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

Korra | Avatar: The Legend of Korra

[streamlines]

[ Prompt A ]

[ don't talk—don't make a sound. it's not a rare moment (any more) that korra can be found attempting to meditate, but things have gotten a lot harder lately, and she looks like she's on the edge of snapping. her nose is twitching, as green bushes sprouting drooping, multicolored flowers keep popping up around her and dying within a few minutes. give her only a few minutes longer and the sound of someone else approaching, and she's completely lost it. ]

I can't stay focused on anything with something interrupting me every five minutes!

[ ...well, the latest bush is going up in smoke, but... no big deal right ]

[shoubro]

[he just happened to be passing by when the bush right next to him is suddenly on fire!? or was, now it's completely charred. either way—]

—Whoa!

[streamlines]

[ she's already pushing herself to her feet, ignoring the smoking bush. it's a victory at all that she's trying, at least tenzin would say; but it's hard focusing on your emotions in order to observe them and calm them when your emotions make shutting out everything but your own body nearly impossible.

this place is no joke. she does look at shougo, though, when she turns in his direction. ]

I think the bushes are done growing for now, at least. [ her voice is short rather than reassuring ]

[shoubro]

I knew our emotions could be destructive...but didn't think it could set plants on fire.

[he's also making a mental note to not make this chick angry.]

[streamlines]

I didn't think it could do anything less. [ no—korra you're just a particularly passionate person ] Haven't you had something break or burst? Or at least gotten rained on?

[shoubro]

Personally? No. I try to avoid anyone who might make one.

[streamlines]

Then you might be avoiding a lot of people for a long time.

[cumulomedicus]

--I was only walking, you know.

[He says it mildly, though, wary of that burning bush. Julian wrinkles his nose at the girl.]

Possibly you might try meditating in a less public place.

[streamlines]

[ whoops, wrong answer. ]

Sure. Let's try doing that inside, where no one's around and where any mistakes definitely can't disrupt anyone.

[ SHE'S ALREADY TRIED THAT AS THE WATER SUPPLY CAN ATTEST

outside feels more like a low-risk situation and she just doesn't quite know the area well enough to know what's public and what doesn't get much passage.

korra never thought she'd miss an air temple so much ]

[cumulomedicus]

[He raises an eyebrow at her. GODDAMN KORRA CALM YOSELF.]

It was only a suggestion, you know, you hardly have to bite my head off.

[streamlines]

[ she stalks past him to pick up her glider, thankfully left far enough away that it's avoided exploding bushes ] Thanks for the thought, but I've already been trying everything I can think of to keep this from happening. If it's not even going to stop when I'm meditating, I don't think simply moving locations is going to help.

[ she's just frustrated—frustrated she can't stop things from reacting to her emotions (and korra feels things very, very strongly) and frustrated that she doesn't have anyone to ask for support. she's used to a tenzin lifeline, though she wouldn't use that exact phrasing. ]

[turtlehermit]

Aaaaah!

[Out of the bush tumbles the old man who had pretty much been using it as a vantage point to peep on the ladies, no lie.]

Have some respect for your elders!

[streamlines]

[ strange bearded men tumbling out of bushes is not a new phenomenon but she did not remember that bush even being there when she first sat down. hello ] Were you—in that bush?

[ this place can't grow people in bushes right ]

[turtlehermit]

I was observing your technique, my dear. [He gets to his feet, brushing himself off with much more dignity than he had a moment ago.] Despite the strangeness of your environment, you show a great deal of potential. I can tell you've studied martial arts and meditative technique.

Also, you've got a great rack! [So much for dignity...]

1/2

[streamlines]

[ well. she should hope so, she's been doing nothing but training since she was four years old. korra straightens her back and lifts her chin, not even realizing that she's doing it ] I hate meditating, but I've tried everything else I can think of. Even my bending is sometimes a little harder to—

[streamlines]

.... [ wait a sec this isn't pseudo-20s slang] Great what?

[turtlehermit]

Rack. Bust. Chest. Bosom. Breasts. [Master Roshi makes grabbing motions at exactly the height necessary to make his point clear.] Say, how about I offer you a few pointers in exchange for a peek?

[streamlines]

[ ur gross u geezer

korra takes a moment to process this, the air around her gradually heating and turning red. she's literally steaming in a mix of anger and embarrassment, annnnd— ]

Listen up, old man—[ she puts her fists on her hips and bends down, ready to go nose to nose (anD ONLY NOSE) and grab his chin ]—I don't need any pointers from you, and if you put one hand forward—[ she stomps her left foot, rotating the ground directly beneath him ]—I'll let you see exactly just who I am and give you a few pointers of my own.

[ she draws her right leg up, intending to kick him away ]

[hotman]

[ The first clue that someone was nearby should have been the flowers sprouting and dying along the path he was taking. He hasn't yet gotten the hang of this place, however. Strange things happened for seemingly no reason.

He's taken aback when someone yells, seemingly out of nowhere. That, moreso than the bush being on fire, startles him. A bush on fire is just another Tuesday.

His furrowed expression quickly morphs into apologetic. ]

Hey, sorry! I was just passing through!

[streamlines]

[ korra sighs and opens her eyes, brushes grass off her pants as she pushes herself to her feet. ] Whatever. I guess it probably wasn't going to last much longer, anyway. Meditating doesn't seem to be doing anything for this place—not that I'm really surprised.

[ meditating hasn't really done much for her since harmonic convergence. she can't enter the spirit world and she definitely can't contact aang or the other avatars for help, either. she's just that desperate for answers, and to get things to stop blowing up in her face. ]

[barbaric_specter]

[Nah, that's perfectly normal. Also totally normal that in the next second it's being grabbed in an icy grip. But could such a reaction be from this guy? More likely from some other on looker, I mean he doesn't seem upset, more like amused.]

[But, really Bankotsu didn't favor being yelled at.]

Whoops. [He holds his hands up in mockery of surrender but they soon drop.]

I was just passing along, didn't mean to interrupt anything. [He look's the girl over, his smirk widening.] You're cute, what's your name? Maybe to make it up to you I can buy you a drink.

[streamlines]

[ it's mostly out of her system with that bush, but while things may not quite be exploding, she's still in a general state of frustration. still, at least she opens her eyes without visibly moving or reacting—at least she's started to shift a bit toward confusion ]

I'm Korra. [ any other given moment she'd probably be a lot quicker to reach maximum friendliness, 4give her ] That isn't... why you came over here, is it?

[chittybang]

[Asami flinches between Korra's eruption and a nearby bush bursting in its brief flame and thick smoke. Somehow she doubts the Avatar intended that to happen with her firebending; and with the grass beneath them suddenly prickling stiffly on its roots in turn due to her own surprise, it's clear they both need to get a grip.]

Hey, it's just me. [She evens out Korra's frustration with her own calm, however uneasy. She sits on her knees nearby.] Are you okay, Korra?

[streamlines]

[ korra opens one eye at the sound of asami's voice, then sighs, drops the lotus position, and looks at her feet. ]

In the spirit world at Harmonic Convergence, if I could calm my emotions, everything about the world around me calmed. It just hasn't been working quite the same here.

[ the difference between "i can make the sun shine" and brief moment of happiness to light up a room or grow flowers in her bedroom or bubbles in her hallway is bigger than she would have anticipated. she can't stop feeling anger or frustration all the time. it's frustrating in and of itself to try ]

[chittybang]

Well, this isn't the spirit world. [She says this gently, trying to reason while remaining empathetic.]

Maybe you just need to take a different approach. You'd be meditating forever if you wanted the environment around you to remain calm here.