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

[eventuallea]

[ Axel chuckles bitterly at that first remark, but says nothing more. Oh, he knows, trust in that. Knows personally, in fact, because worse things did happen -- his marching orders, specifically, being the paramount of that. But at least that Roxas hadn’t recognized him when he’d come to carry them out, (though that’d been disheartening, so to speak, in its own right).

Which is why none of this makes any sense whatsoever -- from the way they’re able to fall right back into step, Axel’s longer, lankier strides making the blond’s shorter legs work double-time to keep up, to their casual conversation, like that 358th day had played out in a totally different way.

And he’s saying now that he’s been here for two years when the Roxas he knows -- or used to, perhaps? -- only existed for less than one? ] You’re right -- it does sound pretty crazy.

[ Too crazy. Axel stops again, squints those impossibly-bright eyes visibly. ]

Wait a sec -- two years?! How...

[ Am I dead? He touches his chest unconsciously, making the chains on his cloak jingle. He feels real; Roxas feels real, so... is this a world between, then? An alternate universe of some sort? No, that wouldn’t work, either. No matter how he tries to form it all up in his mind, the timeline just doesn’t make sense, period. Roxas can watch the wheels turn in his friend’s mind for a moment, the telltale clench of his jaw perhaps saying it all. There’s stillness and silence for a moment before all that dissipates with the shake of a head, a gloved hand rustling fire-red spikes in clear frustration. ]

You know what? It doesn’t matter. [ Though that sounds more like something he’s telling himself just to prevent further headache rather than something he earnestly believes. ] You remember me, right? And I’m here now. [ Just two years late with Starbucks, yes, but it’s better than nothing.

Axel turns a playfully-endearing grin to his friend. ] So that’s a promise kept, in my book.

[seasaltkeys]

[He doesn't blame Axel for that reaction. It's his as well and he's the one who's been here the longest. Granted he hasn't really made an effort to try to figure out how it works, just accepting it as one of the many oddities about this place.

At least he's able to provide a tutorial, having been here the longest.]

Took you long enough, but yeah. You're here now.

[There are so many times when he wished Axel has been there earlier, but he shoves those thoughts away, along with any worries about how temporary this might be. He just wants to focus on what's in front of him, for now anyway. The worries will likely come back another time,]

But you should know that this place is really weird, and I don't understand a lot of it still but I can explain a few things at least. Like the fact that people show up from all over, and from different points.

[eventuallea]

[ At Roxas’ continued mention of his delay, Axel sticks an arm out, intending to playfully prod his friend. ]

Hey, would’ve been even longer if we’d had to wait ‘til the next life, right?

[ But he would have. No matter how long it took, no matter how much searching through worlds of darkness, he would've made sure they met again. Why? Because, well, that's what best friends do, that's why. Or... maybe it's something deeper, that goes beyond the constraints of typical friendship...?

Best friendship, then. Yeah... best friends forever, right?

The grin he wears wanes some at that, eyes contemplatively watching his steps for a moment. ] You do remember that promise we made, don’t you? [ He hadn’t exactly confirmed it before.

A lapse, and a couple more steps toward their destination later-- ] Really weird? [ At that, Axel lets out a good-natured scoff. ] You’re not exactly giving me breaking news here, Roxas.

I could’ve told you the place is weird. [ From the amulets, to the magic, to the way environments seem to subtly shift around them, if one pays close enough attention to them. But, they've definitely seen stranger things in their travels. ]

And just whaddya mean, ‘different points’?

[seasaltkeys]

Yeah, thanks for not letting it go that long.

[Because he doesn't even know what that next life would look like for him. He nods at the next question.]

Of course I do. No matter where I went, you'd find me and bring me back.

[Not that he's in a rush to get back, considering what's he's pretty sure would happen.]

just making sure you have all the information. But how to explain...look, what's the last thing you remember? Before you got here.

[eventuallea]

[ It would’ve been enough just to hear that he remembers. But the promise he recounts is both good news and bad in one: Good, because it is something he said; bad, because it’s not the one Axel recalls specifically, about meeting again in the next life. About Roxas waiting there for him.

Jade eyes squint for a moment, as though he might inquire, but he’s diverted instead by the next query. The last thing he remembers...

...is something he wishes he didn’t.

