter of time before he ran into another Chosen. Kei isn't exactly the type of person that screams 'intimidating' with his medium stature, but there's something almost regal about him and the way he speaks.]

Excuse me, is there any particular reason you are out at night?

IV WILDCARD
[Feel free to make his life miserable.]

III.

[memori3s]

[ Uh oh. Looks like he's not alone out here after all. And that makes two of them, as far as type of people who don't quite scream "intimidating" with their stature.

The dog accompanying the teen steps in between him and Kei, lips curled back in a protective snarl. The boy crouches behind the dog and strokes the dog's neck reassuringly. ]

It's okay, Koromaru.

[ Koromaru's been incredibly protective of him ever since last month's snake problems. ]

...I can't really be out during the day right now, that's all.

[ If Kei looks closely, he may notice the boy looks a little frail. ]

monkey d. luffy 🍖 one piece 🍖 tdm

[joyboys]

D O C K S.

( a. ) [ the sound of water, the feeling of a boat gently rocking on the waves — that is all more than familiar, and certainly not what wakes him up. no, what wakes him is the smell — or a lack of smells, more like, since everything that makes the sunny the home on the seas for the straw hats is very much lacking at this very moment.

which is why luffy sits up, eyes wide, before clambering up to the deck in a hurry. ] Hey, where am I? This isn't the Sunny! [ his yell may be loud enough to attract attention even on the shore, in the safety of the docks, and as soon as he sees another human being, he zeroes in on them with alarming intensity. ]

Hey, you! Who're you? What's going on?

( b. ) [ eventually, once he's been given the tablet, one may find luffy quite simply standing there, head tilted, shaking the tablet in his hands as if expecting something to fall out of it. ]

C'mon, where're you? Come out, already! [ the..... who, now? ]

S I D E Q U E S T S.

[ the snakes around the city don't seem to bother luffy in the slightest (and why would they, he's immune to poisons!) as he runs from one street to another, zig-zagging and sometimes quite simply jumping onto a rooftop, or a tree. what is he doing, you ask? ]

Ooooooooi, cat! Where are you??

[ — yeah, he's. looking for the cat. he doesn't seem to have much success with it, though, for reasons that shall forever remain a mystery. at least to him, as he scratches the side of his head, lips pursed. ]

What a stupid cat. Why won't it just show up already?

W I L D C A R D.

[ u know the drill! ]

sidequests!

[izanagis]

[Luffy's not the only one out here looking for pussy--

Okay. No. Seriously though, Yu is also on the trail of the missing feline, and while he doesn't seem as dedicated to the cause as Luffy is, he's doing his best, with cat treats in hand and a back-up plan of catching a fish if this absolutely doesn't work. He...hopes he won't need to go that far. That becomes more like a chain of requests, which would be a whole thing.

Anyway, he's trying to coax the cat out of the bushes he's pretty sure it plunged into when the pirate comes charging by.]

They don't take direction very well, do they?

karamatsu matsuno | osomatsu-san | tdm....

[noplan]

I.

[ there were plenty of questions that karamatsu had in this moment. obviously, where the hell he was happened to be number one. are his brothers around, number two.

naturally, that stopped mattering in a manner of seconds as he realized that he was probably kidnapped again-- which meant he'd have to fight his way back out. he'll be locked in a battle to the death with his captors, he'll...

--ah. he's out like a light again.

when he wakes up this time, the bright light immediately causes a stir in his heart. ah, he's died. wait, that's not even fair! he doesnt have a story to tell to his new friends in the afterlife! how could he wow anyone without knowing how he died?

...wait, if he was dead, wasn't that worse?! before he even has a chance to scream, the light starts fading and the sounds of people scurrying around him start right up. he's getting pampered, being spoken to, and soon is back on his feet. ]

Eh? Wait, hold it--

[ "knock 'em dead!" before karamatsu's pushed on stage in front of a packed house. he's petrified for a moment... and then, it dawns on him. ahh, of course.

he reaches into his jacket and pulls out his sunglasses. showtime. ]

Make noise, Karamatsu Girls and Boys!

[ what follows is ten minutes of the most basic-ass guitar and lyrics that barely mean anything. either kick him off stage or meet him backstage. ]

ii.

[ this arbuckle lookin mf strolls up to you. ]

Moment of your time, please? I'd like you to take a picture of me in front of this statue.

[ he's handing over his device, sidling up to a statue in town. regardless of the pose it has, karamatsu's decided on his own, both index fingers at his face and his legs spread apart.

there are. no further instructions from him, but he'll keep holding the pose. ]

iii.

[ wildcard. i'm sorry for bringing him to this tdm. ]

ii

[killjoyprince]

[Even after everything with the TV world, fighting a god, having her memories messed with, Naoto had to wonder what her life had become.

She'd been looking for cats when the phone had been shoved into her hands. It was a good job these devices were so intuitive. For a second she just stared, then silently she lifted the phone and snapped a photo.]

Would that suffice?

[In the bottom half was the young man, then with the statue looming behind him. Is this good composition?]

Toph Beifong | Avatar: the Last Airbender

[fieldtrip]

1. crimes part deux

There's a rather shady casino in the entertainment district, and Toph may or may not be part of a plan to take it over and make it an upright, moral business. The only scamming that'll be happening is the legal, above-board scamming of the house to the petty suckers who choose to walk in-- but that hasn't happened yet. Right now there's a very short girl cleaning up mercilessly at certain games (poker and roulette, noticeably) and maybe a time or two at pool if she can find a partner willing to handle the whole "reading colors and numbers" thing.

Normally Toph would be more circumspect about this, but she's on a mission today and she may as well prove herself to the schmucks whose business she's about to take over. She's fully expecting it when a tough guy storms up to her demanding his money back, because she's clearly cheating.

Toph smirks and doesn't deny it. "You wanna make something of it? It'd be real sad if everyone here saw you get beat down by a little girl."

Watch and cheer her on? Be the person she scammed? Offer to be her partner for pool? Misguidedly try to step in and save her from the consequences of her own actions? Your call.

2. STATUARY

Perhaps you are on a scavenger hunt to find a particular statue that looks like Toph, or just happen to run across her actively making some.

It's some pretty impressive metal-bending even if the resulting statue is comedically rough, and Toph looks like she's letting out some steam. There's an angry cant to her typically smooth and graceful martial arts as she crumples scrap metal into a ball and then forms it into her likeness. After she makes one, she stomps down the street and sets out making another.

