TEST DRIVE MEME.

[soulmods]

Test Drive Meme

Prompts Arrival: So you've just arrived in Nyoi-Cho. Congratulations! You must be so excited about having your wish granted. Or maybe you're upset that the result wasn't quite what you expected? If that's the case, then that's too bad! There are no take backs and no redoes, so you're stuck with what you have! Maybe you should have been more careful about how you worded that wish... Oh well. There's no use in dwelling on it. You're a magi now, and that means adjusting to a whole new lifestyle! Maybe one of the townspeople can help you out. Only... they're acting a bit strangely, aren't they? They're all too happy to show you around, but there's something unsettling about the way they're behaving. Almost cheerfully dissonant. Any questions about the history of the town are met with blank stares and brief silence, before they plaster a smile onto their faces and change the subject. Any attempts to tell them about your duties as a magi or anything else that relates to the magical will get similar reactions. Isn't there anyone normal here that you can talk to at all? Home Improvement: The houses that the magi are given access to really are something, aren't they? There's almost no limit to what they can do! Why don't you create the house of your dreams, or maybe recreate and relive your favorite childhood scenes? Invite some spectators over to marvel! A Corrupted Soul Gem: You neglected to take care of your soul gem, and now you don't feel quite yourself anymore. You feel like you're losing your sense of self - all you seem to be able to focus on is your old regrets and past failures. What's happening to you? A Day in the Life: Everyday hero by day, magician by night! You've got a busy day ahead of you and no time to waste! Maybe it's school, or maybe it's work, maybe it's both! Being magical doesn't make you exempt from paying those shopping bills! May Day: Uh-oh. This magical girl stuff looked easier on TV. You're in some serious trouble! Or maybe you see someone else who is! It's time to pull up your socks and show them what you have. Be the hero you've always wanted to be, or give in and be that damsel in distress. There's no shame in needing a little help now and then. A Successful Mission: Congratulations! You met up with your first Nightmare, and you fought valiantly. You even mastered that tricky power of yours! What sort of power did you get? Is it a useful one, or is it not so useful? Maybe you've mastered it beautifully, and now you're showing off to all of your friends. Maybe you're having a hard time keeping it under wraps, and now you're wreaking havoc across the town without meaning to! A Dreadful Nightmare: You had an absolutely horrid day. As you drift off to sleep, your mind dwells on all the injustices you've had to endure. In response, your bed swallows you up, and your room shifts into a horrific Nightmarescape. What sort of Nightmare are you? What kind of Nightmarescape do you create? Hopefully your fellow magi can stop you before you cause too much damage! Wildcard: Feel free to use any information from the FAQ or the World Info page to make your own prompt!

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Yuuya Sakazaki | Hatoful Boyfriend

[salutations]

a. Arrival
[Of course, Yuuya had read in textbooks about the times before birdkind had dominated the globe. Before the Sumatran Influenza debacle there were just as many humans as birds, taking up far more. Still, reading about it was profoundly different than experiencing it.]

[And, despite knowing the anatomy of a human body fairly well (too intimately, one could say), that, too, was profoundly different from being in one. When he made his wish he accepted the idea that his life would be over. It was a fair trade. Still, the human body he'd been granted felt unnatural as he moved his limbs. When skin brushed against skin a brief shiver ran through his body. It would take some getting used to, preferably out of human sight while he worked out all the little kinks.]

[Waiting for the right time, however, didn't sit well for him. He pondered what he could do and quickly found a solution. So, if you come upon Yuuya, he'll be leisurely stretched out on a park bench. Surrounding him are a small flock of your usual pigeons, cooing and tapping their beaks against the ground.]

Not even a trace of it, huh. [Yuuya sighs to himself, looking over the mess on the ground. The scraps of paper, half torn to bits by pecking doves, appear to have very basic arithmetic drawn on them.] It's a little demeaning, but perhaps easier to try things like "sit" or "stay"...

b. A Successful Mission
[It was a small Nightmare, a little insecurity, some petty thing like asking a boy to the dance. As the Nightmarescape dissipates, there is a sight only for magi eyes.]

