TEST DRIVE: JUNE

[simpathis]

— TEST DRIVE: JUNE —

Welcome to empatheias' test drive meme. This test drive is to help interested players test their characters in the game's environment. We've included a few prompts that incorporate specific elements of the game, though you'll find all of them have a lot of leeway for players to get as creative as necessary. Before diving in, here are a few things we'd like to remind everyone about the game in general:

• Date reminders. Reserves open Monday, May 25th and Applications open Monday, June 1st.
  
  
• Emotions are key! Empatheias' premise focuses on how anyone's emotions can affect their environment, be it big or small. While not every emotion will cause a reaction, significant ones definitely will. How much effect a character will have will ultimately be up to you, the player. Also, while we're giving a lot of leeway for the test drive, keep in mind that there will be some limits in the actual game.
  
  
• Everyone has an amulet. All characters have a unique amulet that is specialized for them. It will contain all of their emotion drops and it serves as the network device. Remember, communication is telepathic. Otherwise, it works basically the same.
  
  
• Assume the character is already in the game. Because "OMG WHERE AM I IS THIS REAL LIFE" threads aren't going to be very helpful in this test drive! Plus those are going to happen in-game, anyway. So to make things easier, just assume that they've been around at least a week or so. Still learning the ropes, but not a complete "first day" experience.
  
  
• First or third person allowed. Your threads can be in either first or third, but we'd advise being flexible about it. Remember, these threads can also be used in your application for samples! Reminder: We only require one sample and it can be done in either format.
  
  
• IMPORTANT! We have made a change to our sample requirements, so look over the Applications page!

Now with that out of the way, here are some prompts you guys can work from!


PROMPTS

• Prompt A: How about giving the emotions a try? The following emotions will have more effect than usual: hope, despair, fear, and bravery.

• Prompt B: Refer to the Task Board and choose a task your character may be interested in taking up. For this prompt, you could have your character ask for help, already be in the middle of the job, or react to it in some way. Perhaps they were an unfortunate victim or want to create a job countering an existing one. You could even have a prompt making a job request.

• Prompt C: How about giving the amulets a go? Start a telepathic conversation and see how it works. Remember, the amulets are sending out the owner's thoughts so might want to be careful about how the stream of consciousness goes...

• Prompt D: The latest entry in the hot 'Forgefires' series is about to come out, and lines in front of bookstores are blocking the streets! How will you get to your destination when your path is full of frenzied cosplayers who don't dare move lest they lose their spot in line? You might want to be careful, too—some fans are getting into heated arguments about their favorite characters so things might start literally flying if left unchecked!

• Prompt E: Things have been getting a little gloomy lately, so a group of youths have designed the first ever Verens Rock-Paper-Scissors Tournament. Somehow you've won through the lower ranks, and are now a finalist. The state of the city is riding on you (or so they claim), so face your opponent and somehow manage to make this farce exciting enough to lift the moods of the spectators (mostly kids). Just be careful. If you do poorly, you might find a tomato or two thrown at you.

• Prompt F: Welcome to FEAR FACTOR! An exciting new brand of entertainment where contestants participate in various challenges that touch home to the most innate fears humans share. Lying in a pit of creepy crawlies; climb up high, precarious structures; go one-on-one with wild animals—can you handle it? Are you brave enough to go for the 1 million sylv prize? Or will fear cripple you and leave you with nothing!? Only one way to find out! Oh, and one more thing—your emotions will definitely effect everything, so if you're climbing up that rusty, half broken steel tower and it starts shaking, that's probably because you're scared out of your wits. Don't let it crumble!

• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include giant cheese wheels and/or bucket of nails.

For your threads, put the Character Name and the Canon in the subject line to help readily identify them. You're also welcome to use more than one prompt for respondents to choose from. If you have any questions or want to brush up on the game information, refer to the Game Information entry. Otherwise, tag around and have fun!

Comments

Anghel Higure | Hatoful Boyfriend | D/G

[fatecrash]

[Life is hard for a would-be up and coming manga artist stuck in a town like this without so much as a photocopier to his name. It's harder still when every store you had your eye on now that you've finally finished some samples is swarming, the noisy fannish throng forming a colourfully solid barrier not even a violent demon could elbow through.

Hardest of all is when you don't have elbows to begin with, because you are a round blue-grey bird no taller than a large turkey, and people keep mistaking you for a poorly-crafted plush accessory. Dude, how can you even begin to present that thing as a badass eagle? Never mind the size, it's a pigeon no matter how you look at it! And we can't even say A+ for effort, look, what kind of fan would smudge red dye all over the front and just leave it like that...]

