TEST DRIVE MEME: OCTOBER

[simpathis]

— TEST DRIVE: OCTOBER —

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 Wednesday, September 24th and Applications open Wednesday, October 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! OR write a prompt where they're the ones being affected by someone else's emotion.

• 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.

• 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: How good is your character using an elemental core? They're magic-like rocks that have one of the three following elements: fire, air, and water. On their own they're not too bad, but they are quite sensitive to emotions. Be careful or that little handwarmer could suddenly create a small blazing inferno!

• Prompt E: Steampunk technology is a lot more advanced than basic medieval technology, but still inferior to modern day devices. No electricity, no cars—just this strange magitech, steam, and clockwork gear systems. How "tech savvy" is your character now?

• Prompt F: BONUS EVENT BASED PROMPT! You were just minding your own business when suddenly you and another person swap emotions. Were they upset and you were calm? Well now you are upset and they're the one trying to calm you down! For this prompt, you can either just have your character a target for someone else to swap with, or you can already have them experiencing some kind of emotion to be swapped with.

• Prompt G: Make your own! It can even involve bulls and a bucket.

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

sup bro

[spiritofjustice]

Bobby makes sure to watch Simon's reaction- as well as his surroundings- with a close gaze. No signs of violent hostility. No signs that he might want to slash the Phantom into tiny little ribbons. Even if Simon were attempting to hide such feelings and gauge Bobby's reaction, just as Bobby is gauging his, surely the nature of this place would still betray him. This is promising.

The toothy grin falters to make way for a bit of a pout. "Oh, well... That depends what you mean by 'here'. If it's here, then I don't really know. If it's here here, then I came to see you, of course!"

Because Bobby Fulbright would never ignore the fact that Simon Blackquill is here. Job description aside, they're meant to be partners. Bobby Fulbright would care and worry about him. He would consider it his personal responsibility to be sure that Simon stays out of trouble and adjusts to this place. That's just the sort of person he is.

nm nm u

[shacklebreaker]

"Hmph! Well, Fool Bright, your first assignment is set out before you. We need to investigate how it is we arrived here, since no one in this city appears to have any answers."

Where to begin is another matter entirely, but giving Fulbright something more productive to do than following him around like a lost puppy is worthwhile, in any case. He has no interest in playing babysitter to the detective -- or being babysitted.

only justice

[spiritofjustice]

Some things never change. In fact, were it not for the haunting memories of that retrial and where exactly it led, it'd be like the whole thing never happened. Most likely, from Simon's point of view, it hasn't happened. Bobby is certainly willing to pretend it's the same for him. To play the part of naïve detective is so much more practical than whatever trouble the truth would lead to.

"You got it! We'll investigate and investigate 'till we can investigate no more! There's no answer that can elude us so long as we put our minds to it."

sugoiiiii you're so heroic fool bright-chan

[shacklebreaker]

"Do try to curb your enthusiasm a tad. This place has a way of reacting to strong feelings, after all." Something Blackquill doesn't seem to have a problem with, aside from those depressing clouds perpetually overhead.

Fulbright, on the other hand, could be a disaster if he gets too excited; the prosecutor is only putting the lack of environmental reaction down to luck so far. Perhaps this place is more sensitive to certain emotions, or ways of expressing emotion, than others?

i sure am

[spiritofjustice]

And with that, Bobby goes right back to pouting like a five year-old. He's very good at flipflopping his emotional state. It's the sort of thing that will either mask the lack of environmental response or make it more obvious, depending on just how seriously people would take his emotions to begin with. How wide a grin is doesn't always match how much excitement a person is feeling, especially when said person spends half their days grinning either way.

"Oh. Sorry." Bobby is silent for a moment, twiddling his fingers together, Then he glances around at his feet and lowers his voice to a whisper. "...Is it working? It's working, right?"

*^*

[shacklebreaker]

"Yes," he says. "Now if you could only be this muted all the time, my job would have been made far easier."

Past tense intentional. Even if they return home, he's not expecting to prosecute any future trials after the last, not after the date that has been looming over his head these seven years... Realising how he phrased that, however, he brushes over the topic by quickly changing it.

"Unless you are loathe to leave me unsupervised even here, there would be merit in dividing our investigative efforts." He pulls out the amulet he'd been keeping beneath his shirt -- kept hidden because how many emotion drops he had gathered since arriving were, in his mind, no one's business but his own. "These amulets should enable us to remain in contact." ...Or enable Fulbright to do nothing but bellow telepathic thoughts of justice at Blackquill all day, one of the two.

[spiritofjustice]

He picks up on Simon's phrasing and logs it away in the back of his mind. There's no point in commenting on it. Those sort of problems are Simon's own- they have nothing to do with the Phantom and Bobby Fulbright wouldn't pick up on the phrasing regardless.

"Leave you unsupervised? Hm... I don't know... Is that the just thing to do? Maybe it'd be better if I kept an eye on you at all times."

When it comes to the emotion drops, Bobby shares Simon's sentiment. In fact, he shares it with such strong intent that he won't be taking his own amulet out. There's a lack of drops that might be considered depressing or even alarming by most. And suspicious, of course. Definitely suspicious.

[shacklebreaker]

Blackquill grins, tucking his amulet back beneath his shirt. "Would it be the just thing to slow our investigative efforts, and therefore delay yourself from delivering justice back in our own world?" Athena isn't the only one willing to take advantage of Fool Bright's little dilemmas of justice, it seems.