Just to prove she can. Her bending is back and everyone is going to know it.

3. drag show

Since this time it isn't for a bunch of miffed rich people looking for an apology, Toph happily volunteers to serve as entertainment. She doesn't totally get what a drag show is or what it's supposed to entail, but the idea of dressing up like one of the Earth Rumble contestants she used to squash and doing some flashy-but-pointless bending moves is a no-brainer.

Without a speck of shyness, Toph launches herself onto the center stage at the Events Center, making a dramatic earth-shaking rumble as she lands. She's dressed in a distinctly masculine yet extravagant green costume that lands somewhere between wuxia and WWE.

"I am Crusher, undefeated champion of all drag shows!" she roars. "You will see my power and know why none dare to challenge me!"

Toph immediately launches into a decisive demonstration of Hung Gar kung fu. There's no bending to accompany it, which makes it solely focused on the movements, akin to a dance performance. Despite her tiny size, her stance is firmly rooted and she executes each move perfectly. It's easy to believe if someone were standing in front of her, she'd send them flying. Anyone who knows Toph well might realize that this isn't her normal fighting style -- it's the standard earthbending one; in other words, the one knuckleheaded idiots would use to show off.

She goes on for a few minutes with some pretty impressive stamina before drawing to a close with a dramatic flare and a swell of music.

Perhaps you can find her after the show, still in costume and taking advantage of the free food for performers.

[ ooc: Also happy with brackets, feel free! ]

1.

[depressionnap]

Look, he doesn't know that Toph is Tough beyond the aggressive personality, albeit he does have kind of an amused appreciation for that from someone so clearly young. He's mostly just keen to observe for a moment, but has no context that she can defend herself from pretty much anyone.

Eventually, Vincent does speak up from where he's sauntering about, his tone a bit wry, "How much integrity is there in gambling with a blind girl to begin with? Seems to me you earned about as much as was deserved."

Regardless of whether she cheated or not, it's shady as heck to gamble with a blind girl.

"Don't claim to have a moral high ground here."

Elizabeth | Persona Arena Ultimax

[elevatoravatar]

Arrival: Elizabeth blinked and shook her head, this wasn't the sea of the soul, this wasn't the TV world, this wasn't anywhere she was expecting. This was a stone door in some town, were she was being held up to it by vines. Someone was obviously using very bad humor here to tell her something about her own quest, either that or the universe had a very odd sense of humor.

"Hrm, this is rather an unexpected issue. Were that I could get a better grasp upon my compendium."

With that she looks around a bit and struggles a bit against her bindings, "Is there anyone else in this... Whatever place we are in?"

Smells like Nir... A Sidequest: Elizabeth had never been on this side of a quest before. She had given many, but this seemed so important, and so similar to the ones she had given. Find a tortoise shell cat and bring it back to someone in town, and to do so she will be given a reward. Will it allow the fusion of a new persona? Will it be some form a gemstone? Will it be a powerful weapon or armor? Or will it even be an entirely new outfit. Something like neko headband did not say for certain, or not for any certainty that made sense to Elizabeth. Still it seemed a novel way to pass the time.

"Here kitty, kitty~!"

Iron Chef: Luckily, no one had asked Elizabeth to cook. That would have ended poorly for everyone, as while she was an expert at the identification of food, she had relatively little understanding of how to make it. Unless you counted bullying your younger brother into making it. Still she did have a nose for food, and a stomach that rivaled your average 9 ton trash compactor.

Tasting a dish she pondered, "I am uncertain why you chose this particular seasoning. It doesn't seem to accentuate the texture or the other flavors in this particular.... What is it you call it? Also... You did not state that this will make my cheeks fall off, or my head spin. Are you uncertain about the food's potency?"

arrival!!

[memori3s]

Not anyone, necessarily, but there does appear to be an any-dog.

Koromaru stops before the stone door where a woman in Velvet Room blue is struggling against some vines. He's had to walk himself lately and, luckily for Elizabeth, he'd decided to explore the new gardens. The dog barks, as if to reassure her that he'll be of assistance shortly.

Fortunately, someone's left a particularly sharp-edged shovel nearby, possibly forgotten by whoever was tending to the greenery. Koromaru lifts the handle into his mouth and trots back to the stone door. He wags his tail before springing forward, slicing into the vibes with the edge of the shovel. The vines are no match for him. They fall to the floor in pieces.

barret wallace | final fantasy vii rebirth | new player, tdming

[ecocentric]

i. arrival (dire dire docks)

[There's a large, imposing man in a rather flattering sailor suit, a modified fishing rod attached where his right arm would be, and a confused scowl etched on his face as he's spoken to by a gaggle of construction workers. You might be able to catch the tail end of his (increasingly frustrated) explanations. It's not hard. His voice booms even when he's not intending for it to.]

Hold on now - listen here! Pay attention this time! I don't work here, alright? I'm lookin' for some folks! Got no idea how we're this far off of Costa del Sol...

[Ah, but poor guy! He's dressed as a sailor. Clearly he's a sailor! Obviously.]

ii. sidequest (natgeo photos)

[Barret's deft with one hand to work the camera with, having decided that, okay, he guesses he's doing this dumb picture taking now. The merc took photos all the time. How hard could it be?

He's been trying to get a picture of a beautifully plumaged bird in a tree for fifteen minutes. The angle's all wrong! Damn thing turns at the wrong time or he gets some unflattering shot, or his finger slips on the shutter button... he's got the shot lined up perfectly now, and is just about to take the photo when...

The bird startles - perhaps by someone's approach, or a sneeze, or shuffle of feet, and flutters away, to Barret's deep consternation.]

C'mon! Goddammit! Hey!

[He's rounding on the first person he sees. Sorry.] Was it you that made that noise? 'Fess up.

[This guy is huge, and 99% muscle, so even if he isn't intending to look mean (and he's not!), it sure is intimidating...]

iii. wildcard

[Choose your own adventure! Happy to do text threads. I'm taking Barret from... some nebulous part of Rebirth but I will be avoiding and marking for spoilers as they come up.]

ii - spoiler away, don't care in the least!

[fieldtrip]

[ Toph is maybe a third of Barret's size and still absolutely unintimidated. ]

Whoops, sorry. [ She does not sound sorry. Partly because she doesn't know what she's apologizing for, admittedly. ] I was trying to figure out what you were doing over here.

