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empatheias_ooc2018-01-19 07:55 am
empevents) wrote in empatheias_ooc2018-01-19 07:55 am
Entry tags:
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!
• 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.
• 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.
• 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!
• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include sunflowers and/or bear cubs.
• 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
- 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.
- 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!
- 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!
- 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?
- 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!
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[Tempting. Or he could dump some unboiled honey on him.]
That's disgusting, Dazai.
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[And he'd smear some of it on Chuuya's coat. Maybe the hat, depending on what else happens, but Chuuya being pissy over the damn thing was annoying.]
Chocolate and nutmeg are too typical.
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[Getting it in his hair would be worse. Don't get it in his hair, he'll kill you.]
Don't overcomplicate it! It's just supposed to be a sweet drink.
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[What, not enough nutrition for his hair follicles? Did he want beeswax, too?]
Star anise is a bit sweet. Toasted sesame?
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[Or the crest of a wave does. Is this relevant? Not at all.]
This is why I'm never letting you mix a drink for me.
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[Chuuya's wording begged to be reversed and questioned. Should he even prod that possible can of worms at this moment in time? He'd remember, if it was impractical to mention it.
Dazai glanced at the pail still lined at the wall and noted it still wasn't full.]
Just as well, when you're likely to rush about in mornings with some sort of breakfast substitute. Someone who didn't know any better would question if the stress of earning for expensive tastes dulls one's sense of flavor.
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[This is turning into a very mature argument. Not that it ever was mature - he's already forgotten what set it off this time. It's just habit. Dazai's ugly face brings it out of him like a reflex.
(He's not even angry anymore. The familiarity is almost comforting.)]
Like you're much better. At least I try to get the right amount of nutrients. [With supplements.] Do you even pay attention to what you put in you?
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I'd be a great model for some school's science department!
[And as for the latter, well.] Of course, if I don't want to get poisoned.
[Sometimes sleeping through meals? Foregoing them in the rare occasion something Important and Interesting pops up? Remembering it was lunch only because it was an actual break and the other people in the Agency ate regularly?
At least he didn't get sick often, and it wasn't as bad as he was before in the middle of high pressure stakeouts.]
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He looks down, shoulders shaking a little.]
You'd scare the kids.
[The weakest insult he's thrown at him so far. He'll up his game again sometime later, when Dazai is back to being his regular brand of ass.]
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Chuuya laughed, and Dazai couldn't recall if there even was a last time. Different from their standard fare of smirks, scoffs, irritation, and disgust.
Dazai ran a hand through his hair, shrugging.] If that was a med school, it'd be a disgrace.
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[He may have laughed, but the insults will keep coming. It's weird to him, too, though - they're supposed to hate each other, they're enemies, but because of their current situation they've spent a lot of time together again. He's letting his guard down.
It's probably better not to dwell on that.]
Maybe you should get a job at a horror show.
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That'll get boring after a while, don't you think?
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[He managed to say that without bitterness this time! Not that the bitterness isn't still there, of course.]
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[Too much repetition was tedium. Trolling and teasing people were interesting to return to because they depended on circumstance - not that he would mention that.]
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[Has Dazai ever found anything like that? He's actually curious now, but he's not going to ask.]
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If Dazai has, he'd only talk about it under specific circumstances.
Incidentally, the last time he had a conversation about this very topic was back at the Bar Lupin with Odasaku and Ango. Before everything changed.]
Hand?
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They're fine. I'll get some bandages for them later.
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Of course the idiot would go the stubborn, impractical route. Unfortunately for Chuuya, he wasn't in the position to punch Dazai, and kicking might prove difficult.
Masking his irritation with practiced ease, Dazai shuffled closer. His grip on Chuuya's wrist was firm as he held it over the bucket with boiled honey, and used Chuuya's scooper to apply the unruined extract he carried earlier.]
Aiming for the breaded lobster claw look, hmm? Did you want to put everyone off seafood with your hands, or is this a new fashion statement featuring unusual body modification?
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So he let him work, looking a bit confused for a moment, and trying to pretend he didn't appreciate how soothing it immediately felt. Trying not to feel nostalgic about having Dazai do this for him.]
Honey? That's convenient.
[He's taking for granted that it's going to help.]
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[There was no point in popping blisters and risking infections.
Once he was done, Dazai switched to the other hand. He made a note to be careful with his own scooper later - with Chuuya idle, there were more chances for the other to spot the damage.]
Not that this changes you handling the pails later.
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[Chuuya carrying them is just practical, even if he's injured. Besides, he can alter the weight enough that it won't be a problem, and it won't risk popping any blisters. He can be careful.
He exhales softly as he watches Dazai's hands, holding and treating his own.]
This is gonna get sticky.
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Dazai cocked an eyebrow in amusement, tapped the scooper on the bucket rim to get rid of as much excess as he could, and held it close to Chuuya's face at a spot between his eyes just to emphasize the point. Liquid honey.]
It's a problem if it wasn't.
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We'd be in a sticky situation. I get it.
[Get that out of his faaaaace.]
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Any explanation we'd paste together wouldn't be enough.
[Noooooooo.]
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If there's one thing I know about you, it's that you can definitely come up with an explanation. You just might not bother.
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