goastbusterz | Test Drive

Test Drive

There’s something weird in your neighborhood. Who you gonna call?

New York isn’t the only place in the world facing severe ghost problems. It’s no surprise, then, that several ‘franchise’ businesses have opened across the globe…each paying royalty fees to the boys in the Big Apple, naturally. How does your character fit into this world? Are they destined for the jumpsuit, or are they more likely to be the one frantically dialing that number on the screen? Go nuts and have fun, try everything!

1. Forming a Partnership - One of you has the crazy idea of starting your own ghost hunting business. Whose house is getting mortgaged for this?
2. Setting Up Shop - The original Ghostbusters had a rundown fire station. But your own headquarters could wind up being anything. Does the pole still work? ~~*immediately crashes through floor and emerges in China*~~
3. Recruiting - There are more spooks than you can handle! Time to put out a ‘help wanted’ ad. You might get the right person, but then again, you’re using Craigslist so. You know. Might get someone weirder than the ghosts you’re trying to bust.
4. First Bust - You’ve tested the equipment (RIGHT?) and now it’s time to bag your first spectre. Show those ghosts who’s boss! And then bill the client an exorbitant amount of money for your hard work.
5. Celebrating - You’ve just had your first success, or maybe it’s just the first night at HQ. Time to celebrate with takeout! Or maybe you just want a hot shower and a nap. Whatever suits your style, man.
6. Clients - One of you is an expert. The other has a swimming pool full of phantasms. Let’s work out a deal.
7. Complications - You ain’t afraid of no ghost. Except that last encounter shook you up pretty bad, so…you ain’t afraid of MOST ghosts. Maybe your buddy needs to pull you out, or you need to help your buddy. After all, it’s all about teamwork.
8. Whoops - The job was supposed to go without a hitch. But someone is getting slimed. Regroup and continue, or throw in the towel?
9. That’s a Big Twinkie - Busting ghosts? No problem. How about demigods? Ever tried to bust Cthulhu? Whatever the situation, you’re up against something you’re definitely not prepared to deal with. Suit up, the city’s counting on you, and there’s a fat paycheck to consider!
10. Close Encounters of the Friendly Kind - Some ghosts can be somewhat friendly and long for human contact, or perhaps they're having a tough time finding the eternal rest they need. Maybe the two of you can help each other out. #notallghosts

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[can do 3 from the being recruited side or 6 from the client side - your choice!]

[OOC: Thinking of playing Winter as the backer of an agency who insists on being a Ghostbuster to ensure her money is being spent where it's supposed to go.]

4. First Bust

[The rundown headquarters she can put up with, as long as the plumbing is fixed. And she doesn't mind the shabby car that breaks down more often than not. But the uniforms need an upgrade, she thinks, lifting an eyebrow at the stained khaki jumpsuit. This is what's being used to represent the employees? Shameful. If they bothered to look professional, they could charge a decent rate for their services instead of fighting over who ate the last Cup O' Noodles.]

[Nonetheless, it takes time to commission new uniforms, so Winter dons the suit, zips up, and yanks on her sturdy boots. Somehow, she makes it look good on her, snowy white hair pinned up and pristine.]

[As the car rattles to a stop in front of the old antique shop, a kitschy elephant statue fashioned of soap that's long lost its scent crashes through the front window. Winter doesn't bat a lash, eyeing the soap sculpture where it lies in the street.]

If it's getting rid of garbage like that, then at least this poltergeist has decent taste.

[She unholsters her particle thrower and steps forward.]

Shall I take the back entrance?

5. Celebrating

[There's nothing wrong with cheap Chinese takeout. Winter eats it primly, as if it were a high class lobster dinner, even as she fishes out a fried shrimp from one of the little white boxes. She holds her chopsticks as if she were born with them in her fingers, as if eating chow mein were a sublime art form.]

[True, she could have sprung for something fancy and expensive, but she has problems with careless spending and unnecessary extravagance. It's okay to have some nice things, but it's not an effective way to run a business.]

[Cheapskate.]

[Besides, truth be told, she likes this kind of thing. Good luck getting her to say that out loud.]

Pass the soy sauce, if you please.

8. Whoops

[Where did it go? Winter revolves slowly in place, her grey eyes narrowed and darting left and right. She'd say these things don't just vanish, but that's actually par for the course. Her entire body is tense, her thumb hovering over the firing button at the first sign of activity. It's not coming out. Damn!]

[Tsking under her breath, her left hand moves to pluck the PKE meter from her belt. If it won't come out on its own, then she'll track the little brat down.]

[But that's just what the vengeful spirit was waiting for. The moment Winter lets her guard down for that split second, it rushes up at her through the floorboards, wrapping her tightly in its ghostly residue...and seeping into her body.]

