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

[griefedlightning]

I'm down for anything Krypton because that just sounds cool.

[Man, he is so proud of himself.]

For real? Just one?

[He points to her, mouth open to say something, and then complete realization takes over his features.

Barry looks at Kara as if it's the first time he's ever seen her.]

...You know what?

[supersunny]

Zha, I'm just teasing.

[She can't help but laugh a little though.] I'll teach you some stuff later, though.

Don't worry about how many I've got. I've got a plan.

[The look he's giving her, it actually causes Kara to stop completely. Her hands wrapped around a hen that's clucking at her in protest.]

What?

[griefedlightning]

[The one time Barry actually uses the pure potential within him is to try and catch Kara by surprise. The hand behind his back is practically invisible as he tosses that sole egg to cover her in glittering confetti.

Probably him as well, but obviously: WORTH IT.]

Chicken butt!

[supersunny]

[Did he seriously? He really did. Now she is covered in confetti and it's probably going to take her forever to pick the little pieces out of her hair.]

Really Flash?! You're in for it now.

[Kara flies up, with her weapon - the chicken - still in her hands. She is armed and willing to use this weapon.

Throwing an egg at Barry is going to be impossible so when she gets her hands on one, Kara divebombs him. Ready to sacrifice herself for the "cause".]

[griefedlightning]

[From the Flash to Mr. Giggles in zero seconds flat.]

You can try to hit me all you want, I'll just dodg-

[Sweet Speed Force. She's bringing the heat!]

Wait, wait! Let's talk about this.

[Is this how Barry Allen dies? In a poof of confetti and a much more sparkly uniform. He's laughing so hard he's coughing.

Kara, he trusted you.]

[supersunny]

[Yeah, don't think she doesn't know how this works. She knows he has the speed to dodge it which is why Kara has made it a guided missle attack. With her own body as the missile.

There is confetti everywhere! It's all over him and her and the chicken that she's still got.

At least they went down together.

Kara shakes her head once the dust has settled, shaking loose what confetti she can.]

Totally worth it! Hey, now everyone will know where you've been when there's a sparkling trail left in your wake.

[griefedlightning]

[Barry picks off what glittery confetti he can from his face and pulls back his mask. It only makes it so much clearer which part's been covered.]

I concede, you got me. This will be my walk of shame.

[However, he's far from being a sore loser. Especially to Kara.]

Hang on. Can't have the winner looking like this.

[Kara gets treated to a red and yellow cleaning crew of one. Yes, Barry's paying for his sneak attack in removing each speck one by one.

Hen too because it can't be faulted for being affected by the emotions of others.]

[supersunny]

[Oh man, half of Barry's face is covered with glitter and it looks ridiculous without the mask.]

Is it going to be a walk or a run?

[She stays still as he's picking the confetti off of her, not wanting to accidentally tripping him because that would be bad at the speed he's moving.]

You don't have to wear all of that just because you lost.

[Kara is a gracious winner, he'd already been attacked before they crossed paths and now it's worse.

The hen doesn't seem too fond of the Flash cleaning treatment but doesn't retaliate, thankfully.]

[griefedlightning]

You get the say. I thought had that contest in the bag.

[It's a lot easier for him. Vibrate fast enough to move through matter and he's clean once more.]

I run all the time, I love it.

[He looks up at Kara, a semi-hopeful half smile on his face.]

Flying though. Don't get too much of that.

[supersunny]

Well, I say go for it. I mean, you're already going to get weird looks for the suit and you don't want everyone thinking this is normal. Sorry to say this but you look like a metahuman disco ball.

[Motions to it all.]

Do you even know how to walk?

[Teasing lightly.

Oh Rao! Oh Rao! Barry looks hopeful but Kara? Kara is downright ecstatic! So damn ecstatic that there is literally bright yellow light forming around her.]

You wanna go flying?! [SAY YES!]

[griefedlightning]

[The disco ball had him going a little, but the question of walking makes him chuckle. His little bits of lightly swirling wind around his legs come from that.]

Depends. Is there air fare? I'm kind of broke.

[He shrugs just a little, a nod to match. Jeez, she's so happy and he knows saying it might make her own little sun go super nova.]

[supersunny]

[Why can't all metahumans be like Barry? Why can't they be fun and her friends rather than trying to kill her?]

There's air fare. It's that you don't get to complain about how fast we're going. Though you're probably one of my few friends who wouldn't.

[If he can go fast on the ground, he should be able to handle it in the air - right?]

[griefedlightning]

I can't promise I wont' be a backseat flyer.

[He probably won't. It's Kara. She's cool.]

As long as I get a window seat, you can take the scenic route as fast as you want.

[Arms up or out? He has no idea, but does the limb dance anyway.]

[supersunny]

I'd say you'd be the first but...

[She shrugs.]

When you are flying Supergirl Air, all seats are window seats. We would like to inform you that there will be slight turbulence and a chill as we ascend to a higher elevation in our vertical takeoff. Please keep your seatbelt fastened at all times.

[Kara steps beside him and wraps an arm around his waist then proceeds to take off like a rocket. This way he gets to experience all of the things the way she does. Up and up they go until they're above the cloudline and then Kara levels them out so that they're close enough to touch the tops of the wisps.

Of course she isn't going slowly though she hasn't hit her top speed either.

Rather than try to talk over the sound whooshing by, Kara just uses the convienent telepathy provided by the world.]

So, what do you think?

[griefedlightning]

[Straight up into the air, at a speed he knows. What does he think?

Give him a moment, Kara. He's got to get all the crazy smiling out of his system first]

I think having omni-directional speed is the coolest thing ever! No gravity to race against. This is freaky. But like, a good freaky.

[Yeah, kicking the top of clouds might look dumb, but he's never had the chance to do it before.]

How many bugs do you eat up here?

[He's 110% teasing.]

[supersunny]

[Seeing his crazy smiling only encourages her to go a little bit faster.]

Gravity, smavity. I laugh in the face of gravity!

[Okay, not really but it is pretty much her favorite thing about her powers. Seeing Barry enjoy it, seeing him kick the clouds is amazing. She doesn't get to go flying a whole lot with other people.]

There aren't any bugs up this high.

[She laughs, dipping them down into the clouds for a moment before pulling them back up.]

Ready to break the sound barrier at 15,000 feet?

[griefedlightning]

[Barry's mouth is open as soon as she says that, just in time to see what cloud tastes like.

Kinda wet...]

Ye- No. Wait.

[Mask goes back on.]

All right. Hit me. I'll even try to do Guile's Sonic Boom arm thingy when we do.

[A true derp given too much power.]

[supersunny]

[She waits for him to pull his mask back on and shakes her head while rolling his eyes at his nerdy comment.]

If we get propelled into a strange alternate version of this world, I'm totally blaming it on you.

[That's all she has to say before they shoot forward at a speed that would be too much for any normal human being. They are definitely going to break the sound barrier.]

[griefedlightning]

[No one should be this happy about being marked for blame.]

Here it comes, I can feel it.

[He's had to break the sound barrier a few times to do things; like go back in time and mess everything up.

There's that familiar 'thoom' and he delivers on his nerdy promise. Maybe his poor imitation of the low quality video game voice gets lost in the sound.

Kara's not that lucky. Not with her super hearing.]

Does this make us even for me running you out of National City when we first met?