memepatheias | Test Drive: January

Entry tags:

*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:

Pre-Intro Log. For the Test Drive, we are using parts of it as a "pre- intro log," which means not only can players go ahead and use the prompts as if the character is arriving into the game for the first time, but this setting will be adapted and continue in the official Intro Log. For TDM purposes the prompts are a little more generic and vague than what will be on the actual Intro Log, but they're relatable enough that can be easily transferred to the official log with a few minor tweaks. For those who do end up applying and entering into Emp, these threads are considered "forward dated" to the Intro Log.
Date reminders. Reserves open December 25th and Applications (Canon | OC) open a week later on January 1st. Apps will only be open for four days! Because we're on a bi-monthly schedule, the next app cycle after this is MARCH.
Emotions are key! Empatheias's 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. 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 to collect their emotions and serves as the network device. Remember, communication is telepathic, but it works basically the same as most other network devices.
First or third person allowed. Your threads can be in either first or third, but we'd advise being flexible about it. If you have a preference, be sure to specify. 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.
For your threads, put the Character Name and the Canon in the subject line to help readily identify them. You're 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!

PROMPTS

• Prompt A: How about giving the emotions a try? Is your character feeling particularly wound up upon finding themselves in a new place? Or perhaps they're finally getting to live out the fantasy dream and are overjoyed! Or they just stubbed their toe and are in a lot of pain. Whatever it may be, this prompt is your catchall "let's try these emotion effects out" for any miscellaneous situation you may think up.

• 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: It's winter in Verens, and the festivities are alive with some new gimmicks. As always, emotions come into play, so be careful where they take you! Try not to destroy the city.

Beware the Snowmen: Do you wanna build a snowman? All snowmen are affected by the emotions around them, and it doesn't take too much to make them come alive. They have imbibed different emotions around them, so you'll find lovey-dovey snowmen who have no respect for personal space, snowmen jumping up and down with joy, sad melting snowmen, and irate snowmen trying to lob their coal and carrots at you. A few snowmen have managed to get hold of murderous tendencies and will now try to kill you when you pass by. Good luck? It's kill or be killed.
Bittersweet Chocolate: For those looking for a way to warm up, many cafes have begun to offer hot chocolate which is said to be the best in all of Verens. It tastes delicious, with the right amount of sweetness...except to those who hide their true attitude or personality behind a facade. To people who aren't true to themselves, the hot chocolate will taste terrible depending on how much they conceal, not feel. It'll also burn their tongues pretty quickly no matter how long the chocolate has been sitting around.

• Prompt E: Candles of Remembrance for Selenium, a holiday for mourning and grief, are always going through different changes for each year and the prototypes are distributed to see if it works. Normally, when lit, the candles create an image of a person sorely missed, whether they are dead or still alive. But something went wrong with the candle-making process this time. Various scents and aromas were infused into the candles to help improve moods, but the complete opposite is happening.

Well, This Stinks: No images are produced from the smoke and flames, but instead, they exude horrible and disgusting smells from memory. They can range from recent events like burned cookies from last week, or the stench of a bloody battlefield from years past. The scent of the candle depends on the character lighting it, so everyone will be able to smell whatever they smell from it. It's very strong, so it's possible someone could actually feel nauseous either immediately or from prolonged exposure. But that's not all. The aroma will elicit varying feelings of regret, disgust, hatred, rage, and overdramatic despair.
Counter Whiff: On the other end, a different kind of aromatic candle is producing far more pleasing scents, but it's way too strong. It's like getting a bottle of strong, "mature" perfume shoved up one's nose. The scents from these candles have even stranger effects, such as actually knocking someone unconscious; soothing them to sleep right on the spot; or even have strange hallucinations believing that the person in front of them is the one from their memories. The candles also make those affected strangely happy with extreme exuberance, and the emotion effects from their displays of joy are just as extravagant.
Take a Walk on the Wild Side: Both candles have a troublesome side effect: their scents attract a variety of wildlife from the woods. Deer, skunks, chipmunks, foxes, all sorts of birds, you name it, they've begun to invade the city and zero in on those lighted candles, lingering around them or worse, actually taking the lit candles, which can (and will) potentially start fires. The fires can be put out normally, but strangely enough, after they go out, it is as if the affected structures and items were never burned in the first place. Now they just reek of candle scent. Attempts can be made to remove the scent, but it'll take either a lot of scrubbing or somehow creating emotions that produce a more pleasant scent.

