test drive meme #11

[hadrielmods]

Welcome to Hadriel's test drive, and thank you again for your interest in the game! As always, our reserves page is here, and our applications page is here! Reserves open July 25th, and apps are open August 1st.

Two quick points here as well:

1. Any thread made in Hadriel's test drive will be accepted as the sole Action Log sample in the application.
2. All threads made in the test drive can be considered game canon, either through handwaving or through a shared mental experience while coming through the Door!

Test drives will be broken up into specific god mini-events, during which your characters can see how well they fare under the watchful eye of one of the gods. Choose wisely or just simply pick 'em all, and have fun!

F E A R

SCENARIO ONE: WORKING TITLE
[The Door brings in all that is chaotic and evil in the world. This may include you, may include the person next to you... and may include the monster behind you.

Watch out as you explore the streets of Hadriel, because you're not alone, and there's always something lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect chance to swarm around you and chow down. This time, the Door has brought in a few Working Joes, from the Alien: Isolation video game series.

Once simply androids meant for mundane jobs, working Joes have had their programming altered to isolate and eliminate threats onboard their ship- which they now believe to be Hadriel. Super strong, yet slow and plodding, an android may ask you for identification before throttling you when you don't have the right answer. They are quite sturdy and difficult to destroy without the right tools. Have fun!]


H O P E

SCENARIO TWO: BEAUTIFICATION DUTY
[The city has always looked a little drab, but now with some tools from Hope, it's up to you guys to spruce it up a bit! Your character will find themselves in a shop filled with various paints, home improvement tools, window stickers, streamers, and various other items and tools used to improve the appearance of the neighborhood.

You're encouraged to add your own little flair to the project in order to improve living standards and make Hope the happiest god in the pantheon. So, what will you do? Paint a mural? Sweep up some rubble? Install a skylight! The cave is your oyster.

This is a mini version of our Extinction v2 event this month!]


S O R R O W

SCENARIO THREE: CRY ME A RIVER
[When you wake up in the morning, something feels... off. It feels like you just watched 20 ASPCA commercials in a row and then topped it all off with the first ten minutes of Up. You're beaten down, depressed, upset by all the horrific acts and trauma in the world, and it's enough to make you want to cry.

Turn on the waterworks, because Hadriel is about to have a shortage of tissues and everyone's getting dehydrated. You might run into your neighbor crying while you're scavenging for food, or you might just find that one whole asshole in the entire movie who isn't affected.

Either way, it's time to get some hugs, some kleenex, and maybe a little bit of chocolate. Happy... crying?]

Comments

Zelos Wilder | Tales of Symphonia

[luxuriant]

one.

[Of course he'd run into a situation like this. It's hardly a good sign to wake up in a place you don't recognize, but this really takes the cake. Zelos had planned on sneaking around quietly to figure things out, but he stands out like a sore thumb in his outfit, with this hair... It's only a matter of time before he's approached by one of those working Joes.]

Whoa, whoa, whoa, take it easy. You're not gonna hassle me for just showing up, are you?

[Apparently, working Joe doesn't like that attitude. He reaches out to strangle Zelos, and after some struggling, the swordsman finally jumps back far enough away to gain some space.]

You're not kidding, are you? Man... This is not my day.

[These things are stronger than usual, so he doesn't very much want to stick around. One attempted slash with his sword at the thing tells him that it's not going to work, but he gets struck by another one from the side. Two on one? Not fair. Help him out?]

two.

Listen up, hunnies! The great Zelos Wilder is going to show you bumpkins just how to spruce a place up!

[The best way to cope with being stuck in a place like this is forced cheer, isn't it? At the very least, it should do nicely at distracting whoever he happens to run into. Whether your character is already helping or lingering off to the side uncertainly, Zelos shoves a paintbrush or some streamers into their hands and points them in the right direction.]

Here, here! Let's get to it! [...Oddly enough, though he's been passing everything out and yelling encouraging things, he hasn't done any work himself.]

[lalliho]

[This person talks weird...and has hair almost as stupidly long as Reynir's... Lalli stares from the streamers in his hand up to Zelos, then back down to the streamers. He pinches one between his fingers to limply bounce it.]

I don't do this kind of work.

[Rejected. He'll be trying to hand this stuff back, now.]

one

[terminalbanchou]

[ Fighting androids, is it. Well, Machine is the one and only, top of the line battle android from where he's from. And to demolish and destroy other robots means nothing to him - they attacked first. And more than that, they lack sentience. They don't beg for their lives as he easily crushes them in his titanium hands, red eyes glowing and empty behind his glasses.

Usually, he only takes orders from one person, and that is the only time he will harm without remorse or concern. But when threatened, he will put down the threat - and ideally, stop it from becoming a threat to those who cannot fight like he can. Machine doesn't feel pain or fear and has endless endurance, by virtue of being inorganic, but those who these droids may go after... well. They may not be as blessed as he is.

With the air sparking around him, he discharges dangerously high voltage out of his arms and hands, frying and disabling as many of the other androids as possible. He only has two hands for crushing and tearing off metal limbs, after all. ]

[tongueamok]

[Carlisle had come to the Colosseum in a rare moment of what he'd later call insanity: he'd thought, perhaps, he could be of some use to those who were escaping the monsters that were drawn in through the Door. There could be injured among them, people wounded, dying. He could mend them and send them on their way. Less work at the clinic meant Kate might stop banging on his door at all hours of the night, too.

But he realizes as four terrifying, glowing-eyed, blue-skinned constructs circle around him that he's bitten off more than he can chew. There don't seem to be any wounded here; only soulless automatons bent on ripping him apart. Should he have brought a weapon? He should have brought a weapon.

Thankfully, someone else did. The electric blast that fries the four constructs misses Carlisle, his crouched, cowering position near the wall, combined with the mob of mechanical humanoids blocking him, having been enough to shield him from the voltage. In good news, the blue men collapse, even more lifeless than they had been when they were coming toward him, telling him not to be hysterical as they instilled the worst kind of panic in him. In bad news, he's still in the Colosseum, and there are more constructs around.

Carlisle spots his savior and, figuring he must be a mage of some sort to command that kind of magic, decides he's his best bet on getting out of this predicament alive. Scrambling to his feet, he darts his way.]

Goodness, a sorcerer! Or an elementalist, or whatever you wizardly types prefer to go by these days. I'm grateful to see you, regardless of the name.

kandara. oc.

