TESTDRIVE #1

[cobamods]

There's a number of ways it could happen, but regardless you find yourself standing on the outskirts of a city. A beautiful city, as familiar to you as any from your world, with all manner of buildings within sight. A sign on the side of the road greets you, saying WELCOME TO COBA You're already part of the family! It's practically inviting you to step into the city limits. Why don't you? As soon as you do, you'll find a pamphlet in your hand, almost eager to tell you all about what this mysterious Coba has to offer. And eager seems to be the impression you get about almost everything - the sun seems to brighten, the flowers seem to perk up - it's almost as if everything about Coba is welcoming you as an honored guest. And you are. Though hopefully, only temporarily. Coba would love nothing more for you to become an honored member of her precious community. Welcome to Coba, visitor, and we hope you enjoy your stay! PREMISE | RULES | FAQ & QUESTIONS | RESERVES | APPLICATIONS Please read the FAQ before commenting! ♥ Welcome to the City of Coba Testdrive! Your character has found themselves in Coba, and are welcome to do any of the following: ● As you enter the city, you hear some bustle about a homecoming party! Following the signs will find yourself at a plaza with food, drink and live music, of all sorts and types. Why don't you stay awhile and indulge? ● Or, if you're not the party type, maybe you'd like to check out the city's cultural center! There's art, books, and other things to keep your mind occupied. And, maybe you'll meet other like-minded people there. ● Not in the mood for any of the above? There's always the beach! It's a lovely day, the waves are beautiful and the stores along the boardwalk all have signs up that read "TAKE WHAT YOU NEED". Maybe you need a surf board. ● Or maybe you have something else you want to do? Go for it! You're more than welcome to come up with your own prompts. In addition to the above, we would love to encourage anyone taking part in the testdrive to world build with us! Whether it be a street name or an entire neighborhood, whatever you come up with will become part of the game's canon. All we ask is that you pop over here to link us so we can see what you've done! Finally, ENJOY YOURSELVES. Seriously, this is meant to be a laid back, enjoyable game. We welcome any questions, critiques, and ideas, so always feel welcome to approach us about any and everything. We hope you decide to stay here in Coba!

Comments

[conjecture_this]

[For a moment she wonders if she ought to explain further. Summoners weren't precisely unknown but they certainly didn't boast about themselves or show themselves off in broad daylight either. It was a discreetly quiet line of work and she questioned whether her Master or the Yatagarasu would be pleased with her saying much on the topic now to a stranger.

Her conflict is betrayed by her expression. In the end she asks with a quiet sort of seriousness:]

Why can you see her? Is it natural talent or learned?

[breakrecord]

[He watches her expression change, and that along with the tone of her voice makes him think that it's increasingly likely that he's stumbled onto another secret organization type thing... Good job, Hibiki.

Then again, the question she asked doesn't make too much sense. Demons were supposed to be secret, yeah, but...everyone could see them once they were out in the open, couldn't they? The Septentrione and Triangulum invasions would have gone pretty differently if the civilians couldn't see the demons that were killing them when the invaders weren't.]

Can't everyone see her? I mean, she's right there. I'm shocked because I thought most demons were supposed to be sealed or kept out of sight when it's not an emergency.

[conjecture_this]

In theory it's very rare for someone who hasn't undergone training to be able to see demons.

[She was an outlier in this, one who had always been able to see demons. It had been what made her Master take her in and view her as a valuable student.

The High Pixie picks up the slack a moment.]

I don't really like being sealed up much. It's much nicer out here.

[Nagi meanwhile muses on this.]

You must be from an alternate plane of some form as well then. Several others here seem to be as well.

[Like Souji-san or the dozens of others she'd come across. If that was the case then she saw little need to be so closed off.]

You may address me as Nagi if you wish. My Master was Geirin Kuzunoha the Seventeenth.

[breakrecord]

[Alternate planes, training, the Seventeenth? Where should he even begin?

Names. Names were a good starting point!]

Hi, Nagi. My name is Hibiki Kuze, and I'm really confused. I don't want to overwhelm either of us, though, so I'm making some assumptions and running with them for now.

Are you saying you're from an alternate plane of reality, or a— [Not regressed. Probably not regressed.] —a different version of the world where most people can't see demons running around?

[conjecture_this]

That is within the boundaries of my conjecture, yes.

Good job!

[Thumbs up from the Pixie.]

[breakrecord]

[Different planes of reality... The concept is not at all surprising to him & mdash; after all, he lived that experience. What is surprising is the fact that, if it were, then wouldn't it normally be impossible for them to be interacting? What is this place?

He spends a moment in thought before giving her high pixie a smile. He's still confused, but there's no point in letting it dictate all of his interactions.]

Thanks for the encouragement! The two of you are taking all this really well.

[conjecture_this]

There's a lot weirder things to deal with when you're a demon.

In theory there are different dimensions or planes of reality where demons typically dwell. While I am not used to the idea of one where humans beyond Summoners may appear, I may simply reevaluate the boundaries of my conjecture in this situation.

[A beat.]

Not that it isn't somewhat strange.

[breakrecord]

I'm not really a stranger to the idea of different dimensions or worlds, but I didn't think that two people from different ones could interact so casually. Usually it's a sign of worse things to come, or of something bad already happening.

[He smiles at them both.]

You're right, though. Demons and weird things kind of go hand and hand, huh? So, uh, do you mind if I ask how you summon demons? I know she's from your master, but if your master summoned her, and seeing demons is special where you're from, then I guess you're a Summoner, too?

[conjecture_this]

I am. She was under contract with my Master at first but when he offered her to me, we formed a contract ourselves.