[Winter stiffens with a choked sound, her eyes wide, before she collapses into a heap on the ground. Twitch.]

[When she lifts her head, she's...smiling? Oh now there MUST be something wrong, Winter never smiles.]

[ a | w h o o p s ]
Waughyaaa!

[Sorey is running down the hall of the haunted hospital, being the leats bit careful in not slipping over the ectoplasm that made itself at home on the edges of the floor. Hellions and seraphim and ghosts, oh my! Where was the help when you needed it?]

Would somebody set the trap already?!

[It was even worse than when a gigantic boulder was hurtling toward him while spelunking in the ruins!]

[ b | setting up s h o p ]
[Sorey smacks his hands together, enjoying the logo he emblazoned on his front desk. It had the crest of the Shepherd on it, and the building used to be a ruins that he managed to purify. Sure, it may be a bit out of the way for the townspeople, but how many times do townspeople really want to be right next to a Ghostbusters headquarters, anyway? Most of them couldn't even see ghosts.]

Let's see... after putting out an ad, I guess all I have to do is wait for the customers to come strolling in... right?

[He taps his foot impatiently, crossing his arms.]

[ c | r e c r u i t i n g ]
So, in order to wield the power of purification, I need to have a pact with a Prime Lord, who in turn can assign Sub-Lords who are spirits with varying elemental prowess and Squires, those who are with the Shepherd and can also wield the power of purification?

[Sorey thought on this for a while. He grew up always dealing with spirits, but actually dealing with them through a contract?]

Hmm...

[What could go wrong?]

So, where do I sign up?

[ d | wild card :: w h a t e v e r ]
[OoC: Go for it.]

[OOC: How about Minako, in her Sailor Ghostbuster disguise, saved Sorey a few years back? Maybe they went to the same school together and she had a crush on him but stepped aside because she thought he liked Alisha? It's a lot of assumed CR, so we can make changes where you like!]

[Yesterday was Minako's birthday. Eighteen at long last! She packed her costume and mask away, gently tucking the edges of the fabric into an old shoebox, and pushed it into her closet with a fond smile. The costume had served its purpose; she could protect her friends and the people she cared about in a fully legal fashion now. ...And she wouldn't have to rely on an experimental proton pack she salvaged from the junk yard that might explode if someone hit it just right. It was kind of a relief to be rid of that. Once she landed this job, the old pack was being unceremoniously dumped back into the junkyard where she originally found it.]

[She wears a smart business suit with a matching pencil skirt over a white blouse, her purse slung over her shoulder, resume firmly in hand. Her high heels click neatly on the city sidewalk as she makes her way toward the Ghostbuster...headquarters?]

[Minako tips her head back, her expression falling when she sees the rundown old building Sorey managed to lease. Well, what did she expect? 18-year-olds didn't really have much capital to work with. She should know, after shoveling popcorn into bags at the movie theater for the past two years.]

[She fixes her face into bright determination, squares her shoulders, and opens the door.]

[It clatters noisily to the ground, the detached doorknob now resting in her hand. Minako jumps back with an 'eep!'. This place really IS in bad shape! At least she doesn't need to knock.]

Hello? I'm here about the Ghostbuster job!

[She steps over the door, surreptitiously glancing around before she tries to push it back into place. She knows Sorey is here, but he doesn't know that she knows. Soon, she will feign surprise upon seeing him. Oh, what a coincidence, she didn't expect to see ~him~ here, tee hee! Yes, it's the perfect plan!]

[blinkblink]

Huh?

[Sorey looks up from whatever he's doing, and tilts his head, kindasorta recognizing Minako but something seemed off. Suddenly his eyes brighten as he beams.]

Hey, Miss Aino! Fancy seeing you here!

[Oh, right, she was that underclassman he knew a while back. Always full of energy, one of the few people who could physically keep up with Sorey during track. He got up and walked toward her.]

So, ghostbusting, eh?

[He called her Miss. That's a good sign, right? As long as he's not still thinking of her as an underclassman, that means he might see her as a romantic interest! ...Unless he's still hung up on Alisha.]

Oh, Sorey! I didn't know you had your own Ghostbusting business.

[She shoves the door back with a bump of her upper shoulders, hands folded behind her as she smiles far too innocently. No, she totally didn't break your door. And she totally isn't nudging the doorknob on the floor with her foot to send it rolling under the equipment lockers, tee hee!]

I guess you're the one I talk to for the application, then, right?

Yeah! I just started, but I've always had an interest in this sort of thing, being able to see spirits. That and that masked buster of ghosts Sailor V, saved me a ton of times when I was in over my head. I figure it's about time I gave back, you know?

How about you?