• Prompt F: Boreas, or winter, is in the air and this month the city suffered from a number of wintery effects, partially due to the Arehtei Peromei. Some like the blizzard and mistletoe could be considered typical holiday fare. The werewolf flu sweeping the city, not so much, but that still hasn't stopped the citizens of Verens from celebrating the holiday season. [Note: Scenarios pulled from our current event, and the full details can be read here. Due to the timing, these threads cannot be carried over into the game.]

Hibernation: A despair filled blizzard has taken the town by storm, bringing a strong urge to hibernate with it. Characters with strong negative emotions will be hit the hardest, but most everyone will feel the urge to take a nap right then and there at some point. There are ways to ward off the emotionally induced drowsiness though as roving bands of carolers seek to keep people's eyes open and spirits light. In addition a number of hope infused lanterns have been strung throughout the city to guide travelers to safety and keep them from dozing off in a nearby snowbank.
Mistletoe:t's not just the snow either, the town is also plagued by a particularly invasive species of mistletoe brought to the island by Peromei. To citizens' dismay, it isn't ordinary mistletoe or even ordinary magic mistletoe. No, instead this awful plant that lurks in corners and on ceilings is influenced by a combination of Peromei's and Elios's influences to make it aggressive and mobile. It now prefers to slither around and attach itself to moving targets. Once attached to someone, it induces a terrible longing for the sort of love and affection one secretly hopes for the most -- anything from a simple hug to a mom to fuss over you to a new friend you can always have lunch with -- and it won't let go until its victim has found someone who can fulfill that longing.
Wereflu: In addition to the mistletoe and blizzard, there's also the aforementioned werewolf flu sweeping the city. Thanks to a foolish researcher, the infected are suffering partial or in some cases full transformations into wolflike creatures. The main cure for it is positive attention as like the mistletoe, the afflicted will be driven to seek it out and the more they get, the sooner they'll be back to normal. If left unchecked, it can lead to more feral aggressive behavior, so Otherworlders and natives alike have been warned to be cautious when attempting to help those affected.

• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include paper snowflakes and/or cinnamon.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Even Supreme Overlords of Ice could use a nice cup of hot chocolate to relax with every now and then. And so Gundam Tanaka has set foot into this cafe for the moment, seeking something to ward off the chill from outside.

But he was halted in his sights by a familiar sight. There's no mistaking that hair and those clothes. It's her again. Of course he'd have the misfortune to run into Enoshima just when he's preparing to unwind! He sighs and rolls his eyes as he witnesses her yelling at a barista, and then he steps forward to try to help the poor mortal.]

Hmph... The only joke that I see here is you, Enoshima. Your very existence continues to serve as the most hideous joke of them all... [As loath as he is to talk to Junko, he knows he can handle it better than that barista. Even if... something about her seems off? But it's probably nothing.]

The 'joke' is the fact that these people can't even tell when milk's gone off! Seriously, you'd think that was, like, totally obvious!

[It was only then she turned to face the person insulting her, ready to continue her vent, when...oh, hey, this was someone she knew. Not that she'd ever taken a great deal of interest in their class - or, well, many people who weren't Naegi or her sister anyway.]

Even you must be able to tell there's something wrong here, Tanaka. Just smell this thing.

[She'll just be shoving the offending mug his way to prove her point.

Did Junko always have freckles? Must be a trick of the light.]

Edited (HTML tags) 2020-01-02 11:14 (UTC)

Hrgh-! Get that away from me...! [He'll try to lean back away from the mug as it's shoved in his face! Aside from that surprise and disgust, it's mostly a glare that's fixed on his face as he looks towards Junko.]

Be that as it may, that drink may just be part of your karmic retribution. [He doesn't quite like dealing with Junko, but at least he feels confident that he won't end up becoming a part of the Ultimate Despair in this world too. He's ready to reject her at any turn!

But as he glares at her, he does start to pin down part of what seems off. Now he tries to look at Junko as little as possible, but he's pretty sure that she didn't have freckles on her face before. Now he starts to look more confused as well.]

...Have you contracted some manner of pox recently? [That seems like the most rational explanation!]

Karmic retribution my ass...

[Karmic retribution? So he had some knowledge of Junko's actions, but right now she couldn't see the telltale signs of despair in Gundham. Had the brainwashing failed, or worn off? She didn't know exactly what became of them once her class been locked away inside the school, but... something was definitely off.

Mukuro wrinkled her nose in confusion. But before she could decide whether to play ignorant or question him further, he asked her that.]

Wha... What the Hell's that supposed to mean?!