[kandara]

( beautification )
[ kandara seems to live in the natural parts of hadriel - always found wandering in the park, or strolling through the orchard. these plants are nothing like the ones at home, but they are as close to familiar life as can be.

naturally, when the gods ask for the place to be made more beautiful, kandara turns to the wildlife and picks her way through weeds, conjures water and waters the plants. she studies the flowering fruit trees and ensures they live as beautifully as possible.

but - from time to time - she makes her way into the city, where she drops by on people cleaning and helps out, or asks to join in a party of painters. all with a smile and an air of joy.

this is much better than her entrance here. much more enjoyable. ]

( wildcard )
[ whatever you like!! ]

beautification

[crowboy]

[Corbin isn't really much for painting, but he likes the orchard, at least the trees that he recognizes, and the ones that he doesn't are good enough for climbing and perching in. Kandara might have seen him around, a large black crow perched in branches, not really bothering anyone, just watching.]

[Of course this time he's sitting in one of trees, a freckle covered red-head in pair of jeans and a worn flannel shirt, bare feet dangling as he snacked on a bright purple fruit.]

[The sixteen year old waves at her]

Hey.

Fruks | Obscure.

[save_theworld]

[[One]]

You really shouldn't be here.

[Tall. The rubbery face looms above, optics beaming from what could be described as a waxen pallor- possibly actual wax? Possibly actual wax- down at a child who is actually dead certain they really should be here. This is, after all, the street they've been cleaning. They have a broom to prove it.

So what else is there to do aside from stare blankly upwards as the- whatsit, leans over them even more? Aside from- maybe shrug, a little. It doesn't seem so bad-]

Unidentified species. A report has been logged to APOLLO.

[Up until it's eyes start glowing red.

Really doesn't seem like anyone is happy about this.]


[[Three.]]]

[They're not crying, it's just raining on their face.

Days like today are the types that Frisk would usually avoid outright. When you just curl up in your blankets a little tighter, wait for it to be over; but they didn't have that luxury in the Underground, and they certainly don't have that luxury here. Actually dragging themself from the cocoon of blankets they've divested into being their own is a little harder, but not impossible.

Scrubbing their face with cold water doesn't stop the tears any.

Nor does scrounging up something vaguely resembling breakfast.

Determination is as determination does, but just because they're walking out onto the streets, intent on doing more work that really doesn't have any meaning or weight to it, who are they kidding? The only good thing about this is not being back there making even worse mistakes Frisk has well and truly resigned themself to the fact that today is just Not Their Day, and tomorrow Isn't Looking Too Great, Either.

Still. Determination, ect ect.

whatever floats your boat man look at all the fucks they give]


[[Wildcard.]]

[Come at me scrublords I'm ripped.]

=)

[somuchlove]

[Wildcard]

[When those spat out of the Door arrived, they observed chaos because of the monsters that followed. Indeed it had been very chaotic - for various reasons - when Chara arrived. There had been quite a bit to do, to see, to TALK and to kill. Very interesting. Very entertaining.

But luckily this is a calm moment. No monsters thus far to interrupt it, which is good because there was quite a bit to say when you run across someone you hadn't thought you'd see on a random street. A whole lot. And indeed, there were things Chara wanted to say.

They don't, however. Following behind them reminded Chara of the default so they go with that. May as well start at the beginning.]

It's you.

Rukia Kuchiki | That one series about soap

[face_kick]

Fear: Little old me?

Me? oh, just passing through, no need to worry about me~

[Cutesy voices and innocent looks apparently don't work on these robot guys though. Still, was worth a try. As hostile hands reach down towards her neck, Rukia leaps back, hands immediately on the sword at her side.]

I'm warning you, don't come any closer!

[The robot, of course, does not heed, and Rukia draws steel.]


Hope: aka get yourself drawn as a bunny
[There is paint, a request to improve the city, and Rukia is here to help. You can find her outside a small building, happily painting a mural on the wall, a stepladder next to her for the high bits (that is, higher than about five and a half feet).]

[It's actually rather cheery and nice, fields and sunshine and so forth. So who wants to tell her that her drawings, well. Leave something to be desired?]

Wildcard
[Something else? Got a great idea? HMU let's do this~]

yesss let's get this trainwreck on the road 1/2

[liketeenspirit]

[He sees the mural before he sees her.

Ichigo's face goes through an impressive number of expressions: first disgust, then surprise, then shock, then skepticism, and finally his eyes drop with a sadness that cuts down to bone.

(Both Hope and Sorrow are chewing on some pretty impressive power boosts because of that, so enjoy it, you two.)

Yeah, okay. They look like her drawings. But is he sure he's not imagining the similarity? How pathetic is that, seeing a bunch of shitty pictures and immediately jumping to the conclusion that clearly, one person had to be here? It's fucking sad, is what it is.

...he doesn't want to look at them. He shoves his hands in his pockets, and he turns to go--]

Rashid | Street Fighter

[turbulentwind]

[One: Working Title]

[These Working Joes are kind of creepy. The way they walk around and always seem like they have their eyes on him. But at least one of them punched through a really nasty-looking monster that was about to chomp his head off. Technology at its finest, he thinks.

Then one turns to Rashid, asking to see some kind of identification. Give him a moment as he fishes through his backpack.]

Oh, crap. I think I left it at... wherever I was before. Is it okay if I come back with it-

[And the being tries to take a swipe at him, barely missing thanks to some quick footwork.]

Hey, what was that about! Don't make me have to-

[Another swipe.]

Gah, fine. If that's the way it's gonna be...

[Rashid tries to rush the android and nails it in the head, only for the kick to be shrugged off like it was nothing. Not even a dent? Rude.

With a sore foot, he tries to bail, knowing that he has little chance against a robot. So much for the awesome technology.]

Hey, does anyone know how to take out these guys?!

[Two: Beautification Duty]

[Paint, tools, brushes... It looks like fun, but haha Rashid is so not an artistic guy. He's futzed around with paint apps on his phone but that's not quite like the real thing. Then there's the stickers and streamers to add to the mix.

He takes a little bit of everything and is off to paint. Or do some kind of art.

If anyone walks by, chances are he'll wave and offer a friendly greeting. And then he'll accidentally brush against the wet paint.]

Ahh... not again. If I keep doing that, my clothes will be the work of art.

[Wildcard!]

[Got something else in mind? Toss it my way!]

