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

[explodewiththerage]

Awesome!

[He should have known Lucy would have predicted that answer. Well either way he was getting great spicy food and that's all that matters!]

Yeah they look like it. This one looks on the big side too.

[He's not laying claim on who get which though given Lucy's apartment back in their world he's definitely leaning towards letting her have the bigger one. Or maybe it's a plot to make her feel lonely in a big room at night so when he does sneak in she's not as prone to chase him off! But no Natsu can't possibly be THAT devious!]

[celestial_wizard]

[ She giggled at the enthusiasm, watching him a moment as he inspected the rooms. As worried as she was about things back home, about HIM...she missed this kind of thing. Being able to just...relax and not worry about countries invading, or family or...or anything super serious.

She sighed softly, then realized she was staring at his back and he was confirming her guess. Whoops. ]

Do you want the bigger room...?

[ She kind of would prefer that one for herself, just because her apartment at home was on the small side, but she wanted to give him first dibs if he wanted. Though the fact that she might feel lonely in such a big room didn't occur to her yet. ]

[explodewiththerage]

[Well if she can keep that kind of mentality after he reveals the rest of the things he's learned then future might not be so bleak.]

Huh? Mmmm nah you can have it. You need the room to fill it with books and stuff right?

[Not that those things will help with any potential loneliness.]

[celestial_wizard]

[ Things can't be THAT bad..! ... ahaha...ha..h.a.... ]

Really? You're sure? [ She grins at the question, nodding. ] Yeah, having more room would be a big help. It won't be nearly as crowded as it is back home.

[ ... it will be roomy and ...kind of lonely. BUT he was right across from her so... she'd have to resist the urge to bug him, or make up some kind of excuse if she got lonely. And the bed was plenty bi-- wait, why is she ... ]

We-Well! I think that's pretty much all there is to the place. [ Maybe she'll get a ladder so she can climb up to the roof sometimes. ] You're hungry right?

[explodewiththerage]

[Wellllll....depends on perspective. There's some long overdue answers in there but the ghost feels too steep]

Yeah I'm sure~

[He'd end up invading her room on a regular basis anyway. They both have to know that already.]

[celestial_wizard]

[ Those things can all wait for a long while. Lucy glanced at her partner, flashing him a grin. ]

Thanks.

[ She'd make a comment about him not knowing what he was going to be giving up with all that room to play in, but... yeah, she... has a good feeling he's going to end up sneaking into her bedroom anyway. She won't even lock her door. ]

Well! Come on - you want to help me make dinner? [ She pivoted on her heel, trotting down the stairs to where the food was left out. ]

[explodewiththerage]

[Oh he knows very well. This is one decision he definitely didn't make haphazardly. Much as that would surprise so many people who know him.]

Help? You bet I do!

[It will be a great distraction for both of them.]

[celestial_wizard]

[ Distractions were greatly needed, for a while yet. Hopping over the last step, she padded into the kitchen, glancing around to familiarize herself with everything in it. ]

Hm.. Spicy curry, right? [ She took hold of a couple of the ingredients they wouldn't need, putting them in the refrigerator. After a few seconds spending time getting the kitchen properly prepared, she glanced at her partner again. ]

Here, you can get the chicken ready. Just get the skin off, and debone it - then cut it into small chunks. I'll work on the spices - Oh, and we'll have to boil water for the rice too, that's right.

[explodewiththerage]

[He quickly takes up position next to Lucy watching her sort the ingredients out on the counter before she gave him instructions]

Gotcha. Leave it to me. I'll get it done in no time at all~

[He grins while igniting his hands only to start ripping the skin and bones out of the chicken faster than she can track his hands.]

[celestial_wizard]

[ He'd better not be making a mess! Because if he is with all that ripping and tearing, she's gonna reach over and grab his shoulder to stop him! ]

Yo.. you don't have to rush through it! It's not going to up and run off or something. [ Goodness. Either way she sets about chopping up the peppers and vegetables. ]

And use a knife when you chop it up!

[ J.. just in case he planned on ripping the meat into tiny pieces with his hands. ]

[explodewiththerage]

[Nope he's being surprisingly precise with his motions and the mess is minimal though that might also have something to do with the fact that he's incinerating the skin that goes flying.]

Huh? A knife? Well I guess if I have to...

[He reaches for one with a grumble.]

[celestial_wizard]

[ She stifled a laugh at the grumbling. ]

Well what were YOU going to use to chop up the chicken then? Your hands? Noo nono, I don't think so!

