empatheias_ooc | TEST DRIVE: OCTOBER

Entry tags:

!mod,
*test drive

TEST DRIVE: OCTOBER

— TEST DRIVE: OCTOBER —

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, September 24 and Applications (Canon | OC) open Saturday, October 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: The increased exposure to Shaarnathian culture has prompted many in Verens to attempt to pick up on the discipline of Dunamis. The interest has become something of a popular trend, resulting in small businesses focusing around teaching the skill to those who are interested. Unfortunately, this doesn’t often go well for those who have lived on Empatheias for most of their life and relied so heavily on technology instead. In the seedier and more dubious schools this sometimes winds up disastrous, or outrageous in weird and interesting ways.

One particularly seedy school seems to take to the hands off approach, leaving their students alone to practice in an outside arena full of gourds of all sorts and sizes. Some also seem like they’ve gone quite rotten, resulting in a strange pungent odor. This goes about as well as expected when a particularly … enthusiastic … and poorly trained student manages to implode every last one into a glorious mess that rockets high into the sky.

Now half the shopping district is covered in various states of rotting gourd, and absolutely no one is happy about it. Nothing is spared, shops, stalls, and worst of all, the shoppers. Perhaps you’re one of the unfortunate victims of this mess, or you’re ready to help start the stinky cleanup.

• Prompt E: Someone is setting up a maze in the cornfield for kids and has run into an infestation that needs to be taken care of, but the bugs must be tackled in pairs because they're tricky bastards. They're a new species that not only releases a type of gas that makes one feel sluggish and apathetic, but they also "feed" off emotions. They're otherwise harmless, but it does make capture difficult. Since the use of pesticide is prohibited, the current tactic is for one person to act as "bait" while the other is armed with a special gun that shoots out a special paralyzing webbing. However, the shooter must stay hidden, and keep their emotions unnoticeable, or the bug will catch wind and will flee. After capture, they're thrown off the island. They're like roaches, no one wants them. In fact they also look like roaches. Still unwanted. Other tactics could be employed, but keep in mind that the farmers would like their crop to come out unharmed. Any damage incurred will come out of your pocket.

• Prompt F: A new acting troupe have established themselves in Verens, with a few new aspiring actors from Shaarnath. Through the use of Dunamis, the plays have become more lively and interactive. Most have welcomed them, but there are some groups who adhere to the "classic" way of acting, which can cause some tension.

The troupe are advertising themselves on various street corners and parks, all dressed in bright, colorful clothing! But instead of a regular play, they are beckoning others to join them in various impromptu acts. Action, comedy, romance, tragedy—anything goes! So what do you say, care to join? You can even pull in or shove the person next to you forward instead. Remember to put some feeling into it! Bonus: The scene may require some dunamis for prop work. Try it out!
Perhaps you're one of the people siding with the classic actors. Or maybe you just don't like plays in general. There's a bucket of tomatoes just waiting to be thrown. Even better, the angrier you are, the more rotten and sour the fruit will be.

Feel free to combine the scenarios and add whatever you'd like.

• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include peanut butter and/or jelly.

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!

Threaded | Flat

( D )
Aqua may still be relatively new to this city, but that didn't mean she had no need to pick up the weekly assortment of groceries. Thus she was browsing a cabbage stall's selection, debating on making coleslaw or a type of salad for after her usual exercise routine when something seemed... amiss.

Fortunately the sound of quite a few what she recognized as Fire-based magic in the distance tipped her off, to which she quickly called her Keyblade as she generated a Barrier spell, holding it perfectly so as to not hit others with the ricochet. Unfortunately personal magical shields do not cover the scents of rotten fruit or vegetables, nor protect everything from the blast. Gourds were no exception to this rule.

"M-my cabbages!"

"I'm so sorry!" Desummoning her blade, the barrier fell around her, yet she couldn't help but try to console the merchant, intending to still purchase at least one head, but... Oh. Oh man this was overwhelming. "Oh light, this stench--"

There went her appetite for the rest of the day...

( C )
"This works via telepathy? Well, that isn't so odd..." came a voice over the amulets. Though it isn't long before she realized that it likely picked up that stray thought. "Oh! I'm sorry, hello, everyone. My name is Aqua, and if you would pardon my asking so, what is it that is so different about dunamis, and why it seems so...volatile?"

"Also if anyone had any good home remedies of removing the scent of rotten gourd out of cloth and leather, I would greatly appreciate any tips." The shudder was likely easy to pick up on the thought alone without any aid of mental images, if it was needed to begin with.

[A]
[What does Arcade feel like? Going home, mostly. There’s this whole impending war that’ll decide the fate of every single person living in the Mojave that he really ought to get back to. Although all he’s done so far is poke a few cacti with sticks and get bounced out of actually interacting with people. Something about bad bedside manner. He hadn’t really been listening at the time, which come to think of it may have been part of the problem. Besides, what good are manners when there’s so much gone wrong, just on the other side of the river? He’s fairly sure Caesar or Lee Oliver won’t respond to politely worded letters.