[crowboy]

[It's been barely a day since those weird robot things showed up, and Corbin has already decided he didn't like them. He's been avoiding the streets since they showed up, the roofs here are weird and sloping, but he'd rather take the risk of losing his footing than turning a corner and running into one of them.]

[He spots the guy in the white flowing clothes, looking like someone who'd have been labeled "onea them forners" in half a second back home, and he watches as the man tries to kick the robot in the head. It was a good kick, nice and solid, but Corbin already knew you'd need something more solid to take one out, or do more than piss it off.]

Hey! Chromedome!

[He likes pestering the 'bots, once he figured out that they had trouble with the sloping sides he liked to jeer at them whenever he could. This one turned towards him, away from Rashid for just a moment, looking square at the slingshot Corbin has aimed at it, the cup loaded with a large metal ball.]

[Thwap CLANG! One of the glowing red eyes goes out, leaking a thick white fluid, and it fully turns its attention to Corbin, forgetting all about the other man. Corbin just grins, reloading]

I'll distract 'im, but ya might wanna run, mister!

[Thwap CLANG! goes the slingshot, this shot hitting the working Joe in the face, but he only seems pissed off as he tries to get at the redhead perched on the building]

Haleek Thunderlash - World of Warcraft

[manaburn]

[ one ]

[A mage must not wander alone, her sister would say. A mage must be protected behind a phalanx of armed warriors and rain down glorious fire from a distance. It is as the ancestors willed it. A wolf cannot fly and looks foolish when trying, and a mage must not stand on the front lines. This is how things are. Who are you to deny nature? That is what Haleek's sister would say.

Haleek's sister is also dead, and her opinions thus irrelevant.

The thing in front of her demands her name, grabbing at her arm. The voice sounds almost human. Haleek jerks back with a snarl, nearly flinching when she realizes how strong it is. She redoubles and blasts it with a fireball.

The smell of burning metal burns in her throat. At her side, Cloud Song growls a a warning. Already he's guiding her into position, lining up the next shot to finish the damn thing off.]

You want my name, creature?

[Oh, it shall have her name. She bares her teeth and roars a challenge, even as she lines up the next shot. Fire blooms hot and twisting in her hands.]

I am Haleek Thunderlash, champion of the Horde, and you will die where you stand. Lok'tar ogar!

[Hello, Hadriel. You have a blind orc in your midst.]

[ three ]

[The dead ought to be honored with feasts and corpses gutted in their honor. Haleek has neither at her disposal and has been driven down to her knees, clawing at her face with her nails while she sobs. She is alone now, the last of the line, there is no one else. Who will protect the family name when she joins the spirit world? And once she dies, how will she ever find her family without Haniko to guide her?

How does she go through the world without Haniko to act as her eyes?

The eldest siblings, Haleek decides, are not meant to die first. And certainly not for the cause of a human, soft and weak-minded, an affront to all that their ancestors stood for.

Fire blooms in her hands as Haleek sobs, scorching the ground.

Behind her, Cloud Song stands guard, ears back.]

three

[orcish]

[There is nothing worse than mages going off the deep end. It's the the literal worst thing that can happen, because someone with a gun going off the deep end is, in the end, a lot easier to contain.

Mages that you know nothing about going off the deep end is even worse, because anything can happen.

She groans and curses the fact that she is caught in this small building with someone blocking the door who seems to be very close to setting the whole place on fire.

And the fact that shooting them, while ultimately probably effective, would likely be something that she won't survive in quarters as close as these.]

Stop that.

[Not particularly eloquent, but at least straight to the point.]

levi | attack on kitten

[shortcutter]

(ONE)

[Steam rises from the titan's blood that's splattered all over his body. One of the blades from his 3D Maneuvering Gear is snapped clean in half, and the other lies dull and forgotten in the dirt. Still, the fact that his steel didn't work so well on the Working Joes hasn't slowed Levi down much.

He has an unfortunate and very damaged android on its back near the middle of the colosseum. And he's pounding away at its face with a big rock – big enough that he's using both arms, and needs to. There's a loud, metallic crunch ringing out every time he swings down.]

How about this. [He growls at the android between breaths and swings.] You tell me [crunch] why I'm here. Tell me what the hell's [crunch] going on.

[Too late for the Working Joe to call in sick? Yeah, this one's not moving anymore. Levi lets the stone drop, then straightens his back while he lets his arms rest at his side.]

I guess you can't.

(TWO)

[This house/apartment isn't as bad as it could be, but it's still a little dirty. Levi can't complain! Dealing with a lot of dust and mold just doesn't make for a great time. He's got a cleaning apron on and his mask with him – overkill to wear it for this job, so it's dangling around his neck.)

He is buffing the kitchen counter to a spotless shine when your character comes back home from wherever they were, and whatever they were doing.

Levi looks up.]

Ah. Shit. [His dark eyes flit between a few of the spots in the kitchen that he hasn't gotten to. Sounding unimpressed, Levi goes on.] You live here?

[Well, that would explain why he had to break in. Don't worry, though, he didn't do anything to the windows, assuming there are any. Broken glass would just add to the mess, yeah?]

1

[tropism]

That's a bit too optimistic for it.

[ giorno approaches him slowly, keeping his hands visible as he moves to inspect the remains of the working joe, like he would a hurt animal. he mistakenly assumes that the blood is from levi; however, giorno also thinks that he's moving too animatedly for it to be entirely his own. ]

We'd have better luck asking the other citizens of this place.

[ though 'citizen' here is a bit too generous.

a tilt of the head as he eyes him thoughtfully. ] If you are injured - I can help. If not, let me help you get answers. I need a few of my own questions answered, as well.

Zacharie | OFF

[catinthemask]

One: New Game Plus...?

[So stop me if you've heard this one before. A masked merchant walks through a Door - or rather, falls through one. It's rather serious, he does fall because it was OFF script. The end of the game didn't exactly conclude with Zacharie taking a trip down the rabbit hole, you know.

But nevertheless, he's back in business a short while later. Don't ask how he got wherever you find him, it's just his thing. The merchant's backpack is on the ground and overflowing with stuff, like baseball bats and...meat? It smells like it anyways. He waves anyone over who happens across him.]

Ah ah ah. Buenos días, my friend! Would you care to purchase an item? In times like these it's best to be armed to the teeth rather than rather than facing down another's!

