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

[sanguisdolore]

[ Being that he was already pretty patient, he didn't mind giving the silver-haired man his time to recover. After all, he hadn't looked like he'd been doing great and spending much longer there didn't seem like the greatest idea. Initially Mika did expect something in way of an answer, even just one word would have been okay, though he did pick up on the way the building cracked underneath the other's palm where it'd been resting.

Then there was that he picked up on easily, initially surmising perhaps he was still feeling a bit shaken from whatever had happened before.

He really tried not to assume the worst of people until they gave him reason to fully dislike them, as he was a good judge of character. That didn't help with predicting when a damn gun was being pressed against his chest, which was just enough to make his expression darken into a frown and he pulled back enough so the muzzle of that gun wasn't touching him. Though what really got to him wasn't so much the gun but the idea of what the other male actually said to him, having picked up on it without him even saying a damn word.

Though it... really didn't match up with the other's appearance. At. All. ]

Hm. Someone decides to help you and you feel fit to point a gun at them. Is that your way of showing gratitude?

[ His voice is dry and a bit annoyed, not showing nearly as much fear as what one would expect with someone aiming a gun at them. Hell, he doesn't even have a hand on the hilt of his sword yet. He would address that whole 'you're a vampire too' in a moment, not about to forget that by any means. ]

[bloodyrose]

[Zero is only blinded by whatever it is that's ultimately affecting him. His animosity towards Mika being less than it's being made out to be. No, he doesn't particularly like how there's currently a vampire trying to come to his aide, but at the same time, he actually doesn't care. One could even go so far as to say he's apathetic. It doesn't matter who or what Mika is. For now, there's too much else going on through his head.

So it's likely why his hand holding Bloody Rose is noticeably trembling. He tries to take a few steps back.]

Y-you should leave. . .

[He finds his words. His free hand returns to practically claw over his heart, brows knitting, pain twisting his expression. Moment by moment he truly can't breathe, and that hand just as soon after moves to his own throat. The detailed "tattoo" over the left side of his throat seems to be turning red as well, even spreading. The crimson of his eyes further takes over as well.]

I d-don't want [need] to hurt you.

[Words which are the truth in the end, albeit gasped. Somewhere in his mind he does know that he really could kill Mika on the spot. By however means necessary.]

[sanguisdolore]

[ That was initially the feeling he was getting; that this guy really didn't mean nearly as much harm as he was intending now. Something that had been driven from whatever was affecting him now and it kind of reminded him when he'd been depriving himself of human blood during those long years. Someone volatile, quick to anger and hard to control which rung truest with how he'd been right before Yuu had actually convinced him to give him.

Such is why he was willing to let the other take those steps back, noting the trembling of his hand that held the gun.

Pain was visible in every shred of this poor guy's existence if he had to put a word on it by his body language alone, further making him feel like he had to stay around. It was a stupid risk that would have him get hurt, but if he didn't stay here then who was to stop him if his emotional backlashes would not only hurt himself but anyone else who came around him in this state? The odd glowing of that mark on the other's neck hadn't gone unnoticed as well, along with the more vivid red color of those eyes and that cemented his resolve.

Yuu's idiocy was rubbing off on him now, wasn't it? ]

Leaving isn't an option for me. It wasn't since the moment I found you like this.

[ Every nerve in his body tells him to leave this guy be, but he's impossibly stubborn and had set in stone that he wasn't going to walk away. Completely ready to move if this guy actually tried to shoot at him. ]

...Just calm down. If you keep on like this, it's only going to hurt you and any innocent people around you.

[ While it was hard for Zero to notice many things, maybe he would pick up on that he doesn't look like he wants to hurt him at all. No ill will. No malice. He's trying to keep calm despite his initial displeasure. ]

[bloodyrose]

[Little by little Mika is getting through to him. Being outdoors again helps, however he still has the substance all over his legs and arms.]

There's something in this. . . isn't there. . .

[It's the first, more coherent things he's said so far. The liquid smells off, and he can't pinpoint it at all. It definitely is not blood. His eyes and the marking on his throat is reacting to something entirely different.

He's further becoming more aware (and remembering, especially) of the way this world works. He arrived only several days ago, but made sure to read all of what information was offered. Regardless of how much he's able to recall at present.

It's true, though. There's no part of him that is giving off a sense of hatred, or being a threat. Only the embittered feeling he is over the situation, and the lack of control he has. Normally it's the opposite of that.]

You should knock me out.

[A plain request. He's completely saturated with a messy combination of misery and discomfort, while above all, not trusting himself in the slightest.]

I know. . .you're strong enough to. [He can tell.]