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

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. ]

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. ]

[sanguisdolore]

[ Okay... that was one way to actually make him feel just a little bit guilty, seeing the reaction he got by bringing that up. The whole lack of eye contact didn't so much bother him as he was used to that from home; from the humans who feared him and looked at him like they would a monster when they DID meet his gaze.

Yet there's something about this that bothers him because it seems like it'd been directly because he'd brought up that whole thing with those noises. Was it a sensitive subject he'd pointed out unintentionally?

Doing damage control would have to come next, a subtle touch of regret showing now on his face. ]

It's alright. That's why I mentioned it to you.

[ Mika pauses then, figuring out how to continue with this and wishing he was better at actually socializing with people properly. He's never been 100% good with that, unfortunately. ]

Trying to control what's broadcast to others is difficult for everyone so you wouldn't be the first who that has happened to.

[gratitude]

[ the damage appears to be controlled, though he's still not totally making eye contact. in fairness to mika, making eye contact and generally making conversation aren't things rion is good at, and his reaction is pretty disproportionate to how big a deal it was - but he's a teenage boy, and if there is one constant in teenagers, it is that everything is a big deal to them. ]

I'm not used to being able to hear myself. [ there's a reason that he was so excited about this, after all. he's not sure if he wants to elaborate more yet, but mika doesn't seem... too bad. it's not like he's intentionally making fun of rion.

at least that's what he thinks. he could be wrong; he's been wronger before. ]

[sanguisdolore]

[ That was something he could somewhat relate to, being as he was sixteen himself and still a teenager; even if he'd kind of be that until he died, the fact still remained as such. He could only guess that just maybe he wasn't the only one who wasn't the greatest with dealing with people, bringing some small sense of relief there. ]

I figured as much. Earlier you mentioned you could hear your voice even though you can't talk, so that makes sense that you wouldn't be used to it.

[ It was like this girl he'd met not long before this. She couldn't speak through anything else but the amulet either. ]

...if you do not mind me asking. Were you born this way or did something happen to cause it?

[ Mika's careful to keep his voice level, calm and unobtrusive. He doesn't want the boy to feel too pressured here, beyond the press of his general curiosity and not wanting to make people feel too uncomfortable. His expression is calm as well; no sign of anything malicious, judging or mean whatsoever. ]

[gratitude]

[ the most answer that mika gets is a shrug. he doesn't say (or think) anything, but he is being mostly truthful. he knows that he wasn't born this way, but he does not know what caused it, and he doesn't actually remember ever being able to talk.

he's fidgeting a little bit; this is a little uncomfortable, especially out with so many people around. rion's emotions are very obvious and swingy - while there's no rain or anything around him yet, his body language, his movements make it clear that he's a little anxious right now.

after a few moments, though, he does reply - though it's not about the muteness. ]

Sorry. I didn't mean to repeat myself.

[ he can't stop himself from apologizing and yet he knows that what he's apologizing for is stupid, so he's mostly just getting himself upset. it's a talent of his. ]

[sanguisdolore]

[ Getting that kind of response was enough to tell him that maybe he shouldn't have asked it. If that was the case then he'd drop it just the same if it was something he shouldn't be asking about, the other's body language following that initial shrug more than clear as well. ]

That's fine. It happens. Nothing worth getting upset over.

[ Just the same, he's still seeming calm - a talent of his considering he seemed to otherwise lack emotion from time to time. Keeping them mostly all on the inside. Yet despite this, he's going to do something he really doesn't do at all for humans but somehow there's enough to make an exception.

The poor boy seems an anxious mess and he's not THAT heartless to ignore something so obvious. ]

...If you need anything, let me know. I'll try to help.

[gratitude]

[ that simple act of kindness from mika brings a smile to his face. it's a worried smile, but it's a smile nonetheless. that he's willing to like... not question, that he'll let rion open up on his own time. that's important to him.

he's not used to this sort of kindness. ]

Thank you, um...

[ it is at this point that rion realizes he doesn't actually know mika's name, and he can't recall whether he was told it somewhere in this conversation but forgot, or that he wasn't. that awkwardness is coming back, and given that empatheias is... well, what it is, his awkward is palpable.

there is not much of a reason for him to be awkward, but it's there anyway. ]

[sanguisdolore]

Mikaela.

[ It's spoken softly and without hesitation, having also realized he had not given his name to the boy anytime prior to this point. He wasn't the best in social situations with people as it was, and tended to not do normal things like giving names to people right away.

He really was trying, though. ]

...What about you?

[gratitude]

[ neither one of them is particularly good, which ... really nicely balances out because they're understanding each other's awkward, perhaps. or something like that.

regardless, he's able to get an answer out of the boy. ]

Rion. It's, um. Nice to meet you.

[ the tone indicates that he's clearly not like, hesitant about whether it is nice to meet mikaela or not - more hesistant about not being sure if that's the right thing he's supposed to say in this situation! ]

[sanguisdolore]

[ Perhaps his time here had made him more compliant than what he was normally, willing to be patient enough to try and help this poor guy out. Why he ended up trying to give him a smile for what it was worth, even if that was something he felt almost unused to. ]

Likewise. I've not met a human who's quite like you before now.

[ How does he come up with good things to talk about and keep things going along smoothly? An idea hits and he just goes with it on impulse. ]

Where is it you come from?

[gratitude]

[ ah, unfortunately, the latter part of that gets completely ignored, because rion doesn't have a good answer for it, other than "home"... and the first part of what mika said is a lot more interesting than the second part.

there is a somewhat concerned look in rion's eyes now - he feels like he should have been expecting something like this, even though mika has yet to give any indication of being hostile towards rion. ]

You haven't met a human like me? You mean you... aren't?