[So yeah, masked merchant selling stuff. Totally not sketchy. But alternatively Zacharie can be found dodging the Working Joes that come after him. Apparently they haven't heard 'don't shank the only merchant in the game' before. It's rather rude!]

NOOT NOOOT

[skelebro]

[A monster? A human? Who can tell? Either way, Sans saunters over, sufficiently intrigued. He can appreciate a guy who hawks stuff to passerby, having done the same plenty of times himself.

He chuckles, and waves him off.]

Nah, I'm good. Like your style, though.

[He's just an NPC, anyway, in the grand scheme of his tale. NPCs don't need to spend G for anything.]

armand. the vampire chronicles

[oversear]

two.

A mural.

[ What he was being instructed to do was not possible. He would not, could not do this. He had not painted in centuries and despite time dimming the memories, the emotions still burned in his chest. His father's words, the exclamation of "not made by human hands". He had painted for one god and was now being asked to paint for another. It was unthinkable to turn his back on his Father in such a way. ]

I cannot paint.

[ He says this with enough force and conviction that it's obvious there's strong emotion behind this decision not to pick up the brush. ]

Perhaps there is another task I could do. If I must coddle a god.

[ Sweeping rubble was demeaning and beneath him, but perhaps he could be strong armed in to it. ]


three.

[ Rarely did Armand ever feel the need to cry. Not since his fights with Daniel, nothing made him sob like those little battles. But today was different. Something bitter was creeping in his throat, making it feel tight and hard to breathe. To his absolute horror he felt wet on his face. He brought his fingers to the corner of his eye. Tears. He knew what everyone saw, fat red tinted tears rolling down his face. There was no hiding the blood now leaking out of his eyes. By now it was no secret what his true nature was but it still rattled him, anyone seeing the obvious hints of his wicked nature. Delicately he dabbed his white cuffed shirt to his face, ignoring the urge to cringe at the ugly stains now on the expensive fabric. ]

This is unsightly. I apologize, this is very unlike me.

three, and oh my god yes

[pullback]

[ Victor's eyes are rimmed red as well, though through tears, not blood. And yeah, if it's now no secret what his true nature was then sorry Armand, you get to deal with Captain Prejudiced. After all, the last two years have been Victor trying to battle back creatures of the night such as vampires (except for those few months it was witches). He looks at Armand with a scowl and an expression of pure disgust on his face.

Of course, considering that Victor's crying as well and snot's coming close to running down his nose, any attempt at looking dignified is just failing. But dammit, he's going to attempt to keep composure! ]

How odd. I didn't know your kind could cry to begin with

Crow | The Longest Journey

[funnybird]

[ fear ]

[ It helps to have the power of flight when angry people are trying to tear wings off of small talking black birds. Crow just wanted to ask for directions when he came through the Door, since he clearly wasn't in Arcadia anymore. Instead he's flapping for his life, dodging around the agitated blue men. ]

Alright, alright! Watch the tail feathers!

[ As he finally gains some altitude, he can see there are other people trying to fight their way out too. Good thing he can see the clearest path to get them safely away. ]

Hey! You! This way! No, no. Not that way. This way! Come on!


[ hope ]

[ While everyone with opposable thumbs is off fixing up their own homes, Crow is hard at work flying across the city to build new ones using pieces of trash and debris he finds on the ground. In the trees, of course. He's playing the nice bird here by cleaning up the streets, but he's also pleasing some of the lady birds. Two birds, one... nest, in this case. ]

Who's got what to contribute to the local nests? It's really important to, uh... clean things up around here.

hope.

[scarletcast]

Is it?

[ A talking bird. Why not; Wanda's curiosity is already turning to amusement. ]

What are you using for this nest?

Natasha Romanoff | AvAc flavor

[solomissions]

[one. let's dance]

[This place doesn't exactly look like the Academy campus, but then that happens occasionally. One minute everything's perfectly normal, the next it's covered in weird sentient black goo from a meteorite and you're hanging out with a talking pig.

The first thing she sees as she rounds a corner is what looks like a Starkbot, or whatever Tony's calling them these days. It turns at her sharp whistle, and demands identification, which she answers:]

Natasha Romanoff, code name: Black Widow.

[It doesn't seem to like that answer, though, seeing as how its eyes immediately glow red and it starts yelling about unauthorized entry and termination. Natasha immediately begins to backpedal, looking for an exit.]

I told Tony his army of sentient robots was a bad idea...

[two. paint it black]

[Hope wants a prettier town? He'll get it. Only maybe he should have specified what sort of aesthetic he was looking for, since Natasha has her own ideas on the matter. Witness her chosen house, once a faded blue, now about half-covered in drying black paint with red trim around the windows and a red door. Natasha herself is nowhere to be seen, instead back at the supplies scavenging for more paint.]

Yeah, I'm definitely gonna need more black. And probably another can of red for my room. Gotta do something to make it feel like home.

[three. ninjas with onions]

[Thank god for sunglasses. They manage to hide most of the evidence that she's been crying, letting her keep up the cold, heartless superspy facade. The only hint that she's even a little upset is how ready she is to start fights. After all, when you're sad, what's better than punching people?]

You heard what I said. Or is that "What did you say" just supposed to buy you time while your brain tries to come up with something better?

aw yeah paint it black.

[scarletcast]

[ She is not the only one with claim to that particular colour scheme, Wanda, in her black dress and red jacket, is puzzling over this particular design when Natasha pops -- or doesn't, she's quiet -- back into the radius of thought. ]

Is this your house?

data | star trek: tng

[humandroid]

[ 1. fear.

Stop Data if you've heard this one: an android walks through a city-- ah. Well. It would appear that that is the only situational joke currently in propagation. It's not difficult to see why, of course. Just as well: he still can't quite get a grasp on humor.

The other synthetic life forms in Hadriel bring a new level of interest beyond the more obvious interest of his own displacement. Humanoid. Relatively advanced. They request identification from numerous individuals who couldn't possibly fulfill such a request, only to become hostile when an improbable request is not met. A malfunction, perhaps? Data's not in the market to have his hardware damaged, but his desire to learn more about the working Joes can't be tempered.

If someone seems to be a) having a negative altercation with one and b) appears to have a low probability of surviving or escaping the encounter, he'll be more than willing to step in for the assist and grab hold of the nearest android arm that doesn't belong to him. There he is now. What a tool. ]

Greetings. I apologize if I am creating an unnecessary disturbance. Your actions indicated that you may have been in significant distress, and I was in a convenient position to offer my assistance. Do you find that acceptable?