[spiritofjustice]

Bobby will walk right into that one with open eyes. To be fair, the Phantom would rather be rid of Simon Blackquill as much as possible and will take any opportunity- any justification to make it happen. There's no longer a pressing need to retrieve the psych profile either way. It's only Bobby Fulbright who would be reluctant to part with the convict he's meant to supervise.

"Oof! You're right! That would be unjust!" He clutches at his head, looking affronted and possibly a bit horrified at the mere concept of delayed justice. "But... Are you sure you'll be alright by yourself?"

[shacklebreaker]

"I will be fine with Taka, who will see to it that I stay on my best behaviour. Won't you, Taka?"

As a point of fact, the hawk doesn't look like he cares either way, as long as he gets his daily supply of food and pets, but Blackquill is happy to let Fulbright believe whatever he's willing to believe. Getting some time away from prison guards, wardens, and the noisy detective to live in some semblance of normality is something he'd never thought he'd experience again, and he isn't about to rush to squander it.

[spiritofjustice]

Hm. To think that a person like this would lecture the Phantom on matters of trust. Simon Blackquill places more trust in a birdbrained animal than other humans beings, after all. The enticing illusion has become less enticing over seven years of death row, that much is certain.

Bobby nods and smiles at the statement as if nothing's wrong. Of course nothing is wrong. So long as Simon is watched over, what is there to worry about? "That sounds perfect! Taka can be my feathery sidekick in justice! Isn't that right, little guy?"

He reaches out to try and pet the hawk. This can only go horribly wrong, he knows that much deep down, but it won't stop him from trying. Good pets deserve to be stroked, that's just how it is.

[shacklebreaker]

Which, unsurprisingly, sets Taka straight onto the defensive, springing at Bobby and trying to bite his fingers. Aren't you glad you wear gloves? Hopefully they're thick ones.

Before Taka can do any real harm, though, Blackquill whistles the bird back to him. "...Tsk. Play nicely with Fool Bright." For all that Blackquill enjoys making threats, he wouldn't actually allow his hawk to harm anyone.

[spiritofjustice]

"Yowtch!" Sure enough, the tip of Taka's beak manages to rip through the glove and into Bobby's index finger. It's too bad that Bobby Fulbright isn't a trained spy. It's too bad he's just a gullible man with basic police training and poor reflexes. The Phantom has to honor that to avoid rousing suspicion.

... Except now the finger of his glove is torn and he's bleeding. Not entirely as planned. He'll just try to hide it in the palm of his other hand and show off his most pathetic pout as if the only thing that got hurt is his pride.

"That wasn't very nice, Taka! If you want to be a hero of justice, you need to learn the difference between fellow heroes and criminals."

[shacklebreaker]

Taka lets out an irritated screech, and Blackquill pets him under his beak. "Taka makes no such distinctions between good and bad. If he disliked criminals so, he would attack me rather than you, would he not?"

...There's more irony in that statement than Simon realises.

"But enough of whining over a little bloodshed. Let us begin collecting information. Report back to me this evening, and we can compile anything of use we may have discovered."

[spiritofjustice]

There is quite a bit of irony in that statement. If Simon knew the truth, he'd be giving Taka a lot more credit. Bobby shoots the agitated hawk one more pout before straightening himself up again, hands on his hips, chest puffed up and teeth bared in an enthusiastic grin.

"You got it! With the both of us on the case, we'll have this matter solved in no time! In justice we trust!"

Meanwhile, just by Bobby's feet, a few flowers are wilting. He doesn't notice it. Is that his doing? ...No, of course not. Don't be silly.

[shacklebreaker]

The flowers don't escape Blackquill's ever-observant notice, and he nods sharply towards them.

"Fool Bright. What did I tell you about subduing your enthusiasm?" For want of a better explanation, his overabundance of energy seems to be... quite literally seems to be draining the life out of the plants. Most peculiar...

1/2

[spiritofjustice]

He doesn't quite realize what Simon's referring to until he chances a glance downward and sees the flowers shrivel up. He takes a step back and his eyes widen- a bit of a reflex, as the alarm he's emoting is far heavier than what he's actually experiencing. For a split second he's torn between accepting the notion that this was his doing or forcefully rejecting it.

Rejection it is. What's happening to these flowers is likely just a coincidence. Perhaps it's Simon's emotions that are causing it, or anyone else in Empatheias.

"Ah! Sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to!"

2/2

[spiritofjustice]

A moment's pause, an expression as if he's having some sort of epiphany, then his shoulders slump and he's right back to lowering his voice to a hushed whisper. "I mean... I'm sorry...!"

[shacklebreaker]

"Enough! Do I need to train restraint in you, like a dog, so as not to cause destruction wherever you go?" It could be worse than a few flowers, but he might as well quash the habit before it becomes too troublesome.

...And now he's inadvertently becoming Fulbright's babysitter anyway, even outside of prison or court. Typical.

[spiritofjustice]

Quite a hypocritical statement from the man who's being followed around by dark clouds. It isn't as if a few dying flowers are any worse than that. Not that Bobby Fulbright wouldn't feel guilty over destroying the local flora.

"No! No, I'll behave. I promise...!" It doesn't seem like there's anything else dying around him, at least.