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

[worldsplitter]

... Martel... would have thought the same. ...She would have liked you.

[He doesn't say anything else, just quietly thinking, the ground still cracking beneath their feet, Mithos briefly considering pulling his wings out and just flying them over it but knowing that would probably make things awkward, all things considered.

He's- never been in this position, before. Being friends with Genis while Genis knows who he is. It's... unusual, and there's a bit of a mist of uncertainty rising around them too. Sorry, Genis, his emotions are making both your lives difficult, not that that's anything new.]

[twohares]

[ Being friends with Mithos makes everyone's life difficult.

Genis feels the temperature drop around them at that comment, his eyes flickering over to Mithos's face before he has to turn away again - not just because looking away from the ground would be a tripping hazard at this point. Thinking of Martel takes him back to that time in the Great Seed Chamber, hearing her try to reach out to him, and... ]

...Yeah. She was a good person.

[ And he leaves it at that for a little while before he comes to a stop. That anxious feeling doesn't leave him. ]

I think we should help them. They aren't attacking us anymore, and if they stay in the street like this, they'll get hurt.

[worldsplitter]

...

[The air flickers to heat for a moment, and Mithos turns to snap at him, but-- The anger leaves him when he sees Genis's face. ... Maybe, just for now, it's okay to be Mithos the kid again.]

... Okay. I don't think I actually clipped their wings for good, so- If we move them to the grass or something, it should be okay.

[twohares]

[ That flash of heat nearly has Genis worried, but it's gone before Genis can even question it. And for the first time since seeing him again, Genis smiles. ]

Right! That's a good idea! That way they won't hurt themselves on the stones, either.

[ Considering they've successfully turned several cobblestones into gravel without even trying. Genis releases his hand and takes a few steps back to kneel on the ground. ]

We just need to be careful, too...

[ That they don't do what wounded animals usually do and lash out. ]

[worldsplitter]

I'd- heal them, but it's been way too long. I don't really remember any of the things Kra-- ... Anything I was taught.

[He kneels next to Genis and gingerly reaches towards one of the birds... Which, of course, pecks at him, since he's still the one who attacked them, slightly different shape or not.]

Mmf. ... That's what they did before, too. They're- kind of nasty.

[twohares]

[ Genis moves his hands between them like a shield, gritting his teeth as he nudges some space between them. ]

Ah- Geez, they really are. They're really worked up today...

[ Though with how their feathers are singed, Genis can't blame them. A small pang of pity hits him before he shrugs off his vest and puts it over Mithos's hands. ]

Here, use this.

[ To protect his hands. They're going do this! ]

[worldsplitter]

[The air cools down yet more.

Not because Mithos is unhappy- It's really the opposite, and that's what's bothering him. Why is Genis not angrier? Why is he not trying to get revenge for what Mithos did? Why is he helping him?

Either way, he pauses for a moment, staring blankly at the ground, before reaching in to gingerly scoop up the pigeon in Genis's vest, ignoring its strikes and unceremoniously dumping it off the side of the road.

Hey, it's a start.]

[twohares]

[ Genis feels the temperature change, and he freezes to watch Mithos. Something happened. Something happened, but he's not sure what, and Mithos's silence and movements don't give Genis any hints.

He frowns watching the Mithos just dump the bird on the ground, but it fidgets, flaps its wings unevenly, and totters off. "It's a start" is right. Genis glances back at the bird in front of him, carefully picking it up even as it tries to free itself, before turning his eyes back to Mithos. ]

Are you okay?

[worldsplitter]

[Mithos keeps his back to Genis, the air still frigid.

The bird flutters itself away, and Mithos keeps his eyes locked on it, silent for a moment- Too long of a moment- Before quietly speaking.]

Why aren't you killing me again?

[twohares]

Ah-

[ Genis stares at Mithos's back as the ground between them cracks and splits, opening a whole new fissure. The bird takes this opportunity to finish squirming and escaping from Genis's hands, though for all Genis reacts to it, you'd think he didn't notice. ]

Mithos... [ His voice drops low. Right. He killed Mithos with his own hands. Twice. And besides, he was the one who told Lloyd to let him die. ...Was that the wrong choice?

The temperature just about plummets before Genis can even do more than just stare at the back of his friend's head. ]

Because we're friends. Right?

[worldsplitter]

Is friendship so important that you'd endanger yourself over it?

[That fissure... well, it literally starts to ice over, creating a vein of frozen ground. Honestly, who even cares what temperature it is outside? These two are creating a nice localized winter.]