[ There's a blank cast to her eyes and a lack of focus that hint at her blindness, but there's nothing about her that makes it seem like she's having trouble navigating or tracking what's going on. The whole concept of technology is still pretty challenging, though, and she doesn't have a way to recognize that what he's trying to do is take pictures. ]

tifa lockhart | final fantasy vii | new player tdm

[saults]

I. — arrival

[ she barely has time to blink her eyes open, to properly wake up, as she senses the invasion of several hands over her face, seemingly poking at her cheeks with blush-coated brushes and dabbing at her lips with a tube of deep red lipstick. ]

Wha—hey! Stop! What's going on!? [ she tries to wave them off, but it's as they don't even acknowledge the question nor the discomfort as they all look to her with beaming smiles, pushing her encouragingly forward. it's only then that she notices the sparkling crimson dress she has on, something that someone would only really wear if they were meant to put on some kind of performance, which — seems to be precisely the kind of things that's happening as tifa is nudged directly onto a stage, an entire audience waiting for her to act.

she freezes up, arms curling around herself awkwardly as she peers around with a nervous frown. at the very least she isn't alone, as other people seem to be onstage with her, some with instruments and some dressed in costumes similar to her own.

turning to one of them, she whispers just loud enough for them to hear over the sounds of the cheering crowd. ] What exactly are we supposed to be doing?

II. — side quest

[ at the very least, things aren't too different from the kinds of things she'd be doing back in sector 7, taking on a bit of responsibility like the neighborhood watch she's used to, checking the area to keep it clear from monsters. though they seem to mostly linger outside of town in the fields, some have snuck their way into the streets. a pair of hound-like creatures race through an alleyway, ready to charge directly towards someone, but before they could pounce to sink their fangs into whomever they sought to make their meal, tifa sprints forward, gauntlet-covered fists pummeling one of the creatures into a wall, swiftly giving a swing of her leg to kick away the other.

with a deeply exhaled breath, she straightens up, fists still up to keep on the fight if the hounds aren't out for the count yet, first looking up to the dogs' almost victim — if they couldn't have handled it themselves anyway. ]

You okay? Thought you could use the help.

III. — network

Does anyone have trouble with their memories?
I guess not just about ending up in this place but in general.
Like you start to doubt yourself on things you're sure you remember.

IV. — wild card

( open to doing altered or completely different prompts! not sure on canon point but leaning rebirth and will avoid any spoilers. )

iii

[izanagis]

[Oof. This hits close to home in an unsettling way. Yu types a few things out before deleting them, thoughtful but reluctant to give too many details. He's still sorting some things out, himself, thanks to recent events.]

In a manner of speaking, maybe.
Did it start recently?

dazai osamu | bungo stray dogs | new player + tdm!

[humandispel]

i. — city center, sleeping beauty.

[ Lying in a bed of roses may make for a pretty display, but it is not an ideal way to spend the rest of your life. Maybe if you’re dead and unfeeling, sure, but what wakes up Dazai more than the camera flashes is the itching sensation of thorns scratching against his skin. He’d rather not stick around on the off-chance it would kill him faster! ]

[ Besides, it doesn’t take a detective to know that he didn’t put himself into this situation in the first place. He may have found himself in a beautiful garden in the middle of a city, but roses are not the only pretty things with thorns. Dazai has found himself in a sinister puzzle box, begging to be solved. ]

[ First things first — he picks himself up with as much grace as he could, and turns to the closest onlooker with a blinding smile. ]

So you must be my savior!

[ He places one of the roses in their hand. ]

I want to show you my gratitude, but I’d like to ask some questions first, if you don’t mind?

ii. — network, "if newbies are adventurous enough they even might come across a real clown corpse!"

[ me after reading this on plurk: bet. ]

FROM: barlupin

Word on the streets says that there's a dead body floating around.
Can someone tell me where it is, pretty please??
I want to ask it questions, like how it died or if clown corpses can still honk!

iii. — what a meowderful sidequest!

[ It’s like a dream come true! How dreary, and how absolutely meandering! Odasaku made finding cats sound like the best job in the world, and now he is living it! ]

Here, kitty kitty ~

[ If only it could have been easier. The white kitten seemed out of her wits, the poor thing. It was easy to track her down, but trying to convince her to come with him to her owner is proving to be more troublesome than defusing a bomb with his eyes clothes. ]

[ Dazai scratches his head, utterly lost. ]

How am I supposed to coax her out of that broken pipe…?

iv. — wildcard.

[ go wild! card. ]

ii. | un: marlenesdad

[ecocentric]

What the hell do you sound so excited for?
Somebody died. Have some sympathy

sha-ming | gnosia

[bonobos]

side quest

[ rent is due by the end of the month. he's unemployed. well, he technically has a part time job now courtesy of a local blind 13 year old, but that's beside the point. on paper, he is unemployed.

and that is precisely why he's crouched behind a tree, eyes trained on an unsuspecting black cat ambling up a branch. when he catches sight of you, he physically jolts, shock running through his body instinctively. ]

DON'T kill me-- oh, shit, it's just you. [ whew. the back of his hand wipes off a rivulet of a sweat beading down his brow. ] Not that I know you, but like, you're clearly not a hitman so. Anyways, you wanna help me get this cat down? Pretty please? With a cherry on top?

party time

[ what a wretched month. sha-ming has been oscillating between bed rotting lows and mania induced highs. how else does a man cope?

the simple answer is: he goes to the club -- or the closest thing there is to one. the newfound entertainment district has a wealth of pleasure to offer, and you can easily catch him outside of a booming building, music rattling against its walls as color floods through its windows. he's got a drink in hand, lurking in the shadows in an attempt to get some air. strangely enough, there's a kind of melancholy lingering around him, lips flattened into a thin line.

regardless of how you look, he'll readopt his more jovial, more lackadaisical front at the sight of you. with a grin: ]

Hey! You wanna learn how to party? This month's been a steaming pile of crap. We might as well as make the best of it. C'mon, it'll be fun.

