TEST DRIVE: NOVEMBER

[empevents]

— TEST DRIVE: NOVEMBER —

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, October 25 and Applications (Canon | OC) open Tuesday, November 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 Boreas Harvest Festival is fast approaching, and the farmers are trying hard to work through the bleak weather conditions to get their crops in before they go bad from all the apathy. All hands on deck—but there may be too many unwanted hands roaming around.

1. Scarecrows. The scarecrows that have been set up as a festive reminder of the time of year have unfortunately come under the influence of some errant strong emotions from the farm hands that work in the fields. Unfortunately that includes trying to ward off anyone who enters the fields with pitchforks and is one of them carrying a torch? Maybe if they can be convinced that you are trustworthy they will calm down.
   
   
2. Invading rabbits. There are ton of rabbits ravaging the carrot patches. They're easily frightened, but some are more tenacious than others. Beware of the white rabbit with red eyes.
   
   
3. Save the crops! Several batches are already starting to spoil! The only thing that can save them is dumping as much positive emotions into them. Joy of good food, hope for a bountiful meal, love of eating—whatever will work. Just be careful. Too much and those things might grow and explode…

• Prompt E: Aiada, the Arehtei of appreciation and jealousy, has sent a personal request for those who are interested. There is a small island just beneath Empatheias that she has been cultivating over the many centuries. She wishes to contribute to the Harvest Festival with some seeds and spores. However, the recent atmosphere has also reached down there, and now it's all a mess! Giant mushrooms replaced the trees and there's slime and mold everywhere. The cure? Aside from getting a lot of heavy duty cleaners and pushing it off, appreciation will go a long way to help.

1. Goop brigade. Grab that bucket and shovel and clear the goop out! Just be careful not to have too much get on you—jealousy might take over.
   
   
2. Appreciation balls. To help hasten the effort, Aiada has given several tubs filled with light, green orbs. Once channeled with enough appreciation, they can be used as mini-grenades to help explode and wash the area with more positive energy. Those caught in the blast won't be harmed. If anything, they'll just be very thankful.
   
   
3. Watch the ledges. Careful, it's a fairly small island and the goop and slime has made things slick. If you fall… That's not a good way to go, let's just say that.

• Prompt F: Various parties are interested in the emotion shards scattered all over Thera. But this time around, the focus is on the medical laboratory as the equipment and potential research there is also of interest. For three days those who volunteer are sent back to try and gather as much as possible—but of course this won't be easy.

1. Skeletal Scientists. The remains of the scientists who once worked in these rooms are still lurking, ready to protect their work. Fortunately they're relatively weak nerds, so not too difficult to dispatch. Just be careful.
   
   
2. Flying equipment. The various medical equipment has also taken life, scalpels and needles flying everywhere and stethoscopes ready to strangle.
   
   
3. Questionable liquid. Most of the easy shards have already been taken, leaving the more difficult to retrieve ones left. In particular they're found in strange, dark pink liquid. It's mostly harmless—except that upon contact intense waves of grief and suffering will course through. The longer the exposure, the worse it is. So hopefully a bucket full of it doesn't fall on you…

• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include feathers and/or confetti.

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

[churchbelle]

[Hazel's very busy watching his feet, thank you, but not so much that he won't look up to defend himself from sass.]

That it is. How's yours? I'm not seein' any particularly pretty spots from here.

[The slime... bubbles a little, thanks to his passive-aggressive annoyance. Ew.]

[razzledazzles]

I'm talking about this, right here.

[Jae-Ha has already landed elegantly and stood back up just as beautifully, so now he can only wiggle the coupon in this stranger's face. Come on, take it. It's written in cursive, clearing stating that it's 10% off all store items from "Beautiful Bodies," your local body care store!]

I've only been given a few, so you're one of the lucky winners. Would you like to be guided the right way? Come on, it's not too far from here. [Whether or not this stranger reacts, Jae-Ha will reach to grab their shoulder with a free hand and try to urge them along. Come on, come on...]

[razzledazzles]

I cleaned up the other side and came all the way here to help out.

[Gosh!! Jae-Ha is confident, reaching into his robes to somehow pull out one of those little green balls. He holds it up for Hazel to see, and the wind kicks up around them a little in his excitement. That kind of ruins the big reveal, but whatever.]