[The hero's golden attire shines, almost gaudily. The chest piece resembles that of a knight's, but the rest is light and airy. One part is meant to be seen and the rest floats with him, translucent pieces shimming as if they had their own light. The whole thing would attract quite a lot of attention...]

[...if not for the fact it adorned a pigeon.]

[The magi swaggering out of the Nightmarescape is an abnormally-sized fantail pigeon, standing about four feet high. It's wearing glasses.]

a

[wounds]

[He's heard of a lot of strange things in his life, people turning into monsters and demanding justice for... something. He's seen only one monster in person, and that was the cyborg that ruined his entire life.

But this is something on a completely different level.]

Are you trying to train pigeons?

[salutations]

Ah, [someone who took notice of his odd behavior? That was a rarity already.]

That might be impossible. The poor things are entirely feral. I would move the sun and moon for a beautiful lady, [not that one is around right now] but this task is beyond even me.

[wounds]

... Why are you so interested in birds?

[And how can you even tell the difference between these birds?]

[salutations]

I have certain vested interests with the avian species. [That was hopefully vague enough.]

Are you sure you don't have an interest? Or did I draw your attention?

[wounds]

That didn't explain anything.

You're being weird. I haven't seen anybody try to train wild pigeons before.

[salutations]

How long have you looked?

[wounds]

At you? Or for people training wild birds?

[salutations]

I meant the second but should I be worried about the first? I mean, I've always had a few adoring male fans, but...

b

[rakuyo]

[There was a certain amount of oddity for Maria to get over, having arrived in such a place. Young girls called to task, sentient Dolls with her face, Nightmares which manifested in all manner of shapes, sizes, and horror.

Then there was doing battle alongside a pidgeon.

She didn't ask. Not in the moment. It was a creature on her side and that's not to be scoffed at. Maria had aided in cutting the beast down, trained well beyond such petty slaughter. Once it begins to retreat, she looks at the bird. She doesn't mean it snarkily, her tone distant and matter of fact to say;]

A city bird is an unexpected ally.

[salutations]

Well, I can only hope I left a good impression on you, mon amie, to defend the reputation of city birds everywhere. [His powers leaned towards the defensive side, shielding blows and supporting a fighter. Part of him worried about having to rely on others, but it certainly worked for now and worked on the small ones.]

[rakuyo]

Well spoken, how... absurd and charming. [she bows her head to him all the same, respectful. She was adjusted to much more grotesque creatures than this bird, which was more of a bizarre curiosity than a repulsive beast.]

Your support was well placed, I thank you. [her abilities were tuned for aggression, but she wish not to overuse her Quickening on such a weak enemy. Her gem should remain pristine, she would not lose track of herself again.]

[salutations]

Your praise is like water after a drought, mon amie. [Humans, on-on-one, weren't very odd. Nothing for Yuuya to be unsettled by. It doesn't even dawn on him that he might be an odd occurrence.]

Anyways, [dropping he lighter tone used for his adulation] that one seemed fairly weak, all things considered. Hopefully, by pruning them down early, we won't end up with anything excessively dangerous.

[rakuyo]

[Maria should probably be more off put by the 4 foot tall pigeon flirting with her, but she doesn't even notice. The flirting part. Not the pigeon part, she's a head of that.]

If we remain diligent in our cause, the spread should not overwhelm us. [She'd offer to shake a hand, but that's not how feathers work. That would be ridiculous.]

I am Maria, of the Hunter's Workshop. Do beings such as you have given names?

[salutations]

[Don't question the world of Hatoful Boyfriend, where pigeon wings are capable of holding hands, linking arms, and wielding semi-automatic weaponry.]

Indeed we do. [he lets the casual birdist microaggression slide like water off a duck's back (which, ironically, is also a casual birdist microaggresion)] My name is Yuuya Sakazaki. Given name, family name, although you're welcome to call me what you like, Maria.

[rakuyo]

[you couldn't call Maria's culture PC, by any stretch. They used to name the Old Ones all sorts of rude things. Maria assumes that asking if the creature has a name is more respectful than just deciding to call it something, like the Church preferred to do.]