[She slams the mug down, splattering the offending drink over her hand and the counter with significantly more spray than the action should have caused - someone hadn't worked out her emotions would have interesting side effects here, yet. Her hands balled into fists, ignoring the drink splatter there.]

No, I don't have the pox, what kind of a question even is that!

[He backs away some more at the drink's splashing! And he becomes more confused at the same time... The whole time he's known Junko in this world, he's never been able to get a reaction like this out of her!]

You fiend. It - it should be obvious! As loath as I am to look at it, I am certain that those spots have never been visible on your odious face before. I don't even have to tap into the powers of my All-Seeing Eye to observe that. [He sighs.] Do not tell me that you are oblivious to the workings of your own face!

[Probably a good idea Gundham, you don't want to get splashed by that, it's still hot! Not that it seemed to bother Mukuro too much - although, knowing her luck, wiping the drink spill off her hand might risk smudging her foundation and exposing her tattoo... that was almost certainly the reason she'd not bothered to clean up the mess just yet.

Still, trust him to notice. It was frustrating he could pick up on such a small detail so quickly - his classmate could impersonate someone near perfectly despite being practically double their weight, right? What's a few freckles ~~and awful acting~~?]

I just... I've always had these! Look, the magazines I do shoots for don't like working with freckles, they say it's like a pain to do all that post-production stuff. So I cover them up with foundation most of the time.

I'm just wearing less makeup today, that's all!

[Nailed...it? Maybe?]

Seriously, I thought someone with your sense of fashion'd know how makeup works, at least.

[I mean she assumes that look can't be natural. Right? Maybe? Hopefully he wouldn't call her bluff, she barely knew what she was talking about.]

[He won't directly acknowledge whether or not he applies makeup. As far as he's concerned, his appearance is completely 100 percent natural! He still doesn't look quite pleased with her answer, regardless of his never being pleased with Junko's existence in general. He might not have even noticed the freckles if she wasn't also acting so unlike what he's come to know of her over time.]

I... have no need for such insipid things as mankind's skin concealment treatments... [He mutters in an attempt to excuse himself.]

So that's it? You've merely had those freckles all along? And today just happens to be the one day that you've let your skin's guard down. Hmph. [He sounds skeptical, but also doesn't have a clear objection to raise.]

Yeah, that's totally it! Pretty disappointing, I know, but... that's all there is to it.

[Even she can tell that he's not buying her excuses, but hey, she saw that attempt to deflect her comment! If she forced the line of questioning back on him, then it'd take the pressure off her!]

But you really don't use any makeup at all? Not even a little eyeliner? No way do you expect me to believe that.

Well, whatever... you gotta at least try moisturizer sometime, that stuff is seriously good for your skin, you know?

[She's done it! She's forced him on the defensive! He bristles up and folds his arms as he shrinks back a bit, in response to her new line of questioning.]

B-believe or doubt what you will! Such things are... completely foreign to me! This form's appearance is completely and purely a result of my own nature. N-nothing else!

And no amount of mere "moisturiser" c-can survive the toxins emanated by my very skin! These inquiries will bear no fruit... [He practically growls. But he's also clearly embarrassed.]

[The Ultimate Soldier turns the tide of battle once again! She kept that fake smile plastered across her face as she continued on the offensive - playing her relief off as amusement at his plight.]

Hey, no need to get so flustered! It's totally normal, like, a subtle touch could totally bring out that whole 'Dark Lord' thing you've got going on even more.

[Where did he even get this from anyway?]

What are you even talking about? [He looks away with a huff.]

Such products could not possibly make me look any more sinister ir diabolical than I already am! Y-you must be bluffing!

Would a Fashionista really lie about something like that? I mean, makeup can do whatever you want, you've just gotta pick a look and tailor it to what you're going for. [She's just playing with the blonde wig as she talks.]

For you, I think just some subtle touches...a little saturated, dark lipstick and a spot of dark eyeshadow that'll really bring out your eyes! That'd do it I think. You can thank me later.

[Mukuro just stop.]

Hmph. You act as if these substances are a substitute for s shapeshifting ability.

[He still does hear her out, out of curiosity. He is inclined to not trust anything that comes out of Junko's mouth, but he can't say that he hates what he envisions when she makes the description]

I intend to never thank you, for anything at all! I will only say that your ideas... are somewhat interesting. But not a path that I plan to indulge in!

[Frankly, she wasn’t expecting him to take anything she said on the subject remotely seriously to begin with, but if she squinted that almost sounded like an acknowledgement of her assessment. Maybe she was finally getting better at this!

Still, enough about that for now. She knew when to quit whilst she was ahead.]

