memepatheias | TEST DRIVE: August

Entry tags:

*test drive

TEST DRIVE: August

— TEST DRIVE: AUGUST —

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 July 25th and Applications (Canon | OC) open a week later on August 1st. Apps will only be open for four days!
OC Reminder! Just a quick reminder that original characters are allowed. Those interested can also use the test drive. OCs do not need to be reserved.
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. We have also made a change to our sample requirements, so look over the Applications page!
Transfer to in-game. If accepted, you can assume threads made on the Test Drive happen in-game if the scenario can reasonably fit. For new characters, these threads do not count for activity check. However, these can be supplementary threads for players already in-game.

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?

• 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. Creating jobs for the purpose of the test drive is absolutely doable.

• 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: Helisium, the upcoming festival, is a celebration of daytime games and ballroom dancing. However, the sad truth is that not everyone knows how to dance, or how to play certain sports. To kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, a certain section of the party-planning committee has come up with a new sport that incorporates the best of both worlds. The name of the game? Footloose Ball, and it's the latest craze! Why not join and learn something new? There's even a tournament being held, with a big prize on the line!
1. Training: The rules of Footloose Ball are simple, it's a combination of rugby football but with a twist! The player in possession of the ball must constantly be dancing as they try to reach the goal. But there is plenty of time until the game, so the coach has instructed everyone to go out into the city and dance for a whole day. Going grocery shopping? You must dance! Waiting in line for coffee? You better dance! Talking to someone else? Get them to join!
2. Otherworld Cup: It's the day of the finals game, and now it's do or die! Literally! Maybe. What the rules forgot to say was that the player in possession of the ball must dance, or the ball will shock them with a high voltage! Can they get to the goal and score a point for their team? As for those NOT in possession of the ball, they don't have to dance until they have the ball, and they get to use whatever skills (or magic?) they know in order to stop the other player. Anything goes!
3. Victory Pose: The winners of Footloose Ball Cup have been declared! Now all that's left is a traditional team photo with the trophy. Make sure not to blink! Just kidding. The method that the group "photo" is taken by isn't with a device, but a traditional painting instead, which means the team will be posing there out in the sun for a while. You can't rush art, as they say, so make sure to stand still as the artist does their job. The good news is that players are allowed to talk to each other as they stay still, so why not get to know another a little better now that the game is over? As for those who aren't posing, they are allowed to interact with the players, too. Why not get them a drink? Or heckle them? That's also an option.
• Prompt E: Helisium is the highlight of the summer and every restaurateur in Verens is eager to see their establishment become one of those selected to cater for the festivities. Of course, there are only a few slots available, which means the only way to settle who’s the top chef in town is through some rigorous cooking competitions! These teams of chefs are going all out, and need all hands on deck, so they will be seeking volunteers to help them win their way to the top! Do you have what it takes?
1. A Pizza the Action: One round of the cooking competition asks teams to cook rather traditional dish: pizza! However, nothing is as simple as it seems, and the hosts soon reveal that teams will be required to cook their pizzas with some...unusual (and dangerous) secret ingredients. Are you given a spiky, smelly durian to work with? Are those lobsters actually alive? Or are you asked to serve your pizza while it’s on fire? The more creative you are, the more points you’ll earn your team. Things are sure heating up!
2. Piescraper: Any chef worth their salt will tell you that presentation is key, and in this event, presentation is the only key. Really, it doesn’t matter what you use so long as it’s food, but the judges want to see the most impressive food sculpture you can come up with! Just bear in mind that these creations must stand on their own and be created entirely, 100% out of food products. Your team may earn extra points for making the tallest sculpture as well. Start building!
3. The Great Verens Bake-Off: Desserts are almost as important to Helisium as the regular food is, though the judges for this event seem to be a little less...intense than the others. For this competition, participants are asked to bake and decorate a beautiful, tiered cake with sweet, edible flowers. These flowers have certain emotional effects on those who handle them, and such individuals will find themselves feeling very pleasant and agreeable, no matter how prickly they may ordinarily be! They may even try to assist other teams with their bakes. Oh, well...at least everyone seems to be enjoying themselves. The judges will be making their decisions based on which team had the most camaraderie, so play nice!
• Prompt F: The roleplaying cult of Ortheias seems to have become more prominent lately, having taken in new members from Briarlan. Today, they seem to be playing a "murder game" called Syndicate! They are also inviting people who aren't members to participate… will you join them by picking a role from the purple hat the men in cloaks have to offer, or will you just watch? It's confusing and anger inducing, either way. For those who want to play the game, the objective is to catch all the Syndicate members before they "kill" all the innocents in the game!
1. I Put On My Role and Wizard Hat: Perhaps you are forced by a man in a cloak, or perhaps you voluntarily pick a role from the various strips of paper in the purple hat. The roles are for the Syndicates are: blackmailer, consigliere, boss, and framer. As for the innocents, the roles are: janitor, spy, veteran, doctor. There seem to be neutral roles, as well, such as the survivor, the witch, the amnesiac, and the fool. The game moderators don't seem to intend on explaining what the functions are of each role (thanks, mods!) so go ahead and make up your own backstories and abilities. Of course, they key to this game is to figure out who the other person is without letting your own identity slip. Good luck!
2. Activity Check: Everyone is safe while the sun is still up… Do you have your role and have you gotten to know the other participants of the Syndicate game? Good. Because the game moderators now want you to participate in an activity! You now have to think of a lie about yourself and convince two other people that this is true. Basically - just lie to as many people as you want! Be sure you're convincing… but remember - the moderators are watching you. No unruly business!
3. The Trial: After a day has passed in the setting of the Syndicate game, a trial happens. Why? Because you've lost one person to one of the Syndicates. This person is now dead in the game and cannot be revived. It seems that everyone is suspecting you - whether it's your clothing, the way you're dressed, or just the fact that you're breathing the same air as they are, you are now the primary suspect for the "murder"! Prove your innocence to all players involved, try to pin it on the nearest person, or maybe even get into a fight with everyone? The world is your oyster.
• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include raisins and/or a skirt with holes in it.
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!

