empatheias_ooc | TEST DRIVE: September

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*test drive

TEST DRIVE: September

— TEST DRIVE: SEPTEMBER —

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 Friday, August 25 and Applications (Canon | OC) open a week later on September 1st. Apps will only be open for four days!
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: There’s an epidemic going about that hasn’t been cured just yet. You might find some rather delusional people who believe that their reality is something else. In fact, you might even encounter a friend or two feeling this way. If your luck is the worst or you’re the type to get sick easily, you might even be affected by these strange symptoms.

Do You Believe In Life After Love? You’re suddenly approached by two natives, one of them saying they LOVE you so much! The other doesn’t seem too pleased and is accusing you of being a homewrecker. It seems their false memories are making them think you’re part of their love triangle. Uh oh… this definitely could cause a riot, especially out in the public.
The Giving Tree. Whether you like it or not, the Tree of Memories is raining petals everywhere, thus revealing real and false memories of everyone and anyone alike. Your memories might definitely be broadcasted, too. Nobody is safe thanks to this epidemic.

• Prompt E: It’s the last month of summer, so everyone’s been taking advantage of the heat! The waterpark has been booming with customers since summer began, and they want to have a lot of customers each day, as well. There’s so many promos there! Not to mention, there are so many summer activities all over the city. There is literally so much to do that one can’t possibly do them all!

Cry Me a Lazy River. The waterpark promo entails that each person who visits will get a half-off voucher come wintertime. IT’S A GREAT PROMO. And everyone seems to be so into the idea, because the water park is packed! The lazy river is lazier than ever because while the tide keeps everyone moving and afloat, there’s not much room to move. The lines in the water slide are way too long that you may as well just jump from the ledge rather than go down the slide. The wave pool feels really warm because someone may have peed in there…
1 Fish, 2 Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. By one of the lakes is a fishing contest. It’s not about who gets to fish the longest fish around. There are so many categories: shiniest fish, fish with the hardest scales, fish with the largest mouth, fish with the bluest eyes, and fish who can jump the highest when out of the water! Come join the contest, because while it may be ridiculous to some, the grand prize in each division is 10,000 sylvs!
99 Hot Air Balloons. Amongst the tens of events happening all over the island is a Hot Air Balloon festival. There are balloons that are shaped like the Arehtei, and there are balloons that look like the lovechild of a platypus and a waffle. Besides looking and riding hot air balloons, there are other attractions like ziplines and paraglides. Hope you’re not afraid of heights!

• Prompt F: Now that things are settling down, despite there being an epidemic around, people are beginning to organise excursions and adventures in the less known areas of the island and other areas belonging to the Arehtei. However, there are so many things that need to be researched before coming up with plans on how to go about said excursions. Researchers are looking for volunteers who could help them sort out the information. Two heads are better than one!

Look At the Starch. And how they shine for you… (Ahem!) Volunteers are given a stack of books to look through, but they’ll soon realise that these books have holes all over the pages! There’s not much information to go on when the next page to what you’re reading has already been eaten by roaches and silverfish! Fortunately, these insects seem to have thrown up what they’ve eaten into tiny bits and pieces. If you’re patient enough, you could glue the pages back together! … and find that the pages might be pertaining to a grocery list or a young girl’s list of crushes in school. . .
Elfeba. While going through the library and the important documents, you might bump into a strange looking jar. Don’t take off the lid! Or touch it! Or even look at it! Oh no-- it’s already too late. Any attention given to the jar releases the baddest and most wicked of all elves, Elfeba! She’s a troublemaker, and she likes playing with people’s hair! If she hates your hair, she might even grab a pair of scissors to cut it! Put her back in her place (literally) by knocking her out and shoving her back inside the jar. Be careful - she’s fast and can teleport short distances!
Dungeon Crawling in My Skin. So, you’ve managed to come this far… now you’re exploring dungeon that’s never been explored before. There is no map to guide you, but thankfully, it’s not as creepy as one would imagine. There’s the sound of water running that can be heard through the walls, and if you manage to get through the other side of the dungeon without running into chimeras and human-eating wallabies the size of lions, then you’ll find yourself on a cliff with a large stream of waterfall before you. It might be pretty to look at, but careful! Any sign of emotion while near the waterfalls will turn the water into fire! Hopefully you weren’t trying to drink the water!

• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include desk slams and/or ice cream that changes flavour depending on emotion.

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

[ She jumps slightly at the nudge she wasn't quite expecting but her smile widens a little, if that was even possible. Of all the people to come up behind her, she was glad it was him. ]

Joe-san!

[ A few small flowers bloom around her heels as she curtsies towards him and clasps her hands towards her chest. ]

If you would be so kind, I would love to ride the large pink cat shaped balloon.

That's fine.

[ It had to be the cat shaped one. He knew it'd be pink because, let's face it, they're sentai and color scheming is what they do. But he shoves down any reservations he has about the cat balloon and holds out a hand to you for you to take. He's going to escort you onto it like gentleman, okay? Okay. ]

[ There's a very soft giggle that she hides behind her hand as she places her free hand in his. Since when did the soldier that she knew turn into a gentleman? Although the small flowers and warmth from her give away just how happy she is. ]

Have you been on a balloon before? I wonder how they control them. There doesn't seem to be a steering wheel of any sort on board?

[ She's trying to take a closer look at it as they approach it. ]

[ He has been trying to learn how to be more gentlemanly. He's a pirate, yes, but he doesn't have to be a brute, right? So he clasps your hand in his and leads you to the balloon, a warm light coming from his amulet and shining onto your flowers ]

I haven't, no. It seems like an archaic human invention that simulates flight.

[ Which is-- well they're from planets with a lot more technological advances. After all, besides Gai, the entire crew is full of aliens. ]

[ She laughs again and smiles mischievously towards him. ]

I believe the word that you may be looking for is romantic.

[ She had a soft spot for these little cultural things. Experiences she would never have had at home. And so when they approach the person who's in charge of the balloon, she asks him whether or not they could try flying it themselves and looks towards Joe to see whether he would be game. ]

I . . . wouldn't know.

[ Except the light flush on his cheeks says differently. And to take attention off of that, he squeezes your hand in his and nods in acquiescence to riding the balloon with you ]

[ He's so innocent and she knew it. Since his world was all about fighting but she was glad that he was here with her. And she waits for a few moments while the owner of the balloons explains how they would be able to go up into the air themselves and manipulate the craft with their emotions and come back down when their time is up. ]

I believe it is rather straight forward.

[ They might not have the most control of their emotions but she thinks this much they can do. ]

It seems easy enough.

[ He thinks he was able to distract you from the flush on his face. He is very deluded in that aspect. Let the man have his dreams. ]

[ There isn't much that gets past this princess in that regard. Even though it's completely over her head that there may be something special coming from him. There's no way a hardened soldier like him would have feelings for someone like her. He was just being kind and offering to ride the balloon as a friend. ]

Then I shall leave it in your capable hands, Joe-san.

[ And she's going to climb into the basket as gracefully as one can. Even though it's just a little awkward. ]

[ Wait, nope. He's going to reach over and easily pick you up so you can climb in easier. And while he does that, for the briefest moment you can feel how warm his amulet is against your skin. A nice warmth, a soothing warmth. The warmth of something more than just "friends". ]

[ And with that her heart races and a pink tinge spreads over her cheeks although she's not really able to explain why. The feelings were definitely there but she was so sure she's just misunderstanding.

But she looks away from him. Too shy in that one moment to catch his gaze. Instead, she's patting down her dress to make sure it's all sitting correctly once she's in the basket. ]

Thank you, Joe...-san.

[ Just dropping the honorific would be too brazen of her. ]

[ He pauses when you just say his name before he blinks when you add the "san" to it. It was almost too much to hope for that you'd drop that honorific, but then again why would you when he's been so . . .

He's not good at showing how he feels and you're a princess. Maybe there's no room in your life for him besides being comrades and friends.

He doesn't know.

He doesn't want to acknowledge that to be the truth though. So he gives a brief nod and then jumps into the basket next to you. ]

Should I do the honors?