Arcade’s out on the streets of this city he’s found himself stuck in, a new piece of jewelry wrapped up in his pocket. The town's clean and bright, and he’s honestly never seen so much working machinery in his entire life. (The part of his life he can talk about, anyway.) So he might be doing a little gawking. Even so, he can’t help but wonder about all the little people who must be getting stepped on in exchange for all this power. Although who knows. Judging from the bright smiles on people’s faces as they turn in jewelry to what looks like banks, maybe everybody around here prefers their status to be fully quo.

He just doesn’t trust it, is all. Maybe Arcade could learn to hide it better, someday, but for now, it’s as plain as the nose on his face. Well, and he’s sure the way the cobblestones seem to crack under his feet while he walks isn’t helping, either.]

[C]

O…kay, so I just… think stuff and it happens…? At least, I’m pretty sure that’s what it said in the brochure that came with this thing. It… doesn’t know everything I think, does it? Just checking. I’d, uh… really hate to broadcast the songs I sing in the shower across the network. Yeah. That.

Is there a local sports team we could talk about? Any topic that doesn’t have me shouting out into the void would be great, really.

[D]
[If all vegetables smell like this, the Mojave’s clearly dodged a bullet by mutating them into submission. He’d take a whole field of tatos any day over all of this… glop getting everywhere. He’s decided to roll up his sleeves and lend a hand with the clean up crew, a decision he is beginning to regret immensely.]

Isn’t there, I don’t know, anything productive we could do with this? Say, use it to make bricks, or make people pay their taxes, or… something besides sit here collecting mold spores?

[He almost wonders if it’s really healthy to be breathing it in, but, well, the ship has long since sailed on that one.]

Edited 2016-09-20 00:54 (UTC)

( B / C )

[ Standing near the task board, giving it a scrutinizing look, is a petite teenager with long blonde hair, dressed in bright pink clothing. Ciel is holding a small notebook in front of her, noting down some of the requests. ]

Some of these exploration tasks may be useful later, if nothing else... I need to finish accumulating enough knowledge on them before deciding how to proceed...

[...]

What on earth is plaid? I don't recall seeing that in any database...

[ Unfortunately for her, the girl is currently unaware that her thoughts are occasionally broadcasting to nearby passerbys as she makes these notations. ]

( D / G )

[ Ciel had only been at the store to go shopping, though the sights of fresh fruits and veggies had drawn her attention.

At least, it had almost seemed appetizing until one of those odd exploding gourds had exploded nearby, causing her to flee to a safer-looking aisle. One containing lots of preserves, along with peanut butter and jellies. Processed food in jars. Now this was what she was more used to seeing.

Her rush to this safe haven aisle is not without it's mishaps, however, as she accidentally skids on some residue from the mess, which really was leaking everywhere, nearly (or perhaps definitely) bumping into someone else who might have been trying to get out of the way. Either way, several jars also end up falling over. ]

Oh no, I'm so sorry!

Edited 2016-09-19 23:21 (UTC)

[italics are telepathic
courier is phone]

Prompt B [GT0905]

[Have you ever seen a woman in cat helmet dragging a large trashbag down the street? Now you have. It's not exactly conspicuous, given that it's right down the market... and tearing. Books are spilling out everywhere. It's a mess. They might be in your way, or you might steer clear, but either way the rider is standing with her head hanging dejectedly.]

Prompt D

[Thankfully, Celty was inside shopping when the gourd apocalypse rained down on everyone. She dropped her bags and rushed out to a black motorcycle that was... neighing? Neighing in displeasure.]

Oh, Shooter... It'll be easier to clean you up this way, hold still!

[That black motorcycle loses tangibility for a few seconds before shape shifting into a headless horse. A headless horse covered in rotten gourd. What a sight.]

Prompt G

[A rather enthusiastic gentlemen selling something tried shoving a peanut butter and jelly sandwich under an irritated looking rider's helmet. He wasn't particularly successful, and long since gone after being scared off by Celty's shadows, but now she's just standing around helplessly with a sandwich in one hand and cellphone in the other.]

Can anyone take this?! I'm, uh, allergic. Yeah. It's still good, I promise! [It reads. Her helmet is still smeared with peanut butter.]

Wildcard

[HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT]

Edited 2016-09-20 03:37 (UTC)

B

--I'm not getting a haircut.

[The bold statement was uttered with a sense of finality as Aizawa glowered at the barber from behind the folds of the plaid scarf that hid the fabric of his steel threaded scarf quite well underneath it. He had been able to accomplish two-- or maybe even three goals with his decision to take that particular job: he had made himself useful, didn't sacrifice anything, and potentially seemed a little fashionable.

Potentially. He never cared much for fashion anyway, but it was the little things that counted.

But the scarf and his hair were entirely separate issues here-- and he wasn't going to be dealing with an untrained stranger lecturing him on proper hair care.

He set his jaw tightly and closed his eyes when the stylist insisted, for the sake of the students. Clearly they weren't just going to take 'no' for an answer...]

E

[....this has got to be one of the more ridiculous things he had done in his career, up there with being the straight man to Miss Joke's perpetual comedy routine and allowing Mic to convince him to become a teacher in the first place.

Thus, armed with the webbing gun, Aizawa was hunkered low amidst the towering stalks of corn that were ready for harvest staring out into the opening with the haunted eyes of a dead man as he waited for his partner to come into view. Hopefully they had gotten a decent following of those damned bugs with...whatever their methods were-- and hopefully they wouldn't squirm too much and get caught in the line of fire.

