empatheias_ooc | TEST DRIVE: January

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*test drive

TEST DRIVE: January

— 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!

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.
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.
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:

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!
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.
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.

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!
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…
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!

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She hesitated, then nodded. Stopping forward. "Namine is here? Then she can fix this. I..." Deep breath. "I can do what I'm supposed to do." Vanish. Become part of Sora and cease to exist.

But at his question, her head popped up suddenly. "Of course we are! You and me and Axel. Best friends." And then it caught her that he said were... not are.... Her eyes closed. Were. Even if he remembered her... what was the point. They both knew she wasn't supposed to exist. Not any more. Not ever... really.

Best friends. Roxas likes the sound of that and he desperately wants to remember. Because he can remember Axel so clearly and it isn't fair that he can't remember Xion with the same clarity. That she's a void, not even a ghost in his memory.

"Good. 'Cause I want to keep being friends. I don't want to not remember you anymore."

She nodded a bit. Sadly. "I want to always be best friends with you and Axel...but I'm not supposed to exist, Roxas," she whispered. "Namine was supposed to send me back... to make me part of Sora. Like... Like I'm supposed to be." She closed her eyes. He was so close. They could go and get ice cream, and watch the sunset. One last time.

Except she'd lose her nerve again, she'd be selfish. She... She would want to stay with him forever. Him and... Wait. "Where is Axel?"

At the mention of Axel and his whereabouts, Roxas looks away. He'll deal with that later.

"No! It...it doesn't have to be like that. Sora...Sora's here to. I was supposed to go back to him to but I didn't, but he's here and he's fine, somehow.

This place...this world. We're allowed to exist here."

Even if he has a hard time believing in it or trusting it, it's worked so far. And it's all he's really got to cling to right now. Still, his gaze remains on the ground.

"Axel...he's not here. He was, but then he went back to our world."

She looked at him, so confused. "But... Riku and Namine said we had to..." Did.... did they lie to her? Why? She was hardly strong enough to worry them... But... But she wanted to believe Roxas. She didn't think he was lying. He wasn't Axel. Axel would lie to keep them safe. To keep them close.

Roxas seemed incapable of keeping his mouth shut when the truth wanted to escape. So she didn't think he was lying. No her hope... was that he was somehow... correct.

Axel not being there wasn't as much of a blow to her, really. Because she didn't fully understand yet. "He's reporting in?" she asked. Dark corridors. For some reason she couldn't get them to wok, but if this was a place Roxas could be safe? Axel leaving him here and going to smooth things over back home actually made perfect sense to her. "Will..." she hesitated, then just asked. "Do you think he'll be back in time for the sunset?"

"What they said, It doesn't seem to apply in this world. Or at least, I haven't tried to test it."

Not that he would. He's quite happy existing as he is and more often than not, he'd probably ignore anything Riku said to do.

At the next question, Roxas shakes his head.

"No, he won't. That's the other thing about this world. You can arrive, but you can't really leave. At least, not intentionally. Axel left, or got sent home. So I don't know when or if he'll be back."

The shadows around Roxas darken a little. Axel not being here still kind of hurts.

"If... If it is what we have to do..." she whispered, then shook her head. She took a deep breath. "Then it should be me to test it, anyway." She was the more expendable one. The copy. The fake that was never meant to be.

At that though, she actually chuckled. "He's Axel. Of course he'll be back, Roxas." Another small laugh and she actually smiled at him. "He's Axel. He's always doing things everyone things her wouldn't, can't or shouldn't to protect us. He knows you're here. He'll be back, you'll see. He might not remember me anymore," her smile faltered, but she kept her chin up. "But everything he does? He'll always come back for you."

"I...I don't think we have to. And I don't know if anyone else would go for it either."

Sora would probably object and for once, Roxas would agree with him. It might be something he has a hard time with himself, but when it applies to others, he can take a strong stance. It's a bit hypocritical really.

But Xion's next comment actually causes Roxas to brighten a little. It's easy for him to get caught up in his own thoughts and spiral downward and forget the kind of person that Axel is. And what he would do.

"Yeah, that does sound like him. But I still think he'd be happy to see you, memories or not. I mean, I am. Even if we have to start over, we're still friends."