You did what you needed to for your ideals. ... You can't compromise. [He turns back to Genis.]

We both know that I can't either. Wouldn't it be better to finish me now?

[twohares]

[ He feels like his heart as frozen over, too. For a little while, he can just watch his breath rise in the air before he steels himself and stands up to meet Mithos eye-to-eye. ]

I won't compromise, and I know that you won't either, but I still mean what I said before. We don't need to fight.

[ If Genis's life is in danger now, he sure doesn't look scared of it. ]

In the end, we both want the same thing.

[worldsplitter]

... She really would have liked you, Genis. You're- kind. To a fault.

[He sighs, the air starting to warm just the tiniest bit. A thaw in his heart? Maybe not.]

I'm not going to hurt you. ... And I know you won't hurt me. But we're- Even if we're friends, we both know it might come down to it again sometime, right? We want the same thing, but... There's only one way I'll accept.

[twohares]

You can't tell me you really plan on continuing your plans here, do you? There's no way. The Great Seed isn't even here. Our whole world is far away now.

[ Right. Right. For now, they really have no reason to fight.

There's still always that chance Mithos will come around. ]

...Please, can't we just be friends again?

[worldsplitter]

... We're always friends. If you- want to be. But even friends fight sometimes. Yuan, and Kratos, and... [He shakes his head.]

I can't do anything here. I- There are things that Yggdrasill can do. Things that I can't, as me. The Arehtei won't listen to a kid, but Yggdrasill- [He shakes his head again, trying to get his thoughts in order.]

For now... there's nothing I'm going to do. Until we can get home, there's no reason to fight. And... I won't do anything to you or your friends unless you make me. Okay?

[twohares]

"Unless I make you"...?

[ Genis draws his mouth into a line uncertainly. One would think knowing that Mithos agrees with them would make Genis feel better, but the icy air around them doesn't fade.

In the end, he shakes his head. ]

My friends are your friends, too. Friends might fight sometimes, but when someone does something wrong, it's their friends' job to tell them so.

So...even if we fight, let's fight as friends.

[worldsplitter]

... You know the others won't like that. The things I did to them are- They were the things I had to do. They were the right things. ... But that doesn't mean they'd forgive me for them. Except maybe Colette.

[He shakes his head.]

You and I are friends. I don't know if the others... That chance is probably long gone.

[twohares]

[ He shakes his head again. ]

That's not true! You did a lot of things that are unforgivable, but that doesn't mean you're unforgivable.

[ Except Mithos did the wrong thing. One day, he'll realize that, right? ]

The important thing is to make things better again. Even if it's little by little.

[worldsplitter]

[He sighs.

That's where their views are inherently incompatible. If it means bringing Martel back... Anything is the right thing.]

If- you say so. It's been too long since I had to be friends with... anyone. Even if it's just a temporary truce.

[twohares]

[ Genis holds out his hand again (which given the current state of things, is probably frigid) and offers Mithos a small smile. If nothing else, he hopes he's getting through to him. ]

Well, then I'll be your first friend in a long time, and it's not just some temporary truce, either.

[ Because a big part of him really just wants to go back to that day on the Fooji Mountains and have his first half-elven friend back - his first friend that understood him and would never leave him.

Friendship is very, very important. ]

Let's work together.

[worldsplitter]

...

[He grabs Genis's hand. His own is- Honestly, less cold than you'd expect, but being an angel and all he could just be shutting down his body somehow to prevent it getting to him.

He still looks unsure, though.]

You know I can't promise anything, right? Even if you and I are friends, I... There's been so much. I'm still Yggdrasill. I still- can't give up.

[twohares]

[ ...It feels slightly warm in comparison to his own hand, which makes it that much easier to grip back. ]

And I won't give up either because we're friends.

[ When he says things like that, he must sound optimistic enough that it'd make Lloyd proud. But his voice drops as he continues, the air around them going still. ]

...I won't let things end the same way again. Even if we fight, even if things get bad, I won't abandon you.

[worldsplitter]

There would have been room for a third, you know. ... Maybe a fourth, if you wanted to bring Raine. I wouldn't stop you from bringing your sister.

[The air... perks up a bit. It's subtle, but... Optimism, maybe? It's been a long time since Mithos felt hope. He doesn't really remember it.]

[twohares]

[ Genis blinks in confusion, just staring at him until the pieces fall into place - which isn't long. Frost creeps over the soles of their shoes. There's another pang of uncertainty and regret. ]

Mithos...

[ But he shakes his head. ]

There will always be room for you in our world, too.