[ At getting them airborne. ]

[ If only one of them had the courage to say the first thing but it's a bit hard when it feels like your past would be worlds apart.

But she would have noticed him if he was one of their guards, for sure she would. And she may have even ventured out to ask if he would spend time with her outside of his duties. But thinking about that just made her flush more. ]

Yes, please! I wonder how different this would feel to being in the galleon.

[ And she's leaning over the edge already, wanting to watch the ground drift away. ]

[ He uses his emotions to nudge the balloon up into the air slowly, taking his time to control the flow and rise of both emotions and air and heat. It's a good distraction from thinking the lonely sort of thoughts of not being able to be with you as more than friends ]

We can find that out soon enough.

[ Is what he says in response, but he can't help but. Glance at you every few seconds, almost as if he thinks you're going to disappear any second and he needs to see as much of you to last a lifetime ]

[ There's a little bubble of joy exploding from her in a rainbow of colours as the balloon goes up. She's like a young child experiencing candy for the first time. Even though she's flown through the air so often, this felt different.

It was just the two of them in this basket and it felt so intimate. ]

It feels remarkably different to riding in the galleon. I am so glad that I am here to experience this...

[ And then said just that little bit softer. ]

...with you.

[ . . . did his heart just make a small jump in his chest? Yes. Yes it did. He looks at you blankly for a few seconds, not sure if he heard right. But the balloon is going even higher because his emotions have sort of become a tidal wave.

He quickly looks up and adjusts the ebb and pull of both his emotions as well as the air. Once he's gotten it settled, he looks back over at you ]

. . . I feel the same.

[ Is all he can say before he impulsively leans forward and presses a quick, clumsy kiss onto your cheek ]

[ As the kiss lands on her cheek, her eyes widen and she turns to watch directly into his gaze before her yes drop down to the basket. Her cheeks now were a bright red and she's quickly bringing up her hands to try and hide her face. ]

Joe-san...

[ She wasn't sure what to say to that sudden action but hopefully the strong scent of her favourite calming tea filling the air and the rainbow coloured aura around her head were revealing all her emotions. ]

[ He notices it, the scent of tea, the rainbow aura, but he's kind of dense so he isn't sure if it's . . . if you liked it or not. He fidgets a bit, uncomfortably, before asking ]

Was that alright?

[ And the question makes her laugh, a very genuine soft laughter that fills her entire self with warmth and she pauses for a moment, gathering all the courage she has before moving up right next to him and kissing him on the cheek too.

Then just as quickly she turns back to place her hands on the edge of the basket and stare out at the beautiful view around them. ]

[ EXCUSE.

HIS ENTIRE FACE IS RED.

Where is the battle hardened soldier right now? CLEARLY NOT HERE BECAUSE HE'S A TOMATO ]

[ She lets a few moments pass as she's just standing there admiring the view because she needed some time for her voice to come back and her feelings to come under control. If she were on the ground right now, there would probably be a full garden bed of flowers around her feet.

This was not what she expected at all. But it was quietly what she was hoping for. ]

I believe there is something that I should confess to you now.

[ She pauses for a moment for effect but keeps looking away from Joe towards the view below her. ]

The last three times you lost count while doing sit ups and had to start again were my fault. I was the one who threw the ball at you so that you would have to begin again.

[ He nods and is about to say something very deep and meaningful in return but then the words register in his head and he does a double take before staring at you with a surprised look o his face ]

You what?!

[ She laughs a little at that response and keeps turned away from him. Not going to show him the bright red cheeks from this admission. ]

Sometimes...when you were about done for the day I wanted to be able to watch you for just that little moment longer.

[ He's trying to peer at your face right now, though ]

I thought it was Marvelous being an asshole like he usually is

[ And that makes her laugh a little harder than she would normally allow, her hands covering her face as she catches his gaze. ]

Perhaps I should have let you continue to believe this. How will I be able to continue watching you now? It will be embarrassing if you notice.

...

Or if one of the other crew notice.

TEST DRIVE: September

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