Is Sir Yuuya pleasing? [flirtatious as the last word may be, her tone considers it a matter of respect and dignity. She wouldn't flirt with a man, let alone a bird]

[salutations]

[sadly, he is too weak a pigeon to not take such an obvious bait.] I certainly hope I am. [wink☆]

... but, as for the name, yes, that's more than fine, mon amie. It sounds quite noble, even dashing.

b

[savedover]

[Life in Nyoi-Cho is normal. At least, that's what Silver thinks he's supposed to feel. All of the buildings are too small. The houses are too quaint. The streets look like they've been put together with bricks. It's too quiet. And there are no Pokémon anywhere--not even a common Pidgey or Rattata. It sets his nerves on edge.

It's not that Nyoi-Cho is strange, he thinks; he's the strange one, put off and unsettled by what everyone else who lives here seems to think of as normal.]

[That being said, there is nothing normal about what he's looking at right now. It's something so baffling that he's having a hard time categorizing it with his other experiences. What he's looking at is closer to a Pidgeot than a Fearow--but undersized, all the wrong colors, and wearing glasses.

This has to be a Magi. A Magi that also happens to be... some kind of flying type. (Do the things that aren't Pokémon eve have types?) When he catches himself staring, Silver purses his lips and scowls.]

Tch. Too late for this one. [When all else fails, he can just direct his annoyance towards the fact that he was too late for this fight. There will be others, but it was an annoying waste of time to reach the edge of a Nightmare's domain just as it was defeated.]

[salutations]

[In all honesty, Yuuya should have tried to find an ally. His powers were not really suitable for solo missions, much to his dismay. He'd gotten out of this one because it was very weak and he was very lucky. He will proceed to not acknowledge this truth at all.]

Ah, salutations! Terribly sorry if you were after this one. [he doesn't sound sorry at all, his tone is entirely light-hearted] A hero of justice just can't leave a situation like this alone, you see.

[savedover]

[He doesn't want an ally. He doesn't really care, one way or another, if tactically speaking it would be better to group up with someone who's skilled at close range offense or defense. If he can, he wants to work alone.]

Really. You're calling yourself a "hero of justice". [In comparison to Yuuya, Silver's voice is nearly flat with disdain. It just begs for a follow up: that's so ridiculous, that's so childish, that's so stupid. But, in the end, all he does is roll his eyes.] ... I don't really care. It's only 10:32:18. I can find another.

[In a way, he's thankful to Kyuubey. Hunting Nightmares is a great excuse not to waste the night hours with sleep.]

[salutations]

I suppose your kind does have much better night-vision than yours truly. [He's fine with the dismissive comment. To him, it's just calling a spade a spade. It was ridiculous before when he said it and now it was only more true.]

That said, this sexy and luxurious night can be very long. [He knew things about humans in passing and this one did seem smaller. Not quite a chick but probably not with his same capacity for black-bean-fueled all nighters.] Stay up too late and your feathers won't shine, you know?

[savedover]

[Silver's expression is nothing short of sour at Yuuya's comments. The turn of phrase he uses is different, but he understands the meaning--and who cares what you look like after staying up all night? All that matters is the work that gets accomplished]

Stop acting like an idiot. [Every word that is coming out of his mouth-- no, his beak, this is some kind of bird, even if he can't identify the species.] Do you have anything useful to say, or is it all just a lot of pointless nonsense?

[salutations]

Every word that escapes my beak is charged with nothing but the concern of an upperclassman, I assure you. [It's entirely pointless nonsense.]

I suppose that means you plan to stay up as late as necessary? [he tilts his head]

[savedover]

The fact that you even have to say that tells me the opposite. [Upperclassman? ... he'll have to look that up later, because like hell if he's going to ask the talking bird to explain a term he's not familiar with.]

Of course. There's work to be done.

[salutations]

Well, I suppose I can lend a wing, then. [he brushes himself off gently] This was the smallest in the area, but with my sexy and suave help we can get you back to roost by midnight.