empatheias_ooc | TEST DRIVE: JANUARY

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!mod,
*test drive

TEST DRIVE: JANUARY

— TEST DRIVE: JANUARY —

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 Friday, December 25th and Applications (Canon | OC) open Friday, January 1st.
OC Reminder! Just a quick reminder that original characters are currently 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!

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: A new card game is sweeping through the streets of Verens: "Magica Ex Arehtei." Players take on the role of an Otherworlder and form battle decks out of minions, monsters, dunamis, and even the Arehtei themselves. It’s insanely complicated in its details, but this hasn’t stopped a seller from handing you a starter deck and all but pushing you into a chair to face an opponent… who may have just been conscripted themselves.

• Prompt E: After a long period of quiet (something about ‘emotional and physical harm to Empatheias’ and ‘manufacturing plush weapons without a Class E(X) license’), toy manufacturers have flooded merchant stalls and storefronts with a new offering, the hyper-cute stuffed Thras. No negative emotions, they promise! Plush Thras is so full of bravery, he’ll inspire anyone who holds him to new heights of courage and valor!

Naturally, magiscience has gone too far, and picking up the doll instills you with vigor, energy, and fearlessness past the point of recklessness.

• Prompt F: Thundersnow! A phenomenon in which a snowstorm is accompanied by lightning and thunder, and not a terribly uncommon one in Empatheias. But today’s thundersnow is more like an apocablizzard -- lighting lashes through the sky and lances down to catch buildings and trees with its fury, all hidden behind whirling sheets of billowing snowflakes that have blanketed the city in a foot of snow with no sign of stopping.

The outside is cold, windy, miserable, and potentially dangerous. Are you trapped in a building you didn’t expect to be in? Or perhaps you’ve joined up with an emergency emotion squad, trying to impose calm or cheer on the raging storm?

• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include lumps of coal or moose.

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The crash was spectacular but in terms of physical injury, Natsu was no worse than before. However her words, her shaky questions dig into him something fierce robbing him of any possible retort. So he just sits there, eyes averted from her while she just lets it all out. He doesn't dare open his mouth. Because...he knows she's right. He slowly sits up straight but doesn't try to meet her gaze.]

That's...No I wasn't. Because...I don't want to lose anyone again. Especially not you.

[Ever since they survived the Grand Magic Games incident, Natsu had lost so many precious things. The Lucy from the future and then Igneel. Natsu just couldn't help that fear. He hit it well enough but it was the main motivator.]

I'm someone who shouldn't even be in this time... Just like that asshole...my brother.

IDIOT! If you died you'd lose EVERYONE, and we'd all lose YOU. Don't you get it!? NO. One. Wins. [ Thunder rumbled again, closer this time, threatening to open up with an entirely different kind of downpour. ]

I don't... I don't want to lose you, Natsu. Not ever...!

[ They both lost so much. It was selfish of her to want to cling to what had been a constant in her life for so long - no, it wasn't just because he had been a constant from the beginning. It went further, deeper than that. But she couldn't bring herself to address that. ]

Why can't you see that...?

[ She stopped short at that word. Brother. Zeref...? ]

Wh..what are you talking about?

[ Who cares if he wasn't supposed to be in this time, he was now, and she -wasn't- going to give him up. Not without a fight. ]

[He flinches hearing the thunder rolling in from the distance once again. But just like last time he won't run from it. Because he knows Lucy is right.]

Happy was saying the same thing.

[He really is stupid. But the truth is not something that can be made any prettier by being smart and the truth is.]

Zeref is my brother....and also the one who brought me back to life...as E.N.D.

[ There's another shock. There were a lot of them today. Zeref was his brother? He was....E.N.D.? Why -- it was so unfair. But... wait, E.N.D. ...as in the Book of E.N.D..? Shit. That just made things even more complicated. ]

W-well... so what...?

[ It sucks that he'd thought he'd have to kill his own brother, and she ...wanted to believe there was another way to deal with him. One that wouldn't end with his death. She didn't really understand what it meant when he said he didn't belong in this time, but... the hell with that! She took two steps forward and then dropped to her knees, in front of him, rather suddenly wrapping her arms around him. ]

I don't care that Zeref is your brother. . .and I don't care if ...if you're E.N.D. You're... that doesn't change who I know you are. You're Natsu. Natsu of Fairy Tail, Fire Dragonslayer. ... my .... stupid idiot partner. You're not supposed to be in this time...? So what...?

