TEST DRIVE: APRIL

[empevents]

— TEST DRIVE: APRIL—

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 Saturday, March 25 and Applications (Canon | OC) open a week later on April 1st.
  
  
• OC Reminder! Just a quick reminder that original characters are 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: The Flower Festival is soon, and that means that a lot of caterers, cooks, restaurants and anyone involved with cooking are gearing up to participate in the celebration. This means that there’s plenty of places that are offering food at enormous discounts, or running food related events outside of their stores. One particular setup is in the center of the market area, where tables upon tables of food have been set up as a sort of buffet: pick what you want and pay as you leave! Unfortunately, someone mischievous has created a real problem. The buffet has turned into an all out food fight and it doesn't look like it’s stopping anytime soon...

1. Join In. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Might as well join the fun since it’s happening anyway, and you’ve probably already found yourself victim to an errant pizza slice or something already. Grab a handful of whatever is nearest you or pick up a spoon and get that food flying!


2. Pay up. The fun can only last so long, and none of the vendors are happy. While the food fight has been broken up, the place is still a mess. Participants and people caught up in the crossfire are all being blamed equally. Grab a mop and a dustpan and get cleaning. Or, try and argue your way out of being taken to the local enforcers station and given a hefty fine.

• Prompt E: It’s already spring, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t people who are still interested in a few last minute winter escapades. Luckily, with cores and emotion fueled dunamis, things like this aren’t exactly off the table yet. A small portion of Lake Niras has been turned into a winter wonderland, down to a thick layer of ice that’s almost strong enough to be skated upon. However, this isn’t what it’s being used for. The local Polar Bear club has decided to hold a springtime version of their usual event and currently has open registration for those who think they’ve got the willpower to take the plunge in the icy water.

1. Dive Deep.Strip down to your skivvies or don a bathing suit and jump in! The challenge is to stay in the longest of 4 or 2, or to just beat your personal best. In lieu of joining up yourself if you don’t feel like freezing your tush off you’re more than welcome to lead the cheerleading team!!! ... Who are all dressed as different interpretations of Sosyne...


2. Maintain The Cold. Those who aren't the participating kind might find themselves attracted to the more “Stage hand” like portion of the club event. Those who have practiced dunamis, the art of using your emotions to create all sorts of manifestations under control, might be able to help maintain the frigid temperature in the air that’s causing the snowfall. Or, if you’re just a really negative person you could be unintentionally making it worse. Otherwise, there’s always a need for a few extra hands at rotating the frozen water cores which are helping keep the water particularly icy. Just be careful and try not to get too excited or you’ll melt the cores!

• Prompt F: Ghost tours have become all the rage in Verens, and tonight you find yourself coming along, either willingly or by having one of the organizers pester you into it. But being a guest isn’t the only way to participate—they’re taking volunteers to “assist” as well, to help spice things up and improve the mood. Harness your emotions to make the atmosphere more sinister, or just hide in some bushes or around some corners to surprise someone with an old-fashioned “boo!”

1. Sewers Dark and dank, the tunnels underneath the city are already a good place to scare or be scared. The tour takes characters through a lesser-used portion of the sewers, meaning it’s slightly less smelly, but there’s still plenty of opportunity for spooky stories. Don’t get caught by the mossgator or the restless spirits of its victims...


2. Inside the Memory Tree The giant tree that stands in the city’s square hasn’t always been a safe place, especially the dungeon-like spaces inside. The twisting wood and vines have been home to all sorts of monsters that have been a threat in the past, from moving plants with sticky vines to shadow creatures with sharp teeth—or so the tour guides will say. The tree may not have been around long enough to have much history to it, but that doesn’t stop them from playing it up.


3. Abandoned Buildings
Always a necessity for any ghost tour, this leg of the trip will take characters past and through a few rundown places, including an old warehouse, a creaky mansion, and a set of dirty apartments. Don’t forget all the dark alleyways in between, or the stories of long-past serial killers who choked their victims to death right over there…

• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include maraschino cherries and/or knives.

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

G

[princesswhatshername]

[The snacks do look appetizing, and they smell great too.

... Buuut that red light kind of makes the entire scene look like a scene from Frollo's Hellfire instead of being remotely inviting. Minnie laughs nervously. D-don't judge a book by its cover, right?]