[ if you're a newcomer: ]

First time I've seen your face. Need me to show ya around? And before you say anything, I'm too much of a loser to jump you -- I'm just sooooo damn bored.

party time featuring MINATO ARISATO from the hit game Persona 3 (this is a threeway thread)

[ the club is even worse inside. oozing neon, the dancefloor is blindingly bright, pulsating violently in tandem with whatever's playing.

why is there a teenage boy in a wheelchair here, you ask?

because healing at a hospital fully and properly is for losers.

sha-ming is... riding the back of his wheelchair? it's zipping across the dancefloor? he's clearly somewhat inebriated. the wheelchair is bolting towards you. ]

Yeah man, screw this city! And screw the fake memories! Screw my parents, every corporation out there, and you know what, screw Jerry while we're at it! Yeah, yeah, yeah! Ain't that right, lil bro!?

[ he's smiling so wildly, completely entrenched in his own mind, he doesn't even notice that you're in the way and that the equivalent to a human car crash is about to occur. ]

drag time

[ he's been waiting for this.

gold, glitter, sequins and sparkle -- what isn't there to love? the most audacious of queens and kings stride down the catwalk as the judges sit at the panel, watching with a careful eye.

backstage, sha-ming is flitting around, observing the contestants with a smile. at the sight of you, he whistles wolfishly, like a total asshole. ]

Lookin' good, hot stuff! [ ah yes, he is overwhelmingly pleased by this. ] Bet the judges are gonna be allllll over you.

drag time v2

[ well, they got him.

he's in the dressing room again, except this time, he's a contestant alongside you. he's donning a mini skirt, fishnets, and jet black hair extensions that pool down at the small of his back. all things considered, he looks remarkably good. very lethargically: ]

Hey... can I borrow your lipstick? I just realized this isn't my color... like... at all...

[ listen! if he's going to get dragged into this, he might as well as try to win! ]

network/glitch

bro who the hell stole my door 😭

wildcard

[ these prompts are all open to newbies and oldbies alike. hit me with anything, i'm so serious. if you're unsure just message me at moontrip ]

PARTY TIME minato can join if Jin wants

[drugsnotclubs]

[He should have known Sha-Ming would break them out of the clinic just for something lame like this. Music thumping, the people of Aldrip dancing, and lights strobing, fluorescing whatever highly colorful drink lays untouched before Shinjiro whenever the stray beam strikes it. It could be worse, though. He could be Minato, being spun and flung around like the worst theme park ride ever.

His worse leg is up on a second chair next to him, sitting at one of the tables farther away from the dance floor. As itchy and hot and disgusting at his healing wounds area at least they give him a perfect excuse to not get dragged up dancing. (And the shitty alcohol helps mask the weirdly sweet antiseptic smell of whatever the hell Ethlyn had covered his infection with--)

It's like Escapade, but bigger. Same concept, though. People throwing themselves into hedonism to avoid whatever else. Whenever Sha-Ming finally returns for a water break (liquor break?), he pushes the bright drink the other man's way.]

You're gonna make him puke with all that spinning.

[If Minato is even still awake. Who knows with that guy.]

mochizuki ryoji | persona 3 | new player's tdm!

[luneminary]

i. — the docks, stranded.

[ Come to think of it, he’s never been at sea before. Or visited the beach, even. No wonder all the rocking has been making him feel dizzy! Everything looks unfamiliar to him, but this isn’t the first time he’s ended up somewhere with no memory of he got here.

You just tend to stop questioning it, after a while.

Staying here doesn’t seem fun for his head (or his stomach), so he’d rather be on his own merry way…if not for the fact that a gaggle of sailors seem very interested on how he managed to sneak into their docks. ]

Sorry, I must have turned the wrong way.

[ The young man tries his best to explain himself, but he’s clearly flustered. ]

I guess you don’t know where Iwatodai is from here, do you..?

ii. — glitches town, tapping feet.

[ Some of the weirdness he’s been seeing could be attributed to culture clash. Maybe it’s natural in this place for a window to start flickering in and out of existence, and maybe the weirdly colored bench over there is just a design choice!

There’s just one little problem. Somehow he found his scarf to be stuck in a wall, sandwiched between concrete. And he can’t just leave his scarf alone! ]

Um. A little help here?

iii. — try not to get this party drag for too long!

[ He looks pretty cool, if he’s being honest! Something about the golden glitter and the makeup bring out a charm to him that he never knew existed, and the cold wind blowing against his dark stockings isn’t so bad once you get used to it. His favorite part would be the dark feathers that adorn his dress — it makes him look like a queen of the night, so to speak.

He only hopes that his performance as “Makoto” would make the judges happy. It’s his first time in a drag competition, after all. ]

Thanks, you look amazing yourself! If you want, we should go and grab a quick bite sometime!

[ For now he’s mingling with the other folk while still in costume, oblivious that he sounds like he’s asking out everyone on a date. ]

iv. — wildcard.

[ wow this is just like persona - also for those who know his canon, ryoji here is from the femc (kotone) route, and he's taken before december!]

ii. — glitches town, tapping feet

[totheno1]

[This is...certainly confusing now. Well enough for Kei to start question everything, but then, there's the situation like this that looks like a teleportation gone wrong.

Well that and that weird feeling of dread he has like his Persona feels a little...afraid? Maybe it's just his nerves.]

Young man, how did that even happen?!

Richard Plantagenet | Requiem of the Rose King | ota

[traumaticus]

I - Arrival to the danger zone

[The bed of leaves feels so warm. There is something almost comforting sleeping like this, away from everything else, surrounded only by the soothing wildlife and scent of flowers. When was last time Richard had been able to sleep like this? Peacefully without darkness cursing him and trying to drag him down under. Even the white void seemed like a nothing but distant dream, slipping away from him. There is something vaguely familiar in this feeling. Had he been here before?

"-- That's right, Richard! Wouldn't it be just perfect to stay here and freeze to death! Or, wait. I though there was something you still needed to do." The taunting voice of the Witch rings through his mind, shaking Richard awake from his peaceful slumber. Yes.. He wasn't done yet, there is still so much he needs to do. The Light wasn't still his.

But that's when he heard a high pitched laughter coming from various directions. Then, there is a small hand carefully touching, no poking his face. First of all? Rude. Second? Yeah, that's what makes Richard eyes blink wide open and jump right up, hand automatically reaching for his blade sheathed on his hips. He swings his sword and only comes this close from cutting the curious audience who had came to marvel at these new statues. Well, right now they're all screaming The panic and confusion settles in the mismatched eyes as Richard quickly scans his surroundings. This is not London.. This is not a place he knows. Could it be that Woodvilles had managed to knock him out and drag him somewhere? No, that couldn't possibly.

