empatheias_ooc | TEST DRIVE: MARCH

— TEST DRIVE: MARCH —

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 Tuesday, February 23nd and Applications (Canon | OC) open Tuesday, March 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: Fireworks are a common source of entertainment for the island, and each year the equipment and technology used get more advaanced—and more dangerous. This year they're trying to contain the explosive emotional power from the easily angered by using a new device based off the Tree of Memories petals. Except the "device" includes the explosive powder for the fireworks. You can only imagine how disasterous that could be. YOUR OPTIONS:

Someone is deliberately provoking you to try and make you mad.
Someone else has blown their top and the device (and nearby fireworks) are exploding.
General firework and explosives mayhem.

Note: Calm emotions will help diffuse the situation, but you might want some water or something else to help douse both the literal and metaphorical flames.

• Prompt E: The spring season of Zephyras is on its way, so there's a lot less snow these days. To make the most of it, a lot of the local children have built as many snowmen and snow creatures as they can. Some adults have also taken to it, some actually treating it like some kind of competition. The resulting creations range from the standard to the incredible. Behemoth, monstrous creatures with gaping jaws and horns, majestic unicorns with ice sculpted wings and horns, lifelike human sculptures in various poses. Normally all of these would be considered works of it, but when you're in a world where emotions can sometimes give things a mind of their own...well. Creativity isn't the only way to "breathe life" into them.

Emotions can affect these snow sculptures in various way. Those that trend on the happier side will cause the snow creations to move and frolic around in place, perhaps even try to "play" with those around them. Those that trend on the negative, however, will give the opposite, especially anything that could make them more angry and violent.
A few people have caught onto this and have actually created a snowmen army! Using "stock" made snowmen, at least ten from each side slide and wobble around, chucking snowballs and rocks at one another for pure snow destruction. Hopefully you don't get caught in the middle of it.

• Prompt F: Have you ever ridden on a hover board? Or a flying motorcycle? Well if you haven't, you get to be one of many to try out a new design set to come out by the summer months of Eurus. Of course, they are still in development, so expect some hiccups and stalls. Even more, to help with fuel and power efficiency issues, the engineers have created a system that would help absorb and channel the user's emotions into the machine. Now, it's supposed to only take the energy from emotions and not actually be affected by what kind is given. In theory, even a sad person could power their new flying vehicle! However, that's a kink that still needs to be hammered out, so the test vehicles are still prone to emotional effects just like everything else. Angry emotions will have fire bursting from the exhaust, giving it a super huge boost in speed and power, but lack of control. Joy and excitement are also good boosters, but prepare to have a trail of stardust that could blow back in your face. Some other side effects are: rust, engine stall, decreased acceleration, suddenly flying upside down. Oh yeah, these don't have seat belts. But you get a helmet and a parachute! Good luck.

• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include empty barrel and/or chickens.

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He may not be able to see, but he can sense. And typically, he can sense the person it is, too. So with a kind smile, he looks in the direction of the tree. Listen, Renne, you can't hide from the person who taught you HOW to hide and be sneaky. Still, perhaps she's being malicious, but part of him hopes that there's still a child wanting to be a child within her.

Or a certain someone rubbed off on him too much to make him think that way about Renne.]

Come on, Renne, you know you can't hide from me.

[Though he does bend down to pack some snow in his hands and make a snowball and lob it in the general direction of the tree where she's hiding. Sure he could have thrown it at full force and she could have evaded it or countered, but he's trying not to make a scene.]

[There's always been a child wanting to be a child within her, it's just that her favorite games tend to involve killing people. But if she was wanting to be malicious there would have been a rock in that snowball. She's just wanting to play with Joshua because it's been so long since she could play with him.

She'll respond via telepathy though.]

Then come and find me!

[The telepathy is still a little jarring to Joshua. Then again, he's not exactly fond of anything inside of his head. Still, if they were going to play hide and seek, he probably should play. He's kind of a master at it (but to Estelle's dismay), but playing with Renne might prove to be a different kind of challenge.

Except it's going to be the type of challenge that involves using his skills as a former enforcer to find her.]

Are you sure you want do that? You know I can sense you, right?

[He's speaking to her, but more or less to see if she's within an earshot. His voice is calm, and his expression has recovered from the initial feeling of having someone speak to him mentally.]

[She's still within earshot since moving while in the snow would also give it away if she went to go find a new spot to hide. She's not answering, but she's also not moving. She knows it will be easy for Joshua, but she doesn't care because right now she wants him to find her. She's missed Joshua and having him here and without Estelle is nice. She figures that he'll get the idea that she's fine with that and not revealing that she's nearby in her lack of answer.]

[It really isn't hard, even if she doesn't answer, he can still sense she hasn't moved from her initial spot. She's always seemingly been a girl who liked her tricks, but also hid in such obvious spots that she was hard to find as a result. That was way back then, though. Still, he's amazed at how little people have changed even from back then. Or maybe Joshua changed too much, though in his opinion, for the obvious better.

Now recomposed, he walks to the tree he initially lobbed a snowball at, the one he knows she's hiding in.]

But if you want to play that game, I know you're up there.

[Does he need to scale that tree to get you, Renne?]

[Yes, he'll need to scale that tree because she's not moving. No, her plan is to lure him up there so she can pounce on him like she's a kitten once he arrives.

Though she has no mean plans, she just wants to hug him. She's missed him, ok?]

[With a sigh, he resigns to the fact that he needs to climb up. Not exactly too hard for him to do with a grappling hook and his skills. It makes it a pretty swift and easy climb at least to find the girl who's intent on hiding from him and making him find her.

He can only imagine what she's up to...

And one of the things he has in mind is being pounced.]

[Once he gets up to the branch she's on, she's going to pounce and give him a big hug. Assuming of course that he doesn't try to dodge her doing so.]

I've missed you Joshua! You should come and play more often.

[He doesn't dodge since he doesn't sense any danger from her. Still, her reaction does get him to halt a little since she almost seems... too eager to see him. Like they haven't seen each other in years. However, he doesn't comment on it.

So he just gives her a light pat on the head.]

You know I can't do that, Renne.

[Since, y'know, he went AWOL even if a lot of it was a part of a certain someone's plans.]

Edited 2016-02-17 14:08 (UTC)

[Well, she has been here a few months all by her lonesome.]

Why not? I'm the only one here.

Are you lonely?

[He can understand that. He also doesn't see Pater Mater anywhere, either, so that has to be really hard on her. Unless he's hiding out somewhere.]

[Pater Mater is here, but was sadly shrunk and Renne doesn't understand why. What she does understand was that it was highly upsetting so she rarely summons it. Still, deep down she is a kid who just wants attention, love and praise]

No. [That no is said in the sort of tone that a kid would give if asked if they ate the last cookie and they did. It's a very obvious lie.]

[It's okay, they can be terrible liars together. He just brings an arm around her to pull her close. Also, it's a reason to get out of that tree as he swiftly jumps off with her in his arms. Even if he knows they'd both be fine, still, they don't need any unfortunate mishaps.]

Where's Pater Mater?

[Because she'd be able to cope if she had that. He knows. He knows too much about her and her past and why she needs someone to 'care' for her.]

TEST DRIVE: MARCH

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