[Mina blushes coquettishly, laying her fingertips against her collarbone at the mention of Sailor V. Yes, lavish her with praise, don't stop! ...Oh wait, it's still a secret. She subtly works her hand to the back of her neck instead.]

I remember. She sure had a way of nabbing newspaper headlines while she was active, heh heh...!

[Hopefully he isn't really hoping to meet Sailor V again, otherwise she'll have to run back to the junkyard and dig up her old pack again.]

Me? Uh...

[Shoot. She knew she was forgetting something: a reason for wanting to be a Ghostbuster that wasn't just an excuse to get closer to Sorey!]

I'm...here because of Sailor V too! She's my idol, I really look up to her! Soooo that means I should totally be a Ghostbuster too, right?

[Right!]

Cool!

I guess the first order of business is fixing up this place to look presentable.

[That totally wasn't a jab at the door you just destroyed.]

Sure, we hunt ghosts, but we can't look like we're haunted by ghosts...

Maybe we'll run into Sailor V if we work at this hard enough! That'd be something!

[Hey! That door was already destroyed, it's not her fault! ...Yet. Best to keep her away from the containment unit.]

[And it looks like she'll be paying a visit to the dump tonight. ._.]

Oh, uh, yeah! That would be great, wouldn't it? Unless she retired. That tends to happen sometimes.

[BUT ENOUGH ABOUT THAT. Mina swoops in, taking hold of Sorey's arm with a bright smile.]

But hey, why don't you show me around? I need to get familiar with this place!

Retired, huh? That's a shame. I'd really like to meet her one day and thank her in person.

[Sorey goes ahead and begins giving Minako the tour.]

... so this room used to be the engine room, but I figure this could work as the common area upstairs and downstairs can hold the files and such. There's enough space for any cars since cars are smaller than fire trucks, but in case there isn't the front can also be used for the driveway. I noticed that the back is set up for some games like badminton and basketball, and I figure we can use the basement for the containment units...

[He goes on all business-like, yet naive and totally not knowing what he's doing with any real experience and instead relying on what he's read.]

I'm sure you'll get the chance someday.

[Maybe sooner than he thinks. If she does it, it should be soon, otherwise he'll know Mina too well and recognize her voice. ...Would that really be so terrible, though? Well, best to keep it under wraps for now. He might be a gossip, and she's trying to stay out of legal trouble.]

Wow...you got all this space to work with? It's super cool!

[She's definitely interested in playing some sports ~~and kicking everyone's butt~~.]

Are you going to hire anyone else? It looks like you were planning on having at least a couple of teammates to help out.

Depends on who shows up! I don't know too many people who want to go into the ghost busting business who aren't already tied up with something else, and you're the first one to show up so far!

You wouldn't happen to know anyone who'd be interested, would you?

Not really...

[It's not that she doesn't want to share (even though she doesn't), but she honestly doesn't know anyone with the right nerves. It's not easy facing hordes of undead that want to murder you, even if there's a paycheck involved. She hesitates for a moment. Common sense dictates she shouldn't ask, but matters of the heart kick common sense to the curb.]

What about Alisha? You guys always seemed pretty close. Maybe you could ask her.

[She kind of wants to know where they stand as a couple anyway.]

Oh, Alisha? She decided to take in her family's footsteps and get more involved in the Hyland Group's actvities. Last I heard, the talks of the merger between the Hyland Group and the Rolance Conglomerate have been going pretty well, especially since her contact on that side is Sergei. Besides, while we had fun hunting down ghosts in high school, she always had other things on her mind.

Besides, worse comes to worse, we could be a dynamic duo!

[Geez, Alisha sounds...~~boring~~ responsible. More responsible ~~boring~~ than Mina. She's still surprised that they're not an item, and if he's saying 'last I heard' then it sounds like they're not even in contact all that often. She hesitates, studying Sorey's face, but he doesn't look heartbroken. Maybe they were just friends. If so, she's going to kick herself for so many missed opportunities just because she didn't want to get in the way of his affections.]

I wouldn't mind that. But let's not give up just yet!

[She smiles, lacing her fingers together and turning out her palms.]

Let's work up some flyers and post them around town. If we jazz it up enough, we might get our choice of teammates from a whole bunch of interested applicants!

Your enthusiasm sure is contagious, Miss Aino!

[Sorey pumps his arms.]

Well then, let's do it!

...

[Sorey looks at the old black-and-green screen of a computer he found in a dumpster, wondering if it would help in make a flyer.]

What should we do first?

Well, we'll need paper, and markers. Then once we've made a few flyers, we'll take the one we like best, make copies, and post them around town. Pretty easy!

[She follows his gaze to the computer, and blinks. Yeah, um. She has no idea how to use those things. Does it even work? It looks like it's older than she is.]

