TEST DRIVE: January

[empevents]

— TEST DRIVE: JANUARY —

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, December 25 and Applications (Canon | OC) open a week later on January 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: As the holiday festivities end, the expectation of charity and giving back will be rearing its ambivalent head. Namely, Verens' very own Community and Otherworlder Assistance Centre will be recruiting for its many charitable projects and drives! Like all non-profit organisations of that nature, the expectation is for people to contribute and give without expecting anything in return - so roll up those sleeves and pull out that wallet, because this is going to cost in both time, money, and dignity!

1. Mr. Top Hat J. Roomba: Looks like you're one-half of the lucky pair who got recruited to go door to door, selling chocolate bars and magazine subscriptions. The money earned doesn't go to you, of course. At the end of the salesmanship, it all goes right back to the charity foundation! Sounds easy, right? Well, not so much. You see, the foundation has had an undue number of thefts lately from its volunteers - and while they're no accusing you, of course! - they are no longer financially comfortable leaving the volunteers unsupervised. Each pair will be followed by a watchful roomba-like device that will belt out situation-sensitive commands deduced by careful monitoring of the situation. It also wears a snazzy top hat.
   
2. 100% Organic: The Community and Otherworlder Assistance Centre also spearheads an innovation of its very own making: the emotion-sharing program! There are two ways to participate. The first is assisting in imbuing donated cosmetic products with the very essence of happiness and cheer. Having trouble summoning that up on the spot? Not to worry, because you'll be doing it inside The Puppy Room! (Puppies 100% organic. Please, try to keep animal hair out of the bottles.) The second way involves randomly assigning two individuals together for a more traditional approach to emotion-sharing. In this, there's only one rule: don't make the other person cry. And yes, you may also have unrestricted access to The Puppy Room.
   
3. It’s The Furry Hour: Lastly, there is the culmination of giving back to the community by putting a smile on each and every child’s face. The best way to do that? Put on a costume, say, this one or this one or even this one, and wander through the streets! Be careful, though -- the costumes are sensitive to Dunamis and any symptoms of emotional distress, regardless of whether or not they’re highs or lows. There are strict fines levied to anyone who dares damage a costume, or you might just end up mopping floors for a month to pay it off.

• Prompt E: Dunamis magic, emotional effects, crystals... one can live in Empatheias without ever really understanding the basics of it. However, it's encouraged to take at least a few courses as it will make adjusting to this new world a lot easier. At the Welcome Center, an eccentric new instructor is offering advanced classes (with a twist!) to new and old attendants. Interested natives can also join the classes as well, and the ones that are available are:

1. Think Positive! One of the most common types of emotional effects comes in the form of flowers. The most simple example being if one feels overwhelmingly happy, then flowers will start to bloom around them. In this class, Otherworlders will be learning exactly that! To be precise, the class takes place inside a botanical garden, and the exercise is to think positively so that more flowers can bloom. Think negatively, and the flowers will die, or they'll entangle you, or grow poisonous. Easy, right? No! This is an advanced class and controlling one's own feelings is KEY. Because there's also a tiger on the loose. Wait, what? Don’t worry - it only preys on fear and anger, so remember your lessons!
   
2. Think Negative! It's also important to know how to harness one's negative emotions, because such feelings are just as valid and useful as the opposite. In this exercise, two students are locked in a meat freezer, and the way to pass the test is to make each other seethe with rage until their fiery emotions bring the place down to room temperature. Make sure to insult each other a lot, and don't hold back! Maybe talking about a painful past can help? Alternatively, what the instructor did not account for, is that passion can be fiery, too. Maybe a kiss will do the trick? Otherwise, somebody will get the students out of there in 40 minutes and give them a nice cup of hot chocolate along with an F.
   