Because, clearly, it's easy to forget to work as a team out here.]

Wildcard!

[Don't like a prompt here? Make one of your own!]

Edited 2016-09-20 04:08 (UTC)

Prompt C:

So, wait, how does this thing even....wo--it's....it's on? A-already? Okay, okay, calm down, Marinette. It's like a phone! A phone with....a lot of people on the other end, right? You've totally got this!

[Marinette, to say the least, for however long she has been here, is still kind of adjusting a little. Obviously.]

But um. Well, I figure if I get used to this it won't seem so....overwhelming? I'd never even been out of Paris back home. And there was nothing like these amulets. [Well, it's...almost like a Miraculous but without the added powers. Unless one were to compare the amulet with the whole....emotion thing.] Or the emotions. Or, however that is supposed to work. I'm still not quite sure I've got the hang of it, to be honest. But it's like anything, right? Practice makes perfect!

[And if someone doesn't tell her to stop, she will probably keep rambling. Thinking. Sorry guys.]

Prompt E:

Are we sure about this?

[This might not be akuma, but she's still somewhat confident she'll. Figure something. She always has in the past so far at least. So there's no reason to doubt that she would this time.

It's just. Well. That doesn't mean she necessarily likes this whole mess. Regardless of which role she is supposed to be playing here, bait or otherwise.]

Prompt D:

Here. [Yes, you, random other passerby. She means you, handing a broom at your hands.]

It'll get cleaner sooner if we all pitch in, right? [She's used to mess, living above a bakery and all. It's just. A different kind of mess. And smell. But she's trying to overcome that and do her part.]

Prompt G:

[ooc: Wildcard! Basically, for any prompts or otherwise I didn't go with.]

[C]
[ you know what soth's really sick of? literally everything. but he's especially sick of people barging into his head unannounced with their telepathic mumbo jumbo. ignoring the fact that empatheias' magic has somehow surpassed his own mental shields, it's not even like people talk about anything soth cares about — which is pretty easy to do, really, since he only cares about two things: himself, and getting his undead ass back home to krynn. none of which are happening right now.

so soth interjects with his inhumanly deep voice, accented with an echo that sounds like he's talking inside of a room made of stone. ]

Enough of your inane prattle. I care not for your talk of pets and repetitious questions to the masses. If you have something useful to say, then say it, lest you waste everyone's time.

[A]
[ at the same time as the above prompt is happening: lord soth can be seen, in all of his glory, standing near the market square. and his quite the sight. clearly some kind of knight, only his once gold and regal armor seems blackened by ancient fires; the carvings of roses and kingfishers all but destroyed save for a few still prominent, like subtle reminders of what he once was. no skin is visible, and no eyes peer from the slit in his helmet - only bright, glowing fire-like orbs where said eyes should be.

there's an unnatural cold that radiates from him at all times, the cold of the grave that lingers around men long since dead and yet still walk the earth. to top it off, he's in a world of emotions and all he knows how to feel now is unbridled rage and annoyance toward everything below him.

the cold of undeath remains, but now as his anger rises - so too does the temperature. the resulting affect is a large cloud and, eventually, rain. this doesn't make things any better as the knight is continuously stalked by the thing while trying to walk away from it. rain falls, thunder booms. and so too, does soth's voice, still as hollow as it might have sounded in people's heads earlier. ]

I have had enough of this. [ there's no magic he can use to remove this stupid thing, he knows ( he's tried ). and it's not like he can stab it. so soth instead approaches the nearest person and demands - does not ask - ] You there. Tell me how I am to rid myself of this nuisance. [ what. ]

C
I'd like to avoid any embarrassments down the line, so please assist me in utilizing this magical artifact!

Does that sound uneducated? What should I call it?

Would someone like to direct me to a good pastry shop? What's an appropriate topic for telepathic communication!?

[In the middle of the street, there was a grown man clutching his amulet with one outstretched hand as if he was having a heart-attack, doing his best not to look panic-stricken and embarrassed.

He was failing grandly.]

E
Zaratras was forced to struggle with his own ego when it came to this particular favor. With an irritable glower, he fixed his gaze on the corn maze and recalled a few painful memories of his childhood, playing in similar barley fields. Dreyfus was no fun back then and he got lost a number of times. Flashbacks of being stuck out in the fields until the morning after surfaced and he looked as if he had taken upon a dark disposition.

The first person to approach the field without a partner was immediately barked at. He lifted a hand and pointed to them, looking much more irritated than he actually was. The flashbacks were somewhat on the traumatic side.

"Hey, there! You need to go out there with a partner! What if you get lost?"

The stern look of disapproval he wore probably covered up his inner shame. Probably.

F
There was one embarrassing and large man laughing hysterically at every joke and crying upon every tragic reveal during the shows from the classic actors. Even the actors themselves must have felt played by him as if he were trying to ruin them intentionally. Though he wasn't a heckler by any means, Zaratras' excessive reactions were somewhat distracting from the serious focus of the actors an, on occasion, they would break and pause to wait for his obnoxious reactions to die down. Even so, they were professionals. They powered through it every time and made sure their performance was finished without hitches on their part.

