TEST DRIVE: AUGUST

[empevents]

— TEST DRIVE: AUGUST —

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, July 25 and Applications (Canon | OC) open a week later on August 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!
  
  
• Transfer to in-game. If accepted, you can assume threads made on the Test Drive happen in-game if the scenario can reasonably fit. These threads do not count toward AC.

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 citizens of Verens are nothing if not opportunistic, and the new solid rock pillars jutting down to the surface have already had a few people wondering how to make a profit out of them. Luckily most of these entrepreneurs are having to go through copious amounts of red tape in order to ensure their use of the pillars does not endanger the island or the participants. That doesn’t mean these new businesses aren’t EXCITING, though!

1. Rock Climbing. Are you a thrill seeker? An all star athlete? Just looking for a good way to get yourself in shape? Well we’ve got something for you: EXXXXTREME ROCK CLIMBING XXVIV!!!!!!! Now open at the western Pillar nearest the city of Verens! Come one, come all to the most exciting and EXTREME climbing adventure. Dodge fiery and watery hazards while clinging to the cliffs of the pillars! The trip down to the surface is provided, and for those who can’t make it all the way up on their own a rescue trip up will only be 150 sylvs a trip! Take up the partner challenge and tie yourself together at the waist in order to gain extra challenge for your climbs up!
   
2. Tiered Romance. On the pillar nearest the Airship Docks, something much more calm has stakes it’s claim for business. Romantic Getaways, a company dedicated to dates and private moments for all has set up several decks built off the pillars in order to take advantage of the lovey dovey atmosphere the pillars provide. For a low fee you too could have a blind dinner date overlooking the planet’s healing surface. Also hiring waiters and waitresses to deliver food and other services to those who have rented out the decks!

• Prompt E: It’s not an old tradition by any means, but this summer the city of verens is looking for some lighthearted fun in order to help soothe everyone’s nerves after recent events. It seems like it’s working too, considering the turnout! All activities for these games are Arehtei themed, too! It’s all in good fun, and generating some nice peaceful emotions might just be what the doctor ordered for most of the Arehtei.

1. Wisp Capture. Arehtei themed artificial wisps have been set free across the island! Each one glows in the color of their respective Arehtei and the goal is to collect a certain amount in order to win the competition. Specially crafted nets and mesh bags are given to each pair participating before sending them out after the last bit of light in the sky has darkened. Depending on how many of what aligned Arehtei wisp gathered, the items you can win will change! But be careful, you have to catch at LEAST 100 wisps to qualify for a prize, and you only get one. Aiada, Piphron and Sosyne will give out small pouches of gems, while Elios, Peromei, Daimonia and Thras will give out sylvs. A single special silver wisp can be found, which will award both prizes on top of whatever color wisp has the majority!
   
2. Food Competition. Are you really, really, REALLY hungry? Come compete in an Arehtei themed team food eating competition in the name of your chosen Arehtei!!! But there’s one catch: this competition is ONLY done in pairs. One partner eats, the other must contribute by feeding them. Hopefully you’re not partnered up with someone you don’t get along with or you might get more food on your face than in your mouth. Participants are given small rings with gems themed around their chosen arehtei as a prize.
   
3. Ruin Race. In an attempt to boost everyone’s competitive side, the local Parks and Recreation department of Verens is holding a Test of Courage. Drop by the ruins in the outskirts of town to participate. Just remember - the prize of completing this task is coming out of this ~alive~. (So spooky!)
   
   
   1. Partner up. All participants are requested to find a partner to complete a task together. Partners can either be of the same alignment, or have different alignments. The task is to go into the ruins and look for coloured talismans that pertain to each member’s Arehtei. It might be best to screen your partner, because you wouldn’t want them running off on you as soon as you hear some thumping noises inside, right?
      
   2. Secret Ruins. These ruins are dark and like a maze - if you exit and enter again, the paths will be different compared to the last time. There doesn’t seem to be any threats, but there are croaking, flapping, and thumping noises that can be heard every now and then. The only source of light is the lamp that is given to you upon signing up, too. At some point, you might encounter dead end upon dead end. Remember what the organiser told you before entering: Compliments complement the forgotten past. Spread some positivity between you and your partner, and the walls will light up and show you the path to the talismans.
      