3. Think… Neither! Lastly, apathy! It's just as important to know how to harness. This class is a little more traditional, in the sense that everyone is sitting at their desk and watching a slide show. Students can talk amongst themselves in class, but they must not show any emotion! It's a little difficult, however, as the slide show gets more and more outrageous the longer the class goes on. At first it's a series of tasty food, then it's cute animals, and then some scary monsters. After that it moves on to more provocative imagery, such as poverty, graveyards, and... male and female models posing naked. Close your eyes! Or leave the class with the person sitting next to you? Otherwise, just try not to react to anything that comes up on the screen. Knowing when to be apathetic can save your life in Empatheias, too!

• Prompt F: It's out with the old and in with the new! Winter— no— it's not winter that is coming, but rather, the Notus season. Which is winter, technically, but the lovely citizens of Verens and natives of Empatheias call it differently. The season brings about snowfall and occasional storms, which means activities outdoors are limited due to the weather. The various sports teams in Verens have become even more serious with their training. The coaches refuse to let their team members gain weight due to the cold, which is why they're opening their training sessions to the public. Challenge them and win a prize! Make sure these players are given hell, because they won't shape up otherwise.

1. Hit 'Em High. One of the less formidable teams who play Verens Hoop Ball (patent pending) are the Champsters. Nobody truly knows how the Champsters are in the league when their plays are so awful. The sport itself, the Empatheias equivalent of what Earthlings would call basketball, had only been founded close to ten years ago. There aren't any "legends" yet, but the Champsters are players who will likely never be found in the hall of fame. In any case, they've opened their gym to any contenders who wish to take them on; 1-on-1, 2-on-2, 3-on-3, or even a full-on game. The sad excuse of Hoop Ball players are a sad excuse, needless to say. They play and cry like newborn fawn, and their coach will give anybody who makes them cry a heavy slap on the back and a 500 sylvs gift cheque at Steambucks. Thanks for showing the Champsters how much they suck - maybe they'll get motivated to do better because of this!
   
2. There's No Crying in... The managers of the Verens Football (soccer) team are inviting everyone to enter their gym and join their training for the day. All participants receive a 500 sylvs gift cheque to be used at Steambucks! And as soon as one enters the indoor pitch, they will hear the coach of the team screaming his lungs out. "THERE'S NO CRYING IN FOOTBALL!" - and the phrase might strike you as odd. Isn't it supposed to be baseball? And then you hear the muffled sobs of some people at the end of the goal line. . . wait, what? Anybody nearby is going to get yelled at, as well. "Fall in line and add some emotion to each kick!" the coach shouts. And with the intensity of each kick and the added emotions to it, it's no wonder the goalkeepers are getting beaten up. The coach doesn't seem to care, though…
   
3. You're on Ice. Apart from the indoor sports being promoted even though it's winter, some Verens officials have frozen the lake just by the outskirts of town for ice hockey and ice skating purposes. There are even cones and other obstacles lined on the ice for people to pass, and the officials are giving out a 500 sylvs gift cheque at Steambucks (AGAIN?!) to anybody who can clear the obstacles. Just watch out for the pucks that are flying every so often. If it hits your head, don't worry! Be comforted by the knowledge that the ice hockey team is doing their best and are making sure they're strong enough for the next tournament.

• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include crayons and/or pompoms.

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

[retconnaissance]

[He pinched the bridge of his nose.]

We're capable of linking minds without any help of a computer - which is awesome, in fairness - and share our emotions as well as dog-knows-what-else.

[Heck, the more he thought about it, the more he wondered how Steampunk La-La Land hadn't gone straight Futurepunk.]

How can we be sure something like Top Hat what's-his-face couldn't become another-... another her?

[Truly, he needn't specify who.]

[takingchances]

[The links here might be neat but Eva equally doesn't much care for them. She isn't as shrouded with her thoughts as Neil might be and things tend to slip through the cracks on the network. An emotion here, an errant thought there. Right now it flickers like a television does channels, the image of a woman in brown flashing into view briefly.

Her brow furrows heavily as she shuts down that memory quickly. She's getting better at doing that at least, a silent thanks to Sigmund for teaching her how to focus when needed.
There's something tight about her tone, as if he's stumbled onto a spot that's still sore.]

