Testrun Meme - March & April

[bravenewmods]

TESTRUN MEME

1) With spring fast approaching, Pokémon contests have become more prevalent, and stages have been cropping up all over Union. An open mic competition is being held in the park, and a trio of Jigglypuffs can be found taking the stage. Needless to say, they probably won't be a fan favorite...

2) Refuge has opened its gates to the people of Union, Caldera and Citadel, in the most hospitable way they feel possible: A party. Some have come to explore the expansive underground city, but mostly, word has spread about how Refuge's brews are on point. They don't seem to discriminate on age, either.

3) The great tree in Citadel is blooming a myriad of colors. The people are celebrating with a great festival among the various tribes that call Citadel and the surrounding area its home. This involves flower arranging, lots of meat, and, of course, a tournament to prove one's meddle in battle.

4) The city of Caldera is starting a major production project and they need workers. The forges are constantly going day and night and the pay's good, but it's hot, hard work that'll leave you tired and achy to say the least.

5) Wildcard! Come up with a prompt!

Comments

Kiyotaka Ishimaru | Dangan Ronpa

[hallacious]

[It's rare that you'll find Ishimaru anywhere away from a textbook and his notes, but he just so happens to be on one of his morning walks. It's imperitive to keep your body and mind in check as a student, after all, and what better way to do both? It even lets him take note of what's going on in Union as of late, though he never strays far from Brentwood, even on days when he has no classes. There is no break from being a student, after all!

But he normally didn't hear...was that singing coming from the park?

The Torchic by his side chirps and dashes ahead as fast as its legs can carry it.]

H...Hirobumi-kun! Get back here!

[Ishimaru pursues him as quickly as he can, but he's soon led astray to the park, where Hirobumi is inspecting the stage like he wants to perform. He turns to Ishimaru, bowing in apology before looking up with pleading eyes.]

...what? You want to go up there?! You know we have no idea how to do any of those things!

[The Lillipup eyes continue unabated. Ishimaru looks very, very conflicted. Hirobumi is rather convincing, but performing in a contest? Absolutely unorthodox!]

[heartandsoul]

[Well, Maka was just a bystander in this, but seeing the adorably determined Torchic and the very loud fellow causes her to look up at him--her expression, for all intents and purposes, reads genuine curiosity.]

What do you mean? You don't learn anything like that without trying it first.

[The Espurr around her shoulders mews quietly, voicing her agreement or making Espurr noises, who can tell.]

Zoe Sterling | Original Character

[sterlingmechanic]

[1]

[ The thing about being an Engineer and a tinkerer by trade? People expect you to know everything about everything technology-based, and as a result, you get volunteered for the weirdest gigs.

Really, Zoe didn't see the whole point in all of this, and, her hand cupped over the speaker cup of her headset, she leaned over the soundboard she was manning, bored out of her skull. She really didn't get the whole music and contest thing. Was this just a Union thing? There wasn't enough action.

Tesla, the Beldum floating by her side, seemed to be really into it, however, bobbing around in the air, dancing with the music. Yes! This was its jam! So cool, so cool! ]

[2]

[ Union might have been their most hospitable neighbors, but Refuge being only a rock-type's throw away from Caldera definitely had its perks. The people were relatively hands off and level-headed, and she was sure that there was a wealth of old tech hidden within the surrounding areas just waiting to be unearthed. It was a girl's dream.

And, well, the drinks were definitely a welcome treat after a hard day's work.

Still, a pretty little thing in a place like that? It seemed a bit off. She looked a bit young too.

Knocking back the rest of her drink, the brunette exhaled happily, leaning into her seat. Someone looked content. ]

You know, a girl could get used to it down here.


[5]

[ Randomify me, cap'n! ]

2; hello friend.

[takirider]

[He'd stopped through Refuge on his way to Union, because it was nearby and it was a good place to ask questions, where nobody knew him.]

[And honestly, if you threw a party Taki was going to show up, regardless of whether he needed to be on the other end of the continent or not. He sidled up to where Zoe was sitting with a funny little smile on his face, tilting his head to the side.]

Not that I'm anyone to spoil a girl's fun, but aren't you a little young to be drinking something that stiff?

2!

[darer]

[ There was nothing like a Refuge Earthkin to help find precious stones, and that was what Thorin was here for. The way he saw it, he still had plenty to learn, and with a bit of luck he'd even have enough to sell some to what gold- and silversmiths there were in Union.

He sat over his drink accompanied by a (now sleepy, perfectly filthy) growlithe and an ever-watchful honedge. The way he saw it, there was no reason to comment on her age. Young people tended to work in Caldera, as apprentices or otherwise, and it was her own business what she drank and where. ]

The chanting gets old.

Squigly | Skullgirls

[daisypusher]

[3.]

[It's her first trip to Citadel and the sights of colors and a giant tree have been nothing but mystical to Squigly. Meeting with various women of the different tribes reminded her of home a little, but joining in the grand table of meat and listening to stories have been quiet enjoyable. A Dratini is laying on the table, eating up a large piece of meat that is too big for it's size while she has to cut, rip, tear apart the meat in smaller pieces for her stitched mouth. She's an odd girl standing out due to her ghostly appearance, but she doesn't seem to be troubling anyone. The Dratini will hiss if you get close to her in some shady fashion.