   3. Talis-MAAAAAAN! In the off-chance that you pick up the wrong talisman, you’ll start to feel different. Pessimism will seep through your veins, and so will anger and fear. It will deter you from making the right choices, following the right path, and working with your partner. Fortunately, the effects wear off in twenty minutes. You won’t be acting crazy all night!

• Prompt F: With all the trial and tribulation around Elios, the summer job boom was almost missed. But somehow, there just seems to be an overabundance of summer jobs this time around! From waterpark jobs to babysitting and dog walking to monster culling, there’s an abundance of jobs looking for anyone to take them. It’s created a worker’s market where pay is going through the roof!

1. MANY MONSTERS. The Yekar Wobbler population is OUT OF CONTROL! The strangely cooler air during the last couple of months has prompted a more active than usual breeding season. The small cotton ball looking creatures look quite similar to Aiada’s sprites, but they prey on farmer’s crops! You can either rush in and help bag them up immediately, or you could be one of the lucky group to go down to Elios’ Domain to gather the Lalri Flower. This flower has strong attracting properties that the Yekar Wobblers are especially weak to. It’ll make bagging them up a lot easier! And it’ll keep them from swarming you—or your partner and chomping down into your arms and legs! (Don’t worry, their mouths are too small to do too much damage, but boy does it smart like a bee sting!)
   
2. Babysitting Blues. There’s a definite shortage of babysitters, though for some reason the families that need sitters need at least two for their troublesome tots. No two sitters will have only ONE child to look after but at least 3 troublesome, toddling, terrifying children to look after. Keep them out of danger, and do your best with feedings, and good luck if you decide to go out to the park!
   
3. Waterpark Angels. A waterpark has opened up outside of the city to take advantage of the warming temperatures and it needs many hands on deck. Check for swimsuit appropriateness, lost items,and make sure people are queueing properly. Bonus? On your time off you get admission to the park and rides FOR FREE! Bust out some suntan lotion cause you’re going to need it.

• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include talking frogs and/or bubblegum flavoured pizza.

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

[ididntsaybanana]

Why? Are you insane?

[ Before you can answer he reaches out and grabs your arm, dragging you along back to his place ]

Fine, let's go.

[orangeyaglad]

You know I'm not—

[wait, what. what is happening

what's going on

he's confused, and the plants popping up in his footfalls don't seem to understand what's what either. guess we're going. he won't say anything, just keep walking]

[ididntsaybanana]

[ He has no idea how this happened and why he did this beyond the fact that he kind of owes you big time. I mean like, BIG TIME. So once they're inside, he shoves you to the couch and goes into the kitchen. He fiddles around in there while you wait for like. 5-10 min before he comes out with a tray of tea cups and a tea pot ]

Drink it and don't complain if you don't like it.

[ He says, as he pours them both cups made from Helheim fruits ]

[orangeyaglad]

... Thanks.

[he will gladly take the cup and relax with it, having already taken a seat and waiting around]

[ididntsaybanana]

[ He's doing the same, just savoring the taste ]

[orangeyaglad]

[well isn't this nice]

[ididntsaybanana]

[ For now. He's already expecting to have another argument with you soon over something stupid probably. ]

[orangeyaglad]

[nope just gonna enjoy]

[ididntsaybanana]

You should find a place to stay for both you and Mai.

[ He's going to finish his cup of tea and set it down, waiting for you to finish too. His amulet however, is reacting to his emotions and it cools off the cup right away-- at least he'd finished the tea before that happened, but there are swirls of colors within his amulet, not a confused array of them, but a sort of rode into each different color that shifts like a hologram ]

It's not hard to find a place, though. I got this place and just chose it to be where I stayed.

[orangeyaglad]

I know. But I know she'll want a say in it too.

