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

[nanoscope]

[She hadn't meant to startle him, but his reaction does cause her to chuckle. Despite his rowdiness, he'd always had good manners around her.]

Don't worry, I'm not offended. If anything, I consider it an honour. [He had even picked out a cup she would have chosen for herself. She comes forward, looking over the little shrine before turning to McCree. She rests a hand on his shoulder.]

It's good to see you again, Jesse. I hope you've been well while I was gone.

[fistfulofbullets]

[ She considers it a honor that he remembers her. Perhaps even that he considers her part of his family. For what was Blackwatch and Overwatch both but the family he never had? She rests a hand on his shoulder, and for a moment he tenses, then eases, slowly picking up the cup from the ground. ]

Been around. Got a bounty on my head after everythin' that happened.

[ He gives her a light chuckle and a soft smile, holding out the cup to her. Feels strange, to leave it here, when he can give it to her himself. ]

... Dunno if it's fro vigilante work, Blackwatch, Deadlock, or all three...

[nanoscope]

[She had always had a soft spot for McCree, and he had always been a charmer. Of course she'd feel honoured to be remembered by him; he had been part of her 'extended family' back then, regardless whether he worked with Overwatch or Blackwatch. They had all been like family, back during the old days.]

[She accepts the cup, looking it over before cradling it in her hands. It really is a nice cup. His words cause an amused smirk to cross her face.]

Sounds like you've been making quite a name for yourself while I was away.

[fistfulofbullets]

[ He wouldn't exactly say she was like the mother he never had, because that wasn't exactly true. She was like an Aunt, like Jack was an uncle, like Reyes was... He clears his throat slightly at the sudden thought, turns away from that smirk to tend to the other.

Reyes had died. Reaper insisted on that. Reyes had died and... And maybe it was true. ]

Well, had to do somethin' after I left Blackwatch. Only thing I was ever really good for was makin' trouble.

[ He heard that Fareeha had become a security chief. That Tracer was still a vigilante. That everyone of the younger members of Overwatch continued to do their part to help make the world a better place.

He had ran. ]

After all, considerin' my past, suppose that 60 million bounty means something.

[nanoscope]

Oh, I wouldn't think that making trouble was all you were good at.

[Said with a bit of a tease to her voice. It was a skill he was rather good at, sure. Rowdy, rough-and-tumble, definitely fit the outlaw persona. But it wasn't his only skill, that much was for sure.]

You were a hard worker, and you had a very strong sense of justice. A clear idea of what was right and what was wrong.

[McCree had been a well-meaning kid, even if he had a criminal record the size of his home state. And Gabriel had seen that; he wouldn't have taken such a liking to the young outlaw if he hadn't, taken under his wing the way he had.]

And you still do, it seems. Common criminals don't normally do vigilante work, do they?

[fistfulofbullets]

[ He can't help the snort of a laugh at that comment. True, maybe it wasn't all he was good at- he was a damn good shot, and it was true that he had a strong sense of justice. In all his mercenary work, he only takes jobs that benefit people- good people, who had been wronged. ]

Suppose they don't.

[ He grins softly as he rearranges some things around Gabe's candle, not quite ready to look back at her just yet. She'd always been able to talk some sense into him, and for that he was grateful. ]

So what have you been up to all these years...?

[nanoscope]

[That's what she was there for, to offer guidance and talk sense into her allies. Sure he could be a brat, but he was a good kid. She'd seen it, Gabriel had seen it.]

[Speaking of which, as she watches him work she wonders what the man who taught him this tradition would think that even after all this time, McCree was still remembering him this way. She doesn't point that out, not right now.]

Mostly? Trying to heal and readjust. [Modern medicine was a wonder; were she younger, she would have surely perished, or been severely maimed. She still didn't replace her long-lost eye, but everything else about her was more or less physically healed.] Keep tabs on what has been going on in the world. I spent a long time being a ghost.

Lately, I've decided that even ghosts could still protect people.

[fistfulofbullets]

[ She had always been the sensible one, managing to build peace even when Jack and Gabe had differing opinions and ideas. And that friction, from what he understands, is what brought Overwatch and Blackwatch crashing down. It was what drove him out of Blackwatch. It was what caused Gabe to... ]

[ He accidentally knocks over a bottle of liquor he left in offering, swearing under his breath as he tries to stop it from spilling all over the candles. He knew the Reaper was here. That thing that wore his mentor's face. And he doesn't... He doesn't know how to deal with that. ]

Or they can hurt 'em.

[ They'd fought before, that ghost and him, over the same target. The Reaper- Reyes- had spared him before. Who was to say if he'd do it again? ]

... World kinda... fell t' pieces after you left. Don't blame you for wantin' to get out, though.

[nanoscope]

[She frowns at his admission, and since his back is turned he'll probably miss the way she glances to the side, a sting of regret causing a small breeze to pick up. She'd seen things were changing, and had debated with herself her decision to go dark. Perhaps if she had just endured, maybe things would have been different... And though she'd made peace with her decision, she still kept up with the tabloids, saw what was reported.]

[She didn't care for the war the world faced now, but she did care for the people involved.]

I'm sorry I was not there to support you all. My one regret is that I was not there to talk sense into those who needed guidance. Perhaps then, some of what happened could have been avoided. [Not all, because from how it looked, Overwatch had problems bigger than any of them could handle. She pauses, before turning her gaze back to him.]

But now, I can still try to fix some of the mistakes that were made, and make sure they aren't repeated. But I'll admit, that plan didn't include being whisked off to another world.