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

prompt b (hunt: ensen).
[giant blue golems that are weak to fire seem simple enough to hunt... but you might feel a bit apprehensive about the fact that your hunting partner is a petite teenage girl who seems much too cheery for the job at hand. she's been waiting for a while now; she even jumps up and waves at you as you approach, like she expects this to just be some casual walk in the park.

if you're not familiar with the concept of a pokémon trainer, you might be having second thoughts about taking this kid with you. if you are familiar, well... uh, it might not be that much comfort. the little flying squirrel-creature on her shoulder doesn't exactly inspire confidence.]

Hey! You ready to roll?

prompt g (raisins).
[let's say you're walking through the markets of verens one day and you stop — even temporarily! — by a fruit-seller's stand. you might be a bit surprised to find yourself, or at least someone that looks like you, standing there. you might be a little interested in the fact that your reflection is holding a handful of raisins between its hands. and, lastly, you might be kind of offended that your reflection is eating the raisins in its palms, not by lifting its palms to its face, but by shoving its face in its hands like some kind of weird animal.

or maybe that's just how you always eat. look, i don't judge.

regardless, touko will suddenly appear by your reflection's side and place her arm in the crook of its elbow, lecturing it like she's the weird teenage mom you never asked for:]

Zoroark! What did I tell you about no illusions? I said no illusions! Not allowed!

[suddenly, your gluttonous reflection dissolves into, um, this giant bipedal fox-thing. he at least has the grace to look kind of guilty, for a giant bipedal fox-thing, and he's wearing an apologetic, puppy-eyed expression as he offers both his trainer and you some of the remaining raisins in his... paws.]

wildcard.
(whatever you want! feel free to pm me for contact info and such.)

Edited 2018-07-19 00:16 (UTC)

PROMP C

[It had all happened so fast. Part of it were still a blur.]

[Crying. Mai had been...crying. An ache in her chest crushing the air from her lungs in a single, mournful scream. Her eyes stinging with fresh tears that blurred her vision. Blurred the world around her. The dead world. Cold, devoid of any other life left. Only she and Trunks survived. And Bulma and Goku and Vegeta...and Zamasu. They hadn't defeated the would-be god. He'd prevailed, succeeding in his goal of erasing life from Earth as they once knew it.]

[Gunshots. She'd fired at the sky, filled with his face. His laughter echoing all around. Taunting them. The very reason for all their pain and sorrow and loss...]

[And then she was here. This...new world.]

[How long had she wandered aimlessly through the city? Seeing everything and yet, for once, taking in so very little. Her eyes routinely returning to the amulet still clutched in her palm. A trinket gifted to her upon her arrival. It glimmered in the light between buildings, and she couldn't help admire both its craftsmanship...as well as the ability it supposedly granted her now.]