Of course, if someone is sitting next to her, she will pass some food along to you, regardless if you want it or not.]

Please, dig in! It's quite enjoyable!

[The meat got her seal of approval at least.]

[5.]

[Wildcard, let's go!]

3.

[reincarnationception]

Well all right, if you say so!

[Fei attacks the plate with gusto. Since, you know, he eats basically anything.]

Shuu Iwamine | Hatoful Boyfriend

[feelingplummy]

[The Jigglypuffs are still on stage. Shuu is not. In fact, he's found the shadiest, most secluded place possible. Surprisingly difficult, considering the crowds, and yet he's managed it. He's decided to celebrate this momentous achievement by taking notes. About what? Who knows. If you're skilled at reading upside down, it might have something to do with how quickly the Sleep Waves affect the crowd.

Nearby, the Doduo runs around the lawn, sometimes bouncing into trees out of sheer excitement. It stops at some of the stands propped up around the stage, every now and then, poking at the berries and pastries for sale. One of the heads, anyway. Miru or Kaku? He can never seem to keep them straight. Doesn't see why he should. The other one watches the show. Doesn't seem sleepy yet.]

Interesting reaction...

[How long will that hold up, he wonders, and reaches for a stopwatch.]

Pearl Fey | Ace Attorney (psychic/ghost, mastery of training)

[pearltergeist]

( 3 )

[ a festival! and a foreign festival, at that! Pearl hardly ever gets to go so far from home, what with how rigorous her spiritual training is and how difficult it is to slip away from the watchful eye of her mother for too long without there being some kind of hell to pay. but through some sort of miracle the stars have aligned and here she is in Citadel, drinking in the sounds and the sights and the smells and looking as though she's having the time of her life. ]

Isn't this wonderful? I don't think we even have anything like this back in Union!

( 5a - the forest shrine )

[ Pearl often comes out to the forest shrine to meditate and train; there's a lot of spiritual energy around that she finds both focusing and soothing, and in recent years she's found it a lot nicer to train here than back in Nine Tales Vale. she can be found kneeling near the shrine, her back ram-rod straight and her eyes closed as she meditates, or else running through drills with Ezzie the Espurr and Marshmallow the Drifloon. she certainly wouldn't be opposed to either a distraction or an extra training partner, though! ]

( 5b - surprise me! )

[ make your own, cap'n! ]

3

[missleadingquestions]

[One of those aligning stars is probably the strong armed forcefulness of Pearl's cousin. If there's a foreign festival to check out, Maya's gonna be there--- and gosh darn it, so is Pearl!]

Well, it's not as fun as Soulfast, I think. [The grin is proof that she's mostly teasing.] But I'm having fun. The food here is great!

[...Because that's the important part here.]

3

[feelingplummy]

[If you're hearing the Imperial March right now, you're just imagining things. Really. We promise. It certainly has nothing with a... well, scientific looking fellow nearby. He doesn't seem impressed. If you're good with details, you might notice that his right arm seems... well. It seems... weaker, than the other. But there's so many sights and sounds and smells going around, so maybe ultimately it doesn't matter, or maybe it gets lost in the shuffle. Both are possible, though nobody's worked out the ratio just yet.]

What exactly do you mean? The flowers? [... is that a scoff...?] They're merely trying to attract other animals... Pokemon, of course, [almost forgot] to carry their seeds around for them through bright colors and pleasant smells.

[Not much of a romantic, is he?]

5a

[conquerorofwaves]

[As someone who isn't around here, he doesn't quite grasp the significance of the shrine to the local populace, but he can sense this calming aura around it, and it made him insanely curious.

So this day, he started to climb on the exterior, stopping mid-climb when he heard someone coming, freezing for a moment before he scrambles on top of the structure]

Ah! I didn't expect anyone else to come here today, hello!

3. (I was on this journal anyway whoops)

[miracle_miko]

[ Yes! Citadel festivals are the absolute best, and nothing else can convince Sanae otherwise. Usually she's working at the shrine for the Great Tree, but after officially moving to Union to further her own spiritual training, she finally got to see the other side of the festivities. It was pretty great.

A meat stick in her hand, the shrine maiden beamed at Pearl. ]

All of the festivals here are like this! They're a lot of fun!

Nicolas Brown | Gangsta.

[tripsoften]

1.

[ there's a boy of perhaps 12, short and scrappy, wandering around and staring. he's watching the trio singing, and blinks in confusion when people start falling asleep, but it doesn't seem to have any effect on him. ]


3.

[ nic's waiting for his next match in the tournament. he can be seen on the sidelines, crouching in the dirt and taking a handful of pills out of a bottle before swallowing them dry. feel free to let him know he doesn't stand a chance, shouldn't be here, or really ought to quit before he gets hurt. though, this is round three and he's got a few cuts and bruises, so that last one is a bit of a moot point. ]


5.

[ stray child crowded by stray pokémon! he's... probably fine? probably. ]

1!