I want you here. Does that not matter for anything at all? [ ... er, she means we. Like. All of Fairy Tail. Honest. ]

If she only knew that she's only scratched the surface of the secrets Natsu has learned.

But just seeing her so choked up. So emotional. He can feel it. The hurt, the loneliness. The fear and anger. All things he never wanted to put her through. All things he wanted to prevent.]

Lucy...

[He wants to lift his arms, return that trembling embrace. The words finally reach him and for a moment the wind around him seems to grow still.]

No....no that's not it at all.

She had a feeling there was a lot more to it. It was something she couldn't just fix as easily as she patched his cheek, and even that was temporary. But the emotions she felt had completely overwhelmed her, and as much as she wanted to feel him put his arms around her too, she didn't push him. She just wanted to hold him at least, to feel he was still there with her. ]

Then -why-?

[ Why would he just throw his life away - without even considering another option? Without even considering how they would feel. How miserable she'd be without him? ]

Because....I didn't see any other way. As long as Zeref is alive everyone is in danger. My power. No the power I had left over from Igneel. The power I gathered for almost a year, it wasn't enough to destroy Zeref in one hit. The second one would have finished him...maybe....no there's no guarantee of that either. But now that power is gone. You can't even see the mark on my arm anymore.

[That would answer her forgotten question about the bandage he'd worn since his return.]

[ She falls silent a moment, because he -was- right on that point. If Zeref continued to be a d-ck to everyone and....and his own brother... who knows what would happen. She'd wondered about the bandage he didn't have anymore, but she didn't let go of him. She was holding him like she was afraid he'd do something stupid, or he'd leave her again. Well. If he did, she wouldn't really be able to stop him. ]

Idiot... [ Funny how she could say that word so many different ways. She tightened her arms around him anyway. ]

Of course you didn't see any other way ... you were on your own. You have all of Fairy Tail, and Master Mavis. We could have thought of something. None of us want to see you die. We don't want to win that way. We'll find another way.

[ Hope. It's selfish of her, but she hopes that most of all, because she doesn't want to lose another person she loves. ]

[This time his body shakes as a defeated chuckle follows Lucy's words.]

Happy said that too. Doing the same thing you're doing. I know I was stupid. I know.

[But that was just him trying to save everyone. Even if it was stupid.]

[ It wasn't stupid wanting to save everyone. His method was, though. Hearing that defeated chuckle, she pressed her head against his shoulder, sighing heavily. Thank god. Thank. God. She got through to him. That was terrifying. What if she hadn't found him and he kept thinking he had to sacrifice himself to beat Zeref? ]

We'll find a way together, Natsu. I know we will.

[ And no one will care about who he was related to, what he was or anything like that, because they were family and loved each other. As she thought that, it felt a little less cold, like the sun shining on a wintery day. That chill was still there - she was still afraid for him. But she was clinging to that hope. Maybe it was stupid of her to hope for an outcome like that, but... ]

Natsu... Promise me you won't...do anything stupid like this again. Promise me you won't leave again.

[Natsu finally lifts one arm and loosely loops it around Lucy's waist, finally returning that embrace she'd given him all this time. As he does that he can feel his heart lighten a little bit and with it the cold around him starts to be dispelled.]

Yeah. I promise. This time...for sure.

[There's still much he feels he has to tell her but right now...he just wants to stay like this a little longer. Before the true problem at hand reasserts itself.]

[ Feeling his arm slip around her, she let out a long, shaky sigh. There was probably a lot they hadn't talked about - she hadn't told him about Brandish and her mother, for one thing, and then there was whatever else he isn't telling her. But that could wait. If he wanted to stay like this-- no, not just him. She wanted to as well. Just for a little while. The storm seems to have passed, for the time being. ]

Good... good. [ Thank god, than the stars, thank the spirits - she was grateful for everything right now, even that they were both brought to this place, selfish as that was. They needed to get back home, sure, but for now, at least... ]

[They stay like that for a while longer but just as the lights start coming back on around them, well those that didn't pop or shatter during the earlier moments, Natsu slowly pulls away though not completely.]

I think...we should get off from the ground.