Expression hardening, Richard tightens the grip on his sword and rushes forward, grabbing the person closest by the collar and harshly yanks him forward.]

You--!! Tell me what is going on?!

II - These new streets

[After his rude awakening and receiving a brief explanation about the situation Richard has fully come to accept that this place, Aldrip or whatsoever, is in fact: Hell. Simple as that. What else could it be? Everywhere he looks he can see visions from the bedtime stories: from the unnatural light that shines brighter and more white than the sun itself, people mounting these the bright feathered giant horse birds and all these... bodies on display with barely any cloth to protect their modesty. A far cry from England with its gloomy and chilly castles.

But that's all fine to him. After all, Richard had always known he would not be welcomed to the Lord's gardens when the time came to him. Which is also why the sole concept of rehabilitation</> and atonement only made him want to laugh. As if he was going to apologize and beg for forgiveness. Hah. Instead he's far more interesting to learn about his new home.

a) Stop Right There Criminal Scum

[The shipyard is an area of interest to Richard. After all, it has always been a hotspot for travelers and gossip. It is the first place where one without status or money should go when seeking for information. Given that they're capable of defending themselves, of course.

Covering himself with a dark cloak, Richard walks around the hazy street of the dock-area. He can't help but notice a surprising amount of snakes slithering in the plain-sight, unafraid of humans. Huh. Strange. Anyway, he avoids making any unnecessarily contact with others for now -- he's here just to scout, after all. But then he notices one figure accidentally bumping to another, giving them a weak sounding apology before rushing of. Richard's eyes narrow, recognizing a mugging attempt when he sees one.

So, as the thief was just about to run past him, he makes sure to put his feet in front of him, tripping the clumsy bandit down. Then, he looks at the mugged person and calls for them with a wry smile on his lips]

I believe this man has something of yours.

b) Bring Back My Girls

[One might think that someone back from the bygone-era would find the display in front of him shocking but.. Aside from the bizarre costumes, not really? Richard had known that immoral theater like these were rather popular among the common folk. Peasants did enjoy their festivals and entertainment, alright. When in Rome do as the Romans do.

So, he's standing among the crowd, hands crossed over his chest and wearing a rather serious expression compared to everyone else.]

...I fail to understand the story of this play.

III - When Everything Is Said And Done

[The sun sets even in Hell, it seems. Or Aldrip, whatever. When the darkness pulls over the city sky like a veil Richard is already half expecting to people to change form. Cast out their humanoid masks and reveal their beastly forms, starting the feast of souls.

But.. nothing happens. Everything stays the same and even stars come out with the guidance of a brilliant full moon. Some people hurry back to their homes while others linger on, seeking escape and salvation from the bottom of the bottle, from the gambling table or underneath skirt of a lady. Nothing changes, people are the same - despite the environment.

Richard had been given a room at local inn. How kind of them, truly. But as exhausted and overwhelmed Richard is feeling from the activities of the day he just can't bring himself to crawl into the cold embrace of bed. Not after having experienced the true warmth.

So, he keeps wandering around the streets. Almost like a lost ghost looking for its home, than dangerous demon trying to find souls to devour. When was the last time he had been this lonesome--

Poor little Richard! I heard that there are woods here, maybe there you'll find your home again and someone to hold you. Haha! Just like in good old days!!

The voice calls for him yet again, making Richard stop on his tracks and turn around, trying to spot the White Witch mocking him but no avail. Hell. Why is even she avoiding him?]

If you are committed to continue your slander and lies you might as well appear before me, witch!

[Richard cries out to the darkness but nothing. Only his own voice echoing from the walls of narrow alley. Suddenly it all becomes too much to bear. Joan's calumny, the strange city, the emptiness.

He wraps his arms around himself and bends down, curling up into a ball somewhere in the concrete jungle of back-alleys.]

[WILDCARD: Come with me your own adventure. Richard can be seen looking all kinds of post-medieval stuff. from light bulbs to sugary sweets.

ALSO! Richard sees and hears Ghosts. They're not real but only inside his own mind,but Richard himself believes to be haunted. So.. Yeah. Fun?]

B, because I simply must

[paragonknight]

[ Before Richard stands what can only be described as a very beautiful knight clad with a delicately ornate suit of armour head to toe. There are no shortage of rose motifs inlaid upon him. A intrigued hum falls from his lips as he turns to look at Richard. Presumably it's to listen to what he says very attentively. ]

I do not understand it either. [ Graciously, he smiles through his admission with a hand pressed flat against an armoured chest. ] Yet witnessing such ardor being put forth in their performance compels me. Do you not feel the same?

Chiron | Fate Apocrypha

[antaressnipe]

THE DOCKS:

[There's a HORSE in the hospital SHIP--

Or at least a large creature sporting the bottom portions of one. Come now, you've never seen a centaur before? Well, regardless, the fact that the top-half is human is why everyone is treated to his utter bemused glances as he emerges from the ship's lower floors, four legs slightly splayed to keep his balance. Apparently, trotting up a flight of stairs isn't outside of his abilities.

But going back down? One of the ship's attendants is certainly trying, hissing at the centaur to go back; construction isn't done and that body of his is gonna obstruct work!]

... I'm afraid my anatomy makes that difficult.

[Tail flicking to the side as a man half his size looks ready to push him against the barrel. Yeaaah, that's a nope! Though before the attendant can catch an attitude, Chiron spies the proximity of the nearby docks and decides, why not.

He'll just jump over the boat's side and land directly onto the dock itself, his weight causing the wood to strain and probably scaring some of the locals into the water. His apologies.]

What a fascinating place. [The politest way he can angle the real question as he rubs lightly at his temples: what the fresh hell is this?]

SIDEQUEST:

[What the fresh hell is this: part deux.

In his slow meanderings around the town, Chiron has found himself tasked with a random assortment of nonsense by the locals. Apparently, the centaur looks like the helpful sort whose too vexed by his surroundings to say no -- and at least for now, everyone is correct. Which is why he's been sent out to:

1. Take a photo of the strangest flower he can find (except he doesn't know how to work a tablet, the Throne of Heroes didn't teach him that, what is he supposed to do with this tiny box in his hand?)

