TEST DRIVE: JUNE

[empevents]

— TEST DRIVE: JUNE —

Welcome to empatheias' test drive meme. This test drive is to help interested players test their characters in the game's environment. We've included a few prompts that incorporate specific elements of the game, though you'll find all of them have a lot of leeway for players to get as creative as necessary. Before diving in, here are a few things we'd like to remind everyone about the game in general:

• Date reminders. Reserves open Wednesday, May 25 and Applications (Canon | OC) open Wednesday, June 1st.
  
  
• OC Reminder! Just a quick reminder that original characters are currently allowed. Those interested can also use the test drive. OCs do not need to be reserved.
  
  
• Emotions are key! Empatheias' premise focuses on how anyone's emotions can affect their environment, be it big or small. While not every emotion will cause a reaction, significant ones definitely will. How much effect a character will have will ultimately be up to you, the player. Also, while we're giving a lot of leeway for the test drive, keep in mind that there will be some limits in the actual game.
  
  
• Everyone has an amulet. All characters have a unique amulet that is specialized for them. It will contain all of their emotion drops and it serves as the network device. Remember, communication is telepathic. Otherwise, it works basically the same.
  
  
• Assume the character is already in the game. Because "OMG WHERE AM I IS THIS REAL LIFE" threads aren't going to be very helpful in this test drive! Plus those are going to happen in-game, anyway. So to make things easier, just assume that they've been around at least a week or so. Still learning the ropes, but not a complete "first day" experience.
  
  
• First or third person allowed. Your threads can be in either first or third, but we'd advise being flexible about it. Remember, these threads can also be used in your application for samples! Reminder: We only require one sample and it can be done in either format. We have also made a change to our sample requirements, so look over the Applications page!

Now with that out of the way, here are some prompts you guys can work from!


PROMPTS

• Prompt A: How about giving the emotions a try?

• Prompt B: Refer to the Task Board and choose a task your character may be interested in taking up. For this prompt, you could have your character ask for help, already be in the middle of the job, or react to it in some way. Perhaps they were an unfortunate victim or want to create a job countering an existing one. You could even have a prompt making a job request. Creating jobs for the purpose of the test drive is absolutely doable.

• Prompt C: How about giving the amulets a go? Start a telepathic conversation and see how it works. Remember, the amulets are sending out the owner's thoughts so might want to be careful about how the stream of consciousness goes...

• Prompt D: On what promised to be an otherwise normal day, a local shopkeeper wanders out of his stall, a scowl on his otherwise glazed expression. Ignoring all attempts at communication, he stumbles down the road… but not without consequence. Did he leech your emotions, leaving you apathetic and listless? Or perhaps you were hit with a projected wash of bitter jealousy, maybe with an accent of grief or rage? Either way, something is going very wrong here. Can you still muster the strength and focus to care, or does everyone around you now have a new problem to deal with?

• Prompt E: Thou reckless child from beyond this world’s ken. Quit meddling in life’s blood, and be not swift to shed it lest a reckoning come.

What the hell was that in your head?! It sounded a little like a crystal communication, but you definitely hadn’t been touching your crystal or trying to acknowledge any messages! Also, it sounded like large number of people all whispering to create a voice, which was weird, and it felt as if thin, icy cold tendrils were slowly reaching into your mind, like a slow brain freeze. Maybe someone was pranking you? The problem is, if you try to reply, you’ll find that your message went to a random crystal somewhere on the island, and with it, that same strange sense of coldness you experienced.

• Prompt F: For mysterious secret Arehtei purposes, Sosyne and Thras were attempting to install a large-scale waterfall outside the Memory Tree, of the sort that had been previously used to display images from other places. But the two of them got into a huge argument over their respective Deus Ex Arehtei cards (Thras believes his is overcosted, Sosyne believes he’s a raging egotistical jackass and also she should have higher attack), and while they were distracted the screen overflowed its drain. Now emotion-charged water washes down the streets of Verens, and as it passes by people it displays the most emotionally-charged memories of their life. What secrets and histories are on display as it washes by you?


• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include flock of pigeons and/or giant rolls of cheese.

For your threads, put the Character Name and the Canon in the subject line to help readily identify them. You're also welcome to use more than one prompt for respondents to choose from. If you have any questions or want to brush up on the game information, refer to the Game Information entry. Otherwise, tag around and have fun!