It's more of a spoken thing really. And I couldn't help it, she was awfully cute back then~.

[How she summoned them, well. There's a moment of hesitation again but in the end Nagi reaches into her jacket and pulls out a long silver tube bearing a ring on it's end.]

When not in service, demons that a Summoner had formed a contract with reside within these tubes. A Summoner may thus summon the demon whenever they like from them.

[breakrecord]

[He leans in a little to take a better look at the tube. Everything she's explaining is new and highly interesting to him. He knew that, historically, there must have been ways to capture and summon demons without the Demon Summoning App, but he never was told what it was. Being able to see a piece of it, to speak to someone who knew how to do it...

Was actually kind of frightening. Informative, yes, but frightening. Could this still happen in his own universe? If someone like Nagi showed up there, could demons still show up? No use in letting the fear show, but...worth thinking about, definitely.]

Looks cramped. [He leans back] But you can summon them whenever without the use of a phone app... Neat!

[conjecture_this]

I imagine it is. I can't say I care for it deeply.

[Hence why her Pixie is typically not within her tube. If he pays attention when she slides the tube away, he'll note she doesn't really have all that many. A Summoner of Raidou's caliber has massive amounts of tubes. She was still a beginner when compared to the Capital City's protector.]

In exchange for magnetite and other rewards though, most demons seem willing to bear with it.

[breakrecord]

[Magnetite... Magnetite... A memory of an explanation surfaces. One about demons and how they manifest, but it's difficult for him to recall the entire thing. Still, he gets the general gist, and he adds that to the increasing list of things he needs to talk to other people about when he sees them again.

He doesn't notice the lack of her tubes, mainly because he doesn't know the standard amount.]

I'm not sure if those tubes are better or worse then where ever our demons went when we didn't have them summoned...

Oh, right! I never really said, but I used to be able to summon demons too, but, well, the story's complicated. I used my cell phone to do everything instead, so that's why I was interested in how you did. Sorry if I got too invasive.

[conjecture_this]

... A cell phone?

[Ah. Give her a moment to mull on this. The phone part she can understand given phones have been growing fairly prevalent at home. It's the cell part...]

Is that a type of telephone?

[breakrecord]

—You don't know what a cell phone is?

[That's surprising, and he visibly lets it show as he reaches into his pocket and pulls his out. Where could she have— Wait. What if that isn't the question he ought to be asking?]

It is a type of telephone, but portable, and it can do a lot of other stuff too. You can browse the internet, check e-mail, take pictures, play games... Mine's not the latest, but it suits my purposes well enough.

[conjecture_this]

[... It's so small. Her eyes round as she catches sight of it and when he goes further into it's uses... yeah, that's when he loses her again. At least about the internet and email. Pictures and games though she is familiar enough with to make her speak all too quickly and perhaps in a surprised tone to boot.]

How does one take pictures with a phone?

[breakrecord]

[Oops. He should have slowed down. It's hard for him to gauge what she knows and what she doesn't, but this question is enough for him to do better with the explanation.]

Uh, you know what cameras are, right? There's a really small one in the phone, near the back part of it. You see that dark indention? That's where the lens is, and the rest of camera is built into the phone itself. All of the phone's parts are really compact.

If you want, I could take a picture and show you.

[conjecture_this]

[Nagi leans in a little to check said dark indention. She nods quickly to the question on cameras, adding:]

I've experienced the process of picture taking before, yes.

[Of course the technology for it's a little clumsy still in her time but at least it isn't the turn of the century style anymore!

She looks completely fascinated by the idea.]

Would you mind?

[breakrecord]

[Awww, it's kind of cute how interested she is. It's been a while since he last saw someone so into something he considered mundane.]

I wouldn't mind at all! Do you want me to take a picture of you, or just snap a picture of the surroundings?

[conjecture_this]

[Of her? She starts, flustering a bit. The Pixie atop her head laughs.]

Don't be shy about it!

I'm not shy precisely...

[It just seems like a rather egotistical choice, yes? Regardless, she ends up smiling a bit at the idea.]

I don't mind really.

[breakrecord]

[He laughs, at it's at her, yes, but not from anything born of malice. He holds up the phone, telegraphing it so that she can see the camera is pointed at her.]

All right, smile!

1/2

[conjecture_this]

[She had expected this but... ah, just...]

He said smile, Nagi!

[conjecture_this]

Y-Yes!

[Nailed it.]

[breakrecord]

[Tempting as it was to take her picture while she was still flustered, he waited until she was ready and smiled. It's bright enough outside to not require flash, so there's no real indication of him having taken her picture until he lowers the phone and begins to mess with it, smiling to himself until he nods and turns the screen to face her. There, on the phone's display, is the picture that he took of her and possibly her pixie.]

We're all done! What do you think?

[conjecture_this]

[The Summoner doesn't disguise her inward lean to get a better look at the small screen. The Pixie even slides forward to look too. And sure enough yes, that's definitely her.]

That's fascinating! And in a matter of seconds too.

[That may be the most fascinating part of it all honestly.]

Does the picture remain on the device?

[breakrecord]

[He'll actually motion to let her hold the phone if she wants so she can get a better look. Meanwhile, he'll try to think of a way to explain things without overwhelming her. After a second of thought, he says:]

It does. There's a lot of technical stuff to it that I don't know about, but I'm pretty sure what it boils down to is that the picture is actually just data that phone holds, and the data doesn't take up physical space—it's just information. The phone can take that information and interpret it to an image.

If you want to get the picture out, then we have to send that information to another machine and get it printed.