OR

2. Find a man's dog (he has found FIVE dogs, all of whom are obediently trailing after him like HE'S their master, someone please assist--)

Regardless of your choice, rest assured Chiron looks like he's still fighting off a light migraine. At least this is nothing compared to Greece.]

WILDCARD

[Go ahead and roll the dice. This man is Greek. Nothing will phase him.]

sidequest

[bonobos]

[ there's a man clearly struggling to take a picture, and sha-ming watches warily before stepping on over and deciding to amend this situation. ]

Come on, do you not know how to use a ta-- oh...you're a horse.

[ why did he notice that just now. ]

Give it here, lemme show you, Secretariat.

Tasha Yar | Star Trek: The Next Generation

[senselessdeath]

Arrival

[So lifelike! What a strange outfit!

These eager comments, and others like it, are what Tasha first becomes aware of. She blinks, and here she is, standing on a pedestal.

Her first thought: another game from Q, and her head whips around. But he isn't to be seen. Neither are any of her crewmates, and in both encounters they've all been dragged into his little scheme as a group. But maybe he's changing it up.]

Get away from me! [She thrashes an arm threateningly at them, but the movement triggers a pain in her head--one that seems to go from her cheekbone straight through her skull, like a duranium spike. Without meaning to, she gasps, falling to one knee on the plinth.

And then she remembers. Vagra II. The shuttle. Armus.] This isn't possible.

Scavenger hunt

[Maybe it's because her death was so sudden. If it had been a long, drawn-out affair, an illness or a slow mortal injury, this would seem stranger. But Tasha is walking around this strange city as though nothing happened to her on that planet.

She's looking for a cat. And the way to look for a cat is to hold still, with a plate of meat on your lap. It's a stroke of luck that this is a coastal city, and so that meat is fish.

It's certainly attracting cats, but so far none of them fit the particular description. Tasha's offering them little flakes of fish anyway.]

Now, now, I'm not here for all of you. Just a calico with a tabby tail--[As one, the cats go still, and several of them scamper off. Tasha looks up sharply.] Don't scare them off!

Holodeck malfunction.

[Tasha is wandering the city, tapping her combadge at regular intervals--"Yar to away team. Yar to Enterprise. Yar to any Federation vessel." Wherever she is now, it's out of range of anyone familiar... but she's still trying.

That's when the street she's walking down abruptly becomes the hallway of a school. Tasha has to press herself flat against a row of lockers to avoid a rush of children.]

What in the--? [She stares at the lockers, and then raps them with her fist. They don't sound right.] ...Is this a holodeck?

Wildcard!

[cried]

[ Waka is distracted; unprepared for the sudden appearance of children rushing down the hall, her shoulder bumping against theirs and nearly being driven with the crowd before she forces her body forward. Falling onto her face, but she is at least quick to recover. ]

Owwww… What’s a bunch of punks doing walkin’ in a group like that? [ She rubs at her nose with the palm of her hand, drawing circles and snorting loudly.

With a small cant of her head she responds: ] A holowhat? Miss ma’am this is a hallway.

reze | chainsaw man | tdm

[bombdevil]

I. R.I.P (Capped at 1!)

[ First she feels clarity: she was alive, still. It wasn't good, but it wasn't bad either. Just a fact, she's still booting up - it takes a bit to assign emotional value to it.

Her senses come back to her one by one, like she's some kind of outdated machine only capable of doing one thing at a time. There's something solid on all sides of her, and wherever she is, it's a tight space.

Reze touches her face, elbows hitting every corner before she finally finds her eyes. They're open but it's pitch black.

That's when the panic sets it. Something, someone had trapped her here in this small, pitch-black box of nothing. Nowhere to go, nowhere to run.

You'll hear her before you see her.

It's already dark and most of the sightseers have already wandered out of the park. There's a dark patch of especially shrouded foliage and from it comes a frantic and loud knocking- like limbs against wood. Wrapped in vines and swarmed in weeds is a coffin. It looks like it's been there for a long time despite its inhabitant being a recent addition to this place.

The knocking is incessant and growingly desperate. ]

II. Side Quest - Kitty Wrangling

[ The whole not being a cat person aside- this was supposed to be easy money. You'll find her crouched on one side of the sidewalk, in what could be misconstrued as her having a staring contest with the angry ginger cat leering at her. It looks like it's ready to bolt at any second if she so much as breathes wrong.

Reze to her credit is calm, collected and eerily unblinking - like a prey animal that's dedicated the whole of its brain function to the hunt. It's a little feral child-esque, Russian Spy School will do that to you.

If you're going to try and cut across she won't stop you. ]

What are you doing?

[ She doesn't take her eyes off the cat when she addresses you.

Oddly enough her voice is friendly, quietly cheery even! ]

III. Magic Show ✨

[ That weird, feral child paranoia that always exists in the back of her head is still there, but somehow she manages to enjoy herself. It was one thing to be surrounded by all this indulgence and joy, but it was another to have them accessible to her. She's too leery to do much more than watch a few shows from a distance. It's fun for a bit, until this hack with a dog gets on stage. It's a pitiful little thing - wheezing, with wet eyes and a squashed face. It's kind of ugly, she notes. The costume its dressed in doesn't help.

Reze watches it walk on its hind legs for cheap laughs and makes an impulsive decision. And it's in part to make up for the attempt before this (it didn't pan out, to say the least).

She almost gets away with it, but best laid- plans etc etc.

Reze all but full-body tackles you. She has an odd amount of strength for a girl her size. ]

Take this, now.

[ You are now in possession of an ugly dog in a jester costume. It's absolutely pathetic. ]

Go. I'll find you later.

[ And she's off, disappearing as quickly as she arrived.

But really, she does find you. Whether you're out and about or have been simply hanging around hoping to get rid of this dog. ]

IV. Wild card!

I. running on all fours

[memori3s]

[ Koromaru's out on a solo walk again. He hopes he never has to get used to that. The garden, at the very least, offers plenty of interesting smells.

And plenty of interesting noises.

Knock, knock, knock.

His ears prick up at the noise. It sounds like someone's pounding on hollowed-out wood? That's... not a sound one typically hears in a place brimming with flora. Koromaru sniffs, listening carefully for the direction of the noise before heading off to investigate.