As a result, Zaratras was saved from the embarrassment of the audience participation when he went to go see the more random and sporadic performers. They knew he would over-emote and didn't want to risk looking too strange through process of association.

He leaned over to someone nearby during one of the performances and whispered, "Isn't it fortunate to have so many talented artists roaming around, here? This land seems rather blessed in strange ways! It's hard to believe the state of the world when watching them."

[Well, this will probably pay well, assuming there isn't any damage to the crops. Charlotte turns to the person next to her (probably you) and speaks up.

If you're a woman or a child (or someone Charlotte could mistake as either), she'll say:]

[If you're a man (or someone Charlotte could mistake as one), she'll say:]

[These guys call themselves actors? They wouldn't know acting if it bit them in the ass. Charlotte has been watching from the crowd with a smile plastered on her face, but she's mentally judging every single one of the actors. Clearly they don't know how to actually act. Unlike her, of course! She's the best. She's an actor by necessity, after all!

(She is not that great, don't be fooled.)

One of the men picks Charlotte out of the crowd to draw up and despite her protests (which are pretty pathetic, really) she's dragged up front for an impromptu session. She could probably have fun with this if she dropped her own act for five seconds, but Charlotte absolutely can't do that.]

[The ground is shaking a bit, but not because she's scared. She's trying really damn hard to control her rage and it's not working too well. But she's got a solution. Her eyes scan the crowd and finally stop on you.]

[With that she'll approach and try very hard to drag you away from the crowd - do you let her?]

[Prompt B]

[It's been hardly a week since his arrival in this world, but without a way back to the fight he's been taken from, there is little to do but to keep busy and help the people around the city. He frowns a little as he reads over the requests, brows furrowing… a trash bag to carry books in? Isn't that almost blasphemous?

Finally he picks out a task that seems that seems to agree with his skill set, the request to wake and drive off some creature that has fallen asleep right on a path between towns.]

Waking one creature can't be that hard.

[Nothing a well-aimed Quake can't solve, right? Right.]

[Prompt E]

[Old lessons ring in Terra's mind (he can outright hear Master Eraqus' voice echo in his ears – 'A Keyblade Wielder must know the value of patience!'), yet it's hard to have much patience when he's tasked with standing bait for a couple of emotion-sucking bugs of all things. It's not that he doesn't trust his partner in all of this, but well…]

And you think this is going to work, because…?

[There is emotion rolling off him in waves, and it's called skepticism. Why can't he just take his Keyblade to those bugs again?]

C
Hellooooooo people of funny emotion alien planet! Can you all hear Ibuki? Helloooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Wowee, does this creepy little amulet thing really work?

Ah! Maybe it can reveal all of Ibuki’s deepest and darkest secrets. Then the whole world will know all the super deep and uber things she heard between that J-rock guy and his girlfriend in the hotel room next door! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

B
Look, guys, Ibuki’s not wild about this whole Big Brother rip off show either. But maybe we should all try to get along! And at least we don’t have to kill each other this time! Or at least Ibuki hopes not.

[And she picks her guitar up.] So, to help everyone bond, Ibuki has written a new song called, “We’re all stuck in an ugly and cramped house so let’s be all buddy-buddy and try not to eat each other!” Are you ready?

[And then she starts performing song in very loud heavy death metal. God help you if you don’t like that sort of thing. However, there seems to be smiley faces coming out of the guitar and a sense of warmth and comfort coming out of the music.
So at least she’s trying?]

D
[And you see an Ibuki standing in front of her house which is covered in pieces of rotten gourd, like the rest of the street. The smell is unbearable and Ibuki is clamping her nose tight with her fingers with one hand. Her guitar is in another.]

Pheeeeeeeew this is gonna such be a pain cleaning up. But maybe this Dunami stuff will help out after all. As well as a little bit of music.

Welp, time to play that song that Ibuki wrote for the occasion – “A spoonful of music makes the stinkiness go down!”

[And so she starts cleaning with her cheerful music. With this, she attempts to use her magic to send the gourds into a pile for people to take away.

However, Ibuki can get a bit overenthusiastic and her work with Dunamis isn’t perfected so some of the pieces of gourd might end up going the wrong way and hitting you if you’re not careful.]

Edited 2016-09-20 21:41 (UTC)

C ||

Satine held the small amulet in her hand, her thumb gently brushing over the smooth surface. It seemed to be a smooth crystal, clear, almost like the legendary kiber crystals that the Jedi used in their sabers. Perhaps it was. Pressed into her palm, it hummed with a sort of power. Something that crawled down to her fingertips and slowly up her arm, almost to her-

Her empty hand presses into the chest of her tattered dress. Almost to the very heart that she was stabbed clean through by the invader. By the conqueror.

The agony of that moment is almost overwhelming, paralyzing, and she clutches the crystal in her hand as she tries to keep herself standing. The shock courses through her body, her bones, and she staggers into sitting as the memories of her death flood her mind.

Little does she realize she's receiving feedback from other voices, from other minds, broadcasting her own trauma for all to see and hear and feel.

E ||

The idea was pure preposterousness.