Comments

Oz Vessalius | Pandora Hearts

[tenyearslost]

G

[GUESS WHO'S BACK

BACK AGAIN

OZ IS BACK

TELL A FRIEND or not because he's probably been flitting all over the city and the network since he returned, so there's no need. Just like he's flitting around now, chasing a flock of pigeons, because... well.

He's Oz. Does he really need a reason? (Rather, do you really want to know what it is?)]

No, no, come back! Hold still!

[No, he's not trying to cook again. (Thank goodness.)]

[unghosting]

[If Kevin ever had the slightest notion that Oz's return would not result in being dragged all over the city to do stupid shit again within the first twelve hours, it has been firmly punted from his brain.]

How many times are we going to go over this? [He asks this from his vantage point on a nearby bench, which he is perched on with a Steambucks cup, because pigeons are stupid and Oz has not actually managed to chase them out of the square yet. They keep going in circles.] The story that guy fed you was crap. And anyway, even if one of these things was an escaped experiment that lays eggs with already cooked omelettes in them, why would you want a tiny pigeon omelette?

There's better ways to make Gilbert cry about being useless, Oz, honestly.

[...Kevin feels significantly cheered up now, thank you.]

[tenyearslost]

Tch, just you wait and see!

[Oh, joy, Oz has pinpointed the dumbest one and is now walking around in circles after it. How long will they keep this up? Do pigeons get dizzy? So many questions, so little time...]

Small omelettes are cute, and if I show it to Gil, then he'll want to make them, and then we can put them on sandwiches, and of course a knight has to have magic omelettes, not regular ones--

[Because once you've saved the world and died, clearly the next thing on the bucket list is to become a knight who eats magic pigeon omelettes.]

[unghosting]

Knights don't eat tiny sandwiches, Oz. Knights eat big ones, with a lot of roast beef on them. You can think of it as a knightly hardship if you like. After all, if you were to ever go on a seven-year quest, you'd likely have to go months without ever seeing a cucumber.

[Things that Kevin has not forgotten: The days when they were forced to feed themselves.]

Come to think of it, putting sausage and egg together on a biscuit does sound delightful. However, that would still require larger omelettes than pigeon ones, and I'm sure Gilbert would find it fulfilling to cut them into perfect circles for you himself.

[tenyearslost]

Oh, not you, Kevin. [Oz waves a dismissive hand, too busy following the pigeon he's targeted to even bother sending a "duh" glance Kevin's way.] You're not a Holy Knight.

[There's a big difference between being a plain old Kevin-y knight and a Holy Knight. Namely capital letters.

--wait--]

Huh? Of course I wouldn't put a tiny egg on a normal sandwich! [Now Oz stops, gracing Kevin with the "duh".] Everything else would be tiny too. Hans-sized!

[littlestbaskerville]

[OZ!!!

Lily watches him with the bird...kind of wondering why he wants to catch them but hey Reim has one as pet!]

Need help?

[tenyearslost]

Oh, Miss Lily!

[Whatever the reason, it's clearly not urgent. Oz stops what he's doing to smile at her, treating her to a little wave.]

If you'd like! I'm trying to catch one, do you want to try?

[littlestbaskerville]

Yes!

[She looks really excited now and smiles back with a wave.]

Sure...by why do you wanna catch them?

[tenyearslost]

[Ah! An excellent question. Oz rests his hands on his knees, treating her with a solemn look.]

It's a very important quest. The most important quest in the whole world. [Okay, he's totally exaggerating, but shh. She doesn't need to know that.] These birds are magic.

[brightlyshines]

....Did those pigeons take something from you or what? [Hi, Oz.

How long has this girl been standing here? Who knows, but she's watching him run around like she's trying to figure out what in the world he's doing, exactly.]

[tenyearslost]

Hm?

[He noticed, of course. Few things escape him, even now, but then again he is in public. The people who aren't staring at him are the weird ones, honestly.]

What? Oh, no, I'm trying to catch one. [Obviously.]

[brightlyshines]

Catch one?

[....Well that kind of went alongside what she was asking, but if they didn't take something...]

For what, exactly? A pet?

[tenyearslost]

[Oz actually laughs at that, waving a hand.]