[ Why be built with significant strength if one can't basically get into cage matches with other androids tbh. ]

[ 2. hope.

Now this is something that Data can get behind. Improving conditions within the parameters set by the technological advancements of the city's inhabitants is always a desirable course of action. To say nothing of how practical matters like schematics and extensive labor undertakings are well within his capacity to assist with.

Naturally, what Data finds the most worth investigating on his own time is the more creative aspect of improving the city's looks. Doesn't matter if your character is making a sticker collage or painting a super basic rainbow, he's all about becoming engrossed in the process. Don't mind him, just... watching you paint or doodle or whatever.

What a Routine Very Normal Human Activity. Art watching. Know what he has to say almost every time someone picks a new color/scribbles a new line/picks a new spot for a sticker? ]

Intriguing. [ That. There are literally no boring moments when it comes to human (or... other) creativity. ] Though I cannot replicate the passion typically revered in creative pursuits, I have always found the artistic process to be particularly fascinating. May I inquire about your artistic decisions, or the sources from which you "draw inspiration"?

[ For as much as he claims to be incapable of emotion, there's an undeniable wonder fueling him right now. ]

1.

[scarletcast]

[ She had been, irritably pushing away the hostile androids with bursts of red, trying to push through them. Wanda peers at him — not out of surprise, but a curious kind of recognition. She can't read him, either, she knows what that means. ]

.. Yes.

[ ... ]

Do you know what these other androids are?

Valiss | Original Character

[truthtwister]

two;

[Valiss has a creative side that doesn't get a lot of play... forging uses his skills, but it's not like there's a lot of room for interpretation when you're writing out an 'official' pardon. Getting the chance to splash some paint on things with no real goal in mind besides making something pretty is rather soothing.

He's painting a brightly-coloured mural of a castle on the outside of a randomly selected building, paint-streaked hair tucked behind pointed ears.]

Roll for Perception

[crowboy]

[This randomly painted building just so happened to be one of the big spiral towers where Corbin had decided to live. Not that he didn't appreciate paintings of castles, he was planning to do a bit of painting somewhere in the city himself. The minor problem came because he was unaware that Valiss was there.]

[From eight stories up came the sort of slithering sound of a rope going over the edge of something, descending at high speeds, followed by a light 'thwump' noise as a package made mostly of cloth hit the ground. It was a good quarter of the way around the tower from Valiss, but he might notice the small cloud of dust as the package, consisting of a pair of jeans, a shirt, a slingshot, and a bag of metal shot, hit the ground, all tied together by a rope that seemed to be secured out a window eight stories up, at the very top of the tower.]

[It was followed soon after by a large, black crow, spiraling lazily down after it.]

[Say what you would, but flying down beat walking down any day if you asked Corbin.]

Rin Okumura | Ao no Exorcist | Two (for originality)

[heartintheflames]

Rin has no idea how to spruce up a town. Hell, he's not even sure he wants to, but he'll give it a shot. He looks around for ways to help. He doesn't necessarily have an artistic hand, but he's fast and generally accurate as far as skill goes. He'll do his best to keep his tail and flames hidden, of course.

Need help moving supplies? He can lift large amounts and be there in a second. Just point where you want them. Want him to pin a ribbon while you supervise? Just say how you want it! A little more to the left? Sure!

The problem is, he can also get so caught up in doing, he can be a complete klutz. He might accidentally knock a paint can over on you, or worse, the project you're working on.

"Shit, sorry!"

This was always the problem he had trying to hold down a job before. Too bad cooking doesn't count as beautifying the town.

[torrefied]

Mello absolutely doesn't want to be helping clean up this cavetown, but he's basically without much choice, at this point. Or, rather, he has other choices, but they're not good ones - continuing to antagonize the City Guard isn't a smart move at this juncture, because there's nothing to gain from it and plenty to lose. (He's already lost his phone, after all, though that's temporary.)

Whitewashing buildings doesn't take much skill, but it does take effort, and some concentration. And, of course, he's always aware of any people who happen to be nearby; just because Bianca already got her murder on once doesn't mean there aren't other fine upstanding citizens who'd like to slit his throat. So Mello notices this kid well before he clatters into the can of paint on the ground, and Mello has plenty of time to react, jumping out of the paint's path toward him. It's a mess, but thankfully, his clothes aren't stained.

(Yet.)

"Watch it."

river tam / firefly / open to all

[enchangement]

[ o - n - e // hope.exe ]

There's a room full of paint and a girl with bare feet and straggles of paint-filled brown hair across her shoulders. Behind her, a path of blue and purple footprints leads through the door and out to the street, where the building is awash dynamic murals full of stars, in various shades.

She's tapping her foot and her finger against her chin in the same erratic rhythm, addressing you without turning around:

"Oranges and reds next? Or greens and browns? She can't decide."

[ t - w- o // sorrow.404 ]

People are crying and the girl is...not. Instead she tilts her head at others as they pass, patting one on the shoulder and giving another one a bit of cloth to blow their nose in before continuing along.

When she sees you she just shrugs.

"Being sad is exhausting."

hope

[whichend]

[ Arya follows the footprints to the paint-filled room. She wants to make sure that's, in fact, paint and not monster blood. It smells like paint, but stronger -- paint in Westeros is made of more natural stuff. Dyes are expensive.

Arya doesn't expect to find the mural. It's a strange, striking sight, and not just because of the purple stars -- it's never occurred to Arya to paint a wall like this before. But she likes it. ]

Oranges and reds. [ Arya answers, trying to seem sure of herself. ] Greens and browns are land colors, but you're painting the sky.

elena gilbert ( the vampire diaries )

[sacrifica]

( HOPE )

( Hope. Now that's an event that Elena can get behind. There's been a lot of fear and sorrow that Elena's seen recently, and not all of it can be blamed on the events or the gods. But hope - doing something to help. It's her cup of tea.

That said Elena doesn't quite know where to start. Sure the place could use some colour and maybe some new decorations but- where do you begin? Where's Caroline when you need someone's input?

So she starts with a banner. Or more like a poster. Elena's got the fabric, and the paints, but she seems a little stumped with what to put on it - if it wasn't obvious by her sitting on the floor just staring at her blank canvas. It'll come to her )

[fictionalization]

[ Decoration has never been among Hawke's many, many skills. Between that and a distrust for the supposed 'Gods' of this place, she's been content to sit this event out. Which hasn't stopped her from offering commentary suggestions to those who need it. ]

Having trouble?

