TEST DRIVE MEME: JULY

[simpathis]

— TEST DRIVE: JULY —

Welcome to empatheias' first ever 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, July 18th and Applications open Friday, July 25th. Game will begin Friday, August 1st.
  
  
• 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!

Now with that out of the way, here are some prompts you guys can work from!


PROMPTS

• Prompt A: Create any scenario that could cause your character to display some kind of emotion, be it big or small, and write out how it changes the immediate area. Are there literal sparkles everywhere because they're so happy? Or is the ground starting to twist and warp due to their anger or frustration? Things exploding? Rain clouds? Since this is a test drive, don't worry about any limitations on effects—just write whatever comes to mind!

• Prompt B: The following are generic task board prompts that characters could have taken up as a job.

1. You have to collect X number of materials. Find a partner to make it easier!
   
2. There's a hostile creature attacking some of the neighboring farms. If you got a weapon, they could definitely use your help!
   
3. How about helping around the town? Delivering something, helping patch up a sign, cleaning out some of those rusted gears—the locals would definitely warm up to everyone.
   
4. Make up your own task/quest!

• 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: With the influx of people suddenly appearing, the locals are a bit on edge. So rather than having your character’s emotions affecting the environment, someone else's is affecting them! Maybe they were just passing by and someone had an emotional outbreak of sorts. Now they have to figure out how to deal with the aftermath—or will their own emotions make it worse? Needless to say, NPC godmodding granted 100%.

• Prompt E: Make your own! It can even involve booze and/or cats.

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

[hatesviolence]

[still going to eye him, but for the moment he's cooled off a bit.]

So what's the problem?

[makesitbetter]

[It's hard to tell what this guy's thinking with those sunglasses.]

She dropped her doll on her way over here.

[hatesviolence]

A doll?

[hum. he glances around.]

What does it look like and which way did she come from?

[makesitbetter]

[The girl manages a brief description - red hair, flowery dress - and points down the road.]

I was just going to help her look around for it.

[hatesviolence]

[hm...]

Got it.

[and he's already walking down the direction she pointed.

yep. he's going to help, too.]

[makesitbetter]

[Jude opens his outh to say something... but the man's already walking off. Okay... He stays long enough to ask the girl to wait there for them (so as not to soak any hapless passerby on the road) and then runs after Shizuo, leaving a trail of wet footprints.]

Thank you for helping us out!

[hatesviolence]

No problem.

[could it have fallen under this trashcan...? lifting it up with one hand.


nope.]

[makesitbetter]

[............ maybe that trashcan was empty? It must be.]

It'll probably be easy to spot as long as no one else picked it up.

[hatesviolence]

Hm.

[should he ask around then? hm...well it should fine if he's polite about it. so he'll ask around, too.

let's just hope he doesn't accidentally run into someone who is less than helpful and sets him off.]

[makesitbetter]

[you would hope!

except the only people nearby are a couple of shifty-looking teenagers hanging around on a front porch. They don't look very approachable.]

1/2

[hatesviolence]

[..............................ah.





yeah. he's going to avoid them.










except he catches a glimpse of something being tossed up and down in the air and it has red hair and a flower dress and looks distinctly plush-like—]

2/2

[hatesviolence]

[Jude, Jude. help. he's walking over there. the fuse has sparked, but he's doing his best to stay composed because he doesn't want to start a fight but those damn brats are being disrespectful toward that girl's toy—]

[makesitbetter]

[Jude doesn't know Shizuo, but... he notices the doll too, and can tell this situation is starting to suddenly escalate. (Those actual lightning sparks slowly popping in Shizuo's wake aren't helping either...)

Jude hurries after him. And decides to call out to the teenagers first.]

Excuse me!

[hatesviolence]

[he's about to say something when Jude (thankfully) intervenes. this forces him to stop and look at him. by then the teenagers had noticed Shizuo's presence and rather than anger, they had an arrogant and overconfident air about them. the metal around them had started to twist and curl as if to form something more menacing as they started to sneer, and it only increases upon Jude's approach.

yeah...they don't look like they're going to be that friendly toward Jude.]

[makesitbetter]

[Jude isn't going to back down that easily, even if the guys do look older and bigger than he is. He continues to approach and keeps his voice neutral.]