No, no! We have plenty of those. It's because they're magical!

[Y'know, just throwing that out there. As you do.]

[trademark_skull]

[...Oz? Is that really you--]

--!! [Perhaps Emizel should question that after he's not getting hit by a flock of pigeons.]

[tenyearslost]

[IT SURE IS. Oz would stop to say hello, to wave and make small talk, but he's too busy attempting to jump in the air after the only pigeon smart enough to fly away from this crazy kid.]

Stop it! Don't let it get away!

[trademark_skull]

[Honestly Emizel doesn't blame the bird one bit.]

What are you doing to them?!

[Does he really want to know? Does he really want to know?]

[miraculo]

[ Wow.

Wow.

Way to chase those pigeons right to Sanae. Who decide that that lovely green hair of hers is perfect to make a nest upon. ] Oz-----!

[ She's being dragged away by pigeons, heels scrapping upon the cobblestone as she reaches out to him. ]

[tenyearslost]

Miss Sanae!

[THIS ISN'T WHAT HE INTENDED TO HAPPEN AT ALL. Alarmed, he runs after her, waving his hands wildly in an attempt to scare the birds out of her hair.]

Hold on, I'll save you...!

[How Oz how are you gonna do that]

[miraculo]

[ They'll pulling here, they're puuuulllling herrrrrr! ] Th--then don't just stand there! [ She yells, batting her arms at the pigeons. Oh, sure, she could use her abilities to keep them away. But using high powered holy lasers to make roasted pigeon sounds less appetizing and more overkill. ]

S---Sparkles! [ She suddenly suggests, desperate. ] Use your pretty boy sparkles! [ She really did just say that. ] C--cuz.. 'cuz birds like sparkles--! Ow-- [ Okay, crows and ravens might like sparkles more, but Sanae is just panicking and will take any help!

[velvet_teen]

[ Oz's reasons cannot be anywhere near as bad as what Alice has in her head right now let's be real. ]

Chase them around this way! You corner them and I'll pounce!

[ She's launched herself off whatever high place she was perched on this time, running around the side of a parked cart, that's a good place to trap a bird right? Her footsteps sound like clattering silverware. ]

[tenyearslost]

[ALICE WHY IS THIS HAPPENING

that's it, that's the tag

....

Okay fine.]

Alice--! [Doing as she says, because he is Oz and that's just how this works.] --I really don't think it'll taste any better just because we catch it ourselves...

[velvet_teen]

[ They're taking flight but there's only so many ways to fly - a swift and skillful lunge has Alice crashing into the cart with a pigeon clutched to her chest-

The cart is full of vegetables and her knee is in the tomatoes. It matters not, she's a winner, she's got a pigeon. ]

If you're not going to eat any then it's all mine.

Re: Oz Vessalius | Pandora Hearts

[tea_rs]

[He's probably had time to get acquainted with Hibiki by now - a tiny, timid girl unsurprisingly adopted by Kevin into the household, these things happen.

She doesn't know Oz at all, but Kevin knows him, which is an automatic trust point. So, while she's still a bit shy, she doesn't mind following him as he decides to chase around pigeons, even if she walks along at a slower pace. He's older than her, but he's playing with the pigeons... she didn't expect that!

She watches him curiously as he goes, tilting her head in a synchronized motion with the gusk on her shoulder.]

They'll be hard to catch if they're scared...

[Or at least, she assumes that's what he's trying to do.]

[tenyearslost]

[Oz, inherent big brother that he is, had of course taken to Hibiki immediately. It was wholly unsurprising to learn that Kevin had taken her in; secure in the knowledge that Ada was safe and sound back home, Oz had also felt free to dote upon Hibiki without guilt.

So it is that Oz has invited her out several times by now--not enough to be pushy, of course, but enough so that she knows he's happy with her company. Even if he's known Kevin longer than she has, to her, he's still the stranger in the household. The last thing he wants to do is make her feel unwelcome, or in the way.]

Do you think they'll come to us if we get food for them?

[tea_rs]

Maybe... If they're used to people feeding them, they'll probably think you're safe, too.

[She's spent a little time living out in the forest, and even managed to get some of the wild animals to approach her without running away. City animals are a bit different, but in many ways, their mannerisms still line up.]

They haven't left yet, so... I'm sure they must be looking for food still.