[ he may have some serious issues with handling people, but he's not stupid. that's not something that ... seems like it would fit in with mika's way of talking if he were just talking about people in general, which means there's one conclusion... ]

[sanguisdolore]

[ Nobody said socializing was easy. Mika didn't entirely expect that the other would answer the latter question of his but it'd been worth a try at the very least, the look in the other's eyes catching his attention. Sure enough it's followed with something entirely inevitable.

Part of him worried that maybe he shouldn't have let that tidbit slip, the reluctance he felt flashing across his face briefly. ]

...I haven't been one for four years.

[ There was his answer. Admitting it still wasn't easy but he tried to just go with it. ]

Just because i'm not human, it doesn't mean you should fear me. I'm not the type who senselessly harms others so you have nothing to be afraid of.

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?

[gratitude]

[ huh? someone's talking to him... and they saw him do that dumb thing, which is already not good. listen, he'd like to be cool and hip and... whatever it is that will make people like him more and not tease him.

his mild sense of alarm at being found out being a dork, though, is exacerbated by the fact that he can't actually see the source of the voice. dezel has not actually gotten a response out of the boy, because the lack of dezel existing, in rion's mind, makes this more and more alarming.

maybe he's going crazy. maybe there's a ghost. maybe there's no such thing as ghosts but he's pretty sure he heard that. ]

W-what's going on?! [ rion is attempting to sound brave her, like he's totally not scared of a mysterious voice. he is doing an absolutely terrible job at it. ]

[lukeim_yurlin]

[Fear. Dezel can pick up on it over the telepathic connection. Yep, this one's definitely new for sure.]

Tch, calm down. You're not in any danger right now. And you'd better get used to voices in your head. It's a common method of communication, here.

[For now, Dezel remains where he is, as there's no real point in getting up and moving closer if he can't be seen. Besides, there's a squirrel foraging in the grass by his boots and he doesn't want to startle it. Might as well stay put.]

[gratitude]

[ the problem for rion isn't just that there is a voice in his head. he's come to accept that this is sort of a thing, and hell, he uses that as his communication method; his other options are not very good.

the problem is that there is no obvious source of it. usually there's either someone who is very obviously speaking to him, or it's a message that's more like yelling - not directed specifically at him. this is both directed at him and has no clear source.

the ground rumbles; a reflection of rion's surging anxiety. this is not okay. he does not like this one bit. he is trying not to completely panic but he is super duper not okay with anything that is happening in this moment; even if it's not like, a ghost, it's someone teasing him (or at least that's the way he sees it), and he is hyper-sensitive to that sort of thing. ]

[lukeim_yurlin]

[Lords, what the hell is this kid so worked up over? Dezel frowns, going over the possibilities and finally concluding that this one must have some serious anxiety issues or...something. There's just so much damn fear and uncertainty coursing over the connection, and all that trembling in the ground beneath...]

[Ah, maybe the root cause is because he doesn't know who's addressing him. Hn.]

Easy, kid. You're getting worked up over nothing. If you can't see me, it's not surprising. Most humans can't.

[As he speaks, Dezel is careful to keep a sense of calm about him. No point in getting the kid worked up any further.]

But if it matters, I'm about twenty paces to your left, laying back under the large oak tree. See the squirrel in the grass? He's next to my boots.

[Of course, it looks like that indicated spot is completely empty. At least the squirrel hanging around that spot seems completely undisturbed? If something or someone is there, it doesn't seem to mind.]

A

[toschestation]

[The park is a good a place as any to meditate most days, if he can find somewhere nice and quiet to do so. Today though, one of his usual spots has already been taken up by the time he gets there. Luke hangs back and watches the kid from a polite enough distance, his own expression shifting to a grin of amusement about the same time as Rion goes and does the nerdy fistpump motion.

Shortly after he steps over, still dressed in that weirdly utilitarian way he adopted though with much less black and a lot more neutral brown tones thanks to what's available in Verens.]

You must be pretty talented if you can already control your emotions like that. How long have you been practicing?

[gratitude]

[ thank you, luke, for not actually calling him out on the fistpump; he'd be forever embarrassed about that (or rather, embarrassed about it until he forgot about it, then remembered it a week later half-asleep and beat himself up over it).

teenage life is a hard one, okay? but this is a crisis that has been averted. he swings his head towards luke and smiles - it is not often that he gets noticed for things, and even less often that it's things that aren't music. the smile is almost painfully enthusiastic, really. ]

A few weeks. [ he is either lying, in which case he is an incredible actor, or he's making much more progress than most people would be - maybe he has some sort of innate talent for that. ]

[toschestation]

Only a few weeks? That's impressive. You must have a great deal of talent to harness the abilities they use here already.

[Luke himself took about as long, though his use for dunamis was much more different. Instead of trying to master it outright, he used it to strengthen his bond to the "Force" of whatever this world was. It felt different from home, of course, but it functioned almost exactly the same it seemed.]

What else have you managed to master?

[gratitude]

[ rion would be able to explain it better if he actually knew what his powers were, but he doesn't have an explanation for it. at least not one that's like, something he can explain coherently to luke. but at the praise, he beams - being praised for things is not something that happens to him often, and he could just. bask in it. people call him smart sometimes, but that's teachers because he does well on tests.

something more practical (other than music) is way different. something cool. ]

I usually know what my emotions will show up as, and I can... sometimes change how they show up like that. Not all the time, but I'm practicing.

[ subconsciously he's also changing how his emotions change to a way that he wants them to; he's not aware of how he wants them to, and a lot of this would be easier if he knew what he was doing. ]

... is that weird?

[ there is no reason that rion should assume this, and yet he does; he's not sure if that's a strange way to approach this.