Fools! This mark of my Cursed Blood is but the brand I must bear on my path of Eternal Repentance! Like I said - gah!

[The third time he's distractedly kicked away, Anghel only just misses the rusty bucket sitting outside the store opposite as he thumps into the window. Hopping to his bare pink feet with no small amount of panic, he checks under his wing. Well, his folder is still safe. That's good. The rest of this predicament isn't.]

Ugh... to think that even the furthest hallowed reaches of the Empyrean would offer no respite. Is this... my fate...?

[At this point he seems a little wobbly, and so does the glass in the window behind him. Little help?]

[unpleasantries]

[THERE IS A BIRD IN TROUBLE. THIS CAN'T BE ALLOWED TO GO ON.

Without a second's delay, Satori steps in, and her piercing glare and decidedly negative demeanor discourage crowding in this particular area almost immediately. The air grows chilly and a little damp, but as soon as she's satisfied with the lack of people around, it lightens up a little.

...It's still an oppressive and gloomy atmosphere, but not as much as it was a few moments ago.]

Are you alright?

[sleepingknight]

[Uh...

Huh. Forget freaking out about her current state of existence, a talking bird is definitely something that deserves attention.]

Hey there, are you okay?

[This is somewhat easier to deal with if she just acts like it's all a game still. Just another strange NPC; talk to him a bit, and maybe she'll get a lead on a new quest, or at least some background information on their surroundings.

Or maybe she'll just be able to claim she's held a conversation with an actual (if very large) bird. That's not something just anyone can boast.]

Satori Komeiji | Touhou Project

[unpleasantries]

G. [Satori, still relatively new to Verens, is buying a large quantity of headache cure. Between the telepathy networks and her mind reading firing off at the same time, she's got a serious, serious echo chamber going on. She's already not the healthiest-looking person, pale and scrawny, but her headaches have been so bad lately it looks like she's dying a little on the inside. She's not asking anyone for help, of course, but it's difficult to get much of anything done when it feels like your head's going to tear itself open from the sheer amount of noise.]

E. ["Somehow" she won, alright. The "somehow" being mind reading. Empatheias naturally has telepathy networks, but Satori's third eye allows her to see even the thoughts that aren't meant to be broadcast. Of course, she hasn't mentioned this to anyone involved in overseeing the contest - she'll more than likely be barred from any other Rock-Paper-Scissors tournaments after this, so she might as well have fun crushing her opponents while she can.

Are you an opponent, or perhaps a spectator who's figured out something's up? In that case, you might want to find something to distract her with.]

E (Have an Empath for your Telepath, and some shounen-level bullshit for an R-K-S game)

[zetahatsudo]

[Being a Newtype was not without its perks, but Kamille never saw himself using his strengths for something like this. He had to do some practice rounds with some of the other kids, to make sure it was possible, but now, he was certain he could sense the opponent's move as they made it. It all came down to this last round, but the way this girl was beating the competition made him suspicious. How would he hold up?]

["I should open with rock, but will she do what I suspect?" His move was primed... right? His entire game was based on his 'cold reads', so why was he getting a bad feeling? When it was time to put up his fist for the count down...

Kamille Bidan did nothing.

The air was starting to get warm around him, concentrating as he stared at Satori.]

G

[former_endboss]

[Headache cures? Well, there's nothing finer than that for the products of this pharmacy. Unfortunately, that's just asprin. Medical technology here lags behind even Satori's home town, but he cures here are almost magical.

The owner seems to have some sort of protection wrapped around her brain as well, so there's an extra reason to hang out here.]

E

[shanghaiworld]

[Alice had entered because she was bored, this was simple and she was confident she could show up Marisa by doing so. Alice was bad at people, but she has managed to reach a rather rocky position. Satori. She never really KNEW that girl, but she knows full well what she can do... especially because it was her name. Who the hell named themselves after what they are? It'd be like if Remilia was actually named Vampire, or Yuyuko was... wait, shit.

And she's willing to bet she's one of the few that can do something about that pesky thing she can do.

Nothing in the rules said one couldn't have someone, or someTHING play in place of a contender, as long as they are cleared to do so.

Alice has played a doll on the field. While herself and mind are quite a distance away. Can you read the mind of something that has none and is merely being operated remotely?]

e

[photoshot]

[ spectating! Aya... figures out the gig pretty much as soon as she sees Satori participating. that isn't very sporting, is it?? not that she particularly cares who wins or loses or cheating, but shh.

that said, satori gives her the creeps.

but this is for the story.

she pops up behind Satori in a burst of speed during a break between matches. ] Miss Komeiji, hello! You really do seem to be dominating the upper bracket.