His face doesn’t show it, of course, (or so he thinks), but something inside him harshly balks at a full retelling, so he keeps it short. Skip the details; it isn’t like he’s got to give a full report to a superior or anything. ]

Twilight Town. [ He answers, speech short, almost clipped-sounding -- especially in contrast to moments ago. But because that’s a relatively vague answer in and of itself, after a moment he appends-- ] ...After you left.

[ There. That should be enough. There’s no need to go into further detail than that. And he won’t, unless Roxas asks.

But this, unlike any others before, is a very uncomfortable silence they settle into. Furthermore, as beachy landscape turns back to proper civilization again, Axel’s feet begin to leave visible footprints behind on the pavement, as though he’s scorching the ground with every step. Nearby plants turn down and away from him, their edges browning as though from excess heat. ]

[seasaltkeys]

So pretty close to me, actually.

[It does cast a dark shadow on their meeting. Even though it was a while ago for Roxas now, it's still easy to recall, to remember. He sighs.]

The last thing I remember is fighting you, and then I kept going. And met Sora. I was supposed to go back to him, but I ended up here instead. And it's sort of where I stayed.

[It's mostly worked out.]

[eventuallea]

[ ...huh. Imagine that -- instead of going back to Sora, he’d somehow been diverted. Preserved here, in a sense, in a place where he didn’t have to rejoin with his other.

It’s like a conversation they’d had before, filled with silly impossible things about finding a place to run away to where they could be together, away from the Organization. He can’t comprehend the how or why of it all, but somehow, Roxas had found it. That impossible place.

And now Axel has too.

It doesn’t make sense at all, but nevertheless, in a brief flicker, he feels almost a sense of... is it gratitude? to this place, just for existing.

To that, he can only shake his head, chuckling under his breath before breathing out a soft word of disbelief. ]

Man...

[seasaltkeys]

Yeah, pretty much.

[Roxas honestly feels the same way. It's why he's reluctant to leave. Here, he's managed to have a life, and his own life at that. It's something he never thought would be possible.

He pauses, trying to figure out how to explain the next part. He couldn't say why, but he just wants it all out in the open, no surprises or anything like that.]

That's not the only thing though. Sora's here to. And Riku.

[And Sora likes him.They're pretty much friends and Sora wants Roxas to keep living his own life and is this bright ball of energy that Roxas really doesn't know what to do with and they're living with him and Roxas has a lot of feelings about this that he really doesn't know how to express so instead there's just a slight whistling sound in the air.

He hasn't even gotten to Arden yet.]

[eventuallea]

[ Lips perk back into a small grin at the way Roxas seems to understand all that's left unsaid by Axel's last reply. His steps pause again, however, at the mention of his best friend's other somehow simultaneously existing here. Shouldn't that be impossible...?

Crimson brows lift markedly. ]

So that's what you meant by 'strange'.

[ That definitely does qualify. Against that, Riku doesn't even come as a surprise; after all, where Sora goes, Riku follows.

...Or is it the other way around?

Well, whatever. Point is, they're pretty much inseparable, like he'd said before about himself with Xion and Roxas. Things hadn't panned out nearly as well in his own case, but, hey. He's here now, like Roxas said.

After a moment, Axel's long strides resume. ]

But you're his Nobody. So if he's here, you're gonna have to join him eventually, aren't you?

[ So maybe this is some kind of world between, and their time together here, too, has an expiration date. Just like before.

A hand rustles his crimson spikes rather restlessly at the thought. Hey, he'd wanted to see Roxas one more time, right? His green eyes glance down to the blond at his side, reminding himself that he still got his wish. ]

[seasaltkeys]

I don't know. He's been here for a while, but nothing's really happened, so I think it's okay.

I think if I went back to our world, I would have to, but here those rules don't seem to apply.

[He tries not to think about it, but it's that niggling thought in the back of his mind. The one that makes itself known on the nights where he has trouble sleeping. The constant worry that one day his time will be up. ]

Sora seems to be getting by without me though. And he seems okay with the fact that I exist here.

[eventuallea]

[ Axel doesn't want to think about that day, personally. It'd been hard enough the last time, when his "emotions" were more thoughts than earnest feelings. ]

Doesn't sound like too bad of a deal.

[ But that can't be all of it. If it's one thing he's learned, it's that there are always icky jobs. ]

So, what's the catch?

[ He'd said something earlier on that had led Axel to question what he's been through here... What was it, again? ]