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[uncanny_xmods]

( the test drive meme )

This is for anyone wanting to test out their characters in the setting before the applications open, see what clicks. Multiples will be allowed for this post, and you can generally assume any threads are a self-contained continuity unless you feel like getting creative.

Just post a thread with your CHARACTER NAME and CANON NAME in the title with a prompt and others will reply. Prompts and threads can be action spam or prose or whatever. These threads can be used on the sample section of your application, as well. Go out and have fun! Feel free to consult the institute tour and dorm guide for setting info. We also encourage you to check out the "!!event" tag on the IC comms to brush up on the story so far.

Comments

[batterthanyou]

"You're just a motherfucking chatter box, aren't cha?" deadpanned Bad Girl. Ugg, this one was kind of boring. The ex-assassin idly shifted her weight once more, standing up straight with her blood-stained bat slung over her shoulder. Hmmm...even if this brat was a bit on the boring side, there certainly wasn't anyone in the mansion like him. Guess that made him the most interesting boring person ever!

As she thought, Bad Girl tapped her bat against her shoulder without thinking about it. Force of habit, really. Either way, she'd might as well start talking again. Someone had to after all. "So. Can you speak at all or are ya just mute?"

[ragingprince]

The boy gave what appeared to be a silent laugh, what with the way his shoulders shook and all. Being called boring was a common thing. People just weren't comfortable with silence. But when it came to Kurloz silence from him was better than the alternative.

Finally he pushed himself to his feet, as sitting on the ground was starting to cramp his neck. He stretched to his full height, back cracking and popping as he did, before slouching forward. In response to her second question he smiled and gave a nod before raising a hand, forefinger and thumb pinched together like he was holding a zipper pull as he moved them both in front of his pressed together lips. While it was often a signal for "My lips are sealed" it also worked to tell people that didn't know sign language he was mute. Although he was mute by choice for the time being.

[martasknight]

[Network]
[There's a rather irritated boy showing his face on the network today, leaning back in his chair and running a hand through his hair.]

Hey, have any of you seen a kitten running around the school? Black and gray, purple collar. If you see her, she answers to the name Pacha. If you see her, please return her to me, all right?

[Action]
[Emil's been in the library for a while. It's more or less been hiding out, really. He's been reading the books to give him something to do; his homework's been finished for a while now and while he's seen more pleasant people at this school than he has in a few years, he's still rather unsure about interacting with any of them. He knows he has to get used to it eventually, and he will.

... Eventually. Until then, he'll just hide out in the library.]

[presto_turn]

[It's a few minutes later when Shindou pops up over video, smiling sheepishly down at the laptop on his knees. Between him and it, there's also a certain feline padding around.]

Is this her?

Sorry, my room's door was open, and she wandered in. I was just about to ask if she belonged to anyone...

[He just, you know, had to spend a quarter hour or so going "Kitty!!" first. It's been a while since he's seen his cats, okay?]

She's fine, though.

[martasknight]

[Emil's expression softens when he sees the cat, and it's the closest most would see him get to a smile.]

Yeah, that's her. She seems pretty comfortable with you. Weird, though, she's not usually fond of strangers. You got a way with cats or something?

[The last part was intended as a joke.]

[presto_turn]

I have two of my own back home.

[Shindou does smile in reply, giving an amused nod. He'd have probably tried to bring them with him, if he'd known pets were allowed at the Institute back then. And if he hadn't known how routinely the school got attacked.]

I'm in room 7, if you want to come get her? I don't know if she'd like me carrying her around.

[martasknight]

Sure thing, I'll be right over.

[And with that, Emil switches the feed off as he stands up. Eventually, he makes it to room 7 and knocks on the door.]

[presto_turn]

[The door is already cracked, and, at the sound of Emil knocking, Shindou pulls it open entirely. Pacha and his laptop are still hanging out on top of his bed.]

Hey.

Sorry about this, again. I wasn't sure if she belonged to one of the teachers, at first...or if she might've been another student, really.

[He's glad that didn't turn out to be the case, though. Would've made all the petting a little weird.]

[martasknight]

It's fine. I'm glad she wandered in here rather than elsewhere in the school.

[From the looks of it, Pacha doesn't look very inclined to move, which makes Emil chuckle.] I almost don't want to move her. She seems to like it in here.

[presto_turn]

Someone would have spotted her before too long, if she had.

[Said with a reassuring tone...though, given that he's pretty sure there's at least one puppy and at least one boy who eats live animals in this dorm, elsewhere might've been safer. Anyway, he moves to sit at his desk rather than disturb Pacha, either.]

She was probably looking for a warm place to nap or something like that.

[Which, as thoroughly as Shindou's worked to keep out the New York winter, his bed (literally) has covered.]

[martasknight]

[There's a chance she could've gotten outside though 8|a

Emil goes over and crouches down by the bed, smiling at the cat.] I'm still surprised she warmed up to you so quickly. Last few strangers she ran across ended up getting scratched or bitten. And not playfully, either.

[presto_turn]

I guess I don't read as threatening.

[Although now he's glad he stuck to just the occasional pet in between letting her investigate the dorm room...]

But...you should be careful letting her wander, if she does that.

[A lot of the kids here, after all, definitely read as threatening.]