Sure, shapeshifting abilities, I believe you. [wink]

So, like... you ever been to this cafe before? Are the drinks always this awful?

I swear, what’s even with this weird place...

Hmph. Have you never set foot into this cafe before? [He asks skeptically. Considering that Junko's been here longer than even he has, he finds it hard to believe.]

I have yet to peer beyond the veil of the hot chocolate that they are offering. But after being in this world for so long, you should know that almost all unusual occurrences like this can be traced back to the state of your emotions...

Huh, no, why would I have come here before? I've never-

[And then he mentioned the part that she'd been 'in this world for so long' and her eyes grew wide. That only meant one thing: The real Junko was here somewhere.

It made no sense at all - after all, Junko was still at Hope's Peak as of a few days ago - assuming someone else wasn't controlling Monokuma. And Mukuro herself has no idea how she'd even got here when she should have been dead. How was her sister here too?

None of this made any sense.]

Wait, what did you just say?

Hmph... I refuse to repeat myself for the likes of you! [He answers her with an unfriendly growl, the air growing hotter from his frustration.]

Tell me, has that molten chocolate seared not only your physical form, but the very fabric of your mind?! [Because doesn't know how else to explain how she's acting.]

Well I'm gonna be in a foul mood if you're gonna be an ass about it. Maybe that's why everything tastes so awful!

[She huffed, hands on her hips.]

Don't act as if you have not earned the wrath of a thousand suns. [He crosses his arms and shakes his head.]

And do not forget that you tasted that concoction before you could even sense my presence!

[Darn, she was hoping he'd forget that part. With his frustration mounting, hers was starting to increase as well, and the scalding hot chocolate on her hand wasn't helping her mood.

She had to find Junko. And she had to avoid Gundham finding out the truth in the meantime.

But whatever she'd said so far only served to make him more suspicious.

The hot chocolate left in Mukuro's mug was starting to bubble - and she glanced over to it with a raised eyebrow. Was that related to her emotions too? What was even with this place?]

Yeah, like you have the power to do that.

[That...didn't even really make sense, even as a rebuttal to the wrath of a thousand suns comment.]

Edited (dodgy html tag) 2020-01-13 21:55 (UTC)

[Everything was feeling a lot hotter, between both of their tempers! He hasn't even addressed the hot chocolate that's still on her hand, because he hasn't felt the need to. He's sure that if he asked why it's still there, she'd just say something about enjoying the despair that it caused.]

Hrgh... Your insolence knows no bounds. [He's insulted by her words, as nonsensical as they are.] The boundaries of my powers are beyond your comprehension! Y-you would do well to stop doubting me, fiend!

[Well, one thing was clear, this was unlikely to end well for either of these two. It was strange, really, despite how cold and wintery the outside was, in the cafe if was getting distinctly more heated. Mukuro was somewhat grateful ~~for once~~ of Junko's more revealing outfit. At least it kept her relatively cool.]

You're stuttering, doesn't sound like you've got a lot of power to me... but whatever, I don't really care.

[It is pretty much a slow trainwreck either way. And a particularly hot one! Gundam sweats a bit, starting to feel the heat, which means something for someone who wears a dark jacket and a scarf on a tropical island!]

S-stuttering?! Nonsense! If- if my words ever appear to be stilted, then th-that is just... your mortal mind lagging in its comprehension of my very language! [It seems like a legitimate enough excuse.] In any case, I do not care about what you do or do not care about!

[Mukuro wasn't even sure why she was losing her temper so easily. Perhaps it was all baked into her act as Junko? Or maybe that her ability to deal with social situations outside of her talent was severely lacking?

Or maybe it was just that she had to maintain this ridiculous act without rousing any further suspicion, whilst she needed to go and find her sister now.

And wow Gundham that was...that sure was an excuse.]

Well don't care about what you do or don't care about either, so I guess we're even.

You're still totally stuttering though. I'm not that slow-minded.

[Okay Mukuro thinks she's pretty stupid ~~and fat and ugly and smelly~~ but she's pretty sure that's not her for once.]</small.

Edited 2020-01-15 09:00 (UTC)

[For Gundam, it was easy to feel riled up by Junko, even when she's acting unusually. He glares at her, ready to defy every one of her word.]

We shall never be even, you fiend! Not on any scale!

[He sighs.

You only think like that due to your own human limitations. It us no easy feet to process the words uttered by a higher level demonic being such as myself! Th-that is where this illusion of a stutter originates...!

D2

Re: D2

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

These two are ridiculous and I love it

Good, I feel the same!