empatheias_ooc | TEST DRIVE: NOVEMBER

— 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.

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.
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.
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.

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.
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.
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.

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.
Flying equipment. The various medical equipment has also taken life, scalpels and needles flying everywhere and stethoscopes ready to strangle.
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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Nobody? Not even anyone you've met here?

[Riley's first worry is for her meals. Just because he could make great meals at her age doesn't mean a lot of other kids could. He frowns and looks away because it's none of Riley's business. He'd recently just lost his own little sister and wasn't ready to take on responsibility for another kid.

At least not in the actual "caring" about someone else. Yet he also can't just leave her either.]

If they don't you can leave it at my place but you'd be responsible for taking care of it. [He shouldn't be doing this... shouldn't be offering.]

[To start she simply shakes her head. First arriving had been a little scary. But as far as she knew there wasn't an organized program for children like her. So in the end, if she didn't want to stay out on the street, she had needed to find somewhere she could sleep that was warm and safe. So she's simply went from there.]

I don't know too many people yet. But if I can catch one of the bunnies, I'll have a new friend.

[She really really wants to catch one now. His offer to house her new pet if she's not allowed to keep one there only makes her beam all the more.]

Really? You wouldn't mind?

[If this girl were smart she wouldn't go off with the first seemingly nice stranger who offered her a place to stay but someone should have said that they'd look after her if she needed help. Prove that they were a good person over time. It doesn't how nice the world might look there was always something dangerous out there - especially one ruled by emotions. Riley has to keep his own in check when he gets angry on behalf of the girl standing in front of him.]

My name is Riley, I'm from a world that no one seems to know. I am here with one individual from my world - his name is Aiden. Sometimes he can be a bit stupid but he's a good guy. Smart and kind and curious but likes to tease people he becomes close to. I'll introduce you to him later and then you can say you have two more new friends.

[He says it all in a rush of air - not giving her the opportunity to interrupt but it's been long time since he's actually tried to introduce himself to someone he was making a friend from the very start. The others just sort of pressed themselves into his life with insistence. It doesn't matter if Riley mostly talked about Aiden instead of himself.]

No, I wouldn't. I never had a pet growing up but I think a kid should have one if they want.

[A little shy, but happy, a smile lifts the corner of her lips up. Of course she's a little careful and nervous. At the same time, it's been difficult forcing herself out. She tells herself over and over again that she's a grown up girl now. That it shouldn't be scary when out on her own. But telling herself that and feeling it are two different things.

Because he doesn't seem scary, maybe that's why she's a little too trusting. She's craved company, but hasn't been sure how to find it.]

My name is Yuuki Kurosu. I'm thirteen years old and go to Kurosu Academy. [There's a pause, before she remembers that everyone comes from different worlds.} Oh-! In Japan. On Earth. I'd be happy to meet your friend.

[She hopes that she makes a good impression. Meeting new people is fun but nerve-wracking.]

I live at a school back home, so we aren't allowed to have animals there. I wonder if the chairman would let me bring the bunny back home with me when we get to leave despite that. [At least they could keep it at their main residence on campus, right?]

[At least this world isn't terrifying like his own. It isn't dark all of the time, there don't seem to be sections of the city where someone might kill just to get their hands on food or money. Though to someone who grew up cared for by an older individual, being alone is scary on it's own.

Honestly, Riley is the biggest and slightly grumpiest teddy bear who ever lived. He doesn't bother talking about himself because well, everything he said about himself could just be a lie in order to get her to trust him.

An eyebrow raises.] You're named after the academy? [Then he nods.] Once we get the bunny, we can go see him. Or I could call him hear to help, Aiden's good at finding things.

[After all, he found Riley three times in the last year. It helps that Aiden has the ability to mask his presence and could sneak up on a rabbit.]

I'm sure if you tell him that it came from another world, he'd let you keep it. [Though he isn't sure that Yuuki will get to take the rabbit back to her world anyway.]

[A little embarrassed, she lifts a hand up to her cheek and nods while she scratches it sheepishly. Usually, she doesn't try to share her relationship to the academy, but her name alone makes it obvious.]

My adoptive father is the chairman of the academy. It's named after him. [So she has the same last name too.] I stay in one of the dorm rooms with my new roommate. But I also have a different residence with the chairman privately on the academy grounds too.

[Holding the carrot in her hand tight, she bends down, wondering if she can find another bunny better at a lower vantage.]

Do you think your friend would be good at catching a bunny? I've never tried before until now.

[It's not as if the academy is actually here for a lot of people to make the connection. Riley simply thought it was strange, that's all.]

If that's the case, I don't see why you wouldn't be allowed to have a pet in the private residence. Unless your adopted father is allergic to them.

[He does step back from Yuuki when she attempts to lure a bunny out. They might be picking up on his scent as a predator and may not come out.]

I don't think he's ever tried to catch a bunny before but Aiden is a hunter so catching a rabbit probably wouldn't be too much trouble for him.

Maybe he would. Zero has a horse. [Well-- the academy has horses in general. But she's undeniably his. While she's not particularly fond of his unruly equine, she thinks it's good that he has something to look after. And besides, she seems to like him a lot.

At the moment though they're having no luck luring the bunny out.]

A hunter...? [He doesn't catch and eat bunnies though, she assumes...?] It wouldn't hurt the rabbit, right?

TEST DRIVE: NOVEMBER

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Upping her age to 13 for the canon point I wanna bring her from

slightly younger than Riley's sister

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