Simon Tam | Firefly | brackets or prose friendly

[hippocratical]

[one-fear:]

He's managed to avoid the thick of the combat, thankfully, but that doesn't mean he's been hiding. He's still a doctor, wherever you put him, whatever world he's on, and that means going where the injured are. His supplies from home are limited, the supplies here primitive at best, but he's still going to do his best. Kneeling by a prone figure on the street, his hands are already at work.

"Lie still. I'm going to stop the bleeding first, then we'll see if there's anything broken."

[two-hope:]

Simon is staring at a wall. He's been staring for a solid ten minutes, now; it's probably starting to get a little concerning for anyone watching. But there's nothing wrong with him, honestly, it's just a tiny moment of crushing uncertainty and indecision. He'd just come over from the clinic to check on River, make sure she was fine, and she'd shoved a paintbrush in his hand and insisted he draw something, too. One cryptic statement about not needing to hold a scalpel or a needle to heal, about the city being his patient, too, not just the people in it, and then an announcement that she needed to go wash her hair, and suddenly it was just him and the wall, both all but spinning in the whirlwind she left behind. But then, that had always been his sister. A tiny hurricane that blew through the universe, upset the order of things, made them better. Who was he to argue?

The wall in front of him holds a passable facsimile of a spaceship. A Firefly, surrounded by the whorls and dots of River's painted galaxies. Delicately, he makes another small brushstroke before becoming aware of someone else nearby. "I'm not much of an artist," he admits, a little self-conscious. He lowers his hands, fiddles with the rolled-up cuff of a shirtsleeve. "But when a teenage girl tells you to paint, I guess you paint."

hope.

[scarletcast]

You're Simon.

[ She's perched on a nearby pile of rubble, just high enough to seem a little difficult for your average young woman to have climbed, especially soundlessly. It's sturdy enough to hold her weight. She's smiling faintly; it widens when he speaks and looks up at her. ]

I'm a friend of River's.

Pietro Maximoff || MCU

[silvercast]

[[ o1. Fear ]]

[ No, this is lovely. Really. Granted, it's not Sokovia or anything remotely to its likeness save for the overall state of disrepair.. unless there is a place like this hidden that he'd never heard of. Very unlikely, he's very nosy.

Waking up somewhere unfamiliar without a sign of anyone was the cherry on top of the cream. It's been easy enough to zip through the city, but someone-- something catches him off guard when he stops to inspect a deserted storefront.

Running causes accidents. The voice gets him to turn around, an easy smile playing on his face. ]

Does it? I have not had one so far.

[ The Joe's eyes glow red, and Pietro is reminded too much of another android with glowing red eyes. It takes a few steps toward him. He doesn't have to move just yet.

You are becoming hysterical. The Joe moves a little closer. Definitely going to make sure he stays out of range of this guy. Pietro runs up the street and then back toward the Joe, bumping into him. It stays intact, though it stumbles.

That stings. How- ]

You are tougher than you look. [ He may need a little assistance getting it off his back. ]

[[ o2. Hope ]]

[ Pietro isn't a stranger to wanting to make things better. That, he can do. Maybe not to the standards that the god is looking for, but he's trying.

He can be found sweeping rubble away or assisting in painting a mural. The ones who can't paint get assigned to cloud duty, right? ]


[[ o3. Wildcard ]]

[ Put your best or worst foot forward and follow your dreams. ]

3. hello is it me you're looking for

[scarletcast]

[ It is like being struck, his voice among the buzz of Hadriel, clear as a bell. She's there with him as she's been there from the first day he woke up fast and she could hear the guards through the walls. Wanda expects blood first, the stickiness as it spreads to the back of her shirt, the taste of it in her mouth. Nothing. He is running. ]

[ It's him. It can be no one else. Everything fierce and bright from her comes alive from where it slept. She dared not hope. ]

I'm coming!

[ He's running, and if she stayed in one place he'd find her eventually, but patience was never Wanda's strong suit. ]

Ken Kaneki | Tokyo Ghoul

[anthropophagite]

One. Fear

[ Things Kaneki didn't ask for: this. Any of it. Arriving there, being given a mobile, being told he can't go home, and now some weird looking... things? Beings? They certainly sound like robots and they talk like robots, but Kaneki doesn't know if he should assume them as so, or if they are actually alive or not. However, he isn't going to just stay there and wonder, because he is set on leaving and try to actually find someone who can tell him this is all just a dream and definitively not real. But he is not allowed to get far, of course not, because since when good things happen?

When Kaneki was about to take a turn, one of those things warn him not to run and he feels like it's only polite to answer ]

I'm sorry, I wasn't running...? [ he was walking.

But no more questions or justifications were asked and the robot approaches the hybrid and aims right to his neck. Sure, Kaneki is not a fighter, but given he is already on edge because of everything that has been happening, his first response is to quickly move out of the robot's way by jumping back. ] W-what are you doing?!

[ and why.

"You are being hysterical, you need to calm down" is the only answer kaneki gets (and it's not a good one), and again the Working Joe aims to attack him. This time, though, the boy defends himself with a punch to the robot's shoulder and sends it flying off thanks to his ghoul strength. He is ready to take a moment to breathe, but that second another robot comes at him from behind. ]

Get away!!!


Two. Hope

[ if asked, he will say that he really is terrible at painting and anything alike, but as everyone seems to be doing it, Kaneki decided to give it a try. And for someone who'd claim he sucks at it, Kaneki is surprisingly good with his hands when it comes to painting and drawing, and is currently filling a mural with red spider lilies among a sea of white carnations.

he is apparently set on only drawing that, though.

Don't judge him too hard, Kaneki is trying his best! ]


Wild card.

[ go wild! ]

Two

[becomeone]

If you add a little pair of lovers somewhere, it will become romantic.

[She's been wandering around and looking at things that others are doing, partly to get inspired, partly just to see what others are up to, and this mural has caught her attention. It seems... incomplete, for lack of a better word. Flowers are nice, but as this is it looks empty somehow.]

kahlan amnell ( legend of the seeker )

[maythespirits]

TWO.