Oh. And call me Mina.

[She winks. Then she starts wandering around the office in search of paper.]

Now let's get to work!

[time skip]

Hey, this place looks presentable!

[... well, there was a mishap or two, but Sorey wasn't going to give Mina a hard time.]

How about we celebrate and get some food? I can only afford the cheap stuff, though, since this place wasn't exactly cheap...

4. With a music prompt for fun
[Like a wise man once said: if there's a steady paycheck in it, I'll believe whatever you say.

That had certainly been the attitude of this particular girl when she'd walked into the HQ with a Help Wanted poster in hand. Her resume had been as nonexistent as her references and she hadn't shown any special knowledge or interest in the paranormal, but what's a new franchise to do? Especially with a call coming in of a troublesome ghoul causing a ruckus.

One look at the equipment and Vin had immediately selected the more compact, lighter, but weaker, proton pistol over a full pack. It might have seemed a wise choice considering the full pack was almost as large as she is... aaaand became an even better one on the job when the ghost had evaded capture and slimed its way through a wall.

Vin had immediately made a dash for the window, jumped out, used the fire escape as a springboard to the adjacent roof and hoisted herself up.]

It's heading West on Fifth! I'll keep it in my sights, follow me!

[Here voice crackles over the radio as she takes a running start and leaps the gap to the next building.

Yes, she is in pursuit of a ghost via parkour.]

3 - Let's Rewind That Last One
[The franchise is open, and the posters are hung up around the city: Help Wanted, and people... probably aren't exactly lining up around the block looking to take on this job. Maybe it's the possibility of slime? Maybe dragging around a nuclear accelerator? Whatever it is, people don't seem super interested and the time allotted for interviews is quiet indeed.

Until the door abruptly opens up admitting this girl. Twenty something, dark-haired and tiny as heck. All of five foot nothing and maybe ninety-eight pounds, and definitely not dressed up for the interview at all in her plain clothes and hoodie. Without any sort of preamble, she walks right up to the front desk and holds up one of those posters.]

I'm here for the job. I can start right away.

[She's hired, right?]

[Parked at the front desk, heavy black boots propped up on a stack of unfiled invoices and receipts, is a man. A man with a silver mullet. His lazy gaze drifts to Vin as she enters, and his expression changes to one of mild surprise.]

Eh?

[With that intelligible greeting out of the way, he unfolds his arms from behind his head and drops his feet to the floor, leaning onto the desk with one elbow, chin in his hand. He looks her up and down, gauging her silently for a moment.]

You're not really dressed like a receptionist.

[It probably isn't hard to figure out his name. The jumpsuit, stained and hanging halfway off of a coat hook, clearly reads 'Akutabi' on the pocket. There's a potted plant in the window suffering from overexposure and not enough water, well on its way to becoming a ghost itself. The ceiling fan whirs overhead with a noticeable click. Clearly this place has seen better days, but it was cheap. Just like almost everything else in the office. Even the phone has a rotary dial and a mismatched cord knotted up in the middle. What trash heap did he dig that out of?]

[So, this is a Ghostbusters franchise. She's not sure what she expected but a rundown hovel of an office almost certainly isn't it. Is this place really hiring...? She glances at the stack of papers formerly known as a footstool. Well, even if it doesn't end up long-term she could get by without a career in blasting the paranormal. She just needed a few paychecks.]

Good. Because I'm not interested in being one and you don't want me answering your phones anyway.

[She certainly isn't much to look at at a glance. Small, skinny in plain clothes with short dark hair and eyes with only a simple bronze stud in one ear as any sort of accessory.

Taking another step forward she placed the flyer on the desk and pointed to the top "OPEN" position.]

I'm here to be a Ghostbuster.

[The silver-haired man lets his gaze drift down to the flyer. It stays there for a moment, then he looks at Vin once more.]

But the receptionist job pays better.

[He points at it, as if to demonstrate.]

It's hourly, and full time. Comes with benefits. No ectoplasm to wash off at the end of the day. Ghostbusters get paid per job, which means unless there are a lot of spooks flyin' around, weeks could go by without us getting a single client. It's dirty, dangerous work. And I don't always charge if the client can't pay.

[His expression doesn't change, save for a faint hardness around the eyes. It's a test, Vin might be able to tell that much. But what he's testing, he doesn't outright say.]

You sure that's what you want?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Test Drive

Brandy | OC

Winter Schnee | RWBY

Sorey | Tales of Zestiria | only tag if you're not a loser

D. I'm a loser but I'm tagging anyway! DEAL WITH IT!

I REFUSE TO DEAL AND YOU CAN ALWAYS DO ASSUMED CR WITH ME

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Vin | Mistborn

#3

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