empatheias_ooc | TEST DRIVE: MAY

— TEST DRIVE: MAY —

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 Monday, April 24th and Applications (Canon | OC) open a week later on May 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: Elios’ land was a great place to hold this year’s festival, but it’s always best to leave a place as you found it. This is especially important for the surface, as there’s a lot of work put into trying to heal the different domains that span the land down below Verens. Anyone who volunteers for cleaning duty is getting paid, and vouchers to several of the cafes up in Verens as a reward! For anyone not interested in cleaning but interested in a new closing ceremony of sorts, they can instead attend a fireside dance that will be held for the next few nights at the site of the festival once things are tidied up.

Cleanup Ordeals. Not too much mess was left around luckily as most people who helped organize the Festival understand the importance of cleaning up the mess you make, but it looks like the tent areas have a lot left to clean up and take down. Removing flowers and string lights, packing up fabric and blankets, and generally picking up trash here and there left by festival goers is the main job. It’s a big job, and the festival organizers encourage anyone with special skills or dunamis practice to use whatever they have at their disposal to speed things along.
Fireside Dance.It’s a small, simple gathering done once the sun has gone down and the sky is dark. The fire is stoked hot, surrounded by worn black stones painted with Elios’ symbol in red and orange tones of paint. The dance is a quick one, requiring two circles, an inner and outer one. Partners on the outer circle travel the inner circle and wind up dancing with each person in turn. Luckily it’s pretty quick to learn and everyone spirits run warm to match flushed cheeks. At the end, each participant is asked to throw a small twig into the fire and express a moment of love or hate, in the pursuit of balance.

• Prompt E: During the festival this month there was a curious prize at one of the game booths. Some of the Elios plushes from the bobbing for ducks booth seem to not have been plushies at all! After a few days of having one in your possession, The plush will engulf in non spreading flames and burn completely out, revealing one small egg, white or black. Depending on your mood the past few days, the egg will either hatch a leathery or feathery winged creature. Hopefully you’ve been in a good mood! Luckily, the creatures are only around long enough to perform their duty before winking out of existence again.

Bad Egg. Negative emotions have lead to a sour and dark winged creature who is up to mischief. They will not listen to their “owner” and instead are quite often out to make things difficult for them. 3 misfortunes or specific instances of bad luck will happen over three days to their possessor while they run amok. A claw shaped trinket is left behind as a reminder to try and enjoy life and not get caught up in bad moods.
Good Egg. Positive emotions will lead to a happy, bright and angelic feather winged creature. They’re mischievous as well, but often in gentler ways, and sometimes try to play cupid for their owner. These playful creatures will grant 3 small wishes over three days for their owner, such as desires for better weather, tastier food or small trinkets. No wishing for a million sylvs here! Once it poofs out of existence in a puff of glitter it leaves behind a small pearl as a reminder to value the things they have and experiences they get that make live worth living.

• Prompt F: A small ring of Circus performers from Thesthai have traveled up to Verens and set up a tent out near lake Niras. It’s a small Circus performance, a prelude to something that might be bigger in the future. All performances are done by the Circus members themselves, from acrobatics and magic tricks, to displays of fearless daredevilry with the help of Verens steam-punk inspired vehicles. Overall it seems to be garnering a lot of attention, causing a several day repeat showing of the activities. Performancy plays a central role in some setups, and they seem to be the most popular...

Animal Experience.Enjoy the animal menagerie, all sorts of creatures are here. They’re all well taken care of, and seem to enjoy the food and pettings they’re getting from the attendees. Happy animals make for happy animal loving customers afterall! There IS one catch.. mischevious circus performers will cast performancy on those who aren't paying enough attention to their surroundings, and circus goers in the menagerie area may find something new if they look in a mirror. Animal ears and tails and a host of other features! Don’t worry. It’s temporary and all in good fun.
Carnival Games. Carnival type games have been set up outside the main tent, including a lot of familiar games that may have been seen during the Zephyras Flower Festival. Ring Toss, water laser races, darts, and the good old fashioned strong arm competition are all part of the setup. The prizes here range from simple small toys to bigger 4 foot tall plushies. Careful though, some of these setups might actually be rigged. The house has to have an advantage, in the end. Where would they make their money?

• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include geese and/or potatoes.

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

[Mipha slows as she approaches until eventually she comes to a stop, staring up at Sidon with a look of wonder. It's not as though she could ever forget him, but it's so strange. Sidon towers over her now, and her heart... Hurts. It's an ache both wonderful and terrible, that deep-seated longing for what used to be and what might have been.

She clasps her hands in front of her. She won't cry, but she blinks a few times as she looks at him.]

...Look how much you've grown. You're not really a 'little' brother anymore, are you.

[A lot of emotions probably reflect in his eyes as he regards the other. That was definitely his sister standing before him. How could he forget, after all. He had stared at the statue of her likeness back at Zora's Domain every night. The statue, beautiful as it is, could never really replicate the true beauty that came from Mipha's gentle heart.

It's only for a moment before he grins rather broadly and approaches her. The way he stumbles a bit is probably an indication that he really wanted to hug her. He mustn't get too excited. Give her room before he drowns her in hugs or something.]

Sister! It really is you. I thought that I may have heard a ghost when I heard your voice! It was very shocking to hear the name Ruta uttered by you. I had heard it so many times before that I thought that my mind was playing some jest, but here you are! You...You are here and well.

[Can he hug her yet? He won't crush her. Promise.]