[martasknight]

I guess. I'll keep a better eye on her. [He thinks for a moment.]

... Hey, maybe if you're not all that busy, I could leave her with you every now and then? Since she seems to like you well enough.

[presto_turn]

If I'm around. I'd be happy to.

I've missed having cats around since I started here, honestly.

[martasknight]

Oh, yeah, you mentioned you had two of 'em, right? What are they like?

[He glances over to Pacha with a small smile.] I just couldn't leave her behind... Especially not with... [He pauses, frowning.] Especially not with my uncle.

I've forgotten what his canon cats' names are so /bullshits AU like the wind

[presto_turn]

[Oh...family stuff. That's a powder keg of a subject, especially around new students, so Shindou keeps up a friendly smile and sticks to cats.]

We have a Russian Blue who's about six years old, Mussorgsky. And a Scottish Fold who's not much more than a kitten. She's Allegro.

They're both spoiled, but they're great friends.

[metalized]

Well, he wasn't trying to come off as badass or anything. He was just trying not to get hit by a ball. Not that he thought it would do much damage to him anyway. He just stared at her as she came over to him. He didn't seem amused in the slightest.

"And someone with a deathwish. Next time, I'm throwing the ball back at you."

[batterthanyou]

Yep. Even from a few feet away, she could definitely tell there was a rather large stick lodged firmly up this guy's keister. That was fine with her, as these types tended to be especially fun to fuck with. "Is that supposed to be a threat? 'Cuz if so, you kinda suck at making them. I'd just catch the damn thing and possibly throw it back harder. It's not fucking rocket science, ya know."

[martasknight]

Heh, cute. I haven't really had much of a chance to spoil Pacha, but she's going to end up getting to that point eventually.

I'm guessing from your cats' names, you're the musically inclined sort.

[metalized]

"You can take it however the hell you want." He couldn't really be expected to be anything by pissy when someone hurls something at his face when he is just walking through an area. And he wasn't worried about how hard she might throw it back at him. She didn't look all that tough to him.

[batterthanyou]

Considering how some girl actually asked her to throw another one rather happily and another kid shrugged it off, it's kind of hard to predict how people will act in this place. "'Kay, I'll just take it as a terrible threat."

Looks can be very deceiving...and it's not wise to underestimate someone who's batshit insane. Bad Girl is proof enough of that, if the dried blood on her bat is any indication. Gajeel would certainly get a good look at it, as she decides to circle around him while twirling her bat, not even bothering to hide the fact that she's looking him over as if to sum him up. "So, what. You a new student or some shit?"

Charlie | Rhythm Thief

[penaltykicktothehead]

[NETWORK]

[First impressions and all that! The detective-in-training is trying very hard to sound professional... maybe a little too hard, but then that's the point of the post. Maybe someone could help Charlie to loosen up a little]

I must admit that this is not what I had expected when I was told I'd be going to America. Studying abroad does have an attractive ring to it, but considering the unique circumstances I find I still feel apprehension at being here. It will pass in time, I'm sure, but at the moment concentration is difficult and is interfering with my academic focus. That brings me to my main query, which I put to you, the student body:

For those here who originated from outside the country: what would you suggest one should do to accomodate themselves to these new surroundings? Was it difficult to 'make yourself at home'?

Thank you in advance for your time.

- C.V.

[ACTION]

[Charlie's defenses have been on high since arriving at the school. The trademark brown cap was pulled low over the young detective's face, and any attempt that had been made to get the kid to take off the long trenchcoat were thwarted quite completely. It was silly, but the outfit made Charlie feel safer-- like battle armor, in a way. The PI had faced off against the Chevaliers Diaboliques in this outfit, after all, and the battle had been won, to boot. They were only clothes, but it made Charlie feel a little more capable in this situation.

Now that the first week of classes were done with and several instructors and faculty members had been subjected to the patented "Vergier Stare", Charlie's situation had become a mite less stressful; but alone with one's thoughts isn't always the best way to kill time, especially far from home.

The trees outside had lived long and grown sturdy, and were far away enough from the Institute to garner Charlie a little privacy-- not a lot, but they'd do nicely. Soccer ball in hand (foot?) the youth starts practicing shots, bouncing them off the trunks of the trees, and, occasionally, kicking hard enough to significantly splinter some of the poor old things.

It seems less like practice and more like taking out frustration out on the vegetation, really...]

[doingthemistything]

[Those poor trees.

Kirino only had been out for a walk outside, but the sight of the soccer ball bouncing off the trees caught his attention.

And once one of those shots made it over the boy's way, he trapped the ball with his chest, before letting it drop.]

I almost feel sorry for those trees. [He... can't keep the amused tone out of his voice. Sorry, Charlie.]

[penaltykicktothehead]

Qu--

[Charlie glances over, visibly surprised, but smooths over that expression with the usual, er, lineface. That almost certainly should've hit the kid right in the head, but...

Another football player, perhaps? Maybe this place wasn't such a drag after all.]

I'd say they deserved it, but that would be a lie.

[doingthemistything]

[If anything, the way he kicks the ball back over with a grin should indicate Kirino's sport of choice.]

Those were some pretty powerful shots. I'm impressed!