[ The city is strange, to say the least; not having stars above her head at night or the sun to track the days, Kahlan feels quite disjointed. Add on all the technology she's never seen, let alone used, before - especially that phone she had on her when she first arrived - and she's not entirely sure how to feel about this place. But when she suddenly finds herself standing before a selection of paints, various tools, and the rest of the beautification supplies, she figures she'll help out a bit. After all, the city could really use a face-lift.

It'll give her a chance to get to know her fellow inhabitants as well, which certainly can't hurt since it doesn't seem like there's a quick and easy way out of here.

She grabs a paintbrush and some paint and starts helping fill in a mural someone's started. When someone makes their way to the spot beside her she'll say, without looking toward them right away: ]

Is this a common thing, coloring the walls like this?

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE.

What it says on the tin!

two.

[scarletcast]

Painting.

[ Kahlan doesn't have a word for it, so that's filled in first. Wanda studies the mural briefly, lingering on the outline. It's a meadow, the green is vivid. ]

Here, not so much.

L Lawliet | Death Note

[hearthebell]

1. Fear

[Cynicism has a way of walking hand-in-hand with those who have a front-row view of the world's chaos and evil. As his world's premier supergenius computer detective, L has seen his share of wickedness, the survival of the strongest as the meek and mild succumb, and grown numb to it. Waking in a coliseum after his own death, however, is admittedly having a profound pins-and-needles effect on the man as he tamps down his shellshock and attempts to learn what he can about his new surroundings. Every logical explanation is far from reassuring, led foremost by you snapped, you're crazy, you're finished. The illogical ones aren't any more reassuring, but the more of the subterranean city L sees, the more he is forced to entertain the notion that they might be not only possible, but likely.

A shinigami told him that there was a realm inhabited by her kind. Why not other realms? Other inhabitants? It's troubling to consider, if only because it means that for 25 grueling years as a servant to obsessive case-cracking, L has somehow managed to miss it until recently. The slump-shouldered, wild-haired wisp of a man is so absorbed in the thought that he doesn't see the approach of an android, which is a jarring presence once he's glanced up and become aware of it.

His lips part to form a sentence, but the Working Joe demands identification before he can even exhale over his vocal cords. Ordinarily, Watari would have proper documentation to get L out of just about any line of questioning, but unfortunately, L hasn't had the time or resources to attempt to recoup that glaring absence since arriving. His dark, glassy eyes stretch a little wider, relying on the appearance of vulnerability that some sympathetic humans do fall for... but not Joe, apparently.]

My father has it. We've been separated, and I have to find hi-

[Even strangers on the street don't typically reach out and attempt to strangle people they haven't met yet. L's scrawny frame is easy enough to lift clear off the ground for the android, and as those synthetic hands tighten around his windpipe, L makes every attempt to rationally and calmly deal with the situation. Resisting the urge to pry at the hands around his neck, he braces them on the android's shoulders, bracing one foot against the ribs and attempting to drive a heel into his attacker's solar plexus...

...to no avail. Though he somehow escaped death at Kira's hands (how?), it seems like the world's three greatest detective's are about to meet their end at the inconveniently powerful hands of a murderous automaton.]

2. Hope

[This isn't a task that L is well-suited for in the least. He's used to living in a world of sterility, steel and chrome and glaring monitors. He rarely goes outside and doesn't seem to take much pleasure in culture or beautification of any kind; even his own appearance is the product of abject apathy, malnourished and slovenly. This kind of thing is outside of his understanding and quite possibly beneath his qualifications to even indulge.

He spends a lot of time looking at the various tools, especially those with destructive capacities like wire-cutters and saws and chisels. Whether or not Hope is heading this project as something to give them all something meaningful to do with their time, he intends to make his "contribution" count. He has wanted to escape Hadriel since arriving, and if that means defacing a mural to attempt chipping through to the other side... well, it's no great loss in the grand scheme of things, ultimately.

He can be found loitering near one such mural on the outskirts, making a poor effort to look busy and productive when there are people nearby, but when he thinks the coast is clear, he works with a hammer and chisel in an attempt to gouge through the rock.]

1.

[heartintheflames]

Rin was wandering around, exploring Hadriel, wondering himself all the things that come with a new world. How did I get here? Where is everyone else? Am I alone? Who are these people? Though he's not necessarily looking for a way home as much as he is enticed to figure out where he is and what everything does. It's new and fascinating, and, oddly, doesn't seem to have the demons of his homeworld.

As he continues to wander through passages and around pillars, he comes across a boy waking on up and an android demanding his identification. Then, as the boy tries to speak, he's suddenly attacked, and not for a very good reason.

"Hey!" Rin shouts, charging straight at them. "Let him go!" He drop kicks the Working Joe in the head with all he's got, thinking he's got this in the bag. The only ones that stood a chance against a kick like that were demons where he's from. Not that these necessarily aren't powerful, so he knows better than to completely drop his guard as he reaches for L.

"Come on!"

beth washington ~ until dawn

[edibles]

FEAR
She was scared to death. Something had been chasing her, Hannah had been with her (at least she'd found Hannah) but now they were separated and she didn't know where she was.

With every glance that Beth gives to the side she thinks that something is there, watching her, ready to pounce. Is it the same thing that was in the woods or is there something else there? And where is Hannah? That's her main thought right now. Finding her sister is the most important thing, making sure that she's okay, that nothing has gotten to her.

"Hannah?" Her call is loud, and that's probably not a good thing when there's definitely something out there, but if Hannah can hear her- she needs her to hear her.

"Hannah? Where- oh shit." She was right - there was something there. The quick movement of the thing leaping out makes Beth step backwards, falling at the sudden movement and surprise.

It's an robot. It takes Beth a few seconds to realise it but it brings her a little more relief than the thoughts that were going through her head. Maybe it can actually help her.

"Do you know where my sister is?"

SORROW
She knew what had happened to her. Beth had known it since arriving in the city but for everyone else's sake she'd pretended that everything was alright. Hannah didn't seem to know and no one else wanted to talk about that night, which was fine by Beth. She still can't believe what they did, and even though the cruel 'prank' wasn't why she died they wouldn't have been out there if it hadn't happened.

For the first week Beth had kept it all in - kept her feelings in check, trying to put on a happy face for her sister and her friends. That morning she can't manage it, and the tears come from nowhere - from the emotion she'd pushed all the way down.

