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

[hopedout]

[ Hinata himself nods mentally through the link — he then swaps to a visual to have her see him. Who he is now. He's older, broader in the chest, and has dual colored eyes that don't match. One that represents himself as who he is: Hinata Hajime. The other that represents what Hope's Peak had attempted to make him into. Manufactured hope. One who embodied all of the talents.

His voice is kind as he speaks up. ]

I've been here for almost a year now. [ That doesn't answer the 'but how', however. ] This is your first time using the amulets, right? Did you need help with anything, though? I don't know if you've ran into the other 77th class members yet, but... if I can help, I'd like to.

[dyedsnow]

[The visual that popped into her mind caused her to nearly jump in surprise, though it wasn't the act itself as much as it was the image she saw.

An older Hinata, now with different-colored eyes.

What exactly did she miss?]

I... yes, it's my first time! I just wanted to test it out, so no, I don't really need help with anything...

[She paused for a moment, considering the other's offer. While that didn't quite answer her question, Hinata did raise a few interesting points--like the fact that her former students were here was well, apparently.]

...though now that you mention it, maybe you can tell me what everyone's been up to? Yourself included!

[hopedout]

I see.

[ A simple statement that goes well with needs to be said. While his lips are curved into a soft smile, there's a seriousness to his voice, too. ]

Well, I work as a waiter... and I'm also dating one of your students. Nagito. As for the others, we've been through a bunch of hardships, but they're not something that we couldn't overcome.

[dyedsnow]

A waiter?!

[If Hinata could see her now, he probably would have seen her eyes sparkle at the thought, though anyone listening in could probably tell from her tone anyway.

Can you really blame her though? One of her unofficial students was holding down a job, and was even in a relationship! Though really, she probably should be more worked up about the prospect of Hinata and Komaeda dating, considering what both were capable of.

Still, she got appropriately hung up with his lattermost statement, making a mental note to ask Hinata later about his place of work.]

Hardships... though. [Her head tilted in curiosity.] I'm afraid I don't follow.

[Honestly though, she could think of several things, but better to have Hinata do the explaining.]

[hopedout]

Yeah.

[ Of course, he's leaving out several things, but that's all fine and dandy since Hinata doesn't need to explain much more than this yet. ]

It's just that... this world is similar to our own. It suffered a great tragedy and it's just getting back on its feet. If you try leaving the island, for example, you'll find that outside of it is a pit of apathy so deep that it can and will kill a person.

This world has to be fixed. But we're nprobably here to assist, really. Since even if we do fix the world ourselves, it won't mean anything if the natives can't keep it that way.

[dyedsnow]

[She quietly listened to Hinata's explanation, nodding seriously at the end of it.]

That sounds really terrible. [And very despair-inducing, but she won't say that.] You're right, we can't just leave things the way they are. Fixing things shouldn't be too hard with everyone around, I bet!

[And maybe letting everything all fall down once everything was all tidied up, though that largely depended on what state her students were in.

Still, the last part of Hinata's statement did not escape her, and it's with those words that she sighed resignedly.]

Though I guess this means we'll all be around for a while, huh?

[hopedout]

I won't disagree with you that it's not. Because it is pretty horrifying.

[ And it's the kind of thing that Enoshima loves... until it screw right upside her head. Then it becomes annoying. ]

But we can do it if we really try. I believe in everyone. [ It's a dumb cliché, but it works. ] I shouldn't have to ask, but. . . it's interesting that I don't know, so I'll ask anyway. Yukizome-sensei. What is the last thing you remember?

[dyedsnow]

[She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should bother Hinata with that certain detail. But well, given the horrors he had witnessed in this particular world (and well, their home world), maybe an additional depressing fact wouldn't hurt.]

Well, dying. It wasn't very pleasant, so I was very surprised when I ended up here without any injuries...

[hopedout]

... I see.

[ Somehow, Hinata doesn't seem to be phased in the slightest. He knows exactly how she died, after all. It also makes sense how she was surprised that he was still alive. Hinata Hajime was, in a sense 'dead' to the world once he became Kamukura Izuru. Plus, he forcibly wiped her memories of meeting Kamukura as well.

How interesting. ]

That's just how this world works, I suppose.

[dyedsnow]

Mhm, I suppose...

[For a moment, she simply remained silent, maybe a little deep in thought.]

Still, somehow I can't help but be glad this happened.

...Because otherwise, I would never have gotten the chance to meet you again.

[hopedout]

Yeah. I'm... really glad that I get to see you again, Yukizome-sensei.

[ He can't help but toss a relaxed smile, one that's different than his many self deprecating ones that he had in the past. ]

[dyedsnow]

[Though Hinata could not see her, Yukizome smiled as well, genuinely thankful for the opportunity to see her beloved students again.]

Maybe we can meet in person some time? Pictures are nice and all, but I'd like to see for myself how much you've grown!

[hopedout]

[ Even if Hinata himself can't see her, he can hear the smile in her voice. ]

If you want to, sure. My schedule is rather open.

[dyedsnow]

Great! It's a promise then!

I still need to look into certain matters, so maybe not now. But I'll be sure to message you once things have settled down!

[The amulets weren't the only things she had to get used to, after all.]

So... I guess I'll get going now! It was nice hearing from you again, Hinata-kun!

[There's an awkward pause before she spoke again, this time with a sheepish tone.]

I just... stop transmitting through the amulet, right? Like, there's no off switch or anything?

[hopedout]

What I do is think to myself rather than outwards when I'm using the amulet. But yeah, there's no off switch.

and another one wrapped up! (well at least on chisa's end)

[dyedsnow]

Oh, got it! Thanks!

[And with that, she finally closed the channel, humming to herself as she pondered upon Hinata's remarks. No off switch, huh? She'd better be veeeery careful with her thoughts then.

...Especially if she were to hide the fact that she was still a Remnant of Despair.]