...unless, of course, that was just a trick. [Her thoughts were so prevalent, they began to transmit. Unbeknowst to Mai herself.] There's no way it could possibly work the way they said it did, right?

PROMP B

[A choose-your-own-adventure story]

[It sounded easy enough a task, and yet...]

[Mai was a planner. She couldn't help it. Habits developed over the last few decades were difficult to break in so short a time. Particularly habits which contributed to one's survival. Not that there was any danger to this task. Not really. A severe blow to her pride and risk of embarrassment, perhaps, but those were hurdles she was willing to overcome. Almost as severe as the one she was presently facing: writer's block.]

There must be an easier way to overcome the second choice in section four...

[Brows furrowing, she picked up the small chart and began tracing the lines of notes again. Two similar pages sat on the table, beside a cup of pencils and three books she'd checked out to use as a reference.]

[If she was going to broadcast something like this publicly...then she was going to be as ready for anything as possible.]

PROMP E - 1

[Mai tied the bandanna around her head, securing the knot at the base of her neck. A similar knot was used to keep her apron in place. From there, she rolled up her sleeves, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and...]

[...reached for the package of gummy worms.]

"Ingredient One: gummy-stuffed piranha"...

[And there was only one way to get that. With a determined stance, furrowed brow of concentration, and a well-baited hook, Mai crossed the room to where the large aquarium was on display, tossing her fishing line over the top...and stood back to wait for a bite.]

[The water behind the glass began to froth and bubble almost immediately.]

...I suppose it could be worse.

[She sighed heavily.]

WILDCARD

[[Tagger's choice; if you'd like to plot something with me, you can reach me at hina_mun]]

f1 ( i put on my role and wizard hat )
[ One might think that a more detailed explanation of the rules could have been provided for the High Commander who, against his will, has been coerced into taking part in this asinine game, because— ]

You dare to place this title of fool on me?

[ Ah, yes. The Fool is scribbled across the paper in which he has been handed and, judging from the scowl on that face of his (let alone the way in which the very ground splits delicately around his boots and the bits of electricity spark around him), he is not happy with his "role" in this little game. ]

I refuse to take part in this childish nonsense, let alone be mocked.

[ To which, the paper is tossed at the poor soul who has been handing them out and is now under the High Commander's wrath in the form of a fiery glare. Yes, quite the display. ]

f3 ( the trial )
[ Somehow, still involved in this, Ravus has become the so-called suspect of this nonsense. His crime? Murder. The irony is that he is truly mere minutes away from punching someone in the face with that prosthetic arm of his lest he get himself out of this farce right this very second. Clearly, he's not one for games.

It would seem, however, that his fellow comrades of this nonsense refuse to let him leave as he is, unfortunately, the prime suspect they wish to grill for more information concerning this murder. While ever so eager to find and catch! the culprit... Ravus is far from willing to take part in this and, truthfully, is at the very end of his rope with these people. ]

I tire of these childish games. If you do not wish to be run through with a sword, then I suggest you step aside, lest I make you.

[ And as such cold words are given, his sword is drawn from its sheath at his side. Perhaps a murder truly is about to take place. ]

g ( a skirt with holes in it )
[ Perhaps as an act of whatever fate there is within this world, the High Commander happens upon a young girl with hair of blonde and eyes of blue who so very much reminds him of a young Lunafreya. But it is not her appearance alone which catches his attention, for it is the fact that she stands there with a scrape across her knee and a hole or two in her flowery skirt. She is offered a handkerchief from the High Commander who stares down to her with eyes mismatched in colour and soft in their gaze. ]

Dry your tears.

[ He kneels before her, sword set aside and carefully so, tends to her injury with a few things from an inside pocket. She asks him if he is a prince who has come to her rescue and the High Commander, so diligently tending to her knee, allows but only the softest of smiles to touch at his lips, brief as it may be. ]

A prince... nay. That is a title that I have not worn for some time now.

[ It is only when the bandage has been affixed to skin that the High Commander comes to rise, his duty having been fulfilled in this moment and thus, intends to make his leave. And yet, as he turns away, his hand - the one of flesh - is touched by delicate fingers of the girl and he is gifted with a small trinket in the shape of a star; a thank you for his care and concern for her despite being nothing more than a stranger to her.

When the girl has given a wave with her departure, the High Commander's face returns to one wearing a look of disdain as he slowly comes to glance behind him. ]

What of it?