Care for an interview before you sweep the finals?

G

[plied_magic]

Sandry was in the pharmacy, but more for magical supplies than anything she needed. She looked at the girl examining the medicines, and glanced over. "Are you all right?"

Oswald Baskerville | Pandora Hearts

[redstainedking]

D

Excuse me--

[Oswald wasn't complete sure what he was looking at, and wasn't completely sure how he had gotten muddled up and wrapped into one of the lines. Any time he tried to step out or even escape the mass of people someone either got in the way or talked about some series he never heard of nor was interested in.

Anyone looking closely might notice black feathers appearing in the air around him, falling to the ground and blowing away nearly as soon as they landed. Lips pressed into a line and brow furrowed in mild confusion.

Why won't they let him leave?]

G

[What does one normally do when having been in a new world for a while?

Nap in the park, back rested against a tree, and cloak folded somewhere beside them, that's what. Or at least that was what the former Baskerville Duke was doing, it was a nice day and some things could be pretty exhausting. He even had a few little friends, a bird perched on his head with a few others pecking around him and minding their own business. Breathing softly as he dozed--

Not even paying any mind to the giant cheesewheels suddenly loosed upon the area, a cart transporting them having over-turned due to something upsetting one of the horses pulling it. One hitting the tree any inch to his left and toppling over onto the grass, another narrowly missing him at all.]

Ohohoho, G! Assuming they've met already. o/

[unghosting]

[Ah, yes. Number four on the list of things Kevin is not thrilled about today: The general existence of the former Baskerville Duke.

A better man than he would call out at the sight of those cheesewheels barreling towards an innocent and oblivious bystander, or perhaps even jump in the way and do something about it. Instead, Kevin just stands there and watches, because let's face it; there's something satisfying about the idea of somebody most everyone in your world is scared of getting creamed by a giant hunk of cheese. Alas, they miss. Chance, or weird former Baskerville Duke powers...?

Once the hubbub dies own, Oswald failing to react the entire time, Kevin stalks closer and reaches out to prod at his leg with one foot. Nudge, nudge, nudge. Kevin still isn't sure exactly how dumb this guy is. Now seems like a good enough time to investigate.

Kevin's pet squirrel is perched under his ponytail as usual, cleaning her ears. Everyone here is a magical princess.]

D. Assuming he's already been there a while!

[gather_ye_rosebuds]

[Of course, if anyone should be able to force her way through the crowd, it's Lacie. Much as one might be warned by tall grass rustling before they see the lion, Oswald will be able to catch signs of his younger sister before he actually sees her. Of course, with Lacie it's much less subtle.]

[One of the things Lacie had learned, early in life is that, when you are a little short and slight of form, people will assume you are a petite princess, and take you about as seriously as one. She had also learned the benefits of fighting dirty. The people of the crowd fall victim to this lesson, now, as the red-eyed woman forges a path through them with sharp elbows and kicked shins, when they don't get out of her way.]

[She doesn't even realize Oswald has been swallowed by them until she nearly aims a kick at him. She looks up, a scathing reprimand on the tip of her tongue. Then, recognizing him, her expression turns to one of mild incredulity.]

Brother! Don't tell me you're trying to get that dumb book!

[The exclamation earns more insulted looks than her means of forcing her way through the crowd had. She pays them no mind.]

Shroud || Kamen Rider W || A

[shadowsandflame]

[Her left hand hand turned and pushed and prodded at the amulet that was now attached to the ribbon around her neck while her right tightly gripped the GaiaMemory in her pocket. Days had passed, and Shroud was still going over the information she knew for certain. These woods were not her own, and the city they had opened up to was not Fuuto. It was, frankly, like no city she had ever known.

Odder still was that the wariness and dizziness she'd felt in the past few weeks was gone, as was a rather persistent fever and cough. She had stopped a few people on the street out of desperation, and none of them knew Fuuto, which she had predicted. No place like this would know her city.

Shroud had taken to wandering the perimeter of the city as she had with Fuuto in the past year. But her mind frequently drifted from her present situation to the one she had left behind. Wakana would come for her, come looking for answers about the Gaia Impact... What would happen when there were no answers to receive? She had hoped that her final words, or what she had thought would be her final words anyway, would have swayed Wakana not to misuse the immense power she had received.

