empatheias_ooc | TEST DRIVE: FEBRUARY

— TEST DRIVE: FEBRUARY—

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 Wednesday, January 25 and Applications (Canon | OC) open Wednesday, January 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: Over two years ago, the ill fated Red String of Fate toy made its debut. At the time it seemed like a solid idea, but as it turned out… it didn’t exactly work as advertised. People found themselves tied together with entirely incompatible people instead of the proclaimed “emotionally compatible” and to top it off, personal, influential and private telepathic communication came out drenched in sap and overly lovey-dovey overtones. It was, without a doubt, one of the company’s least successful product launches ever. And you would think that they would have learned. However, they decided to try again, and… well. It wasn’t exactly all that well thought out the second time around. But third time’s the charm, right? Wrong. Even if this time, it’s in the form of rings that will draw two people together in a “matched pair” rather than a string.

There’s not really anything wrong with believing in true love, but trying to formulate a product that can detect someone’s ideal mate is innately flawed. Which only means that no matter how many times the product is adjusted, it’s just not going to work. Those who wind up with the product shoved onto their fingers (by a sales rep or through actually purchasing the product) will find themselves, once again, pulled by an unseen force to the nearest person they are “compatible with”. Same height, same hair color, whatever. It’s not exactly discriminatory. …Unfortunately as poor a match as they may be, the two cannot be separated until they share a meaningful embrace. So settle in, you might be together for a while.

In certain pairs, normal conversation is often unintentionally made amorous, simply from inflection in voice, or perhaps a heightened affectionate emotion. Or, on the flip side, anger and aggression is increased ten fold, but it’s kind of 50-50 as to what effect will take place, all dependant on which hand they wear the ring. Left, romance, Right? Anger.

• Prompt E: The inexplicably cavernous sewers of Verens are no place for a sane individual, but here you are anyway—dropped there by some horrible emotional shift that made an entire section of street vanish and then reappear above your heads as if nothing had happened. You and the poor fool you’ve been dumped down here with need to find your way to the access tunnels and climb out, or perhaps go the other way and swim out through the Lake Niras outflow. Or just smash your way out, if you’re feeling destructive. But your own emotions will work against you, as you struggle against the terrible scent, the darkness, and the entirely-justified questioning of why your life has taken this horrible turn.

There’s something odd about the way the water and sewage is sloshing around your ankles, almost as if it’s rising. But wait, that can’t possibly be a pair of eyes you see under the oil slick surface… could it? You’ve heard rumors about all sorts of beasties down here but surely your mind is just playing tricks on you.

Remember that part about emotions turning against you? Maybe you’ve been trapped down here way too long with someone who’s just not living up to your expectations, or you’ve got something else on your minds—but the smell around you certainly seems to be growing thicker, the scent growing harder and harder to ignore. The water and grossness at your feet also seems to be growing thicker almost as though it’s curing like cement. The cause? Negative emotions. But are they yours or the person you’re stuck here with? Perhaps you should work through those post haste…

Escape! You’ve made it out, but not without a great amount of effort on both you and your partner’s parts. Did you manage to find a way out through the access tunnels? Or perhaps you really did travel through all that much to the Lake Niras outflow… whatever it is, You’re certainly stinky, and possibly tired and cranky too.

• Prompt F: Some bandits went and stole another airship, only this time the Enforcers are prepared with a few of their own. Join in for some intense air battles. Just don't make the ship explode—they'd like it back in one piece please. Unless you're actually on the bandit team, in which case you probably want to blow up the Enforcer ship.

What's an airship fight without some on deck action? Either the bandits are swinging over to the ship you're on, or maybe you're swinging over there. Whatever the case, it's a full on brawl. Just watch out—those bandits are well-armed with some interesting firearms and weapons. If hit, one of the following emotions will start to take over your senses: unquestionable rage, debilitating fear and panic, and sleepiness. Needless to say, these effects will hinder one's ability to fight.

Can you fly or are you okay with climbing up the full height of your airship? Then grab a few sleep and apathy grenades and throw them at the bandits. Just be careful not to accidentally hit your allies. Otherwise they will be the ones feeling sleepy and want to give up. Also watch out for flying nets and bullets. Those bandits will definitely try to bring you down.

While the enforcers are trying to maintain the integrity of the stolen ship, the bandits feel no such need to hold back and are freely unloading their weapons onto the Enforcer's ships, forcing them to defend themselves. Other than decapacitating the bandit behind the weapon, it's also possible to overload it with intense emotions. Explode it with rage or clog it with happy, loving flowers.

• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include bubblegum and/or toadstools.

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

C

[It was, for a lack of a better word, "interesting" that Wanda is no longer the only one who can pry into people's thoughts thanks to the amulets (although the network makes the reach of her telepathy even stronger than before). It almost made her feel like she wasn't alone.

Almost. But not quite.

Wanda's abilities were the result of HYDRA messing with her mind. That's something she could never forget. How could anyone let her forget? She was a monster after all.

What does make Wanda's thoughts stand out in the network was that a scarlet mist seemed to be swirling around whenever she spoke. It wasn't her using her powers to bring out another person's worse fears (she doesn't do that anymore unless it was necessary) although it probably was just a facet of her abilities. Everything somehow had to be tied to the color red.]