[ Or, in simpler terms: why are you staring like a creep? ~~and how long have you been watching?~~ ]

( wildcard )
( feel free to shoot me a message if you'd like something else! )

A

[Emotion magic. Whisked and trapped in another world. No way to return home. Gosh. She's still wrapping her head around what she heard before were all a reality. But never mind about the magic and stuff- her game avatar is real flesh and blood. Which means, she's stuck here not as Karen, but as LLENN- forever a short "chibi" girl who's less than 150 cm tall. She couldn't be any happier! In fact, she still hasn't gotten over how happy she is about it. With her beloved P-chan (a pink P-90. Yes, pink) wrapped around her arms, she decides to joyfully explore the town once more, humming a tune to herself while leaving behind a trail of pink sparkling smoke. Unbeknown to LLENN, however, the smoke she's creating is filling the street she's at, obscuring people's view. But at least there's a sweet flowery scent in it, too?

Anyway, it might be best if someone stops her. Or else more people would be blinded by the smoke, including you.]

B

[It's only a matter of time before she starts to run out of sylvs. While she could find a part-time job, the taskboard should suffice for the time being. Besides, it'll be more fun for LLENN to hunt monsters or something. Now, she would set out there soloing a task right now if it weren't for a minor setback she's dealing with currently. LLENN is still in front of the taskboard, tiptoeing, squinting her eyes up at the task lists.]

Crap... I can't see much from down here.

[Welp. Guess that's the downside of being super small. Still, she hasn't given up yet and will continue to tiptoe up as high as she possibly can... Which isn't much at all. Help?]

E-1

[What's LLENN doing in a cooking competition? Who knows. Who cares.~~she was asked and dragged into it.~~ What matters now is that LLENN is raring to win this competition. And she can be quite the competitive girl when need be. Instead of her usual pink bunny hat, she replaced it with a pink bandanna tied around her head. With an apron donned and sleeves pulled, she takes a deep breath. and then she reaches into the mystery sack and pulls out a carton of...]

Strawberries? [.....] Huh?! Wh-Who would think it would be a good idea to have strawberries as a pizza ingredient?!

[You think pineapples on pizza is bad? Imagine strawberries on pizza... A sigh escapes from LLENN as she rubs her temple.]

Oh man... This is just the first ingredient, too. [It can only go up from here.]

Wildcard

[The 'do whatever you want' prompt. Feel free to come up with any scenarios if the above prompts don't work!]

Edited 2018-07-19 01:51 (UTC)

[It's easy to say that there's some people who just look like each other. You know the type, they just look like they're fresh off the press of plain ass nobodies who have an inoffensive type of style that's also way safe, they blend in, no one really notices them. You could get pictures of ten of these types of guys and you'd likely think they're all the same person, but really they're just the same boring type of dude, like single slices from the same boring ass loaf of bread.

So, one who is used to looking generic and unoriginal might not even entirely notice when another off brand slice of bread that looks like them is near by, at this point their entire existence is doppelgangers, and they are desensitized to that. However, this is a problem Guzma has never faced. So, when he's looking at this Great Value version of himself, eating raisins like he's a goddamn Ponyta chowing down offered sugar cubes at the fruit stand, he's a bit taken aback.

Ok, really taken aback. It's not like many people try to emulate his style, or even try to be like him beyond Team Skull members, so seeing a straight up copy is... interesting.

Now, he knows there's some straight up Weird Shit that goes down in Verens, he's witnessed it first hand numerous time, and has caused some of it himself! But this? This is something else entirely.

Good thing this teenager walks up before he does something stupid, like cause a scene in good ol' Guzma fashion. With the illusion dispelled, and Guzma's concerns about whether or not something he ate was giving him some unintended side effects, his hackles lower a bit.

With the offer of raisins, he holds up a hand, shaking his head.]

I'm good, don't need no raisins that's been covered in your slobber, yo.

[With how he was eating them... yeah, he'll pass. Looking to Touko with a curious grin, he tilts his head slightly as he crosses his arms over his chest, standing at his full height.]

Been a while since I've seen a Zoroark, let alone a new trainer 'round here. Not that I'm keepin' tabs or nothin'.

[He really only goes to Verens when he needs to, so she could have been here for weeks and he'd not realize.]

I'm Guzma.