"But... Namine and Riku said...." she stopped and recalled that what they said wasn't the whole issue... "And even if I don't need to for Sora..." she hesitated and let herself trail off. Axel would understand. Ultimately she hadn't left for Sora's sake. Or Riku's, or Namine's. Every time she got stronger... it was at the expense of Roxas. Her desperation to survive nearly killed him. She left for him. For Roxas. She.. she couldn't stay. She had to find Namine and Sora, and she had to be unmade and put where she belonged.

She gave a small nod. "Best friends," she said softly. Which was why she had to disappear. Which was why doing that was going to hurt so badly, like it did every time she had tried before. But... But maybe if she didn't use her Keyblade, then maybe.. Maybe she could stay, just long enough for Axel to get back. Just... Just so Roxas wouldn't have to be alone.

That would be alright... wouldn't it?

The confirmation is enough for Roxas and he seems to have made a decision.

"Look, we can figure it all out later. For now, you might as well come to my place. Unless you've found a place to stay?"

Because the last thing he's going to let her do is stay outside in the cold weather. Friends wouldn't do that to each other.

"Your...place? You mean in your room?" She hadn't been able to RTC, but perhaps the dark corridors were working for him? Did... Did she really want to go back, though? Would Saix and Xemnas see her treachery in her eyes and stop her from doing what she had to do? Would they turn her into a Dusk? She swallowed hard.

Even... Even if they did... she wouldn't go back to working for them, and she wouldn't draw her power from Roxas anymore. She wouldn't hurt him like that...

"No...uh, I mean my house. I, uh, I've been here for a while now," Roxas replies, "Kinda how people just leave randomly, this place doesn't let you leave either."

Hopefully there wouldn't be a lot of people home though. That might be a lot to explain, on both sides. And probably not his room either, since it was kind of a mess.

"C'mon, it's warmer than out here."

"Your....house...?" she was so confused. But it was Roxas, so she nodded. She'd follow him. She would follow him or Axel very nearly anywhere....

"Yeah! Like I said, I've been here a while and needed a place to stay. It's nice, if a bit loud. There's a bunch of people living there with me, plus pets and stuff."

He's pretty sure they can find a place for Xion, even if it means kicking Sora out to the couch.

"I don't know if anyone's home though."

She was so very confused. "Pets?" she figured the bunch of people being loud... Demyx...maybe? Arguing with Saiix? If Saiix was there... She swallowed hard.

Roxas would have no idea why she needed to avoid him... All of them. Because he didn't remember her. She pulled up her hood with trembling hands, wondering if she had to run, how she would stop Roxas from getting himself killed trying to protect her.

Or... Or would Saiix not remember her either? That... was a stunning thought, and she stumbled. If he forgot her... forgot who and what she was... would he still see an IT instead of a HER when he looked at her? Or was he immune because he had been part of her creation?

She was still walking with Roxas, but there was a tension in her small form.

Honestly, even if Saix were here, there would be a very small chance that Roxas would let him live at his house. Or any of the Organization really, Axel and Xion notwithstanding. (And possibly Demyx, if he helped around the house. And maybe Luxord, since Roxas didn't have much of a problem with him.)

"Yeah, pets. When it was just me here for a while, I got myself a cat. He's an orange cat that I named Axel..."

He trails off a bit, slightly embarrassed but he couldn't think of any other name. It just seemed to fit.

"I also wound up with a wyvern, he's named Tarn. There's a bunch of other wyverns, and a dog named Angelo. They aren't all mine though. "

He feels like he's rambling, but he's not sure what else to do. There's a lot he wants to ask, to know but launching those questions at Xion hardly seems fair since she's still new here and there's a lot to learn. Animals just seems like a safe subject.

"You okay?"

She was so very very confused. "A cat...named Axel? Wyverns? A dog?" She knew what cats and dogs were, Wyverns sounded like a kind of Heartless maybe. What did any of that have to do with Roxas, though? Got himself a cat?

"I... am confused," she admitted, from under her hood.

"It is a lot to take in," Roxas agrees. It's easy to forget, since he's been here so long, how overwhelming things can be at first. Never mind that he's talking to someone he knows but doesn't know, and there's a large gap between them.

"It might make a bit more sense once we get inside. We're almost there."