It was during one such line of thought that Shroud had become worn out and chose to sit close to the line of trees. She noticed through her worry that as she did, the grass and wildflowers wilted and closed and shrank away. Looking at the path she'd taken, she had left the land in her wake in a similar state. Worry and fear such as this didn't usually effect things around her. Only determination and rage, and that would just cause the odd, burnless fire.

Shroud rose and began to retrace her steps, wondering how far back it stretched.]

...Bizarre.

Ringabel | Bravely Default | (CONTAINS SPOILERS)

[ringabeau]

F [It had looked easy at first. It had sounded easy at first. And the pretty blonde that he'd been with had raved about it, especially in regards to how manly and strong the male contestants looked. How was he supposed to ignore a comment like that?

And well... his logic had been sound, truly! In his former life, he had been known for being fearless. Nothing had fazed him - even now, there was little that truly rattled him. He'd faced horrible undead monsters, bugs bigger than he, and horrific heights more than once (even if his heart pounded at the idea of falling again). And this world was more benevolent than the one he had tried to leave, after all.

No, Ringabel had been sure, absolutely sure that he'd have no problem facing fears that most humans would quiver at. What good was his renewed memories if he couldn't use them to his advantage in situations like this?! The Dark Knight had been a black hole of emotion and had numbed common human sense and fear in favor of doing his duty. Ringabel had been planning on relying, just a tiny, tiny bit on the man's ability to control his emotions. Anything to get an edge, right?

What he hadn't quite taken into consideration was that of course each challenge would be catered to someone's specific fears. Not everyone was afraid of height, after all. He hadn't thought much of the little questionnaire at the beginning of the challenge, but now he wished he had... while the first challenge was easy, the second was making him reconsider a few key life decisions.

This was downright embarrassing. Humiliating! It was not manly in the least, and he barely managed to stop himself from stamping his feet in frustration. ]

This is the challenge? This? Are you certain?

[How they'd gotten hold of this much sugared water, he didn't know, didn't even want to ask. But now a pool full of a granulated, disgustingly sweet substance stood before him. He could practically taste and smell the sugar, and he hadn't even touched it!

The host standing nearby him nodded his head, re-iterating his task to him - he was to retrieve the items at the bottom of the pool, using only his mouth. Don't worry, it wasn't deep enough to drown him.

Ringabel sighed.]

I... suppose. Very well, yes. Let's get this over with.

[... Was it him or was that slush starting to churn? It resembled the waters around the Holy Pillar and now his breath was beginning to come in little gasps. The longer he stared at it, the more it seemed to come alive with choppy motions... likely his imagination, right? ...Right. ]

[thiswarrior]

[ Tiz couldn't help it. When they revealed what Ringabel's next challenge was, a laugh burst out of him from surprise and he quickly turned around to try keeping the amusement to himself. He knew his friend hated sugar, but fear it? Who could be afraid of the stuff? Ringabel must have exaggerated how much he disliked it. Unless he quit out of pure disgust, he had this round in the bag.

...Or maybe not, Tiz realized when he'd calmed down and turned back around. He could see the ripples in the slushy mess radiating from the center. Maybe his friend needed some encouragement.

Ah... how did you encourage someone against sugar? ]

You can do it, Ringabel! Even if you get some in your mouth, you can brush it out later!

[ .................thank god they never had to fight a monster spun out of sugar, the battle cries would have gotten ridiculous in five seconds flat. ]

Bruce Banner | Marvel Cinematic Universe

[biggreenragemonster]

-G-
[A job came up involving the exploration of a new, distant landmark that just appeared out of nowhere. The various patterns of light it made in the sky as it glowed interested Bruce, so he asked to come along.

He stepped outside to see their transportation, an elderly and rather ramshackle looking airship, and stopped in his tracks.]

Oh. I'm not sure this is actually a great idea. Sticking me on a...

[How to put this diplomatically...]

On such a unique transport. I really can't see it ending well.

-A-

[Sing to me, O Muse, of Rage.

It is a known fact that anger can effect the weather, but surely the massive stormcloud flickering with lightning and so thick that it looks more like a massive bruise upon the sky can't be the effect of one man.

Then again, given the volume of the bellows of raw, animal fury that you can hear even from half way across Verens, maybe it can.

The Hulk is on the loose, and he just knocked down a building. Someone stop him before he knocks down another one. Just watch out for stray lightning strikes. Or earthquakes. That big green guy is PISSED.]

HRRAAAAAAAAGGHH!!!

