TEST DRIVE: February

[empevents]

— TEST DRIVE: FEBRUARY —

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 January 25th and Applications (Canon | OC) open a week later on February 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: The trade agreement between Verens and Briarlan is in full swing, with the opening of Verens’ very first radio station! As an amplitude moderation (AM) only radio station, it will focus more on news and talk shows than music. That doesn’t mean it’ll lack for education or entertainment, as home radio sets begin to be sold throughout the city. Speaking of which, as a new entertainment business installed in the city’s economy, it can offer something else to the Otherworlders: employment! And a party! Enjoy.

1. Open Invitation: As soon as the new technology is installed and tested to perfection, the station organises a party to celebrate its grand opening. Invitations are distributed like fliers; in the eyes of the new station, the more party attendees, the better. Held both inside the station and on the block outside of it, there are tables upon tables of cake, cookies, passe horderves, and non-alcoholic beverages. Go ahead and mingle! Every half hour or so, the radio talk show hosts will invite someone on the outside podium to try and entertain the crowd.
   
2. What’s Your Favourite Colour?: So, you would like to work as a radio talk show host! It’s open auditions and you’re either the person demonstrating your interviewing acumen as a potential radio jockey, or you're the person being paid 50 sylvs to allow yourself to be interviews on-air. Either way, the day certainly won’t be wasted. Feel free to improvise to your heart’s content or use a handy list of interview questions and suggestions provided by the people proctoring the auditions. There’s also cookies and juice boxes available but try not to talk with your mouth full on air.
   
3. Five Nights at Radio Shack: Didn’t cut it as a potential radio personality? Not to worry, the station needs janitors too! Because they hire on week-long contracts, it can be considered more of a temp gig than anything--which is for the best, because the basement underneath the station is dark, vast and labyrinthine. The tasks required are mopping, dusting, taking out the garbage and bringing any equipment from the basement to the ground floor. If there are creaking noises, whispers, giggles, faint voices, all of it can be explained by natural phenomenon or radio interference piping through the walls. Those footsteps, on the other hand...

• Prompt E: A necessary industry of any society is beekeeping, and Verens is no different. Giant bee skeps for equally giant bees need their honey and comb collected, too. Typically, this task is handled by beekeepers and their assistants. It’s a little different this month, however; due to a significant increase in the amount of honey the bees are producing, they’ve recruited outside help. Volunteers get 70 sylvs per day of work as payment and a jar of honey as a goodwill gift.

1. Honey and Gather: Honey gathering! Due to the unorthodox bees, the skeps are the size of large houses with many twisting corridors and convenient openings for volunteers to enter. The task is simple: in groups of two, wander the hives, collect the comb, and let the honey drain into the buckets provided. Once the bucket is full, bring it back to the closest beekeeper’s household. Get a new bucket, rinse and repeat. Easy, right? A typical large bee is about the size of a person, with the queen being the size of a midsize car. They are friendly enough, although quite curious and prone to brief fits of territorial displays if they feel their home is being intruded upon. Good thing they’re susceptible to Dunamis!
   
2. A Queen Imperiled: Unfortunately, opening the skeps to volunteers also makes the beekeeping industry susceptible to mischief and theft. While the worker bees were distracted by the presence of people, a group of poachers managed to get in and steal away the queen bee. Getting her back before she’s sold is imperative, and the beekeepers are willing to pay a hefty reward. Track the poachers to their hideout several few miles away, dispatch them as best you can, and bring the queen back to her people. They need her.
   
3. Let Me Be Your Wings: Good news! Now that the queen has been rescued, she is grateful and accommodating to her saviours -- enough so that she is willing to give people a ride back to her home. There’s no need to be afraid, she’s twice as sturdy as a horse. The bad news? Her wing took an unfortunate hit during her capture and she can only make part of the journey. Hopefully whoever rescued her has a plan to transport her the rest of the way back. Ever gone bee walking? It’s a bit less agreeable than dog walking.

