TEST DRIVE: JANUARY

[empevents]

— 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!

Comments

[celestial_wizard]

[ Didn't she just get done telling him not to sacrifice himself for her or anyone else? BAD Natsu. Lucy turned back to the merchant, clearing her throat and averting her eyes because he was giving them quite an amused look. Instead, she picked up the bag he put together for her, handing it over to Natsu. He has now been designated Bag Carrier. ]

Right..ah... yeah.

[ Should she fess up that the whole dramatic thing earlier was a joke? ..... no, no she doesn't think she'll tell him. Who knows what horrible, evil plan he'd have in mind to get revenge. Fortunately, shopping is done relatively quickly, since they didn't have as much money as they did back home. ]

This'll have to do for now. It should get us by for a few weeks at least. [ Yay for not staying in a little hotel and having permanent accomodations! ]

[explodewiththerage]

[Bag carrier. That sounds like ea bit of a waste for his his talents but if Natsu is genuinely bothered by it he's certainly not showing any signs of that.]

Yeah I think you're right. Well what matters right now is today. We'll start looking around the place more tomorrow and see if we can't find work doing what we do best.

[BLOW STUFF UP!]

[celestial_wizard]

[ HECK YEAH BLOWIN' STUFF UP. ]

Sounds good. I don't think I have much more money left anyway. I think there's a task board somewhere around here where people put up job requests and bounties and such, so it doesn't sound too difficult to find work.

[ She led the way out of the marketplace, shifting the bags into her arms. Being designated bag carrier might be a waste of his talents, but not even he would make her carry all the things! ]

[explodewiththerage]

Guess some things are the same no matter the world you're in. As long as we don't find another me who loves vehicles.

[Never again. That was just wrong on so many level! As for the bags, well it';s not like it's hard for him to carry the shopping anyway. So he's doing it regardless.]

[celestial_wizard]

[ She stifled a giggle. ]

Oh, but you looked so 'cool' behind a wheel, Natsu~! [ Nah, not really. The Natsu of Edolas was deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeefinitely not her type, even if he resembled her Natsu. ]

But .. yeah I hope we don't come across any doubles of us here.

[explodewiththerage]

[He gives her a pointed look knowing full well she's just messing with him.]

Well mine aside, the Edolas you was pretty cool though. Just like you.

[celestial_wizard]

[ She chuckled again at that pointed look. Edolas Natsu was a sweet guy, but... NOOOOOOOTHING like her Natsu. She nudged him with her elbow playfully, then paused short when they exited the square. ]

Oh... I think we went out a different exit... which way -- um... [ hrm. ]

[explodewiththerage]

Sweet guy but a wimp outside his car. ]

Huh?

[He says before scanning their surroundings for a moment.]

You're right...I think we should find a map or something.

[celestial_wizard]

[ Precisely. ]

Hrm... a map will definitely be the next thing we need to get our hands on. But... well it ..can't be that far. Let's try that way. [ Kerpoint! ]

[explodewiththerage]

Might as well. We'll get somewhere eventually.

[And off on the quest to find a way home they go.]

[celestial_wizard]

That's not the most confident of answers I'd have wanted to hear. We could get totally lost..! ... ... okay I'm exaggerating, and.. you're right. Kind of. But still who knows how long it'll take us to get to the house -

[ She asks as they ..step right into the residential quarter a good ten minutes in. ]

- we could be wandering around the city for hours. [ Or walking right past it now. ] I'm usually better about getting maps and things - I completely forgot this time.

[explodewiththerage]

Well I don't have anything better since I don't know this place or its scents to follow them around.

[It's really out of his hands until he finally spots a familiar house just to their left.]

Oh we're here.

[celestial_wizard]

Huh? [ She stops short, turning around. ]

Oh! That..wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. Come on, you're probably tired of carrying those bags.

[ She reached into her pocket, taking out a key to unlock the door, relaxing a bit as she stepped inside. It was -still- strange to think of the house as 'their' to be honest. Knowing she'd be waking up in the same house as him every day they were here. . . or in more likelihood, the same bed if he climbed in at night. ]

[explodewiththerage]

[To be honest he missed invading LUcy's apartment every night too. Still Natsu is certainly happy with this development as it meant they didn't wander around lost for too long.]

Tired? Nah I could carry a hundred times more than these~

[celestial_wizard]

Yeah, but...why would you want to? The bag would be sky high and more likely to topple than anything else.

[ She giggled, waving him over to put his portion of the bags down while she locked the door again. Of course she could always lock him out if he missed climbing into her home every night. The bedrooms -were- on the second floor --

Wouldn't they just LOVE to explain -that- one to the neighbors? ]

Well anyway, since you can carry a hundred times more then these - you can put these all away! While I go explore the upstairs. [ She playfully 'mwahahaha'd. Apparently her plan was to tease him and keep him too occupied to brood until she felt he was 100% him again, as she pushed her bags towards him. ]

[explodewiththerage]

[Locking him out is really not the best idea when the other party can melt physical locks.]

Wha-hey iwanna explore too!!

[He calls after her but Lucy is already long gone so he just sighs and goes to do as commanded]

[celestial_wizard]

[ But he wanted to climb in the window! She'd rather him do that than melt the lock. Of course she didn't actually go dashing up the stairs -- all the way. She just trotted up a few steps, then stopped and crept back down to poke her head out. ]

You didn't really think I'd go exploring without you, did you? Come on, silly. It'll only take us a few minutes to poke around, the food will keep that long.

[explodewiththerage]

[As long as she doesn't lock the windows too. Well knowing Lucy she would never lock that to him]

What? Oh you're right! Okay first one up the stairs decides dinner!

[celestial_wizard]

[ She'd never lock the windows. She'd gotten too far into the habit of sleeping with her windows open, even before he started sneaking in.

Wait, what did he say? ]

Wha -

[ He's probably already dashed past her hasn't he? She turns to scramble up the stairs either way, though it wasn't that long a flight. About twenty steps total! ]

[explodewiththerage]

[She asked for it when she teased him about his boast. Now he had a commanding lead!! Would she be able to catch up?]

[celestial_wizard]

[ She's going to TRY at least! ]

Get back here!

[ No fair getting to the top before her! Though she giggles as she sprints up the steps after him, two steps behind. ]

[explodewiththerage]

[So the only way to win was if he let her. Or maybe she suddenly got faster. Either way she somehow caught up just before the last two steps. ]

Make me!!

[celestial_wizard]

[ His taunt just made her want to make him as he dared. OOO. She wasn't going to be able to get ahead of him in time and there were only a few steps left. ]

Fine, I will~!

[ She lunged forward to tackle him - though that ..might actually just end up tripping him up a little by the time he reached the final step. Maybe. ]

[explodewiththerage]

[Of all the things, he actually doesn't even think she'd opt to tackle him outright.]

What the-!?

[ And a tumbling they go only Natsu twist them both so she lands on top of him instead.]

[celestial_wizard]

[ Whoops! That actually could have ended up with one of them getting hurt! Though Natsu prevents that quite masterfully. But Lucy is giggling by the time they hit the floor. ]

Sorry, Sorry - I...

[ Oh. Her giggles stop, caught in her throat - that surprised look on his face was GOLD, but uh.. she..was.. on top of him. ]