memepatheias | TEST DRIVE: July

— TEST DRIVE: JULY —

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 June 24th and Applications (Canon | OC) open a week later on July 1st. Apps will only be open for four days!
OC Reminder! Just a quick reminder that original characters are 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!
Transfer to in-game. If accepted, you can assume threads made on the Test Drive happen in-game if the scenario can reasonably fit. For new characters, these threads do not count for activity check. However, these can be supplementary threads for players already in-game.

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: With Eurus (summer) in full swing, some citizens have decided to combat the heat by staging a citywide water balloon war. Participants are given colored wristbands identifying them as part of the game, and everyone also gets a satchel full of water balloons to throw at each other. There are a number of stations set up throughout the city to get more balloons and some additional events set up in one of the parks in the city.
1. U Mad?: Those wristbands are meant to show who's playing the game and to keep uninvolved people from getting hit with a balloon, but of course it happens. Maybe your aim was off or you just happened to be in the area when it happened, but now there's an angry drenched person yelling at everyone. Work together with your fellow participants to calm them down, but be careful not to get too worked up. Anger might heat the water, and since they're already angry, you don't want to push things further and make them steaming mad.
2. All Ballooned Up: Or maybe you've decided not to go around throwing balloons at people and would prefer to help with one of the many resupplying stations set up throughout the game area. Which basically means handing out badges and filling lots of water balloons. Lots and lots of water balloons. Seriously, by the time today ends, you'll probably never want to see another balloon for the rest of your life. But while you're doing that, there's plenty of chances to converse with people playing the game. Or if you've decided to start a mini water war with the other people at your station, it's not like anyone's going to care about some of the balloons being used. Just leave some for everyone else, okay?
3. Bomb's Away!: For those who want something a bit more challenging, in one of the city's parks, they've set up what appear to be mini catapults loaded with water balloons. Participants are paired off and given a really quick spiel about channeling their emotions and using them to deflect the balloons, but it's not in depth enough to really make sense, nor are the people running the catapults really expecting anyone to actually do it and are really just here for throwing tons of water balloons at people all at once. Do your best to try and figure out how to work with your partner to emotionally shield yourself before you end up bombarded by the water catapult.
• Prompt E: The Verens Research and Technology Centre has published a well-meaning but condescending new initiative: educate the pirates of Briarlan in the ways of science, namely, research and development… despite the fact that they're almost more advanced than Verens. Helpfully, the pirates have decided to play along anyway, since they don't have any plundering to do for now. Any Otherworlder who would like to be a volunteer in the resulting studies will be well-compensated for their time and any trauma they may be on the receiving end of.
1. Walk The Plank: The pirates are very eager to test the buoyancy of people of all shapes and sizes, especially when acted upon by the stress of societal upheaval and banishment from the collective. To put it simply, they want to know how fast it takes a person to walk the plank. The deep end of a pool will serve nicely for this. All anyone needs to do is walk to the end of the diving board—sorry, the plank—and step off the end into the water. The kicker? The water is infused with negative emotions and is likely to dredge up some painful memories. At least the pirates are amused.
2. Medicinal Mayhem: The scientists are desperate for some order after their last adventure with pirates and are conducting something a little more restrained… is what would be the case were they not also desperately in need of a new patent before the end of the fiscal year. With some encouragement from the pirates, they are testing a new medicine to help combat the common cold and are generously compensating any and all guinea pigs. Side effects include temporary synesthesia, unstable hair and eye colours, the inability to speak in anything but rhyme, and believing that no one can see or hear you. Fortunately, these side effects only last an hour.
3. Whodunnit: Thank you, helpful participants! To show their gratitude to all their volunteers, the Verens Research and Technology Centre’s pirate outreach division is hosting a fancy dinner party. Black tie only in theory, but no one is monitoring the door and no matter how many people attend, there always seems to be enough food and chairs to compensate. Turns out, it is actually a murder mystery party, so better pair up! A helpful character card will be included, and will feature something like: “Your names are Rune and Roz Redmond and you are in the import-export business.” Hopefully the next time the lights go out, no one else will have fake-died.
• Prompt F: Duke Barry, one of the wealthiest heirs in Verens, has met the love of his life on a trip to Theasthai. The woman who has agreed to marry him is a popular stage actress, Speghan Sparkle, and thus the wedding has become the talk of the city. In fact, every single person in Verens is invited to Mr. Duke's large estate, and the wedding has a royal theme to go with it, too. Make sure to dress nice, for the whole world may be watching!
1. Joyous Entry: Anybody who enters the large estate will immediately be heralded by a fanfare, and the announcer will give them a made-up title (Lord, Duchess, Lady, etc) followed by their real name. Then, they'll either announce something that they actually accomplished in life, or they will make it up if the visitor didn't provide anything about themselves in their RVSP card (example: "famous for wrestling with alligators!"). Though, in some cases, perhaps the truth will be less embarrassing than the lie... either way, whatever they are announced as, it's what they will be known as for the rest of the evening.
2. Meat and Greet: Before our fake royalty ties the knot, why not take advantage of this ceremony and grab some free food? It's a perfect time to meet all the other guests as everyone enjoys various collections of wine, meat and desserts. Just remember to be polite! Anyone who starts a food fight or even so much as insults a fellow guest will spend a night in the dungeon. Yes, they can put you in there. Not a bad place to make friends either, however...
3. Try Another Castle: A group of less-than-intelligent lizard men have crashed the party in an attempt to steal "Princess Sparkle" for themselves. For some reason they think that this is an actual royal wedding and that Miss Sparkle is an actual princess. They're not very smart creatures, but they come in large numbers and they must be stopped immediately! Did anybody bring weapons to this party? If not, try jumping on their heads... assuming one can jump that high! Save the princess, save the wedding!!
• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include red hot chili peppers and/or peanut butter.
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

D-2: All Ballooned Up

[ Water... is not Tatsuya's element of choice.