It's strange. Not being the only one who can read minds.

[She said, the mist twisting around.]

The situation... It is not usually mutual in my case.

[You could hear the wryness of her tone.]

E (1+2)

[The longer Wanda sloshes around the sewer to find a way out, the more she could feel that there was something definitely off about this place. There was an oppressive atmosphere that seemed to loomed closer the farther she walked. Her abilities made being able to sense a person's emotions and this place seemed to even intensify that power tenfold. She could feel in her gut, a mixture of paranoia and fear swirling around in the air, making the task of even walking around like the most arduous task any of them has done. The pungent smell was increasing, the muck that was around their ankles seemed to be rising up, closing in around them and Wanda's threshold for bearing it all was about to tip its breaking point...

Until she suddenly activates her powers, spinning around quickly and aiming a blast of scarlet at the sewer water, nearly missing whoever was behind her.]

... I'm sorry.

[She heaved a breath, lowering her hand when she sees there was nothing there.] I thought there was something else here with us.

F 2

[Despite her best efforts, Wanda finds herself caught in one of the nets thrown at her while she was midair, using her telekinesis to propel her while she threw a combination of sleep and apathy grenades. Good thing she landed on the surface of the airship though her pride is wounded and she is mildly cursing in her native Sokovian tongue ~~while Cap yells, "LANGUAGE!" somewhere in the distance~~ while struggling to break herself free from the net.

Help would be greatly appreciated! ~~And hurt her pride a little more.~~]

Wildcard
((Come at me, bro.))

Edited 2017-01-25 04:25 (UTC)

[Aerial combat was not a good place for a speedster like himself to be, it was too confined and didn't let him go long distances in one go but there was no way Pietro was going to be sitting it out. Especially not with Wanda in the midst of it all. So he sticks to the decks, not wanting to test if he can run fast enough to defy gravity this far above the ground.

Every once in a while he grabs whatever weapons he might be happening to pass by, didn't matter if it was from the Enforcers or the bandits themselves. Though, if he was being honest, it was much more fun to watch the expressions on the enemies' faces when they suddenly found themself unarmed. And if one of them had the chance to actually have an expression before they were flying back from a punch he'd thrown, well it was even better.

On every pass Pietro does make, he keeps an eye out for his sister. Even though she's technically older than him now (and always will be), Pietro still considers Wanda to be his younger sibling and therefore will always be checking up on her. By the time he notices the net it's too late to get to her before it wraps around her. However it takes him no time at all to close the distance between them, skidding to a stop next to her - looking down at her with raised eyebrows. Pietro says nothing about the use of profanity in their native tongue as he reaches for the edges of the net. He doesn't worry about either one of them being sitting targets as Pietro is sure that Wanda will handle anything that comes their way.]

You could have thrown those from the other ship before you came over. [His words are light, airy - on the verge of teasing.]

[Being from different timelines would always be weird to Wanda (she does take great pleasure being finally older than her twin, though). The girl can't deny she missed having Pietro having her back figuratively and literally as this moment demonstrates.

She grunted as she glared at her brother, rolling her eyes at his remark while lifting the rest of the net off of her person with her telekinesis when her hands were free.]

I didn't see it coming. [beat] Something you're familiar with, Pietro.

[Pietro has just accepted the weirdness that is their timelines... sort of. He will always consider himself the older twin but their points in time is hardly the oddest part. After all, now he runs and thinks faster than bullet train while she has mind and reality-bending powers. Pretty sure weird is what their life has become at this point.

With the net taken care of, he lifted a hand to caress the top of her head. A gentle reassurance that they were both okay.]

They won't see what comes next. [A smile as he jerks his head towards another group of bandits heading their way.] Together.

[There's something weirdly familiar about this voice. David never met Wanda in his home dimension, but he knew that she was one of the few people in any dimension who was nearly as powerful as he was. There's a weird sort of camaraderie in that. David's telepathic voice, for whatever reason, seems to be made up of many, many voices speaking in unison, though all in the same oddball Scottish accent.]

Ya get used to it. The psychosphere's funny that way, especially here. Spend most o' your life isolated for one reason or 'nother, [There's flashes of a memory here, of a young man with black hair that sticks straight up, strapped to a hospital bed, with an IV of unidentifed drugs being fed to him] an' now suddenly you're not the weirdest one on the block. Though I think telepathy the likes of which you're used to's more than most people even wanna think about.

[The voice that came back through the network of telepathy was a little unsteady, since he wasn't naturally a telepath and it was weird to just think what he wanted to say. (How did you separate talking thoughts from every other thought?) But he still sounded upbeat and curious rather than bothered by the amulets. Crystal phone. It wasn't that weird, right?]

Are you saying you're used to just one-way messages? That sounds like it'd get boring after a while.

[Lorna jumps back slightly at the sudden blast of scarlet.]

It's okay. [She nods slightly, concerned.] There probably is, but it's not me. [Lorna, that is not reassuring.]

TEST DRIVE: FEBRUARY

Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch | MCU (Post-Civil War)

F2

Somehow that "come at me, bro" was prophetic XD also the noise I made when I got this notif jkjdf

ngl, I saw that and thought "this is destiny"

C

C

@ e