Uh, yeah, Zoroark. Put those away. [zoroark, being The Goodest Boy, cocks his head in confusion as he regards his raisins. they glisten with spittle. so appetizing.] Like... just eat them. [ah. this he understands. snarfsnarfsnarf.

leaning over the raisin crate to pay the bemused fruit-seller a modest number of sylvs, touko continues holding her pokémon by its elbow, like it's her incredibly stupid adult child and she's afraid it's gonna get lost. which, uh, is not that far off the mark, honestly.]

Guzma's a pretty cool name! I'm Touko. Love your style, by the way. Very Unovan. Fresh.

[touko... don't tell the trash hobo you love his style... no...]

You're a Trainer, too?

[Gohan couldn't help but overhear Mai's plight.]

Maybe I can help you out? Let's see what you have.

[He comes over to the table she was sitting at to have a peak. He didn't really have any experience with writing a choose-your-adventure story, but he's certainly read plenty of them! It's a good way to build problem solving skills and stimulate the mind.]

[There weren't many people Trunks would drop everything to go find if he was hearing their 'voice' here for the first time. Most of them are here already.

Mai just happens to be one of those two, maybe three people.

And sure, dropping things is too literal--he's working in his mom's lab, so whatever he's holding gets put safely--if quickly--down. But then he's out the door, and taking off into the sky.]

It's definitely real. Hold on, I'm on my way over.

[He sounds...calmer than he would have been a few weeks ago, before his mother was here. She had told him that Mai had survived, and therefore he'd gotten that explosion of emotion out back then. There might have been crying. ~~There was definitely crying.~~]

Oh, no, I wouldn't want to...

[Any further words momentarily died on her lips, however, as Mai looked up. Got a good look at the young man approaching. He seemed...familiar. Somehow. Even though she was sure she had never encountered a face like his before.]

[Blinking twice, she quickly turned back to her assigned task before her staring got too awkward. Suppressing a light blush of embarrassment.]

Have you...written a story like this before?

[Guzma watches as Zoroark does mental gymnastics till Touko gives him the answer, thus scarfing them down in a manner not unlike Golisopod when he happens upon a fresh bounty of food (read as: garbage). Giving Touko his full attention, he nods to her compliment. As if confirming that she is correct that his name is cool, and his style is indeed fresh.]

Unova, huh? Takin' that's where you're from? Can't say I've ever been, but the place certainly got style.

From Alola myself, I'm—

[And without Guzma doing anything, Golisopod decides to pop out of his ball because HE HEARS VOICES!! And, lets be real, Golisopod kinda does what he wants most the time.]

...I was about to answer you, but looks like Golisopod had other plans.

[Hello Touko, please enjoy this 6'7 bug monster just getting all up in your face. At least he looks friendly, and he's just curiously looking her over.]

But yeah. Ain't just a trainer, though. I'm the big boss of Team Skull.

[He says proudly, like that holds any weight whatsoever here, or to an Unovan. Shh let him have this.]

[There was a gasp on her end. Audible and mental. And while she had no such concerns about the other's supposed demise...to hear him, now, in her head evoked such strong feelings that she very nearly dropped the amulet in shock.]

...Trunks...is that...you?

[Disbelief. Hope. Relief. Happiness. All these in more in her tone.]

[Prompt A (Smile through your suffering)]

[Not far outside of Verens, a beautiful woman slowly wanders the fields. She's giving careful attention to the plant life around her, pausing at times to bend down and observe something more carefully.

Apart from the thoughtful frown that occasionally comes to her face, she looks rather serene and smiles slightly. This is notable as she hasn't seemed to notice that the plant life she's already spent time with has all withered and gone limp. Huh...]

[Prompt B-ish (Inspired by Tasks but not actually related)]

[Martel is browsing the Merchant's Square, giving clear preference to the shops in the area. It's pretty obvious she's looking for something in particular, but stores carrying things like medicinal supplies or clothing and accessories are catching her attention. It's certainly promising for anyone who works on commission at one of these places.

Periodically, she'll pause to ask various others in the square this question:]

Excuse me, would you happen to know if someone here sells musical instruments?

[Prompt F-1 (Points if she's somehow successful)]

[Someone had said something about a game, which was all well and good. Then a man insisted she draw a slip of paper from a hat, and that also seemed innocent enough.

Now, however, it's pretty obvious Martel has NO IDEA what's going on. She periodically gives the piece of paper a confused stare before glancing around to see if anyone is going to explain what's happening.