Have you tried one of these yet?

[ephemerous]

Fascinating. You think, then, that our common humanity bears more similarities than that which divides us, even across worlds?

[...Assuming the person he's talking to is even human. Who knows with this place.]

rion lyon: oc

[gratitude]

A.

[ one of the things that he'd picked up on almost immediately was how emotions worked in this place. it was something he'd dreamed about being true, something that he thought would be really cool - emotions taking physical form, being reflected not just in a person's facial expression, but in the very environment around them.

the thought had occured to him, though, that it would be neat if you could sort of decide how things would manifest themselves, and it was something that he felt like could be done. maybe should be done; it felt like the kind of thing he ought to do, in fact.

so the boy (who, from behind, can be mistaken for a girl) has set himself up in the park. since he's in a good mood, his happiness has opted to manifest itself as lights like will-o-wisps, dancing around him. his eyes are carefully focused on one, and he's looking as intent as one can as a fifteen year old boy, like this is a life or death situation.

the light bobs, weaves, and then - for the briefest of moments - flickers, like it went from giving off a light the color of natural sunlight to a fluorescent, almost harsh light, before going back to normal. since he's pretty sure nobody's looking to see him be such a gigantic dork, he fistpumps in an overexaggerated motion - YES. HE DID IT!!! LOOK!!! IT'S NOT MUCH BUT MAYBE YOU CAN DO WEIRD STUFF WITH ALL THIS EMOTION!!!

... this is followed immediately by looking around to make sure nobody was actually paying attention to him, because he will be embarrassed forever if somebody saw that.]

---

C.

[ 'telepathy', huh. this was also the sort of thing that he'd dreamed about. rion enjoyed signing to people, the little things you could do with sign language that weren't as immediately obvious in spoken word, but sometimes (okay, a lot of the time) it would be nice if he could just say what he meant. telepathy would solve all of that, even though he wouldn't really want anyone... like, probing his thoughts.

deep breath. here we go. give it a try. his face is scrunched up in exaggerated, totally unnecessary concentration--]

Can anyo-

[ he jumps almost to the sky in shock. perhaps not that far, but it's a leap of surprise that must be augmented by emotion, because he looked like a tiny michael jordan there. holy crap, did that just- ]

I- I can hear me! Holy crap this is so cool I'm hearing my own voice even though I can't talk! [ he's still talking after that, mind, but it has basically devolved into just noises, almost like what you'd expect from a baby who still has not figured out how language works. they are the most delighted noises you can possibly imagine. he has not, in fact, figured out that he's still transmitting these to everyone around. ]

[ephemerous]

[Truly, Phoenix is the hero we all need.]

As a servant of the Holy Mother, it is my duty to ensure such revenants are eliminated from this world. If you would not like to linger here, you may leave.

[That's totally a good idea, right? Leaving an unarmed guy alone in a building full of zombies?]

[festumkept]

E-Eh?

[He does take the piece of paper, but only catches a glance long enough to see what it says, before suddenly being coaxed dragged? along. Although Kazuki doesn't push the other away, it's clear that he's awkward about it.]

Um. Why don't you give it to someone else? I don't use that kind of stuff.

[churchbelle]

[Where's the proof...!! Hazel peers at the ball, uh-] A big marble?

[So, no, he hasn't been down here long enough to mess around with those. Just long enough to nearly fall off the damn island, no big.]

[razzledazzles]

What do you mean? Surely you use shampoo, at the very least. We have something for everyone, so it won't be a waste of your time.

[He really needs to make this place some business!! So he's going all out.] Don't be shy.

[razzledazzles]

Try for yourself. [He holds it out like he's ready to drop it into Hazel's palm if he'll take it.]

Toss it far out into the slime.

[churchbelle]

[Well... alright, why not take weird stuff from strangers? Hazel holds out his hand and then holds the little ball up to look at more closely, hmm, it just looks like a ball from here...]

Well, it ain't a marble. [His perfect analysis. He doesn't actually throw it far, though, since someone did not tell him what they do - he tosses it underhand a couple yards away and waits.

And then it explodes, be thankful for his brilliant decision making!!]

[festumkept]

Of course I use shampoo. [Excuse you, too!] I already have what I need.

[He's absolutely fine with the very basics. Always has been. And besides, even with the ten percent off, what he uses already costs even less.]