[he's not paying too much mind to the amulet. everyone's is different, and everyone's emotions have a different mark on the world, so there's no use overthinking that.]

A lot of the places around here are free for awhile, so that'll help us all get more settled.

[ididntsaybanana]

Take the time you have here and spend it with her. It's not every day that you can take a vacation from running your own planet.

[ Because Mai is important. Because Mai has never blamed him for anything. Because Mai and the golden fruit are the same no matter what to him. But he knows that part of the reason why you'd won their final battle was because Mai had already had a preference for you. That's what had broken the stalemate. And if he's honest with himself, it had probably been the better outcome compared to what he would've have done with that power.

That's why he's made it a point to look beyond the narrow path of fighting and being stronger than anyone else. Does he still like challenges? Does he still like winning? Yes, but he also wants more than just that. Not just strength, but . . . the things he had taken for granted or thrown away.

And he'd always believed that no matter how angry or harsh he felt towards you, no matter how much you annoyed and irritated him- he'd still be there with you, fighting by your side, watching your back due to the fact that your naivete would've made you an easy target.

Why he's thinking of this, he doesn't know. But maybe. Just maybe . . . something had changed inside of him. Something big. And now he doesn't understand why he had pushed you away so quickly. ]

[orangeyaglad]

Hah... I know. It's actually really relaxing in a way.

[No one has to tell him that Mai is important. that Mai did everything she could, with every ounce of her life, to stop the fighting and bring them together. there's no way he could explain that her preference wasn't for him but for his ideals.

he learned a lot about himself when he ate that fruit. about who he was. about life, and the world. but he's still Kouta, even though he's also a spacegod. and that means friendship is still so, so important]

I don't think she'd be happy if I didn't take some time.

[ididntsaybanana]

[ You're dense and stupid, Kazuraba Kouta. Mai wanted you, she loves you. She wanted to be with you no matter what. And he already knows neither of you care if he's an Overlord or not, but he can already feel the distance between him and you, him and Mai. And there's no going back for any of them. He's too far away from the both of you to be able to turn and welcome you with open arms. Not that he'd ever do that, but still. It's too late to go back to how things used to be. And something in his heart fractures at that thought, his amulet glimmering with a mixture of red and black while he looks down at his hands which are on his knees ]

I don't hate you, Kazuraba. I don't dislike you either. You've already proven your strength to me so there's nothing else that's necessary right now. But what you want from me isn't possible because it goes against everything inside of me. I might have thrown a lot of things away, but I never threw my honor away.

Ever.

[orangeyaglad]

[first: i knew you didn't hate or dislike me.

second: how stupid, to think that he and mai are too far away to reach for. as though she would hesitate a second to take those hands.]

Your honor... ? Has something to do with our friendship?

[ididntsaybanana]

[ No, you're the one who is stupid. You and Mai are both above him in the evolutionary ladder of life. Either of you could singularly destroy him without even blinking an eye. He knows this. And you know this. And so does Mai. And that's why there's this distance between them and that's why he's not willing to close the distance and take a chance on being able to do what they used to do- just the three of them. ]

We don't have a friendship, Kazuraba. And I don't need either you or Mai for anything. I can make do on my own here and restart my life without the two of you involved.

[ His voice is sharp when he says that while his amulet makes a low, angry hum ]

[orangeyaglad]

[that sharpness hurts, and he looks like it did]

But you don't have to.

[ididntsaybanana]

[ Shit, why are you giving him that look. Shit. ]

I know I don't have to. I want to.

[orangeyaglad]

And what about us?

[ididntsaybanana]

You'll have each other.

[orangeyaglad]

Yeah, we will.

[ididntsaybanana]

Exactly.

[orangeyaglad]

And you'll be alone>

[ididntsaybanana]

Not really. I've been fucking anyone I thought was interesting.

[orangeyaglad]

[that. is too much information]

Ah. Oh. Uh.

[ididntsaybanana]

[ He shrugs, but at the same time he'd expected that kind of reaction ]

Huh, I forgot.

You're one of the straightest guys I know so it must sound weird to you.