And with a few more turns they reach the house. It's fairly big, with two stories and porch but the lights are on and it's warm inside. Roxas opens the door and lets Xion in, making sure that none of the animals rush them.

She stares around, wide eyed, from under her hood. So much colour! Different kinds of lights. Seeing odd things in other worlds rarely threw her anymore. But this was different, because this was where Roxas lived, where he returned to after missions. And that, she expected, should always look like the castle. But this didn't. This looked nothing like the monochrome walls and steady light and cold chill of the castle. What.... What kind of place was this?

She let her hood fall again since no one else seemed to be around, so Roxas would see her confusion and wonder as she stared at everything.

"Here, let's go into the kitchen. I can make some hot chocolate and we can figure things out."

He kicks his shoes off and throws his coat on the couch, seeming to look around for something. The house is probably closer to how he lived in the fake Twilight Town, with the combined mess of everyone else who lived there. Considering the majority of the occupants are male, it's current state could probably be described as well lived in.

Eventually Roxas seems to find what he's looking for and comes back holding an orange cat, who looks relatively content if slightly annoyed at being disturbed.

"This is Axel the Cat. I can show the wyverns when it's not as cold."

"Hot..." she started following him, but her voice tailed off when he took off his jacket and shoes. Her jaw almost fell off. They slept in their coat and boots and gloves, they ate in them, did missions in them, watched the sun set in them. So she was just... starring. Stunned. Don't mind her as she tries to remember how to talk.

It was... it was so odd seeing Roxas like that... like the people they used to watch at sunset. Like the people she saw on missions sometimes. Like... the word hit her like a gut punch. Like people. Like a person. Like a SOMEBODY. But... but they weren't. They didn't get to... Her train of thought was again derailed by the sight of the cat. It... she didn't have a word for it... but... she... there was something... she looked at it and..., something. But she didn't have the words. Her reaction to the cat made no sense to her. Was she more broken than she had been told?

And... why... why did she want to touch it...? Just because it was named Axel?

It's something he's just come to accept over his prolonged existence. That and the fact that he still has residual memories of the fake Twilight Town, and those tend to override the way things were in the Organization.

He smiles, holding Axel the Cat out.

"You can pet him, if you want. He's pretty relaxed about that."

Axel shifts and meows, looking curiously at Xion.

Edited 2018-01-14 02:09 (UTC)

"Pet.... him?" she asked, confused, staring at the small animal in arms not covered by coat sleeves. She had seen things like that with people. But with Roxas, it was just hard to make sense of, especially given the last she had seen of him. "Roxas..." she whispered. "Who...who else is here? Where is here?"

Roxas pauses for a moment, before looking a little embarrassed. He'd been going to fast again. He really should have just asked Xion how much she knew and started from them.

"Right, sorry. Look, let's just sit down and then I can start from the beginning or wherever. This place is...kinda confusing."

He puts Axel the cat down and ushers Xion into the kitchen so that she can at least sit, and takes the seat across from her.

"Well, here is Verens. It's a city on a floating island called Empatheias. I've been here for a little over three years now and like I said, this is my house. It's not just me who lives here though. There's also Machina, Squall and Rinoa, Arden, and Sora."

He looks down at the table, anticipating a lot of questions.

"A lot of this is complicated, but I'll try to explain as best I can."

She followed him into the kitchen. Confusing she could agree with. She took a seat, watching him as if he was the only thing in the world that mattered. Roxas. And he remembered her. And Axel would be back. And...

The thought was cut off in the middle as she choked. "Three... years?" That wasn't possible! How could that be possible? And... And Sora lived here too? But... But not Namine? Or Riku? Or... Axel? She was so confused. But... Three years. How? "Roxas I just..." she swallowed. It was difficult. "Just before I arrived here... I had been..." She closed her eyes. If he couldn't remember, she didn't need to remind him. "We had just said goodbye," she said finally in a whisper. He didn't need to know that it had been like dying, that he had held her as she faded away and drifted to bits, not knowing who she was but crying anyway. He didn't need that pain.

Which made her wonder, not for the first time, how much pain Axel was hiding from the both of them. He remembered what having a heart was like. He knew what they were missing, what he had lost. What she and Roxas had never had...

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wow, sorry about those typos. *everyone thinks he

no worries

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