That doll you found belongs to a friend of ours. May we please have it back?

[hatesviolence]

[Shizuo will just hang back. he's still doubting whether the kid will be able to hold up against the others, but in some ways he's reminded of...someone. he can't quite place it and it doesn't really matter right now.

but the punks are like, "Oh you want your doll? So you can hold it close while you sleep?" and all the stupid things that punk teens say. aaaah....it really is the same no matter where you are.

anyway, instead of giving it up, they just stand and start throwing it around, basically saying, "You want it, brat? Come get it!"

and then it's thrown way high and it might actually land in one of the spiked barbs that had been forming.

oi, oi—]

[makesitbetter]

[Well, that's not good. Jude runs to try and catch it before it lands on the barbs, but he might not make it in time... And the teenagers are still laughing, of course.]

[hatesviolence]

[it's okay, Jude.

because.

the lid of a trashcan is going to be flying like a frisbee and catch it instead.

the thrower? the man in the bartender suit. he doesn't look out of breath but he is focused on it. really he hadn't thought about it at all and just grabbed whatever was closest.]

Did I make it?

[that's said more under his breath rather than aloud.

also that lid may have also snapped the tip of that spike and embedded itself in the wall just behind the teens. and it may have flew right between the heads of two of them.]

[makesitbetter]

[That managed to freak Jude out way more than anything the punks are doing.]

...Looks like you did.

[The doll is resting safely on top of the lid, at least. It's still not in their possession though, but maybe the movement unnerved the kids out as much as it did Jude.]

[hatesviolence]

[it did. but Shizuo doesn't seem to care the terrified looks he's getting—he's relieved! his strength was actually useful.

...but now...

that might might have been a loud crack as he flexed his fingers before curling them into a fist and pressing it hard against his palm.]

Good....now I don't have to worry about it getting damaged....

[yeah uh guys. he might be talking in a somewhat calm voice, but there is definitely a chilling aura coming around. so chilling, the place is going to start to freeze. although he had expended a lot of that early held-back-rage in that throw, he's still pretty pissed.

so.

run, boys. run.]

[makesitbetter]

[Jude doesn't know what's going on here anymore. Are they fighting? He really doesn't want to fight. The punks seem to be in a similar state of confusion, but after a minute the biggest one stands up, spits in Shizuo's direction and shouts something about how they can take an old man and a shrimp.

...Apparently Shizuo counts as old.

Anyway, this riles up the others enough to boost their confidence again, and the commotion causes another boy to appear from the house behind them. There's five of them now.]

[hatesviolence]

[ha ha ha. this is great. only not really. he doesn't actually want to fight. he hates fighting.





but he's pissed and that spit? it lands in the ice in front of Shizuo.]

Aaaah, I really don't want to fight. I'd rather do this without hurting anyone.

But punks like you....

[at this point one had started to advance toward him, but he reaches out and actually picks him up one handed—]

.....need to learn some respect!

[—and throws him into the rest of the teens, slamming them like bowling ball hitting pins.]

[makesitbetter]

[Three of the teens go down immediately, groaning as the weight of their leader crushes them into the pavement, but the last remaining one gets the bright idea to lunge at Jude.

Maybe he thinks taking down the kid will get the terrifying adult to back off. Or maybe there was no real thought process at all, and Jude was just in the path of his escape route. Either way, Jude side-steps the boy's swing, then kicks his feet out from under him with a smooth leg sweep. The punk crumples, leaving their final score as a respectable spare.

By now, the other punks are already starting to try and crawl away, whether their leader wants them to or not.]

[hatesviolence]

[by this time, they were all probably shitting in their pants. and indeed, the unlikely duo certainly gave off an impression. so they run off, their fear eroding everything that had built up before and following them in shades of blue, sprays of water, and even oppressing darkness.

Shizuo stood there seething a bit, but slowly the ice began to recede as he began to calm down.

deep breaths, Shizuo. deep breaths.]

Hey, you.

[he's looking at and clearly addressing Jude.]

[makesitbetter]

...Yes?

[He maybe sounds slightly more wary than he wants to, because damn. This guy is strong.]