A

[fearedbydragons]

[Rushing in from out of sight, a figure engulfed in darkness leaps at the Hulk with inhuman speed and slashes at his face several times, both with the glowing red tip of his sword and the shadowy claws on his other hand, then takes a huge leap back out of the range of immediate teleportation.

The shadows fade. Oswald can't stay transformed for too long continuously. Which is especially a disadvantage given that even with that power, he's probably just about strong enough to make the Hulk angr...ier.]

Enough! If you are truly human, then there is still reason somewhere inside that bestial mind. Regain control before you do more damage than you can repair!

Oswald | Odin Sphere

[fearedbydragons]

-F-

[Oswald has never participated in a tournament or any other contests for sport before, but at least he's familiar with the concept. But this one is strange. Is he really meant to prove only his courage? Normally being challenged to fight a wyvern would mean he was expected to kill it, but for this bout, he isn't even allowed to use his sword.

Still, he feels no fear. This creature is much smaller and weaker than a true dragon. The crowd seems, to him, to be overreacting--he sidesteps a simple charge and dozens of people gasp. He hasn't even wrestled the wyvern into submission when the timer runs out, and yet the spectators cheer as though he's won.

Well, it's between rounds now, so he's free. Got anything to say to the man who's been about as fearful as a stone through the whole contest?]


-C-

[Voice]

...Just as there are many worlds, it seems death has many faces. It seems to work differently in some worlds... in my own, I had the misfortune of crossing paths more than once with the queen of the Netherworld.

But Empatheias has no land of the dead--not as far as the locals claim to know. So if anyone is listening, tell me. Where you came from, what did you know of the afterlife? I am... curious.

C i wasn't going to until tomorrow morning buT THEN

[unpleasantries]

Where I'm from used to be the afterlife, actually, until it became overcrowded...now it's a simple fire pit fueled with the bodies and souls of the deceased.

[A "simple fire pit" with a nuclear reactor in it but shhHHH]

Gordon Freeman | Half-Life series

[trustycrowbar]

B

[Finding positions in research isn't easy, so when he'd seen a message on the Task Board requesting a researcher to study wildlife in the northern foothills, Gordon signed up immediately. However, soon after he started noticing a few things, like the way the other scientists that let's-haze-the-new-guy smirk every once in a while when they thought he wasn't looking...]

[Now on location out in the hills and fully suited, he opens a crystal channel.]

Got a question for those of you who know; when they say "wyvern," that's just a fanciful common name they use for some kind of lazy-ass indigenous lizard, righ--HOSHIIIT!

[Really, he should have known better. The amulet transmits an angry territorial screech, followed by the clang of claws on metal and grunts of pain. The crystal redoubles the transmission of Gordon's thoughts, fueled by the heat of the fight:]

GET OFF ME, PUFF THE MAGIC ASSHOLE! DO I LOOK LIKE LIVESTOCK TO YOU??

[More screeching, more crowbar-bashing.] WHY THE HELL ARE THESE THINGS PROTECTED?

[Finally a defeated draconic "man, to hell with this guy" sound as the wyvern... backs down?]

Yeah, the circle of life looks different when the prey has an armored hazmat suit, huh?? Ugh, god, I'm gonna feel that in the morning...

D

[Gordon reads. A lot. That said, he spends quite a bit of time at the bookstore, and this time he's having some trouble even getting inside, what with all the fur-clad barbarians and fair-haired heroines with dragon plushies around. He shimmies around a wizard after getting a coffee at the JavaKinesis kiosk, he turns and immediately bumps into someone (someone like you), spilling it over his shirt and probably yours as well.]

Gh, dammit... [He mutters at his shirt, having not yet noticed that he's coffee'd someone else as well.]

B

[biggreenragemonster]

[Safely ensconsed in Verens, Bruce listens to all this with vague alarm.]

I'm surprised anyone took that one considering the bit in the guidebook about wyvern venom.

nina | breath of fire IV

[wingedfaith]

A

[She was still trying to put on a brave face. Every day it got a little easier, but that could only go so far, especially considering the circumstances. Getting over the death of her sister was hard enough on its own, but being alone in an unfamiliar place made it infinitely worse.

Speaking of that unfamiliar place, it didn't take very long at all for it to respond to her despair, and her alignment to Peromei only compounded the problem. Before long, the ground sunk below her feet to the point where the hole was too deep to climb out of by herself.]

...Huh?

[Oops. This was a problem. However, before anyone would be able to help her out, she flew out on her own without thinking much of it.