Wouldn't it be better to find someone who will buy a lot?

[razzledazzles]

[HE SAID THROW IT FAR, YOU ASSHOLE...

He doesn't really want to be hit with this explosion, as harmless as it is, so he reaches for Hazel's shoulders and shoves him down... But they're still in range. This is probably for the best, since the slime they were slipping all over before is now mostly gone from beneath them.

...Surprisingly, there's no anger at his wussy throw now, though. He just blinks out at it.]

...I did say to throw it far. [But admire the pretty grass, now.]

[churchbelle]

[DID HE SAY WHAT IT WAS!! When Hazel so confidently thought it was a marble, and then not a marble... He's innocent.

He's also less annoyed than he expects to find himself shoved to the ground, since there's slime there— or there was. There's just enough left that his hand lands in it when he pushes himself up to sitting, but... well, that's alright.]

Do ya have more of those? [hazel]

[ephemerous]

[Well, that's one way to break the calm he so carefully cultivated for himself. As soon as he hears that scream from a familiar voice, his eyes snap open and cracks appear in the ground from where his concentration was shattered.]

Your Benevolence?!

[He jumps to his feet to run after her, hoping to... distract the snakes from their target? Not that it will be very effective, when he has a personality much cooler than hers.]

instant besties

[peacewithouttyranny]

[He relaxes a bit more when the rifle lowers. The war's over for him too. Well, their 4 million years civil war. Too bad he gets drag into another war ,against humans no less, thanks to Galvatron wanting to conquer Earth.

Seriously, fuck Galvatron. He wants peace, not war. Not only that Optimus decision to annex Earth just make matters worse and the fact that he blackmail Soundwave into joining his merry-bands of Autobots doesn't sit well with the decepticon.

At least joining Optimus's group make him realizes the errors he made.]

I see. Then I hope that I can make a better impression.

[He's genuinely trying to change to be a better person. That and he needs to pay his unmeasurable debt for his crimes against humanity. But let's not talk about that.

After some time,a new group of spooky skeletons emerge from the dark and they're heading toward Soundwave and Soldier. Soundwave notices the group and sigh.]

Incoming.

[These thing are becoming more irritating the more he fights them. Seriously. How are there so many of them!? If he is at his original height he could've easily swat them all away, but no someone --or something-- decides that it is a bright idea to mess with his height. His patient are at its limits.

Soldier might notice the increasing heat around Soundwave before he rush ahead and starts to punch some more skeletons.

Call him reckless if you want but he doesn't care anymore.]

[ephemerous]

The dead must always be granted prayers, or their unrest will never cease. Please observe.

[He pulls off his prayer beads and throws them at the zombie attacking Maya, then presses his palms together and rapidly invokes a sutra. The beads constrict around it, and it collapses to the floor with a last groan, becoming motionless.]

[alley_whoops]

[Putting his weapon down goes against every single instinct that's telling him to defend himself, but... He trusts Dhurke's judgment. It's never been wrong, after all. The pitchfork is jammed down into the ground so it can stand upright and still be snatched back up if necessary, but right now it's clearly not a threat to the scarecrows anymore.

There's a fun little emotional tango happening, with Datz's trust in Dhurke battling his distrust aimed at the scarecrows. As a result, the air around him is growing humid to the point where it's a little stifling and uncomfortable.]

F because it was about to get worse

[gr1m]

Reaper had already done this little song and dance, worked alone and by himself in collecting shards in the medical area of the labs. So why was he here again?

Because of a feeling that some idiot would probably get in over their head and it was likely better to save some heroic moron from themselves before something got to them. Of course it wasn't any heroic idiot that had come to mind that he ended up running into, literally.

Had half a mind to wraith and let whoever run right through him- but those were talon covered fingers that gripped onto arms, the doors flopping shut as Reaper stared for a moment. Not entirely sure what to do with what he sure as hell hadn't bargained for with anything other than silence. He'd know that stupid hat anywhere, even in the dark.

"McCree." Not so silent after all, that had been growled.

[sanguisdolore]

[ Given with how mad she seemed to be, the hand that shot out to grab his throat didn't come as much of a surprise as it may to someone else. A very subtle wince escaped him, remaining still until the flash of recognition actually showed on her face and those fierce red eyes softened enough that the rage she had felt wasn't reflected within them anymore.