• Prompt F: Selenium, the holiday to commemorate and remember lost and loved ones is coming up soon. It will be held in Theasthai, which requires some travel for those in Verens, but with teleporters, it should be easy to get there and get back to the city. It's not the most cheerful of events, but it seems that some of the organisers are more eccentric than traditional. It must have been why they were hired!

1. The Ring: A few months ago, children (and people who looked like children) received unsigned letters and were found at a bottom of a well in the forest three days later. Investigations led Enforcers to believe that this strange phenomenon was caused by a girl named "Samantha" who passed away in the hospital years ago. In order to let Samantha's spirit enter the realm of the dead properly, the eccentric organiser for Selenium is hosting a wrestling competition at the city square. Samantha's dream was to be a pro-wrestler, and a small festival that shows sportsmanship and competition might help her find peace. Put on a body suit, enter the ring, and tackle your opponent to the ground! Of course, this may or may not be a voluntary thing. . . said organiser can be rather pushy and just shove the suit onto anybody nearby. It's for the sake of the spirits, she says!
   
2. Wishing Stairs: One of the temples in Verens has now become a festival attraction. Booths serving small Arehtei-related trinkets can be found at the top of the stairs, and they're lined up leading to the bell at the centre of the temple. Ringing the bell will send a message to the dead, wherever they may be. It's a calling of sorts to them—a means of telling them that Selenium is coming soon and that their loved ones will be connecting with them soon. There is a catch, though. . . going up the staircase up to the temple is a bit challenging. Salt is spread on each step with only two small circular spots for someone to step on. It's said that making it to the top of the staircase without getting any salt on one's shoes means that their wish will come true. Why don't you give it a try?
   
3. Shutter: Photographs in Empatheias are still sepia toned, compared to the more modern and futuristic worlds some Otherworlders are from. One of Selenium's organisers got wind of how photos are important to the dead—even more so to those of the living—as it's how they remain alive. One of the halls in the city is now occupied by some Thespian organisers and their Verens counterparts, and they are requesting for assistance in gluing, piecing together, and repairing photographs. The photos are scattered all over the tables in the hall: some are torn, some have ink blots or food stains which need to be cleaned, and some have been folded too much that the creases have deformed the faces in the photograph. Those who wish to assist in this endeavour will receive a plateful of warm butter cookies, hot chocolate, and 200 sylvs. Just watch out, though, because sometimes, the subjects of the photos seem to move when no one's looking.

• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include sunflowers and/or bear cubs.

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

[deathboss]

I sensed your Personas, yeah. [He 'corrects' him rather fast.] At least, that's how we met at first...I invited you to stay at the spa last time. You tried to lie me last time too. Heh, guess I should just tell you right now that I can tell when people are lying. I think it's just a skill I gained from my Persona...

[Hahaha isn't that great?]

Last time you snooped 'round my place to figure out why I was being nice to you, so I'll just say it outright this time - I've seen shit that would make your skin crawl. Our group wasn't trying to change people's hearts - we were stuck in a full-out war with Sumaru City being the battleground and rumors becoming real if enough people believed in them. Demons in the city, nazis in the air, alien spaceships...it probably sounds like a cheap action novel but it was all real. The worst part is being used by two shitholes of 'aspects of humanity' cause they had some bet going on about how human nature was.

[He crossed his arms.]

Basically? We were used.

[acedeceptive]

[ Ah, he was not expecting that, in addition to being a Persona user, Eikichi was also some sort of human lie detector. That’s… problematic, though it does occur to him that he doesn’t have the same reputation to uphold here as he did back home. Jury’s still out on how he feels about that. His reputation is everything to him, everything he has done has been to carefully cultivate his persona (persona with a lowercase p), to inch him closer and closer to his ultimate goal.

But right now, he’s not here to worry about his state of being. He’ll figure it out. He has to. ]

And this is all to keep me from going through your personal things again? Well, to be perfectly honest with you, I don’t really care.

[ That’s not a lie in the least. Right now, he doesn’t know Eikichi from Adam, and he has no interest in his sob story. ]

What I would really like to know is what you know about me.

