TEST DRIVE: FEBRUARY

[empevents]

— 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.

1. 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.


2. 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.

1. 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.


2. 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…


3. 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.

1. 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.


2. 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.


3. 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!

Comments

Soundwave | Transformers Prime

[robocreep]

PROMPT A

[Emotions.

Not... really a thing Soundwave did. Even if it might have been a rumor that the mute third in command had long ago purged his emotions from his files to make room for more data, it was safe to say that Soundwave and 'emotional' didn't fit in the same sentence together.

Rather, where ever the annoyed and displaced Communications Chief wandered, life tended to slip away and hide until he'd passed, colors draining, flowers wilting, sound deadening.

He'd noticed it of course. It wasn't doing much to improve his dulled and muted annoyance, and every so often just enough of it would flare up and cause the temperature to spike. Just for a moment or two.

Before the moment passed and everything returned to what was, apparently, going to be normal for Soundwave.

He's so thrilled.

He's so... so thrilled.]

PROMPT F

[What does one do when one can fly and is now approximately about a fraction the size of an airship?

And it's an aerial fight?

With the right kind of persuasion, you join it, of course. Whatever the reason Soundwave had been given that made entering this battle good enough for him, the soundless, near impossible to spot drone plane had been harrying the stolen ship for a while, easily evading nets and bullets.

Every time the Reaper made a pass over the ship most of the bandits were forced to scuttle for safety as hatches were opened to subspaces filled with sleep grenades, or worse, opened to allow long and deft tentacles to zip down and casually try to toss a few bandits overboard.

Think Light Thoughts, guys.]

well, well. A btw

[peacewithouttyranny]

[...Is that a Cybertronian? He certainly feels like one, he thinks. Though he's not familiar with anyone with that kind of design before. Well, he's not going to get his answer just by watching him in the shadow. So approach he does.]

Cybertronian?

[Straight to the point. No beating around the bush.]

waveception

[robocreep]

[That was a Cybertronian. A very slender, eerie looking one with no face, but well... they come in all shapes and sizes, don't they?

Soundwave knew someone was there before he spoke up, but granted it no attention until the other mech actually chose to approach.

A faint ping on the visor, and a glance in his direction, the mute running diagnostics in the blink of an eye before responding.

With what was clearly-]

--Naturally--

[A recording, the voice modulated and repeated, slithering and smug. Starscream never shut his goddamn mouth so Soundwave could probably have a whole conversation with his commanding officer's voice.]

[peacewithouttyranny]

[Pretty sure every Cybertronian he's familiar with are... boxy, for a lack of a better word, rather than one of slender design.

A recording? Strange way to talk. The voice is unfamiliar to Soundwave, yet the smugness of it irritates him.

The Decepticon insignia on both shoulders of the strange Cybertronian doesn't escape his notice. His own is on his chest.]

A Decepticon. Your name?

[robocreep]

[Odd, most people knew who he was at first sight. Especially another Decepticon. After all, Soundwave was not exactly what one would call a low ranking recruit here.

His head tilted, silently regarding the other mech for a moment. Confusion? Hard to tell.

Either way, he'd get an answer]

--Soundwave--

[Different voice this time, one that might actually sound somewhat familiar... if considerably more full of violence than the former Lord of the Decepticon's was currently.

He did so like hearing Megatron repeat that name after all.]

[peacewithouttyranny]

[Interesting. The voice is familiar to Soundwave in a way. One belongs to the tyrant he once served.

But the voice is not important right now. Right now his priority is this Soundwave.

Having been told about people coming from different universe or timeline or whatnot, it doesn't come as a surprise to him to find a different version of himself.]

Is that so? Then you must not be from the same universe as I am.

[And for clarification sake.]

My name is Soundwave. Leader of the Decepticon.

[robocreep]

[It does, however, come as a surprise to this Soundwave. Not necessarily because he isn't aware of alternate planes of existence and dimensions.

It was a theory once.

But a few years in the shadow zone were enough to convince him easily they were all too terribly real.

It was a surprise to find a second of himself, however. One that, on closer inspection, had details that were somewhat similar. Same.

But not.

Very interesting.

There was a hitch though.]

--Leader of the Decepticons

[Megatron was leader. Soundwave was not. This required more clarification, and though it was just a recording, there was implied expectation.

He didn't ask for clarification.

It was a demand.]

[peacewithouttyranny]

[He gets the implication and answers with no hesitation.]

Megatron defected. He is now an Autobot.

[He's not sure how Soundwave is going to handle the news of Megatron being an Autobot. He didn't that's for sure.]

The Decepticon needed someone new to lead. Someone who would never abandon the Decepticon cause.

[And that someone is none other than himself.]

[robocreep]

[.... That's bullshit.

The ire, disbelief, and for a glaring, minuscule but obvious moment, hurt and offense.

Yes, he knew that in the end, the Autobots had won. Megatron had fallen, and his loyal third was eternally damned to the shadow zone.

It was difficult enough, really, to ignore the hurt that came when he knew his lord had never even asked what became of him, but surely it had been for the best, in the end. There were more pressing matters-

Megatron wouldn't defect. Wouldn't turn away from the cause.

His body language was blank, the 'con stood motionless, but the environment around him rippled, the heat surging as sparks winked in and out of existence.