It's there where he finds a wooden box engulfed in vines. The knocking is definitely coming from the inside of it. He barks sharply before leaping on top of the coffin, pawing and clawing at the thick vines. Although they initially hold fast, the vines are no match for Koromaru and fall apart. Now that the coffin's free from its grasp, Koromaru hops off and nudges at the lid, lifting the edge a bit with his wet snout. ]

waka kamikura ( after god + new player tdm )

[cried]

arrival ( city center )

[ Whether it be the heaviness of the dirt piled on her lap or the vines wrapped around her arm, Waka wakes with a fright under the fish-eyed gaze of unfamiliar faces. Immediately she shifts, attempting to pry her arm and shift from underneath the earth -- panic stricken, her free hand moves in front of her to blindly grasp at the ground as she screws her eyes shut. ]

W-Wait! My glasses... shit, y'all seen some sunglasses?

[ The locals gasp with surprise, with only a final snap of a camera flashing followed by their silence. It only makes Waka's anxiousness grow, finally snapping the vines from her arm and pulling herself out of the shallow grave. Or whatever the hell that was.

She's obviously more concerned about a pair of sunglasses conveniently sitting pretty in a bush a few feet away, but she continues to grope at the ground. ]

I've got a condition! I'll be pukin' up chunks real soon if I don't get my glasses back!

sidequest ( pizza )

Hm... maybe shrimp avocado? Asparagus and bacon? Broccoli and tuna?

[ While quite evidently talking to herself, Waka has procured a slice of pizza to keep her creativity flowing. Biting in, glasses just barely hiding her joy; cheeks lighting up as her lips curl into a grin. ]

Mm! Yeah, a pizza with those kinda toppings would be really good!

[ Do not let her suggest this. Please. ]

network ( un: wawa )

hey uhh
does anyone know if there's like
a place where i can get a mask
full face
plz
thx

wildcard

( totally open to anything else. also if you're curious of your character seeing waka's eyes at any time pleases lmk via pm; it's likely to be on accident but just to cover all bases due to her powers! )

arrival

[bonobos]

What the--

[ WHY do people keep emerging from the ground here, hello. sha-ming watches as aldrip's locals scatter and scream -- he's keen to book it alongside with him, but man, there's a pang of sympathy that resounds in his chest.

he heaves a sigh before stepping forward. ]

Okay, first of all, like... don't do that. Or if you do just keep it away from me 'cause I washed this jacket yesterday and the laundromat here is basically a scam. Second of all, what do they look like?

cloud strife || final fantasy vii: r

[identitycrisiscore]

[ i. side hustles ]

[ It's another day in the life of mercenary-for-hire Cloud Strife, and the brand new Aldrip certainly has a plethora of opportunities. Despite that, finding one that promises to cover the rent for the month at the inn is proving to be a bit of a tall order. Just like in Sector 7, he has to start from the ground up — build connections to better jobs. It's more than a little frustrating, but, well, that's the merc life for you — your reputation is easy-come, easy go. So how does he plan to build himself back up in the eyes of Aldrip?

Well, stop me if you've heard this one before, a local is missing their cat, white shorthair. Cloud certainly doesn't see the humor in it, a bundle of posters under one arm. His affection is flat as can be as he hands you a photograph of the cat on a poster. ]

I don't suppose you've seen this cat? Answers to the name 'Snowball'...

[ Alternatively, if you'd prefer something more action-oriented, you might be wandering around the streets in the late afternoon. You may not be on the lookout for snakes — why would you? It's a city, after all. But sure enough, there's one coming out of an alley to slither up and attack you.

This interruption, thankfully, is short-lived. As an obvious fightin' man's fightin' man, Cloud's been hired on to help drive out the stragglers of this month's... incident. Admittedly, his aim is a little off - planting his oversized blade into the ground instead of into the snake's head, but the snake certainly gets the hit, vanishing back into the darkness. He'll wipe a brow, as if at this for the better part of the day, already. ]

Good grief... hey, you okay? [ He'll turn to whomever he just bailed out in a moment, but he needs to catch his breath, first. ]

---

[ ii. maybe this door will be the door home— ]

[ It's been a long day of work, and there's nothing more that Cloud would like to do more than go back to the inn, get a shower, and crash. It's late enough that afternoon has given way to evening. But as he opens the door to the inn, well, something unlikely happens: he finds himself nowhere near the inn, on the other side of the door. Irritated, he'll open another door, trying to find his way out of this new predicament. Unfortunately, each door he opens only gets him somewhere new.

Maybe the door he just opened opens to your room. Maybe it opens to a close-off alleyway that you're standing in, just outside one of the bars still open. Maybe it opens somewhere else entirely. All that needs to be said is that by the time you find Cloud, he's already gone through a few versions of this particular trick. Enough so, that he looks at you with a mix of sympathy and irritation. Are you stuck the same way he is? Or are you surprised y the spiky blonde-haired man stumbling out of the door in front of you?

He isn't sure which of those two it is, but either way, he'll start the conversation the only way he knows how — with a gripe. ]

You've gotta be kidding me— hey, you don't happen to know how to get to the inn from here, do you? Feels like I'm going in circles, here.

[ He doesn't like admitting he's lost, but the city's not exactly playing fair, here. ]

---

[ iii. "nailed it. i know. thank you. moving on—" ]

[ There was no getting away from the drag show. Especially not after a certain someone was more than enthused to have him make a repeat performance. While he didn't want to, the incentives for participation would give him quite the cushion of rent to work with while he established more earnest employment. ]

[ With that very small opening, a certain mercenary was convinced to play dress-up. Maybe you're one of the others in the drag show, waiting for your turn to head on the stage to strut your stuff. Maybe you're in the audience, hoping to see the prettiest boy in a dress. Either way, Cloud's turned heads before, and he certainly doesn't aim to disappoint, now. ]

[ A tasteful monochrome dress is Cloud's weapon of choice this evening, complete with white stockings, black pumps, and tasteful braided extensions topped off with ribbons. And while he's all silence and airs of not wanting to be here backstage, the second he hits that runway, he's a dour-faced star, turning, swishing, and even dancing as he tries to catch the audience's eye. Of course, it's all a front — as soon as he's backstage again (with the applause ringing in his ears, he's once more the world's biggest killjoy:]

Really never thought I'd have to do this again.

[ Whether you're helping the show, a participant, or just snuck backstage to say hello, it's not going to be hard to find Cloud — though it might be hard to get him to open up, embarrassed as he is. ]

---

[ iv. wildcard ]

[ None of these strike your fancy? Ping me in the Discord, or message me on Plurk at svensational! We'll figure something out, and I can write a closed starter for you! ]

iii.