[deathboss]

Tch. Of course you'd want to know 'bout you.

[Rude as always. He just stretches his arms outwards. Whatever. He too could pretend he didn't care (except he did). Giving him this information wouldn't really change anything, after all. No leverage the other could use.

Eikichi, on the other hand had a lot of information...]

Guess it depends what your last memory is before comin' here. But let's just say...mostly everything? We had a...talk.

[A pause.]

I may have nearly broken your nose at the time cause you're such an idiot.

[acedeceptive]

[ “Mostly everything” are apparently the magic words, because Akechi’s gaze instantly goes ice cold and sharp, like he’s trying to Bufudyne Eikichi to death with looks alone.

Oh, he does not like this. Not at all. There are things he doesn’t tell anyone, and with good reason. They’re too sharp, too painful, too personal, and they go against everything he has tried to make himself into. No one should know, not until he mutters those words into the ear of Masayoshi Shido himself. ]

Define “mostly everything”.

[deathboss]

[Yeap, there we go. It's funny how much the look doesn't seem to faze Eikichi at all. The air around them might have gotten a little colder, yes but he'd seen that look before. Maybe he's just really stupid to want to still help out a guy who asked him who doesn't remember who he is and is probably just as much as an asshole as he was before.

Time travel is weird.

However, this was getting dangerous. He couldn't just...tell him everything out in the open like this.]

I asked you for your story at the time. [He laughs, it's bitter.] You probably think I'm pulling your leg, right? You, trust someone? It didn't come in a day, and sure took a damn while...but you know what? I think the best way to explain it is from your own mouth...

[And so he'll share a memory. A brief one, seeing himself standing in an office, probably Eikichi on the other side of it. Anger and heat in the air. Arguments, but also, lingering sorrow and despair.]

[...] Nothing else mattered at that time... I had nobody -- I was alone, even with cameras directed my way, with people gushing over my solving mysteries fabricated by myself and Shido. The only thing I saw was my goal and I thought... my power was unique. I didn't know that other Persona users existed and I didn't even know hearts could be changed. Heh... who would I have learned it from anyway.

[The vision fades once more. Honestly, Eikichi just braces himself for the worst. How the hell would anyone react to this?]

[acedeceptive]

[ Akechi jerks back in surprise as the memory suddenly inserts itself into his head, his surprise breaking the sudden chill that had settled in the air around him. Was this a function of those damnable crystals again? Whatever it is, he doesn’t like it.

He likes what he sees even less.

What the other Akechi is saying isn’t untrue, but the look on his face and the sorrow in the air makes something bitter and angry claw its way up the back of his throat. That something he keeps locked tightly away in the depths of his heart is on full display infuriates him. It smacks of weakness. Of resignation.

He is better than this, smarter than this. There is still a chance that everything will be made right, after he crushes the troublesome Phantom Thieves beneath his heel and is finally given the chance to reveal himself to his father. Then he’ll be the one with the power, the one who can make Shido suffer just as he has suffered his entire miserable life.

Akechi doesn’t come away from this memory with understanding, with any newfound fondness of Eikichi. All he knows is that he never, ever wants to become this sorry excuse for a person he sees in this vision.

The cold in the air is all but gone now, and instead it buzzes with tension, with rage, red-hot and barely leashed. ]

Stay. Out. Of my. Head!

[ It’s the force of Akechi’s anger that sets the coffee cup and saucer on the table suddenly shattering, sending shards of white porcelain and splashes of coffee sailing yards away, and sends the table toppling over with sudden, violent force, as if it had been tossed. His own chair goes clattering away thanks to the speed with which he stands up.

Blue flames erupt behind him, and dimly he finds it a little odd that he can summon a Persona here, outside of the Metaverse. He doesn’t remember calling for Loki in his rage, but there he is anyway, wreathed in blue fire and looming. ]

Are you here to pity me? Is that it? I don’t need your goddamned pity!