W-well... They do look yummy!

[sweetcarnage]

Don't they?!

[Peri swings her head around, eyes wide as she expects to see someone there... And then looks down a bit to see Minnie. Soon she's smiling and (thankfully) setting the knife down to one side.]

Aww, you're adorable! Here, you've gotta try one. Or two! Take two, you won't regret it! [She quickly grabs a fresh plate of tarts and holds them out, nice and close so Minnie can really appreciate just how lovely they are.]

[princesswhatshername]

[Well, someone who calls her cute can't be all bad, right?]

Thank you. I guess it couldn't hurt to try it.

[She picks one out, chew chew... Her eyes widen. Swallow.]

These... These are the best tarts I've ever tasted in my whole life!

[sweetcarnage]

Yup, I'll bet they are! Everyone in the army thought they were the best ever too. And not just my tarts, all my baking and cooking really turns heads.

[She sets the tarts down and- Oh dear she's going for the knife again. Peri waves the knife around without another thought, like how one might hold a pen or something else a little less sharp and pointy.]

Okay, so sometimes it's me turning heads. I get loads of funny looks. But! Once people try something of mine they... Keep looking at me funny. They cut down on it a whole lot though! [Emphasized by pointing the knife out in front of her.]

[princesswhatshername]

[... Ah. Ha. ha ha ha. Nervous laughter solves everything. She's just going to try and ignore all the obvious homicidal behavior and focus on the good stuff. Leaning away from that knife tho.]

You know, there's a bakery here! Maybe you could get a job there and have everyone try your tasty treats. Why, if we were in my kingdom, I'd empty my whole treasury just to get more!

[sweetcarnage]

Hmm, a bakery... There's gotta be all sorts of yummy stuff going on there. And with all the right equipment to make the yummy scrummy stuff!

[With a thoughtful nod, Peri slams the knife down into the wooden top of the stall.]

That's a great idea! I was gonna see about starting up my anger management group here, but baking sounds like a way better direction to go in. Thanks for the super idea, heehee! [You're the best Minnie.]

[princesswhatshername]

[...wait what was that about anger management

... w-well making baking is a good way. to. manage anger.]

Y-Yes, well... I'm sure Miss Snow would be glad to have you. She's such a sweetheart! I'm sure you'll get along very well.

[sweetcarnage]

If you say so! Buuut if we didn't get along there's always an easy way to solve that problem...

[She doesn't have time to mention what that solution is though because the next batch of tarts is ready to come out. It's probably for the best.

There's soon a piping hot tray of tarts sitting on the stall front, luring more people over to the eerily red lit store with their sweet scent.]

Oh, I'm Peri by the way! Who're you? I've gotta know the name of the person who's been so sweet to me... Or whatever you are!

[princesswhatshername]

[There are soooo many questions Minnie doesn't want answered. But, have a curtsy.]

I am Princess Minnie Mouse. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Peri.

[sweetcarnage]

Ooooh a princess! And a princess of mice too, some really big mice! Back home all the mice were so small you could crush them in the palm of your hand. CRACK!

[She even lifts up a hand and makes a fist just to show how easy it would be!]

But you're waaay too big for that. And you're way too cute! I can think of like a bazillion bows that would make you look totally precious. [If you ignore the occasional worrying comments about killing things it's a fairly normal conversation? Maybe??]

[princesswhatshername]

[Thankfully Minnie was eating the rest of her tart, 'cause otherwise that CRACK would have made her scream.

Looking at her life. Looking at her choices.

Chew chew. Swallow.]

... B-Bows? ... I have been thinking of trying something new with my clothes.

[sweetcarnage]

Then bows are the way to go! Whenever I go accessory shopping my mind always goes to bows first. Tie 'em in different ways, get ones that really bring out your eyes... Ooh, you could go for two bows on each of your ears! And I could two for my hair. [GASP!] We could match!

[Doesn't that sound lovely, sharing matching bows with this ever so slightly unhinged woman? Peri certainly thinks it is.]

[princesswhatshername]

[Well, there's no way to make bows scary, right? Right! So! Let's stick with that!

She reaches up to lightly squeeze one of her ears.]

Why, that sounds like a lovely idea! It'd be really cute! And since your hair is two colors, you could wear muti-colored bows!