After crying for a while at home Beth runs out, frustrated that she can't stop crying and not wanting any of her friends (or especially Hannah) to see her so upset. No one wants to talk about it and she doesn't want her crying to start it, and she definitely doesn't want Hannah to ask about it. If she can get it all out with her none the wiser it would be better for everyone.

If she can ever stop crying, anyway.

sorrow ; omg i'm sorry that i just saw this

[wendigoner]

No, Hannah has no idea. Everyone tiptoes around her to the extreme and the teen is too naive and mildly oblivious to suspect anything more. Though her arrival had been intensely confusing, their friends had quickly gathered her up and explained the situation, at least enough so Hannah had stopped asking questions and started living her life again.

The life she doesn't know that she's lost.

"Beth?"

Hannah finds her (of course she does) and hovers, wringing her hands. It's been clear that whatever is bothering her twin isn't something that the other girl wants to talk about, but... she can't help it. She has to ask, to try and make it better. If she hadn't been so stupid, after all-- if she hadn't run out into the woods, then neither of them would have run into that creepy guy, wouldn't have fallen from the cliff.

(Hannah still doesn't know how the fall worked out for them.)

"I know you... don't want to see me..." Obviously, the other teen had been looking for some solitude, and here she is, ruining all that. "Um... I just wanted to see if there's anything I can do."

Please don't shut me out.

Cassidy | Preacher

[eternalnihilist]

ONE

[Shadows are good. Cassidy likes shadows.

Especially since there's not a whole hell of a lot of them nearby when he first arrives; he can feel himself smoking, smell it too, and he's just about managed to get all the important bits covered that weren't already when he finally finds first blessed shade and second a robot who starts out polite and escalates far quicker than he'd have expected outside of a movie.

He sighs heavily, and audibly, but he's made of sterner stuff than your average human, or at least can take more of a licking, and a robot would be a first for him but he does his best, even if it mostly amounts to banging on whatever's in reach and trying to pull important looking bits and bobs off of it while staying somewhere relatively safe as he does.]

Little help here. Anyone? Come on, you bloody toaster, shove off already!


TWO

[Cassidy emerges on the network today to show off his handiwork. A statement which, in this particular case, translates to an extremely bawdy display of paints, stickers, and streamers, positioned just right on the window.

What can he say? He got bored. And was feeling particularly creative.]

So, what d'you think. Couple hundred dollars at least, right?


THREE

[He doesn't get it. Okay, he understands the idea, people get upset and cry all over whatever's handy. He's not above it, time to time. But the constant onslaught nearly everywhere?

Cassidy sighs at the latest victim, wandering over to...well okay, mostly stare and offer what comfort he can, which admittedly isn't a whole hell of a lot. Isn't really his thing. So he mostly stares uncomfortably for a few moments before even trying words. Don't mind him all bundled up and decked out in a silly hat and oversized sunglasses. It's a thing.]

Come on, whatever it is, it can't be that bad. You're startin' to look a bit silly, if I'm honest. Just... This'll pass, you know? Whatever...it is.

[He watches a bit longer, then pulls out a flask from a pocket with a dramatic eyeroll and offers it.]

It's nothin' particularly good, but if you have enough it should cheer you up a bit, at least. Or make you forget whatever it is. Whichever you prefer.

emma duval ● mtv's scream

[mistaken]

ＷＯＲＫＩＮＧ ＴＩＴＬＥ

( now admittedly emma is no stranger to killers, it's just that her experience is largely and almost exclusively with humans.the fact that there's a robot looking person heading in her general direction doesn't actually immediately concern emma though, already too engrossed in being overwhelmed by the fact that her life could in fact get worse than it already was. she's still trying to process what is happening, how she got here. it's just not a great time to be interrupted by an android, basically.

she doesn't really notice anything out of the ordinary until she realises that the person -- who, she now realises, very much isn't a human -- has picked up their pace quite abruptly. clearly making a beeline for her, and with red eyes that set off huge alarm bells in the back of her mind, emma does what she does best and panics. turning sharply on her heel she half jogs back the way she came, throwing glances over her shoulder back at the working joe. when she realises that it's catching up quite easily she starts to run, and by the time she turns down the first side street she can find she's pretty much terrified. )

Hey! ( she's not yelling at anyone in particular of course so much as trying to draw attention. she's still running on slasher movie rules, you see, and no one gets murdered if they stick with a group right? ) Is anyone here?

( by the time she realises the android is still following her down the side street she's basically hyperventilating, and she gives up calling out in favour of screaming. someone stop her from being hella killed, please. )

ＦＥＡＲ ２．０

( do need a little help? luckily for you, she's not so scared and helpless any more! once emma gets her bearings and a little confidence, she'll be wielding just about the heaviest blunt object she can muster. it might not keep them down for long, but she's got something of a mean swing when she's fired up, and it'll give them enough time to hide.

batter up, guys. she's here to help. )

ＢＥＡＵＴＩＦＩＣＡＴＩＯＮ ＤＵＴＹ let's get a little more upbeat

( it's a little odd, because emma isn't particularly artistically inclined and yet she throws herself into this project with great gusto all the same. it's a reprieve from all the awful at least, something to focus on that isn't loved one's corpses or monsters trying to kill you, so she has a huge amount of enthusiasm for improving the neighbourhood.

emma can be found at all hours of the day working away, whether just by clearing up or later by attempting to "help" with some painting (spoilers: it's going terribly), and if anyone is looking closely they might even just about catch a smile! a brief, tiny little thing, but one that definitely existed all the same. )

ＷＩＬＤＣＡＲＤ

( #yolo me something random! pms or pp @ sharknado for questions! )

fear 2.0

[prespangled]

[Steve's adopted a similar plan. Sure, someday he'll have a knack for strategy, but even then a lot of it involves just throwing himself bodily at trouble, or punching his way out of it. He doesn't have enough weight to knock anyone down with today, and all he's going to get if he throws a punch is some seriously busted knuckles.

So he's opted for a rusted metal wrench in one hand and a shield from the armory in the other to fight with instead. Every swing leaves him winded, forcing him to retreat back behind his shield to catch his breath. He can't keep this up for much longer and he knows it, but he's gotta hold out until some back-up arrives.

She shows up at just the right time. Steve lowers his shield to watch as she bashes the thing, and then hides with her when it proves to be as stubborn about staying down as he is. He peeks over the rubble and trash can that they're taking cover behind, gasping out a few words when he can.]

The Dodgers...could really use you.