She holds the gun in her hand appraisingly- it's nonlethal, peaceful way to capture the pests. No different than the static blaster she normally carries. Merely that it shoots an organic sort of webbing- meant to paralyze the insectoids that they were supposed to hunt. She supposes that she could abide by this.

"Well, then." She gently grabs her partner's arm.
"Will you be the bait or the hunter?"

Edited 2016-09-21 03:38 (UTC)

Prompt A:

[Did it suddenly become a lot brighter all of a sudden? Or akin to the likes of some sort of static electricity there's such a bundle of excitement trying to take everything in?

That may be the fault of one petite redhead, who seems to be activating the whole emotion thing accidentally as she explores this new setting with vigor and enthusiasm that is quite possibly unmatched by anyone else. Not surprising if one knows her story, her past as a mermaid, but to most she seems like a very.....very excitable teenager. Everything just seems so bright and colourful and beautiful, to her at least, as she explores in general.]

Prompt C:

I wonder if all the human's necklaces do this? Talk to you? I don't think the ones I found before could do something like this. But maybe... [Maybe it only works on the surface? How would Ariel know? Of course, it's only after that musing that she actually tries to use the amulet more purposely, not realizing she already activated it somehow with her thoughts.]

Is...Is everywhere like this? The emotions? I mean, back home for everyone else? It wasn't like this back home for me at least. So I was just wondering. If anyone wanted to talk about their home.

[Not even considering that others would probably be just as interested to hear of her own - of Atlantica, as she is about hearing about humans.]

Prompt G:

[ooc: Or, you can wildcard! Basically the random option, or if I didn't initially go with a prompt you might have an idea for.]

Prompt C;

So how much can these things pick up, anyway? Like, it’s not going to accidentally pick up your grocery list or whatever and broadcast it to the whole world, right?

[ Not that he’s got anything to worry about. No embarrassing thoughts here, no way, none at all. Like that time he walked out of the forge in just his underwear because he forgot they weren’t fireproof…

Please tell him it didn’t broadcast that. ]

Or if you’ve just come up with the world’s greatest joke! What if it gives away the punch line and ruins it?!

Prompt D;

[ Alright, alright, who thought playing with rotten food was a good idea? The smell is so overwhelming that Leo wants to run away screaming, but that would mean never returning to the shopping district ever again, and he needs supplies.

Supplies that are now generously covered in gourd goop. Wonderful. At least monster dust eventually went away. ]

This is so gross, [ he groans, trying to gingerly step around the stuff, but no matter how hard he tries, there is no stepping around it. His shoes are already coated in the stuff. ]

Where’s Percy when you need him? He could just wave a hand and wash all this junk away.

[ And probably the entire shopping district with it, but beggars can’t be choosers. Leo is not looking forward to cleaning this up, and he knows for a fact that his tool belt doesn’t carry the sort of cleaning supplies to handle this kind of mess. Or nose plugs, apparently. After a little digging in the pockets, however... ]

Aha! Air freshener! This is perfect!

[ You know, aside from the fact that it’s one air freshener versus the entire shopping district. Better than nothing right?

Except that no one seems impressed with his helpful addition. And since he doesn’t have anything else to do until he gets those supplies, Leo sighs and resigns himself to cleanup duty. Which is totally unf But he still doesn’t have the supplies, so he flags down the next person he sees. ]

Hey! Cleanup in aisle five! Got any idea where I can find a mop? Or maybe a water hose?

Prompt F;

[ There’s something about street performers that always catches his attention. It’s not that Leo’s into acting or whatever (he’s not, even if he does show a flair for the dramatic when the moment calls for it), but it doesn’t hurt to stop once in a while and see what show they’re putting on this time.

That is, until they ask for volunteers, and he’s immediately out of there. Except that they’ve already picked him out of the crowd, and ugh. ]

Nope. No way. If I’m getting dragged into this, I am not going alone.

[ He is definitely not sorry for whichever poor soul happens to be standing next to him. Once they’re given their cues - something a heroic battle between good and evil. He can’t even get comedy? - he flashes them a grin. ]

Lucky for you, improvisation is my specialty. [ Time to put his game face on! Reaching into his tool belt for an impromptu weapon, Leo brandishes a screwdriver and falls into a battle stance that Coach Hedge would be proud of. ] Come at me, bro!

wildcard;

[ go for the gold! ]

Prompt B;

[ Helping the babies get to sleep shouldn’t be a problem, right? Ahsoka has worked with younglings in the creche before. Sure, they were a little older than this, but it can’t be that bad. She’s happy to lend a hand.

Between the cold and the children’s distress, it would be easy to give in to frustration and walk away. Years of Jedi training give her the strength to power through, even as one of the babies cries in her arms and a shiver runs down her spine. ]

What are you upset about, little one? [ she coos, rocking the child. Deep, steadying breaths keep her calm and focused on spreading warmth through the room so they might finally be able to sleep, but it takes time to permeate the cold. Suddenly, Ahsoka is grateful she’s not the only one here today. ]

Do you think they might be hungry?

Prompt E;

[ A cornfield maze sounds interesting - fun and different from anything Ahsoka has ever experienced. The bug infestation that comes with it? Not so much. She’s more than willing to help get rid of them, but the trick will be in working together. ]

How good a shot are you? [ she asks, testing the weight of the gun in her hands before handing it over. Blasters were never her thing; even after leaving the Order, Ahsoka still favors her lightsabers. But she can shoot, if she has to. The 501st made sure of that. ]

If you think you can handle it, I can be the bait.