Yup. Flew. With those cotton candy pink wings of hers.]

E



[In all honesty, she hadn't really minded that she had been roped into something like this. It was certainly preferable to what Ryu's influence had roped her into, although that thought would have never crossed her mind. Despite everything that had happened, she didn't regret any of it. ...But that wasn't the issue right now anyway.

Maybe the smile she showed every opponent caught them off guard or maybe she had a knack for rock, paper, scissors that even she didn't know about, but the fact remained that she had made it this far already. She wasn't sure if she could win, but she was going to do her best!]

Are you ready to start?

A

[shanghaiworld]

... Flamingo tengu are a thing?

[Hole in the ground? Eh, sure whatever, anyone could cause that. Wings? Much easier to spot.]

Ema Skye | Ace Attorney

[luminoledgeable]

[Prompt C - Network]

[Ema still isn't used to the idea to telepathic crystals and accidentally broadcasts some of her frustration.]

How can this place be so lacking in essentials like luminol?

[Never mind the fact that only to Ema would luminol be an essential item.]

[Prompt D]

[There is a small gloomy looking cloud above Ema as she is wandering through the merchant district and she can't get into any of the stores because of all these weirdos in costumes.]

I'm really not trying to cut in line! I just want to get to another store.

[ooc: Just FYI, Ema is post AAI2. Any of the AA cast are welcome to be familiar with her future self if they aren't already.]

D

[spiritofjustice]

[And here is one Bobby Fulbright, attempting to keep the weirdos in line (figuratively and literally). He understands that Forgefires is a Very Big Thing, but... C'mon, they're basically disturbing the peace over here. This is one of those instances where being relatively big and very loud works in his favor; he can get a path cleared in no time.]

Move aside, please! You're blocking the entrance! ...You there! Take a step back to clear this doorway- Yes, thank you!

[He's so busy, he barely notices Ema's presence. Certainly not enough to recognize her just yet.]

Mikasa Ackerman | Attack on Titan

[callyourname]

1 | MIX OF A/B, but mostly B and we'll be ignoring taken status on tasks for this.

[ DO NOT KILL THEM

That gets Mikasa's attention about as soon as she looks at the board. She's probably going to skip that one then -- really, because if something or someone attacks her, then usually they're either going down or just getting hurt and it sounds like those options would be bad against them. Her eyes go back to read the full description. Ohh, they're nest-- See those flowers in full bloom near her? Yeah well, they're withering fast and there's some cold wind around her too. The girl looks a little worried or sad for a very brief moment as the reason for it makes her think back to things that happened years ago. Yup, definitely skipping that task now when she realizes there's a good reason for that sentence. Surely there are some safer people around, who will take it and be good at it.

Right, moving on and looking like she doesn't even notice the changes around her. She notices them, kind of hopes no one else will and she really dislikes the whole emotions showing thing in moments like this.

What the hell is a shrimp? More importantly why isn't Sasha around if there's that much free food to be taken down? Mikasa frowns. Even if they're not usually that big, she's used to fighting giant monsters. It sounds like an easy task -- why do they even require at least three people for it? She's sure she can do it all alone if she can use her 3DMG and the pay isn't bad either. But who even needs that much food? Except the potato girl if it's something she'd like. Maybe she could sell it for extra money... It actually sounds like a plan even if she still thinks it sounds way too easy, but it's super easy money, so ...

Would fighting against a giant basilisk made of lava be like fighting against titans? She considers it for a moment. It could be doable for the three of them. Ah well, if it's in a desert, then that one is a "no" too since a huge sandbox isn't a good place for their gears and at least two of them would definitely want to use it there. Again, what the hell is a basilisk even? Mikasa really should read stuff about the creatures here even if she can probably get answers to these from Armin. Because he might have read about them, maybe, she's not sure but at least she hasn't so... Well, there's the crow too and yes, Mikasa knows what a crow is but in her home world at least those have been just normal sized birds... This one kind of sounds like a titan for an animal considering everything the board tells about it. Interesting.

But it's not like she'll be deciding about this alone, just considering her/their options here.]


2 | D
[What now? Something that sort of reminds her of people watching the Survey Corps being about to go outside the walls, that's for sure, even though this certainly isn't it. Ah well, time to see how easily she can walk through somewhere.

Maybe it's good that the Wings of Freedom jacket and cloak aren't with her here or else she might fit right in to these lines. Walking closer, someone tells her to get back into the line. Mikasa tilts her head.]