She does know that she's supposed to keep this piece of paper to herself which...is just making things worse. Honestly, she may not even know what a "blackmailer" is... But she'd hate to ruin someone's fun if this is part of the "game", so she'll try to find out! Starting with...anybody close by.]

I...think I arrived after this was explained. What are we playing exactly?

[Prompt G (I'm sorry mine suck)]

[This is where I'm open for other ideas! Maybe even things based on the prompts I didn't list. She does know how to dance... I'm

kaitodoushi on Plurk and should be open to any private messages. ~~And yes, if that looks familiar I used to do this years ago at other places before I failed out...~~]

[Mai's awkward staring at him doesn't go unnoticed by Gohan. He gives a confused, concerned look, before he scratches at his cheek. Was there something on his face?

When she asks him about his prior experience, that confusion turns to mild embarrassment, his cheeks turning a light pink.]

Aha, no, not exactly... But I've read a lot of them for fun, so how hard can it be to write one, right?

[He's happy to hear her too--there's no ambient noise of him flying coming over the connection, but he's pretty much coming as fast as he can--still in the city, it only takes a few minutes, so by the time she responds to him he's actually basically overhead.

He lands before he responds.]

Yeah, it's me.

[Probably looking a hell of a lot more cheerful and less haggard than the last time she saw him.]

[Not in your timeline, there wasn't.]

[...of course, Mai had never had the privilege of knowing him in hers, and as such...saw not the face of another life, but rather the passing resemblance of someone she knew long ago. Decades. A face that could never completely erase from her memory, but whom...was escaping her momentarily.]

[Until then, she gave a nod at his response. Accepting the generosity of his time and reading experience.]

Perhaps that's my problem, then. It's...been a while since I've had the opportunity to read something like this myself.

[Deliberately remaining vague on the matter, she glanced at him again--still unable to shake that lingering sense of familiarity--and offered a smile.]

I'm Mai, by the way. And thank you. For coming to help.

[Her eyes were still turned downward. Focusing so hard on that little amulet. Willing Trunks' voice to come through again. To prove it hadn't just been her imagination. That he was really here--]

[When he voice called out to her, her head darted upward, and she turned to look at him. Staring wide-eyed at first. Lips parted...before the corners turned upward in a bright smile.]

Trunks! [Without thinking, her hands rose to her chest, placing the amulet directly over her heart.] Thank goodness. You made it too. But...

[Elated as she was to see her dearest friend, the lingering touch of loss still weighed too heavy on her heart to leave her smiling for long. He would see her shoulders slump the longer she looked at him.]

...the others?

[Did they make it here with us?]

C:

Hellllo! Hello Hello! Am I coming in clearly?

[ The amullet sounds like it's getting beat against the ground a few times]

Heeeeelllo? Hmmm! It doesn't seem to want to talk back. Is it broken?

[ There was a small pause before the voice sounded rather excited. ]

Oh what's that??!

[ Aaand... it seems he lost interest in the connection he startedl. ]

E-3

[ This. IS THE BEST. COMPETITION EVER!!! Unfortunately for whoever decided to partner up with Karurusu, they aren't having too much luck with their baking.

Not only was he sitting in the bowl for mixing stuff, but he was happily playing with the flour, tossing it in the air like it was confetti or something. ]

I never knew baking could be so much fun! Happy Happy~!

G

[ In town it was a day like any other day, except for the random crowd that was forming in front of a random clothing store. If someone decided to approach the crowd and peak through, they'd find an adorable yellow Otter wearing a bright pink skirt with a hole for his tail to stick out.

The otter was dancing around, doing little cartwheels, trying to get attention for the particular shop. ]

Karurururu~! It's breezy it's fun~ Don't you want to get one~? It's cute and great, if you can't get one now you might be late~!

Edited 2018-07-19 03:13 (UTC)

You should give them a try sometime, then. The stories here aren't as good as the ones I've read back on Earth, but they're still pretty entertaining!

[Don't let him get started, Mai. He'll talk about books for ages if you let him.]

I'm Gohan. Nice to meet you, Mai, and don't worry about it. I'm happy to help.

[He holds out a hand to her for a handshake, smiling that classic Son smile, the one he'd inherited from his father.]

You know, I gotta be real with you, I don't have a good track record with people who call themselves "Team" anything...