[explodewiththerage]

[He ignites his hand while holding his fingers all out as if shaping his hand into a blade.]

It wouldn't be the first time I had to do that.

[celestial_wizard]

[ She sighs softly. ]

Really Natsu, what's wrong with using a knife? [ She shook her head with a grin. ]

Well, if you'd rather do it that way, that's fine I guess.

[explodewiththerage]

[He narrows his eyes at Lucy almost as if to say he was on to her little game.]

No I'll use the knife. I'll prove I can use it.

[He's still going to grumble for a bit before the work gets his full focus.]

[celestial_wizard]

[ She smiles sweetly at him as if to say she had no idea what he might be silently implying. ]

All right, just be careful -- well, I guess I don't have to tell you that.

[ It probably wouldn't even break the skin. Though once he starts grumbling, she has to bite her lip to keep from laughing. ]

[explodewiththerage]

You worry too much. I'll be done before you know it.

[And he proceeds to cup up the meat at breakneck speeds. In fact it's a miracle the knife hasn't broken under that kind of stress.]

[celestial_wizard]

You know, it's not a race...

[ She grins. Maybe he was just really hungry~! Though she was a little worried about the knife, sure. Once she was finished with the vegetables, she moved over to the sink to wash her hands, quickly. Then moving on to test the stove so she could heat the water. ... come to think of it, it would be faster for Natsu to do it. She put that to the side and started to prep the other side of the oven for the meat and vegetables. ]

Hehee, it's kind of fun cooking side by side with you like this.

[explodewiththerage]

[By some kind of miracle, the knife just barely survived Natsu making use of it. The chicken was now cut up into just about the right state Lucy told him to.]

You think so too? You know we can do this more often then, right?

[celestial_wizard]

[ That's one good knife then! Although Lucy thinks she'll buy some extra ones that can withstand a lot of abuse later, when they have some money.

Ahaha, just imagining cooking along with her partner made her feel warm and tingly as she grinned to herself, practically - and in a way, literally, radiating warmfuzzy as she started on the sides. ]

Hmmhmm -- huh? [ Aww, warmfuzzies gone. And she blushes, realizing that she was giving the room that 'warmfuzzy' feeling, quickly clearing her throat. ]

Oohh, you... you'd want to? I mean.. yeah, sure! Definitely -- um -- oh! Can you boil the rice? [ Well..he'll have to put water in and then the rice but that's easy! ]

[explodewiththerage]

[Oh wow that warm fuzzy mood was really comfy so when Lucy puts an end to it, Natsu feels just a little disappointed before he is given the next task.]

The rice. Right on it. It'll be a piece of cake~

[And off he is to light the stove with a finger before filling the pot with water and dumping all the rice in it before setting it down to boil on the flame.]

[celestial_wizard]

Ohhh, Cake... [ Man she really wanted one now. She shook her head a little, giggling. ] Maybe after we get a few jobs in, I'll get some more supplies and make a cake or two.

We could use it was a way to meet our neighbors here too. OH! Don't forget to stir the rice, you don't want it to clump together and burn.

[ Soon after that warning, she turns to add the meat to the pan of chopped vegetables, adding a little more water to it as she turns the heat down some. The kitchen was going to start smelling like spices and meat soon! Even her stomach will start growling. ]

[explodewiththerage]

Huh? Cake? What about cake?

[Natsu is pretty sure they didn't pick up any cake ingredients during their last second shopping.]

Yeah yeah it's not the first time I cooked rice you know~

[He's got it alllll under control surely.]

[celestial_wizard]

Well, I was thinking that we could pick up ingredients to make one later, once we're settled.

[ She's about to add that maybe Erza or Gray, Happy, Wendy or Charle might appear - or anyone from Fairy Tail, when she realizes that would cast a shadow on the conversation, given ... circumstances. ]

Cooked it and -didn't- burn it? [ She asked skeptically, keeping a close eye on him. It's not that she didn't trust him in the kit... yeah she didn't trust him fully in the kitchen. Not enough to stop watching him anyway. That's totally the only reason! ]

[explodewiththerage]

Oh? Yeah I don't see why not. Cake's always good especially when you don't have to compete with Erza for it.

[Well competition would be wording it kindly. But now's not the time or place for it. He does make a funny face towards Lucy's comment though.]

That was only once and it was because a giant ape jumped me and Happy before dinner and the fight took us too long to save the rice.