I wasn't in it though, just trying to walk through here... [She might as well be talking to a wall. Except a wall would stay quiet, not start telling her how she's obviously lying as she is just trying to take his place in the line.. And what's with the question about this series -- ] Never even heard of it.

[Whatever it is, it interest Mikasa just about as much as most things seem to interest her. Does she have to do this with force? She could, she probably shouldn't when this whole line sounds like it's about to get pretty insane soon anyway. He keeps talking, she's not even listening.

The real question here is; has this guy ever heard of girls lifting a guy like they're just thin air? Because he might be about experience it himself. This is just a waste of time. Not like she's in a rush, but it shouldn't be that hard to just let someone go through.]


[OOC: girl is from chapter 68 and that's a 3DMG if anyone wonders what it is. Carrying all those blades around in their boxes like that's totally normal, yup.]

A/B

[strategisch]

Ah... Mikasa!

[And speak of the devil himself. Armin notices his friend pondering over the Task Board, and approaches. He had been at the library after his shift working at the antique shop was over, finding a new book to read that's now under one of his arms. His path back home just happened to pass by.]

Have you found anything suitable yet?

[He and Eren both make enough money that Mikasa can take her time finding a job that she would like. But he understands needing to be independent too. And having something to do during the day helps to pass the time.]

nova | tales of xillia 2

[paydays]

( b (job id gt0501) )

[Maybe it's an act of karma that's led to Nova, of all people, having to spend her time scouring every available job listing for any means to scramble up some extra sylvs, or maybe it's the world trying to give her a message: that the only way to understand the woes of financial trouble and crushing debt is to experience it firsthand, and not from the other end of a GHS.

Either way, something about the way that she's now standing atop a crate with a megaphone in hand says that she's taking it all in her stead -- perhaps a bit too well.]

Ding ding ding! Hello there, brave citizens! Have you had enough of getting ready to get your chill on, only to discover that some pesky neighbour's gone and jacked all your swagger? Feeling a little disappointed that every time you check out that sweet deck of yours, there's nothing there but a whole lotta empty? Well then, worry no more, 'cause Nova's here to put an end to the trend of lawn-chair debauchery! Just step right up for your one-way ticket to Relaxville!

[At least she's making the best of it...? Please don't report her for all the noise.]

( e )

[This one isn't the work of karma or the world. If anyone asks, Nova's going to be telling them that it's one of her family's long, long, long, long-kept secret arte of Rock-Paper-Scissors that's won her all the way to the finals. She's sitting at her spot waiting for her next opponent now, breathing a sigh and letting her eyes close, hands clasped together in front of her chest.]

Oh, great grandfather... Please, grant me the strength to crush all who stand in my way today.

[She doesn't need a dedicated following of cheering spectators to keep her confidence up, but it never hurts to be extra sure.]

e

[hands4healing]

[Winry approaches, offering some hand lotion.]

Would you like to put this on? Keep your skin supple for your match?

Winry Rockbell | Fullmetal Alchemist

[hands4healing]

B: Horses/carts removed from city

Winry had taken the job but wasn't sure about the horses and carts actually leaving the city. After all, horses needed some care, at least the ones back home. Maybe there was another way to resolve the problem? Of course, horses did need a lot of care, and maybe that was part of the problem.

What if she made a bag for each horse to wear under its tail?

She consulted her amulet, curious for anyone else's thoughts.

"So, do you think this a better idea, or should I just take the horses out of the city? I could build these bags and strap them to the harnesses, or I could take the horses out and release them."

[shadowsandflame]

The bags were a fairly creative idea. Impressive, really, and probably not the route she would have taken. Shroud wondered if the person inquiring was from a more rural area.

"It still leaves the problem of where the bags would be emptied. Would any local farms want to buy it as manure? You could kill two birds with one stone that way."

Sandrilene fa Toren / Circle of Magic

[plied_magic]

D
Sandry has never heard of the book series before. But the costumes are gorgeous, and she's already started making friends with some of the cosplayers, talking about embroidery techniques and stitching, and the fact that apparently there are machines that do sewing. She may have promised to read the books in order to quell the fans who she's attracted.

Unfortunately, lacking canon knowledge, she's mistaken you for one of the costumers. "Excuse me? Can you come over here? I'd like a closer look at that." Whether it's her magic or her plain enthusiasm, whatever loose clothing you have is acting like there's a breeze blowing it towards the teenaged girl.