[deathboss]

[ The one thing he had to give to Akechi is the guy was good at making a show. Eikichi hadn't expected him to suddenly change after that - although it did make him wonder what had caused the guy to suddenly change from when he had last seen him - maybe he didn't even know he was dead in his world... ]

...

[Surprisingly, he stays quiet at first, even as the coffee lands in his face, and a piece of porcelain nicks at the side of his face, the cut causing blood to seep out. He stands up, just in time for the table to fly past him and land somewhere else. Now there's a few people watching -- and one very angry Wyvern suddenly charging at Akechi.

At least until Eikichi calls him to stay. It then just paces back and forth, it's mouth dripping in an unearthly noise, a mixture between wanting to protect and confused at someone who had befriended him before would attack the other so freely.]

Urgh...it's not pity you dumbass...I don't do pity...

[He cracked his neck on both sides, looking up at Loki and then back at Akechi. Maybe last year he'd have been a screaming mess, but the stay here and the people he considered friends had wised him up a bit. Still...he'd done this before. Both with another him, and a best friend back home. He knew how these things went.]

...it's friendship and a promise I made!

[It probably sounds alien. He didn't care. Even if it means that Akechi, or at least this one, would hate him, Eikichi didn't care. He'd beat him up until he'd get the message, because that's the promise he had made the other.]

Persona!

[The change for him was different. The bluish flames erupted under his body, causing him to glow before they shifted into shards and reformed into a monstrous figure behind him, standing nearly three times his height. When he spoke again, it seemed to speak for him. The voice was a stark contrast to him. Royal-sounding. Deep. Otherworldly.]

I would warn you to stop this foolishness, however...

[Then it was back to him. The grin that sweep across his face was that of a madman, or someone who had done this way too many times.]

...I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to fight you.

[acedeceptive]

[ Well, the guy wasn’t kidding about being a Persona-user. How odd this is, really. This isn’t the fight he wanted, it’s not even close. What he wanted was to face Kurusu and the rest of those criminals, to show them the true force of his power and slaughter them all so that, at long last, they would stop getting in his fucking way.

Here he is instead, staring down a complete stranger who claims to know him, some less-than-nothing rando who thinks that just because some other, weaker version of himself told him a sob story that made them friends.

It’s not what he wants, but it’s been a long damn day. This is as good a fight as any right now. ]

Friendship? Promises? Don’t make me laugh!

[ He raises a hand, more for show than anything else, urging Loki to attack. The Persona surges forward, sword flashing as it swings in an arc at Eikichi. ]

[deathboss]

[Toobad Akechi, now you were stuck with the side-kick/rival/best friend of the main character from a time when Personas were used in plain sight and wildcards were plentiful. Despite how much the other would scream, it fell almost on deaf ears. He didn't leave people behind. Even idiots who didn't know themselves all that well.

The attack connects, causing Eikichi to flinch back.]

Shit you hit hard...

[However despite the attack, he doesn't seem that petered about it. After all, Akechi might be strong, but in the end they were a team that had their Personas since childhood, upgraded straight from the source of all Persona power himself.]

Guess I can't do this halfway, huh...FUUMA KOTAROU!

[The Persona in front of him moves forward as it begins to glow blue before shifting and changing to form into another one. However it's not here to attack just yet, instead raising its sword as a protective bubble forms around Eikichi, as the persona shifts once more and becomes Hades again.]

I don't know bro, sometimes you gotta try it before you deny it, you know?

[acedeceptive]

[ What the fuck.

How the fuck.

He thought the power he and Joker both shared was rare, unique enough that even that ridiculous cat creature had never seen its like. Seeing some nobody just call up more than one Persona just pisses him off even more, the air around him begins to swelter, ripples of heat rising through the air as if the sun had been beating down on the pavement all day.

Two can play at the shielding game, though, and Loki’s sword circles in front of Akechi with a flash of golden light, erecting a protective barrier as well. ]

I really don’t care for your obnoxious banter.

[ Said sharply, as he urges Loki into action again. A pool of darkness spreads beneath Eikichi’s feet but a moment before curse magic comes pouring out of the ground to strike at him. ]