Leaving aside that his preferred Persona (Apollo) was weak to the element, his tendency of wearing red motorcycle leather didn't lend itself very well to getting.... wet. But it's really, really hard to avoid a city-wide water balloon fight, so he'd opted to join in a less damp capacity. That is, filling up water balloons. It was a brilliant idea.... Or so he'd thought at the time, but two hours into it and he could barely focus on anything. Tatsuya lets his head hit the table he's sitting at with a thud. ]

Whyyyy did I think this was a good idea?

[ He's having a hard time remembering right now. Please come save Tatsuya from certain boredom. ]

E-2: Medicinal Mayhem

[ Being a man... is helping people in need. It's something Tatsuya believes wholeheartedly. Maybe he should've thought twice about helping desperate scientists, though. ]

Whoa.

[ Tatsuya's blinking rapidly as he looks around the area, stumbling away from the testing zone. Was it just him, or were the colours brighter? Did they... smell different? The reds smell like fire, the greens like grass, the blues.... the blues smell nostalgic, somehow. ]

I don't think that cured any colds.

F-2: Meat and Greet

[ Meat.

It's been a long, hard day but Tatsuya's still perfectly willing to check out this wedding. And the pre-ceremony. Okay, let's be honest... he's just here for the food. But in his defense, it's really good food! Not the desserts, Tatsuya's avoiding the table like it's poison. But he's stationed himself by a wide selection of meats, and is currently biting into a particularly rare piece of steak. When he notices someone staring at him, though, he moves to wave the portion on his fork, speaking with his mouth still partially full of rare beef. ]

Uh... Hi?

Edited 2018-06-18 23:29 (UTC)

[It was like an action movie. Or what Eikichi thought was a cool action movie. Maybe Tatsuya hadn't look upwards as time seems to slow down. He jumps off from the wyvern he's flying on, holding a gigantic beast of a balloon filled to the brim with the coldest water.

He's not going to slam Tatsuya with it - Eikichi likes his friends with intact heads and necks; but as he's slamming down, the plan is to let it explode on the table's surface.

Which it does in a spectacular watery fashion.

Eikichi stands next to Tatsuya dabbing. This world has taught him the worst.]

HOOOOOOOOOU!

[ Tatsuya never saw it coming.

There was, of course, that sensation of a Persona user— someone familiar— but before he'd had a chance to react to it, he was already drenched in the iciest water known to mankind. Any colder, or so it felt, and it might as well be ice. Tatsuya lets out an undignified yelp and leaps up.

It's instinct more than anything else that has him summoning Apollo— he was attacked with water— and he's already fired off the Agidyne when he finally realizes that familiar sensation—

—was Eikichi. With a waterballoon. In a water balloon fight.

....He may have overreacted. ]

You know this place serves vegetables too, right?

[Deadpanned immediately after hearing the greeting, sitting down across with his own plate of food. Looking far more out of place than most here, given the way he kept awkwardly adjusting the bow-like accessory around his neck.

He was still questioning how he even got talked into coming here in the first place, but it was too late to complain about it now.]

Might want to try chewing your food first before talking, too. People here don't really like that.

[ Tatsuya finishes the piece of steak, swallowing it before he continues speaking. ]

I know they've got vegetables.

[ He gestures around vaguely with another forkful of rare steak. ]

I was more interested in the steak, though.

Don't tell me you've got a thing for protein too.

[The words are on a tail end of a sigh, purposely shoving a piece of vegetable into his mouth like he was trying to counteract the very thought. Then again, at least Tatsuya actually ate food - unlike Eikichi and Jun.]

But if that's what you're in the mood for, guess there's no harm in it. Especially when there's not much to pick from besides meat and desserts anyway.

Protein?

[ Tatsuya blinks at the steak on his fork. ]

No, I just like rare steak.

That it? Just rare steak?

Seems kinda like a waste of free food if that's the only thing you're gonna eat.

[ Minato knows better than to disturb someone who's hitting the table with their head, however, he's run out of balloon ammo and is rather vulnerable to anyone that might want to take the water balloon battle here. ]

You just need to discover the thrill of filling balloons with water.

[ They all do, actually. ]

You can always join in.

That's not ideal, either.

[ Joining in, that is. He'd rather avoid getting wet for a variety of reasons. Tatsuya lifts his head to look at the blue-haired guy nearby. ]

I just didn't think this would be so... boring.

Chasing after ideals, huh. [ Minato raises his eyebrows. ] Good luck.

[ He could get the balloons somewhere else, but why shouldn't he help a guy out? And this table looks comfortable. As much as a table can be, that is. ]

I might have an idea. But I need some water balloons first.

When I can.

[ There's enough that he can't have that chasing after a simple one seems attractive. At any rate, he hands over a few balloons in a variety of colours. ]

What kind of idea?

Thanks.

[ It's common courtesy to tell someone what the plan is before executing it but Minato forgets about that rather conveniently and makes the water balloon pop right above the other boy's head. ]

Oh no. [ Someone should give him a few acting lessons because this is terrible. ] You should go and dry your clothes. I'll take your place.

Were you getting over one? Handling colds aren't the specialty of these doctors, I'm afraid.

[Naegi hasn't been a willing participant himself - that sounds like an accident waiting to happen to everyone involved - but he's been doing his best to give the people stumbling out a hand. But now, he's shooting the young man a worried glance as he notes that stumbling.]

Although... You seem like you might not be feeling well after all. Do you need to sit down for a moment?

TEST DRIVE: July

Tatsuya Suou | Persona 2

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F-2

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d-2!

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E-2!