[It's not a laughing matter, it really isn't, but the hundred years that separated them now seemed nonexistent in the face of his raw emotion. He hasn't seemed to change much at all, just bigger and a little louder, and Mipha feels the tension release.

A ghost, well...] I'm certainly not a ghost any longer. [At the very least, she seems alive and solid as ever right now. Somehow. But she won't question it right now, not when it's given her the opportunity to see Sidon again.

And he might as well have hung a big neon sign begging for a hug, honestly. Mipha just laughs and spreads her arms welcomingly. IT'S HUG TIME]

[His smile seems to brighten when she speaks somehow. As though her speaking solidifies that she is here and that it isn't some trick.]

You are not! That is certainly true. And I will be honest that I did not ever think that I would get to be face to face again with you. This is truly a wonderful turn of events.

[He isn't sure how things work here still, but he finds that this place is quite nice! The people are, for the most part, polite and kind. The place itself is certainly interesting. There was no way he'd be upset that it could even have him being able to speak and physically touch his sister again.

Speaking of; he's most certainly pulling her into a hug. Hopefully she doesn't mind being lifted up so he can hug her tightly. He's gotten tall and she's certainly much smaller than him.] I have missed you so!

[In the past 100 years, Mipha hadn't allowed herself to dream of reuniting with her brother and/or father. While she had longed to see them again, it was a dream that would have brought far too much pain, and she had tried, very hard, not to indulge.

But when the loneliness got a little too unbearable, the thoughts had drifted in, once in a while. This reality had proven to be far more than any of the fantasies, far better, and it takes every ounce of her upbringing to not weep when he pulls her up for a hug.

Instead Mipha laughs and throws her arms around him, momentarily abandoning her decorum in favor of enjoying this to the fullest. Who knew when she'd get another chance? She squeezes tightly, silently echoing the statement before she pulls away enough to smile at him]

I'm so glad to see you again. You've grown so well-- I'm so proud of you. [She has no doubt that Sidon's become the best example of a Zora--prince or not--that he could be]

[Sidon, while probably one of the most optimistic people to exist in Hyrule, was also grounded in reality to know that reuniting with his sister was very low. He held onto that sliver, but he also understood enough that it wasn't a thing that would easily become a reality. It was something hard to swallow, but something he accepted.

It's why he's sure he has never felt this much happiness swell in his chest. She may no longer exist on the living plane back home, but she could apparently exist here. He never forgot her warmth and it was the same even after so many years.

Not even the most beautiful music could hold a flame to the sound of her laugh.]

It pleases me so to hear you say that sister. To hear you again is perhaps my wildest dream becoming reality. [He's gonna keep hugging her for a bit. He will surely put her down in a moment, but Sidon just wants to savor the warmth of his sister.]

[She reminds herself not to cry, but it's hard when her heart is so full to bursting. She missed him so and quietly laments that he's too big for her to lift now.] You used to be so small. I never imagined a day where you'd be able to pick me up.

[She laughs again and smiles warmly, shaking her head.] I was worried about what sort of place I'd ended up in... But if you're here, it can't be so bad. I'm sure that we can endure anything.

[There's no need to fake confidence here, she trusts in both her abilities and Sidon's, so no matter what this place may throw at them, short of Calamity Ganon himself, Mipha's confident they can face it head on and triumph.]

Even father was a bit surprised at the stature I had grown to! [He pretty much towers over everyone else except King Dorephan.] I like to think that it will help everyone trust in me to carry the weight of the Domain on my shoulders along with my actions. [Not that his height probably has to help. He's always been kind and giving to his people when he can.]

Everyone seems kind here, although I have noticed that our race is rare. Many have given me surprised stares! [It doesn't help that he's so tall.] While this place must have its own trouble, there seems to be a certain amount of peace.

There must be an impressive being or magic for it to physically materialize those that have passed. I am happy that I can stand alongside with you again.

[He believes that they can achieve whatever they put themselves to. His sister has always been amazing to him and that hasn't changed.] I don't think we have to worry about such things right now. Not with all the festivities at hand.

Some day, you might tower over even him. [What a sight that would be to see! On one hand it's hard to imagine her baby brother all grown up and on the throne, but on the other hand...She can already see what a fine king he'll be. Perhaps a little brash, but enthusiastically encouraging all the same.

The idea of people giving Sidon surprised stares makes her smile and hide a laugh behind one hand.] We can think of it as an opportunity to introduce others to our kind. [And really there couldn't be better representation!]

Perhaps we'll be able to stay here for a nice enough time. [Not forever, she couldn't ask for forever, but enough time to make it worth it... Yes, she could ask for that, couldn't she?]

There's so much to see and to explore, I would like to take our time with it and see as much as we could. The things you learn you might be able to take back home with you, to further help everyone.

[A laugh erupts from the taller Zora.] I don't think I would quite reach that size. I cannot fathom reaching father's size. I much prefer being able to stand among our people as equal and I find that would be difficult if I were to get too big. [Hylians are already so small and all the Zoras are smaller than him. He doesn't want to get bigger.]

I would like to know more about the races here. It would be a chance to share our cultures! [He has been fascinated by the people around him.]

It feels as though we have the luxury to take a breath here. We didn't quite have that back home, although I cannot help but worry about everyone back home. I know that there isn't any need to worry, but I still have concerns.

TEST DRIVE: MAY

that username is amazing and i'm jealous of it

Thank you!!! I wanted a shark pun but couldn't think of one. Alas.

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Sorry for the delays. Was trying to make a deadline! Thank you for waiting :)

No problem!

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