[ No big. She’s done this before, and under much more dire circumstances. It’s nice to use her skills for something so simple, she thinks, an optimistic smile on her face.

How bad can a few bugs be? ]

wildcard;

[ got other ideas? hit me up here! ]

[D]

[ There are probably a lot of sane ways to react to the rotting innards of a bunch of gourds raining from the sky (on a perfectly sunny day, no less), but it's clearly apparent not a single one of them crosses Zack's mind. As the first few reeking globs of bad fruit strike the ground, and the stalls, and even a few of the stunned people around him, he springs into action.

Racing toward a street corner cafe just a few bounding strides away, he vaults the little iron gate cordoning off the patio and grabs the nearest table umbrella, yanking it out of its table. (The couple underneath have already bolted for the nearest awning in the confusion, anyway.) And thusly armed, Zack charges back into the fray, darting between falling blobs of gourd, and shielding as many of the bystanders he passes from the rotten barrage as he can. The stands around him don't fare quite as well, in the backsplash - but hey, one thing at a time, here.

Skidding to a halt at the end of the street, with the last of his split-second rescues still shielded by the umbrella, he looks back along the clear swath he's cut through the muck. ...And instantly wilts as the smell of it hits him, a basket of vibrant flowers hanging from the lamppost overhead doing the same in apparent sympathy, shedding crumbling petals as green turns to yellow. ]

...Man, this stuff reeks.

[E]

Looks like I'm your bait!

[ Okay, maybe that's a bit presumptive, just strolling up to the first unpartnered person holding one of those weird guns that he sees. But who's going to turn down a positive attitude like that?? Probably not this person. Anyway.

He turns toward the maze, hands propped on his hips as he gives the rows of corn a serious look - one that only falters a little, as he drops his stance and scrubs a hand across the back of his neck. ]

So, uh, how do you figure we lure them out? If they feed on emotions, they'll probably go after the strongest ones they can find, right?

[C]

I guess this funny little rock is my new phone, then, huh? (When you turn it this way, it almost looks like a cactuar...)

I sure hope this network's got better coverage than Shinra's! I won't lose the signal if I leave town, right? (I've definitely never used brainwave communication before.) How reliable is this thing?

[ Only about half of his thoughts seem to be intentionally broadcast, but, hey, he's still getting the hang of this thing. And standing around in the middle of a busy square, staring up at the crystal in his hand, which is pretty noticeable in person, too. Even without the huge sword on his back or the very distinct hairstyle thrown in. ]

PROMPT A;
If it's possible for a crystal to be filled by 'grouchiness' alone, well, there's at least one person who'd be far on their way to filling their crystal after only a week. As much as 76 keeps his emotions close to his chest, certain things are felt, and as he moves down the street there seems to be a bit of a chill left in his wake. Nothing too sharp, just the kind that would seem to warrant, say, a jacket. Like the one whose collar he's tugging up as if to fight off said chill.

Or maybe he's just feeling uncomfortable, as normal. It's...strange, walking around so freely, but he's enough of a handle on himself that after watching the effects of one or others, he's making a conscious effort to keep his thoughts in check and avoid drawing attention to himself..

...was that subtle crack in his wake there before? Looks out of place, like the ground there suffered a sharp erosion.

PROMPT E;-ish
[ha ha, you're telling him he has to work on a team with a stranger? mmmmno. at least, that was the plan.

there is now a masked man sitting on the outskirts of the maze, recovering from the gas. he'd be confused as to why said mask didn't protect him, if he could feel much of anything right now. mostly he's just tired, and sincerely weighing the cost/benefits of simply opening fire on the bugs with his pulse rifle.]

PROMPT WHATEVER;
Wildcard it up! I'll match your format.

F

I'll just be the accompaniment, thank you.

[My, how lively. Jaeha gestures with his flute, as a few gentlemen attempt to tug him into the "stage" area. He shakes his head, and starts to play a lively dancing tune, nodding back towards the acting troupe.

He'd dance for a lady, perhaps... or if someone gave him no choice!]

E

I have a friend who'd never be able to do this.

[He holds up the weapon rather distastefully.]

Not beautiful in the slightest, is it? I don't know what would be better... On the one hand, I'm good with projectiles, but I also happen to be... quite capable of dodging.

What do you think?

Edited 2016-09-23 06:10 (UTC)

「A」

[ How about giving the emotions a try indeed! Aligula's bored, and boredom is never a good thing for a girl like her...

So she's decided to make her own fun, and that "fun" happens to be blowing her emotion bubbles at various people, locals and Otherworlders both. When they hit, they sting, and how much it hurts depends on their emotion and color! Happiness (a pastel pink) is the least painful, feeling more like a pinch or a pin-prick, while love (a dark pink) is the most, feeling more like a hard slap from a scorned lover. She can't actively produce the ones she wants all the time—the majority of them are pastel pink, escaping at the same rate as her giggles—but some of them manage to be dark pink, and those...