[feelingplummy]

[There's a... person of perhaps 26, tall and lanky and leaning to one side. He's watching the trio sing, and seems to be anticipating when people fall asleep. He hasn't, yet. And from the look of things, a boy nearby hasn't, either. Are they like him, too excited by the promise of study to fall victim to sleep, or is there something else at work?

..That would be when his Doduo decides to stumble into the boy and wreck any chance of an unbiased sample. It's apparently difficult to keep control of its legs when one head (Miru? Might be Miru) has fallen asleep.]

Honestly, I can't take them anywhere. [Shuu shakes his head.] Hohoho, no harm done? No broken bones? [... He sounds like he might be rooting for that option. Or maybe we're just imagining things?]

Saber (the blue one) | Fate/Stay Night

[ofpromisedvictory]

1

[Saber the erstwhile shape-Shifting Honedge wanders around Union in bemused, polite fascination at all the pageantry, still amazed at a city with such high walls can be so...carefree inside.]

[She stops to observe the Jigglypuffs setting up, amazed at the way they just slot themselves right into an activity so human without direction or even apparently thought of it being unusual. She notes, however, the people moving quietly away from the stage.]

Excuse me...is there a problem I can help with here?

5

[It's time for a Pokémon battle! Just a friendly spar, of course, but someone's still going to take it seriously. She has to improve, after all.]

[Funny enough, she has no Pokémon with her and is not wearing a Warp Band at the moment.]

I am ready to begin when you are.

[She seems pretty sure of that, anyway.]

Richard Castle | Castle

[writeswrongs]

1.

[Castle has been enjoying the contests so far. Seeing the talents of the various Pokemon is always interesting. He's been trying to convince his Dratini to enter and show off her particularly beguiling Dragon Dance, but she's shy. Then the Jigglypuffs take the stage.]

Oh no..

[He tries to get up and move out of earshot, but the park is so crowded that there's no way to push through it quickly. Plus, he's not the only one scrambling for an exit. The trio starts singing and Castle ends up falling over asleep onto whoever happens to be next to him. He wakes with a start after the song is over, picking his head up and mumbling an apology to the person who just served as his pillow.]

Sorry 'bout that...

[numberonecastlefan]

[Kate pulls out the earplugs she brought along with her and stares at Richard as he wakes up from his nap. She'd only come along to support him and the Dratini, but she knew exactly what could happen at one of these contests.

Hence the earplugs.]

Do you always fall asleep on the person next to you, Castle? Is this a habit I'll have to watch out for?

Xiu | Original Character

[echoingmelody]

[Sitting on a corner in Union, you might just spot a young looking girl with a couple of instruments laid out around her. A biwa, a cello, and a small keyboard. Her eyes are closed as she focuses on the task at hand.

Said task is playing said instruments. They seem to be playing on their own in a melody that's haunting, yet pleasing to the ears. A piece that evokes the serenity of the night sky and the stars above, of the goals individuals are constantly reaching for.

She continues for a few minutes, not even seeming to be breathing, a smile etched on her face as she relays each note to her instruments.

Until at last the song ends and she opens her eyes, giving a grin and a wave to anyone who might be watching.]

Did you enjoy it?~

[cutiepanther]

[ Maki is a musician herself, knowing just fine how to play a piano and cello (though not a biwa). But she's never seen one just...play itself like that. It doesn't really make sense to Maki, who has been standing there enraptured the whole time. ]

H-How did you do that?

fili | tolkien - the hobbit

[bornofstone]

3

[A party is all well and good, but there's work to be done in order for everything to go just right. That's where you'll find Fili and his pokemon, struggling to arrange flowers. It's not going too well, but he's trying, tongue poking out the corner of his mouth.

He waves someone down and shows them an arrangement.] How does that look to you?

4

[It's nice to be back home, but Fili doesn't have enough time to socialize. He's working full days, double or even triple shifts on the forges. He's grown up near these fires, so it isn't as hard for him as for some of the others that have come in to help, so he does what he can to offer a hand to the new folks.

He takes his supper after his shift, slumping against a wall and slurping down a watery soup like he hasn't eaten in years. Should someone like to join him, he'll greet them with a friendly smile.]

4

[youngestone]

[Here, Fee, have your brother flopping down next to you with steak-on-a-stick]

You owe me.

[3] slides in

[expertonshutters]

[Hayato was a photographer, but given that photos were still entirely in grey scale, he didn't so much have an eye for color as much as he had an eye for composition. He pauses, considering the flowers for a moment.]

Looks pretty good. Maybe throw in a few blues?

[You know, this guy looked really familiar. Had they met? Hm.]

[darer]

[Thorin is going to just slump down on the floor nearby. He's not used to factory work, but it's no better or worse than military drills. Besides, if home needs help, what else is he going to do but be there? Well, that, and be a little proud that this goes for his family as well.]

I hear they're working you to death.

[He doesn't sound like he's concerned, and he certainly looks like he's been working as hard.]

[betterthanwu]

[Kuvira pauses and looks over the blooms with a critical eye.]

Depends. What effect are you going for?