The third was not so far gone in the emotions after all, but chances were this wasn't the best reaction]

--liar--

[Soft at first. A recording from that smug, first voice, venom dripping, before it was repeated-]

--LIAR--

[That alternate Megatron again, roaring-

Megatron had fought to the end, hadn't he? He'd fought, died at the end of a blade, even if it was from that worthless insect of a scout. He never would have defected, never submitted, never changed.]

[peacewithouttyranny]

[Yup. That's the kind of reaction he expected. The environments rippling around Soundwave and the roaring voice of Megatron doesn't deter him one bit.]

No, I do not lie, Soundwave.

[Saying his own name is weird, but who cares about that right now. Megatron is not here as living proof and he doesn't have his recording of Megatron denouncing his own faction whilst wearing the Autobot badge. So, he can't show physical proof.

But there is one way for him to know the truth.]

If you are anything like me, Soundwave.

[His finger tapping his own head.]

Then read my mind. You will find nothing but the truth.

[If he does, what he says is true. Not a lie. No deception. Just the simple truth.]

[robocreep]

[He is. And that had been the thought that came to mind almost instantly, and would have happened with or without permission. Knowing himself however, there would have been blocks in place that could have deterred less... conspicuous searching. It wouldn't have been comfortable for one of them, or both, had he forged ahead without the approval of the other.

Even now, he had a high regard for himself, even if this happened to just be another version.

In an instant, the larger Soundwave might feel it, the sensation of his processor being meticulously combed through by the mute.

It didn't help the anger. Not even a little, but the accusations of lies were not repeated. A spindly hand clenched and unclenched.

This wasn't his Megatron. He had to remind himself of that. This was some other worlds. His Megatron would never. Would never submit.

It was with this silent, internal reassurance that the anger began to ebb, the whorls of data darting across his screen slowing and returning to black.

Not the same. They weren't the same, this wasn't his lord]

--Alternate--

--He is--

--different--

[Back slowly to calm. Not the one he knew. He could still hold to that.]

[peacewithouttyranny]

[It's not surprising to be angry about that really. Serving under someone who he'd believed in for 4 million years, committing atrocities under his name and fighting against their enemy, only for him to defect to said enemy team without a word?

Who wouldn't be angry at that?

At least, he had calm down.]

Hm, I suppose that is true.

[Now that is settled. He just have two simple question for Soundwave.]

Tell me, Soundwave. What is the Decepticon cause to you? And do you view the organics here as our enemies?

[Depending on his answer, Soundwave may or may not have to keep an optic on him.]

[robocreep]

[The first one was easy. Soundwave disliked overusing his recording capabilities too, and though the answer could be a long one-]

Everything

[Still shaken from the visions he'd plucked from his counterparts processor, the voice that rumbled from the slender mech was his own. Deep, modulated, cold as a nuclear winter.

As for the organics, that was also an easy answer. But back to the recordings.]

--Inconsequential--

--No need to engage--

--Weak--

[peacewithouttyranny]

[Oh, so he can talk. This whole time he thought that his voice box was damaged. He briefly wonders why he wouldn't talk normally, only using recordings to communicate. It's certainly a unique way of communicating, but he sees no reason to ask about that. If he prefers to talk like that then so be it.

His answer is a good one to Soundwave, great even. The Decepticon cause is everything to him as well.

As for his answer to the second question. Well, that's good. Maybe. He'd like to change Soundwave view regarding the organic to be weak creatures. They're fragile, yes, but not weak.

Ultimately though, he doesn't care. As long as the organics are unharmed he doesn't see any reason to monitor his counterpart.]

I see. That's good enough.

[He has a few organics here who he'd consider friends and, well, he doesn't want his good relations with the organics to be ruined by a Cybertronian. That already happened once back in his universe. He doesn't want the same thing to happen here.

He assumes that Soundwave knows about this world and the whole emotions thing, so he's not going to waste time talking about that. But-]

If you have any specific questions that need answers to, feel free to ask me.

[robocreep]

[Trust him he will make everyone look terrible if some human decides it'd be a good idea to test his good graces. He was never fond of them, the bone filled water sacks that called earth home. Stupid at best and obnoxiously dangerous at worst.

Shadow Zone, after all.

He'd not go out of his way to make their lives difficult, but he wasn't going to go out of his way to be careful of them either.

He did have questions, actually, but considering what he knew of this place now and of his counterpart, he'd decided on a different mode of communication.

He hates talking, and as always, careful preservation of all energy is important. The query would ripple through telepathically, and private]

Other Cybertronians.

[Or was it just themselves here?]

[peacewithouttyranny]

[Funnily enough, this one doesn't mind talking. He still prefers to be the quiet one, but being a leader, he needs to make an effort to talk more and be more social and stopping the Decepticons from killing everyone on sight.

And Soundwave answers with his telepathy.]

Unfortunately, we are the only two Cybertronians. But there are mechanical beings here. Sentient mechanical beings. I've met with some of them in fact. An Omnic and two Reploids.

[Not the same species as them, but it's something.]

[robocreep]

[Good and bad, he supposed. Then again, if he was going to have to share a world with any one Cybertronian that wasn't Megatron... It may as well be himself.

He's sure he's a great deal more tolerable than some other Cybertronian's he could mention.]

Query: Omnic

[That wasn't in his archives, after all.]