Those get the most pastel bubbles to appear around her when they hit someone. Love hurts! Who would've thunk it~? ]

「C」

Goooooooooood evening, city of unwieldy emotions!

[ That is... certainly a young lady's voice, lilting and full of entirely too much pep. ]

How's everyone doing tonight? Are you cuddling up to your sweetheart, or are you spending time with your pets like the total lovelorn loser you are? There's like, totally nothing wrong with that! It's just so sad, you know? [ she's so nice, really. ] For all the couples out there, totally tell me how you two met! How you got together! For all the pathetic singles... well, tell me all about the person you like and how you're gonna get 'em!

If you don't have any ideas, I don't miiiiiind giving you some tips... but you're totally on your own afterwards, you got that? There's no point otherwise!!!!

[ ...rest assured you can definitely feel the incredible amount of exclamation points that went into that last point. ]

B

[Look, plaid covers up her torso and arms, right? Then it works for her the same any piece of clothing does. So there's a smallish 15-year-old girl in a huge plaid shirt just sort of... wandering around? THE INSTRUCTIONS ON WHAT TO DO ONCE IN THE PLAID WERE SLIGHTLY UNCLEAR.]

Can you believe they're paying us to wear clothes? It's not even like it's itchy or made of sandpaper or anything!

C

Whoah, this is somethin' to get used to, huh? I ain't gonna be great at this whole thing, so bear with me, okay? I'm only used to talking to one person regularly like this! Well, not like THIS exactly, but... y'know.

Ah, right, I should... probably at least ask something interesting while I'm here. Don't wanna waste everyone's time. So... alright, here goes something:

[SURELY THIS TEENAGE GIRL WILL ASK A QUIRKY OR FUN QUESTION...]

What or who are you most devoted to? And why?

[...or that slightly ominous shit, I guess.]

Wildcard!

[Or make your own! I'M DOWN FOR MOST ANYTHING, TBH.]

B

[What's a homonculus alone in ~~the big city~~ another world to do for money? Well, she doesn't have the backing of a crime family right now, so... odd jobs. Right now she's doing two at once - wearing gross plaid clothes while sorting books in the library. She doesn't seem... too bothered? But she's probably still a strange sight, if just because of the clothes.]

And this one goes... here. Simple.

[Job well done. Go team. Except apparently Ennis is so happy about it that her emotions jolt a few more off the shelf.]

...Oh.

C

[And as for this messaging system...]

How long have people been kept here? I'm not exactly in a rush to get home, since there's no real way to get there faster and I don't age, but I am... curious. [A pause.] Thank you.

[Nailed it.]

E

[I mean, if you want someone who can mute their emotions, who better to go to than the one who wasn't actually created with them? She's currently turning the gun over and examining it from all angles, as though she's not sure exactly what to do with it.]

So I just... shoot them. It's that simple?

G

[Someone got her a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, at some point along the line here. Even Ennis isn't sure where it came from. And it's not that she can't eat, right? So now that her creator is gone, she might as well try it...

This is maybe the most thoughtful and intently focused anyone has ever been while eating a sandwich.]

Edited 2016-09-25 23:08 (UTC)

Prompt A.

[The eerie coldness that seeped into his bones were thought to be imaginary until Seymour finally opened his eyes.

In a vain attempt to find calm where there was none, Seymour ventured out to the Tree of Memories to seek solace. The former Maester eased his way though all the twisting vines and foliage and found a comfortable grove nestled away within the undergrowth. He settled there and closed his eyes in hopes of clearing his troubled mind. What he did find there was a momentarily reprieve from the outside world and all those who knew of him, but what ended up happening was quite the opposite.

His morbid thoughts threatened to consume him once the Tree itself took an interest in him. The nature of this magical tree was lost to him until the shining petals begun to bloom. There he saw his gloomy memories of a dismal childhood on display for all to view and a strange coldness overwhelmed him. The grief he felt become the frigid droplets that now soaked his elaborate robes.

He was freezing at this point, his fingers numb from cold and his flesh pale from frost. Seymour looked something like a wraith at this point, ghostly and shimmering with a frigid gleam. This is the first time he ever allowed his emotions to gain the better to him and a strong sense of shame bustled forth.

Seymour rose gingerly out of all the vines and shrubbery only to find himself reluctant to leave once he caught a glimpse of his mother within one of the petals. There she was in her charming blue and white gown smiling at him with those placid brown eyes. The sight of her alone was enough to make go still. It's been years since he last seen her, over ten at this point.

For just a moment, Seymour felt like a child again as he gazed upon her image and the shame he felt was slowly replaced with an inkling of hope. He reached out to her and tried to hand but as soon as he tried, the image vanished only leaving a cold trail of mist in its wake.]

...My memories of you pains me still.

[A disgruntle sigh escapes him as the temperature continues to drop. By now, anyone else venturing near this tree might feel a tad nippy as well.]

Prompt C

[The amulet given to him a few weeks ago hadn't seen the light of day until now. Seymour had been unwilling to conform to the world around him and even less willing to play into its games. Out of defiance, Seymour forsook his amulet and ignored it until finally curiosity reared it's ugly head. It's then that he finally overcame his bottomless pride and attempted to use the device as it was intended.