Raising a hand to touch where she'd had her hand along his neck, his attention was drawn briefly to the fallen plastic Krul had tossed onto the ground prior and that was when he noted the subtle shimmer that didn't quite belong to blood itself. That... wasn't what normally happened to be in the blood packs like that; as far as he'd experienced here, at least. ]

Ah... I can attest that not all of the blood is like that. [ Then, for clarification, he continues after a moment. ] I haven't had any problems with that until now.

[ With how odd the fluctuations in emotions are around here, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to assume that maybe someone'd been feeling perhaps a little too cheerful when handling that blood pack and resulted in that weird glittery stuff being a part of it. Something which seemed to still cling to her lips stubbornly, which he surmised probably wasn't the most pleasing and likely part of just what had earned her ire previously.

Yet she took no time in focusing back on him afterward, drawing attention to words he'd been completely unable to forget as they were essentially the last thing she'd ever really said to him back home. ]

I did. Yuu is here with me... we escaped Nagoya together.

[ Mostly a truth since they ended up here at different times, but they were both doing well now that they'd been here in Verens together. Granted there was that problem of Yuu's that still needed to be dealt with. Not that he's just going to bring that up easily, however. ]

...or we would have if I hadn't arrived here. Yuu showed up a month after I did and he's been living with me since, though neither of us know just what it is that brought us to this place.

C

[sanguisdolore]

[ Normally he tended to stay away from the amulets and the weird 'in your head' kind of thing that happened but out of curiosity he'd decided to check it and was surprised by the strangely innocuous voice that sounded, followed by a string of random noises.

Was he aware he was doing that, exactly? ]

Yeah. The amulets tend to make speaking easier for those who are currently unable to do so.

[ Mika's voice is calm and rather collected as he responds, choosing after a moment to address those odd noises from before. ]

...Hm. Are you going to be alright?

Re: C

[gratitude]

[ oh! well that's good to know, rion thinks - the arehtei thought of everything, because it's not often that he'd be accommodated like that. he's so used to having to sign and write that actually being able to communicate the same way other people do - or at least "in real time" - is just the most novel thing.

rion does not grasp what mika's actually asking there, though, and just looks a little bit confused (and a little alarmed, but that's pretty much his default state of being when he thinks he may have done something incorrectly). ]

What do you mean...? [ is it weird that he's testing this out? does he look sick? aaaaa ]

C

[sanguisdolore]

[ That look of confusion and mild alarm was enough to have him raising an eyebrow briefly, red eyes fixed on the other as he wondered just what he might have asked wrong to earn that kind of look.

He raised a gloved hand and touched it against his temple quietly; trying to get his message across before actually answering afterward. Poor kid seems a little frazzled, though after arriving here maybe it was just to be expected. ]

After you spoke up. You were making some... ah... unusual noises.

Were you aware of that?

Re: C

[gratitude]

[ apparently he was not, and rion's face quickly goes through shame, embarrassment, and just general flustered-ness in equal measures. he clearly had not wanted anyone to hear that and he won't even make eye contact - that fight/flight response is really telling rion that the correct response here is to flee, even though mika has done basically nothing to warrant that other than ask him why he was making weird noises.

he's not very good at this, okay.

fortunately, he's able to answer, though he's still looking at his feet and avoiding eye contact like mika's eyes might be capable of burning his eyes out. ]

I didn't think I was still.... thinking those out.

[ notably, this does absolutely nothing to clarify what those noises were; he's more concerned that he looked stupid than anything else, and apparently is very sensitive to such. ]

A

[lukeim_yurlin]

[Ah, but someone is watching...sort of.  Beneath a nearby tree sits a seraph, invisible to just about everyone around him.  Leaned back against the trunk, hands folded loosely in his lap, Dezel reads the air currents as they circulate throughout the park, using the winds to people watch.  It isn't until he notices all the enthusiasm radiating from the kid nearby that he lifts his head a bit, one hand reaching up to tip his top hat back a fraction.]

[Huh, kids.  The things they get excited over.]

[Since this one appears human, Dezel won't bet that the kid can see or hear him.  If he's going to say anything, probably best to use his amulet.]

Been a while since I've seen anyone that worked up over an emotional effect... You new here, kid?