[ Do we have to? ... she doesn't say that of course. She was reluctant to move right away though, lingering slightly. ]

Y-yeah. Yeah, okay... [ She didn't want to pull too far from him though, still a little worried about him. So it was good that he didn't pull completely away. Although now she felt a tiny bit awkward after that emotional display. ]

Um... [ Maybe they should go back to ... whatever rooms they were staying? She didn't want to leave him alone though. ]

[To be honest having her close like this was already doing wonders for Natsu. The support helped immensely when it came to clear those clouds over his heart and mind.

The wound on his face isn't something all that pleasant to look at especially not given the tumble he took when Lucy so rightfully slapped him.]

So where the heck are we? This doesn't look like any city we've been to.

[ She let out a breath, relieved that he found a topic before she did. Something to focus on, yay. ]

I think they call the place Verens or...something like that. It's... obviously not on Earthland anywhere. I guess we kind of got pulled here like...sort of like how we ended up in Edolas that one time.

[ She felt a little bad about hitting him, but he -did- deserve it. And she was making up for it, staying close to him, even reaching for his hand to stay close and support him. ]

[Natsu looks around briefly before nodding to Lucy's words. her theory has the most credence after all.]

Yeah looks that way. Though if we're here some of the others might be too.

[Except he's not exactly keen on facing anyone else except maybe Happy. After all the things he learned would shake the world of so many people he knows and cares about.]

[ She would stand with him if he chose to tell anyone else. And if anyone else in Fairy Tail thought to judge him she would step in there too. ]

Yeah... though I haven't heard from anyone on this... um.. thing that I spoke to you on. So it's ... possible they aren't here yet, or... or ... [ at all. ]

[Well there is that matter with Gray. Which kind of puts a chill down his spine thinking how gung ho the ice queen was about destroying the book of E.N.D. his book. His lethal weakness. No the second lethal weakness.]

Damn....well I guess we should look around. Maybe find a place to stay.

[ Not even Gray would do something so heinous. And if he tried, he'd have a lot more than Natsu to worry about. ]

Yeah. Maybe we'll get lucky and find a place that's close by to each other. Unless... [ She hesitates. Suggesting that he share a place with her? Honestly... awkwardness and embarrassing situations aside she... didn't feel comfortable letting him stay alone. ]

Erm... do you want to ...to share a place..? I mean... you'd have your own room or you'd sleep on the couch of course.., but... [at least they'd be close by, and she could keep an eye on him. Well if she were being honest with herself she'd admit that she wanted him to stay with her. ]

[Well Natsu certainly didn't feel like just letting Gray kill him over a stupid misguided personal quest. After all Zeref said it. E.N.D. had nothing to do with the actual creation or decision making of Tartaros. But even without that. He promised Lucy not to leave again. Letting Gray kill him would break that promise. He's already broken way too many towards Lucy.]

Huh? Of course I'll share.

[After all it's not like his precious house is in this place most likely. No attachment. So why wouldn't he stay with Lucy? No that's not it. He needs to stay close to her.]

[ It was a good thing neither of them were connecting the dots about their emotions quite yet, because Natsu's agreement with sharing the house made the sun shine just a bit brighter. BUT that was her imagination, surely. The smile was no illusion though, as she nodded quickly. ]

Okay, that... that'll make it easier on both of us. Let's ..head down to the residential quarter then. [ She was expecting an apartment - but when she thought about it she didn't remember seeing any apartment buildings. ]

[With their own troubles distracting them, it's rather understandable they haven't taken notice of this particular trait. It is only a matter of time though. For now securing lodgings is that much more important.]

Uhhh which way is that?

[Because he hasn't exactly wandered around enough to know what smell leads where.]

[ She chuckled softly, a little tired now that the adrenaline from her panicked sprint through town, and then yelling at him and all those emotions involved had been put on the back burner for the time being. Giving his hand a slight squeeze, she pointed. ]

Back the way I came. It isn't far.

[ She wasn't letting go of his hand for even a second though, leading him back away from the Observatory until they came to the Residential Quarter. Numerous cottages and multi level homes laid out on either side of the street. It was just a matter of finding out how they could set up a residence for themselves. ]

[Natsu was not much better. No in terms of energy drain, his case was much more severe. After all he went against Zeref and a fraction of his army from Alvarez]

Okay. Lead the way.

[It's funny really. Even though his hand is trapped in Lucy's he doesn't think even for a moment about pulli9ng it back or letting go.]

Lucky you! I only have the parrot! T_T

D: I'll lend you one of my kitties

*accepts*

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That icon makes me giggle every time. XD

[And rightfully so~]

accepts