[that's a thought for another day, though, as golisopod is suddenly all up in touko's face. most people would probably be at least mildly perturbed if a 6'7" bug monster were to loom over them, but touko loves big, scary pokémon, and by her standards, this is just peachy. she smiles up at golisopod.]

Hey there, big boy! Ooh, I've never seen a Bug Pokémon like this before! He's a Golisopod, you said? Does he like to be touched?

[at least she's cautious enough to not just rub her hands all over a stranger's pokémon... though that might have something to do with the mildly affronted look her zoroark is giving her. the Goodest Boy is jealous (ノД`)・゜・。 ]

[It was the smile that triggered her memory.]

[Nearly thirty years prior. The day Pilaf made that fateful wish. The last wish Shenron would ever grant before the Namekian's death. And the young boy who had cried out his name--a face she had never gotten close enough to see, yes, but whom...by way of sneaking around...she had gotten a name. A name she would hear sparingly in the last several months.]

[The only son of a man she used to face in battle. Who'd died before he could save the Earth, but returned from the Past just long enough to lend a much-needed hand.]

Go...han?

[The only son of a Son.]

Son...Gohan?

[And Trunks' mentor.]

[The sweet summer 30-something child has absolutely no clue. But he's starting to get one. He knows her well enough to see that there's something more here than what he knows about. The fact that he caught the stray edges of that thought doesn't help.

(It never even occurred to him before now that his mother would have omitted certain truths, when she told him what happened. Whenever he asked her about it, she'd given answers, but stubbornly didn't mention much of how, exactly, everything had been when she left. Just that everyone was okay.

What had been her definition of 'everyone'?)

He steps into her immediate circle, then, guiding her off to the side so they're out of the street. There happens to be a bookshop--the owner is used to seeing him sometimes, so they're pretty much left alone, especially when she sees the serious look on his face.]

This world doesn't exactly work like that. There's people from both timelines here, Gohan--from theirs and ours--myself and the younger me from the other timeline, Piccolo, and my mom from the other timeline, that you'd know of. There's also Goten--he's Gohan's younger brother from the other timeline, and Videl. She's Gohan's girlfriend.

[ There is one woman standing next to her, long black hair down to her ankles and she's even started to have to braid it a little better so it doesn't drag on the ground everywhere. Somehow Velvet has gotten roped into this little charade.

When Martel turns to ask her a question, she holds up her own slip of paper. ]

Sorry, can't remember anything. [ On it are the words written: amnesiac. ]

[This is definitely, absolutely notable -- though it might not have been if Asbel hadn't become so overprotective of the sopheria flowers. Having them all but wiped out once will do that to a person.]

[This particular field leads right up to the hillside he's been tending outside of Verens, and Asbel was just on his way back up there to check on them when he spots the woman from afar...as well as the trail of swooning plants.]

[He takes a quick step forward, a worried frown on his face as he calls out to her.]

Ah, excuse me! Sorry -- I know it's not any of my business, but... is something wrong?

["Doesn't exactly work like that?"]

[Still not fully aware her thoughts were still transmitting, she looked to him in confusion for a time. Enough that her body was left to move of its own accord--with his help, of course. She had no idea where he was taking her, but she didn't even think to ask. She trusted him.]

[Gohan...Gohans... that alone was enough to leave her mind whirring for several seconds, nearly missing the part about at least one of them having a sibling and/or girlfriend.]

I don't...recognize the name. [Videl. Or Goten, really, but she lingered on the girlfriend label a second longer than the others. Before her head returned to the present, and she looked up at him with renewed questions.] Is that all? What about Vegeta? Goku?

[He gives a confused glance to Mai. He'd only given her his given name, not his surname, so to hear her say it catches him by surprised. He looks at Mai warily.]

Err... Yeah? That's me.

[If she knew his name, then that meant she was likely from Earth. But she didn't look like anybody he knew. Definitely not anybody he'd gone to school with, at least. Honestly, she looked a little too old for high school. Not old old, but definitely not a teenager either.

So why does she know his name? He could only hope it was under good pretenses.]

Uhh, sorry, do you know me?

[Sorry, Mai. Trunks hasn't talked about you here yet. What a terrible boyfriend.]

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TEST DRIVE: August

touko (protagonist); pokemon white

(Future) Mai ◎ Dragon Ball Super

ravus nox fleuret ( final fantasy xv )

LLENN | Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online

g

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B

c

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Martel Yggdrasill | Tales of Symphonia

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Karurusu | Happy Kiss!

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F1

[A.]

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