He feels silly trying to talk into this thing through his thoughts, but he attempts nonetheless.]

...Can anyone truly hear me? [He questions hesitantly within the depths of his mind.] Is there anyone...out there?

[There's confusion laced with every word.]

Edited (added one more prompt ) 2016-09-26 19:38 (UTC)

A||
It had been difficult to adjust to this place, to it's people. To adjust to being ripped from the only victory he had ever truly known, to be thrust into a world of strangers where the Force- or something like it- manifested itself in such strange and unique ways.

Emotions.

That had been the key, he had been told, to manipulating the world around him. Hardly a problem for a Sith such as himself- they thrived on emotions, their hate and anger and fear all made them stronger. They were expected to feel everything, to be passionate and burn with the fire of a white hot star.

And so he found it difficult to meditate, to reflect, to try and remember his own teachings.
"Peace is a lie, there is only passion..."He whispers the words between his lips, feeling the rage simmering inside of him. Tapping into that source.

He had been ripped from his victory. From his brother and apprentice. From the world he had rightfully conquered.

"Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power..."
He had been stolen away from his trap, from the empire that he had built in order to lay waste to his master's new apprentice.

"Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken."
His breath is coming heated through his lips now as he remembers how his master had cast him aside, had left him to rot, had discarded him like trash all in favor of the next candidate. And all because he had been bested by a mere Padawan.

"The force will set me free-"
He can barely utter the words through his rage, and he feels fire coming from his mouth, swirling from his fingertips as he accesses all that hatred inside of him. It spreads out like a fan, and he cares little for what- or who- it might hit.

He knows how to use his anger. He always has.
He is Sith.

B||

This simply could not stand.

Maul had taken the task out of desperation of currency, finding his... usual tactics to be less welcoming in a strange environment. After all, when still learning the lay of the land and what effects were caused by the spikings of his emotions? Highway robbery was hardly the best idea.

And so this is how he found himself in a room full of squawling younglings, shivering as if he were back on the half-frozen ship with his brother beside him. He was hardly suited for this job, and he had thought that his ability to meditate and focus on one sole emotion could help.

But every man has their breaking point. And the Sith had a fuse shorter than most.

He turns to the other attendant, trying to pry the youngling in his arm away from his horn, practically snarling.
"Take this thing from me this instant."

( as rayfa's game just came out this month, the prompts are spoiler-free! worry not. c: )

( B )
[ rayfa may not be royalty here, but she still wants to get to know the people. she wants to make sure people are living peacefully and don't have much complaints; that they should be getting what they need. and she may not be used to mundane tasks such as these, but to help… she'll do it. ]

A system is in place so that it can bring order to the people. It's shameful how the library's books are not in their proper place.

[ while talking out loud, apparently.

despite that, though, it seems her afternoon's become productive! she's managed to place a bunch of books in their proper shelves. everything looks very tidy!

though… if you look up, you'll find that all those shelves are empty. it's just the bottom shelves that have books in them. ]

I have to say, I have done a job well done.

[ she's too short to reach the upper shelves… ]

( C )
[ while her home may be a place of spirituality, being able to communicate telepathically is just… well, it's weird, isn't it? would that mean that you can hear everybody's thoughts? would that mean others can hear your own thoughts?

would that mean you know everything? ]

Who was the first person to think that they should milk a cow's breasts to receive its produce?

[ WAIT, WAIT, WAIT. ]

… I thought nothing!

[ that was a dumb thing to think about… ]

( E )
[ by some unfortunate event, you are now stuck with rayfa as your partner. ]

I will be the shooter, of course. [ there's no way you're going to make someone like her bait! ] Now hand it over!

[ yeah, the two of you are never getting anywhere if you're going to fight over the gun. ]

( b. )

[ Shinoa is not a person who should be responsible of someone's children, would never wear plaid, and she's not going to stomach a giant turnip even if they paid her for a lifetime. Instead she takes a much more simpler job, one that tucks her away from the rest of the world and where she can find some silence--placing books in their respected homes in the library. It seems easy enough and without any outside annoyances she has a positive outlook on how things will go throughout the day.

Unfortunately her height made things a tad difficult.

She stares up at the shelf with mild irritation, suppressing the urge to walk away. It's only because of the fact that someone happens to walk by, just in time for her to step into their line of sight (hopefully). ]

Help me.

[ It's not a request so much as it is a demand. ]

( c. )

I'm hungry.

[ Her voice is calm and she allows the last syllable to drag and mimic an echo effect. ]

Following with more complaints, I wish this thing had a mute button. Some of you can't even keep your voice down in your own thoughts and it gets quite irritable. Calm down, pet a dog.

( e. )

[ When thrown into the situation Shinoa has all the desire to finish it as quickly as possible. She has never liked bugs before and she doubts her opinion will change now, so there's no feeling of sympathy when her fingers wrap around a gun and she's given instructions on how to paralyze them. ]

You'll be the bait. [ Speaking to the person beside her apathetically she allows her lips to curve into a teasing smile. ] No complaining.

Threaded | Flat

Page 2 of 3

no subject

Arcade Gannon | Fallout: New Vegas

Ciel | Mega Man Zero (1)

Celty Sturluson | Durarara!!

Shouta Aizawa | My Hero Academia