[inthesmallthings]

Fenris was confused for some character or other a few times that day alrady, so far he's gathered that it's because his markings which were confused for something else, probably for tattoos and it was irritating him more and more. A few people already accidently got small tears in their costumes because of their inane questions, and it wasn't even his intent, which annoyed him even more. At least he could control his own abilites, now he was obliged to control what he felt, too?

After all, he didn't mean to get one of the 'cosplayers' as he gathered they called themselves, caught in a rat trap for a minute, but he didn't mind terribly much. Still, if he ever did sombody harm without intending to - if, in the future, one of his companions came here while he was angry, then what should he do? Force himself to be happy that he was kidnapped here?

No. It was that island's own fault he was brought here, he was under no obligation to deny himself only because some Gods or mages or who even knew used their foul magic on him, with this amulet.

At least the woman who approached him right now hasn't irritated him yet, so her costume was in no danger so far.

"Ask somebody else, I'm not here for your amusement."

He feels the breeze, but he's ignoring it for the moment. In this strange place, with those foul amulets, it wasn't even a proof that the woman was a mage, so he had no reason to be wary yet.

Roy Mustang | Fullmetal Alchemist (prompts C&D)

[weaponsgrade]

[There are way too many people in the streets. It's getting difficult just for a guy to walk through without bumping into someone - and some of these someones are really into this... thing. Whatever it is. Roy doesn't really understand but lack of comprehension isn't exactly clearing the street.

All this for a damn walk. Because he was restless.

Someone needs to just shoot him next time to starts feeling like he needs to take in the sights. There's probably a few people lining up to volunteer for that particular duty.

After the... seventh? sixth? fourteenth? He's completely lost count. Anyway, after some ridiculous kid in an even more ridiculous get-up nearly knocks him off his feet, Roy's about ready to either blow something up or knock himself unconscious somehow. Either way, he'd vent some frustration.]

Would you move? [And then he's stalking through the crowd and ignoring the way pretty much everything around him seems to shy away from him.

Take a walk. Relax a bit. He's an idiot. What else is new?

And, because he has to know, he takes the amulet in hand.]

What's with the crowds today?

[Surely someone out there has more scintillating conversation than whatever snatches of cosplayer squealing he's heard.

Hopefully.]

[hands4healing]

[Winry happens to be out on the streets too. Curious at the people dressed in costumes. Unsure why until one of them tells her and gushes all over the books and that she so needs to read them and OMG, etc., etc.

Winry is nonplussed but at least now she knows what's going on. So hearing a grumpy voice that's somewhat familiar, she glances back, and spies a blue uniform she definitely knows. So she wriggles through the two-deep people to catch up with him.]

It's a book sale!

Peggy Carter || MCU || inadvertent amulet use by a newbie

[peggy_carter]

In the few days she'd been here Peggy had seen most of her beliefs turned on their ears. Each day was a bombardment of change, or new discoveries that were beyond the imaginings of anyone; well with the possible exception of Howard.

How she missed her dear friend now, he would glory in this place with all it's technology and people. Howard had ever been held back by the limits of a brilliant mind decades ahead of the resources to let it run free. Yet even with such limitations he had been a genius beyond measure; a fact which might have been more bearable if he had been less aware of it. She smiled in the memory of annoyance with him, as all close friends they had faced their trails and tests of faith in one another and time and again prevailed. In fact there had only been the one mutual failure, one which haunted her even after she'd moved on into another phase of her life.

She fully believed it was this failure that had given her the amulet she had now, a replica of one which she had seen in news reels and on occasion in person. It wasn't fancy or fashionable, it was simply a small compass. Inside were her emotions, a true direction of her life. Though the original shared her likeness within she knew that would not be insider her own.

Her fingers closed over the amulet, taking strength from it and the memory it contained. He had made her stronger, even in the loss of him her had driven her to not give up, to not simply accept the passive roll of secretary and coffee girl. Steve Rogers had never and likely would never stop influencing her life and she thanked him for it. He made everyone who knew him better and stronger than they had been before.

"Alright Carter, get on your feet and march." She chided herself for not having found more of a footing here in this new place, she took a deep breath and set about on her way to a new life.

[norabbits]

Aside from Steve and Tony, Pepper hadn't seen anyone who she recognized here on the island. It was possible, but if Rhodey or anyone else were around she assumed they would broadcast something over the telepathic link that ran through the island.

As she kept walking, bags in hand from grocery shopping she couldn't help but notice how the scenery started to change into something like a 1940's movie. Where there had been a walkway there was now grass, and standing in the center of the sudden encampment was a rather stunning young woman.

"Are you alright?"