She was a manifestation of a patient's consciousness. What artificial intelligence there is to these things can't manage to manifest something that complex. We're not talking about sentient machines here, Neil.

[Right on cue, the illustrious Mr. Top Hat comes up with one of it's first helpful commands.]

Debating the merits and flaws of artificial intelligence should be done at a later time. Get back to work.

[Eva glances down at the roomba in surprise. And then she pauses to pinch the bridge of her own nose, settling her other hand on her hip.]

Alright, so maybe they're smarter than I thought.

[Listen here, you little jerk. The quicker you shut up, the quicker we can get this done.]

[retconnaissance]

[It hadn't left his notice, but the opportunity to prod her about it had long since passed. It was one thing to get under her skin about something juicy and embarrassing, but another when she seemed to struggle to hide her own thoughts and emotions like he did. Really, all she needed to do is regularly visualize a concrete wall, like he did...

It didn't stop that bird that swooped on overhead from silencing its song and struggling to make it to the nearest tree branch to pant and endure what was a sudden burst of pain in its skull. Funny, that. His hands went to his pockets and tightened into fists as he began a mental countdown from 20. He was listening, he swears, but-

That. That was a creepy-crawly sensation up his spine, the pain forgotten entirely. Smarter? No $#!%, Eva. But in his mind, he was being told to get back to work by a squat, nagging Robo-Rob. That's the straw that broke the camel's back.]

FOR THE RESISTANCE! HYAAAAH!

[With the roomba's dumb body so low, his kick that hoped to send this thing hurtling into the sun only managed to flip it over and send that fine silk top hat rolling into the grass of the nearest yard. He assumed a praying mantis stance in the - okay, hopes - that this thing would transform and fight back. But with the whir of wheels pitifully working along the upturned bottom, Neil's body eased, but was still stiff. He jogged past Eva and snatched for her hand. Time to leave before it calls its friends or something.]

This doesn't even approach our pay grade! Leave the pamphlets and chocolate and let's go!

[takingchances]

[There's something heavy in the air as the bird, unbeknownst to her, has to take a breather. It's a little stifling and Eva would think on it's source in more detail if Neil hadn't decided to enact some Spartan level justice on the hapless Mr. Top Hat.]

What the--

[It's wheels spin in a futile effort to right itself, that commanding tone whirring out once more.]

ERROR. ERROR. A breach in conduct detected. Please assist in stabilization.

Neil!

[She doesn't have time to say much beyond stating his name in that so familiar tone of "what did you do now" before her hand is snatched up and off she's dragged along, spilling pamphlets from her coat pocket along the way like some weird version of Hansel and Gretel's breadcrumb path.]

You realize we don't exactly have a pay grade here, right?

[retconnaissance]

And that's exactly why I've lived on sodium-drenched noodles for the past week and change! I couldn't even pay for the paper bag, Eva! I've sacrificed so much as it is!

[He checked back, expecting an advancing army of hell-bots. Regardless, he would keep moving and thank his second wind for allowing him to get them both to safety.]

Those kinds of charities circle the dough right back into their own pockets. Helps nobody but their bottom line. Mr. What's-His-Junk no doubt cost them a small fortune before they even hired an amateur programmer to give him that creepy AI...

[Once around more than a few corners, he withdrew as if burned. Or perhaps just to get out of punching range.]

Man, am I glad I tagged along to snatch your butt out of a scam.

[takingchances]

[It has to be out of punching range because the look Eva shoots him as she catches her breath is one that could burn a lesser man to the ground.]

You tagged along thinking it was an easy job.

[She can read you, Neil. Like a book. Except where it really matters of course.]

[retconnaissance]

[The response to that look is - if you look closely and don't blink - the smallest flinch.]

Apples. Oranges. Our job back home meant something to our clients. I don't know about you, but I think we're better off making a living wage doing something with more pizzazz. Liiiike...

[Whoops, didn't have anything in mind. But after a quick glance, he pointed to a poster set right up across the street, plastered on an overgrown sign board.]

That right there- teaching Zumba classes.