[depressionnap]

[Now. Look.

Vincent might have spent years snoozing away in a coffin, but even he knows what this kind of performance is like. Hell, he knows what it's usually for. It might not be his kind of scene but whatever you do you--

Is that Cloud Strife. What the fuck what the fuck.]

...

[shit be wildin

Vincent finds his way backstage, which isn't hard at all because he's about as loud as snow falling. Did you like that Sven, that was a cool description]

Ah. [Upon seeing Cloud's behavior and his tone, Vincent is something like relieved. Good, he isn't like. Possessed or something. Cool cool cool.]

aigis | persona 3 | tdm

[pallasathena]

i. city center

[... They think she's a statue? It takes a moment for all of her systems to come online and take in all of her surroundings, but that audio input comes in loud and clear. Aigis turns her head to look at the people talking about her, her movement still slightly more rigid than a human being's. It looks like something out of a horror movie as a result.]

Excuse me. I am not a statue. I am Aigis.

[And a statue suddenly moving and addressing them head on makes them scream and run away. Aigis frowns, looking to the other statues to see if they too are people, people who might be able to commiserate with her.]

Ah... was there perhaps a better way to handle that?

ii. network; un: aigis

Have you seen this image? [attachment.jpg]

Now you have.

iii. missing cat

[As soon as Aigis hears of someone's cat missing, she makes it her top priority. While she knows it's possible the cat may have simply reached the end of its life like Mii-chan-san, she thinks it'll still be helpful for the owner to know that. To not know... to always have that hope they might return, it's almost more painful than the loss itself, she imagines.

She can be seen throughout the city, shouting out as she goes,]

Cat-san! Cat-san, where are you? Cat-san, are you able to hear me? Please respond if so!

[If someone does not help her, she might also be found later sitting alone on a bench, clearly discouraged.]

iv. drag show

[She didn't fight whoever recruited her, there didn't seem to be any harm in going along with it. Besides, she hasn't worn many outfits and is curious to know how she'll look in menswear. Her outfit is something along the lines of "Takarazuka meets Yakuza" and she tugs on the suit curiously as she looks to one of her fellow participants.]

How does it look? I believe we are "cosplaying", as they say.

v. wildcard

[i don't know. also i DO know that's takarazuka ocean's 11 but look. you get the idea.]

3!!! yells a lot

[orphne]

[That's Aigis!!

Kotone had been on her way to one of her many part-time jobs -- what, the town's super-built-up now, which means more job opportunities for her specifically! -- when she hears that familiar voice. Immediately, she's texting work to say she can't make it after all, sorry, because there's something way more important to do.

Of course, even though Kotone would recognize Aigis in a heartbeat, that doesn't mean the same is true in reverse. It's not the first time a member of SEES has remembered Minato instead of her. She's almost afraid to hope as she comes around the other's side and grins up at her.]

Do you know the kitty's name?

Jim Kirk | Star Trek AOS

[finalfrontiersman]

Arrival: Docks

Jim wakes with a pounding headache, which is nothing new.

He wishes he could say that it was, but more often than not, he finds himself waking up half-dead in the medbay. Frankly, he's starting to wonder if he spends more nights there or in his captain's quarters, but he doesn't dare voice the thought - because Spock probably had that calculation loaded in the barrel, and like hell did Jim want Bones to hear it.

His limbs all seem to be in tact, though, which is good news. Jim flexes his fingers, shakes out his arms, slowly rises to his feet. Once everything is accounted for - his uniform even seems to have survived, A+ on that; Jim was this close to learning how to sew since his shirts always seem to end up slashed - he spends a moment to take stock of his surroundings, patting down his pockets for his communicator.

A moment is all he gets, though, to look at the small, wooden room he'd awoken in (that seemed to be swaying, slightly, gently as if - on water?) before harsh voices sound above him. He barely has a ten seconds before - oh, yeah, of course they're coming down here, and of course they spot him and start yelling. Why was it always with the yelling?

Whoever they are, they're pissed, and Jim bolts, up the stairs and out to freedom. He was right - it's a boat he's woken up on, half-built or at least undergoing refurbishments. The workers keep chasing him out, and Jim leaps over the edge, using one hand to propel himself over the side of the boat, rolling into the landing on the dock. He manages to pick himself up and keep going down the wooden walkway and away from whatever the hell kind of situation he'd woken up in.

Panting, Jim presses a hand to the stitch in his side (note to self, don't wake up from unconsciousness and immediately run full tilt, if you can avoid it) and squints in the sunlight, trying to figure out where the hell he is.


Day and Night Life: Iron Chef: Aldrip

Jim's never sure how he gets himself into these situations, but it seems to be a gift.

He was wandering through the festivities, checking out the booths, shops and events on offer around every corner, when he'd stumbled on the cooking competition. The promise of free food had been what lured him in, but he hadn't realized they'd wanted him to participate in judging the competition! He thought he was volunteering as an audience member but, well...

They don't seem to be taking his backtracking seriously, because they've got Jim front and center in a judge seat. The staff are bustling around now, preparing for the next contestant, and Jim resists the urge to drop his head against the table and simply not pick it up.

"I'm really the wrong guy for this," He tried to explain again, but no one is paying him any mind. "I can't eat like half the things here!"

Yeah, did he mention his host of allergies? Kumquats, almonds, shellfish, grapefruit - the list is endless, and a cooking competition where he didn't witness the contestants making the food? Pardon the pun, but it's a recipe for disaster.


Wildcard
you know what to do

Arrival

[senselessdeath]

When Tasha saw the man doubled over wheezing on the docks, she didn't think This can't be. After all, she'd woken up alive without a mark on her, and she'd been transported somewhere either beyond communication range or blocked from it. It didn't seem at all strange as part of a life that included that, as well as omnipotent entities judging her species, a people wiped out by their own merchandise demonstration, or a planet that had kept itself under cloak for generations.

The sight of Admiral James T. Kirk, looking like he was barely out of Starfleet Academy, fit in perfectly.

She was still in her Starfleet uniform and wearing its insignia. How was she going to explain the differences without polluting the timeline? She'd have to figure that out later, because he was obviously in distress, which meant she was already rushing over. "Are you okay?!"