memepatheias | TEST DRIVE: July

Entry tags:

*test drive

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

[ He just rolls (ha) with whatever he has and it leads him into being dragged into a corner. Not the first time, not the last, that's for sure.

What Minato didn't expect was being thanked for helping her out. ]

It's fine. Everyone does embarrassing stuff all the time. [ Although it's quite apparent that she's not the type to do such things. ] Are you here for free food, too?

[ Straight to the point. ]

Right…

[ Yes. Correct. Absolutely. Only embarrassing and not incriminating in any other way. Moving on!

She notices for the first time that they're both wearing their school uniforms and nothing fancy. The fact that she's not dressed up does hint at her true intentions. Oh, and she appreciates him getting straight to the point. ]

Kind of. I want to learn more about the people who live here, too.

[ She peeks around the clock for a second and makes an unimpressed face. ] I thought I did.

If you start asking questions they might do the same, you know.

[ He's not making a mind-blowing discovery by saying this probably. ]

They really like emotions, water balloon fights, and weddings. Possibly in that order. Oh, and fancy titles.

[ He's been a lord for five minutes and he still doesn't know how to feel about it. Well, here's hoping that he won't have to get used to it. ]

I wasn't planning on asking them anything.

[ True enough. She would prefer only to observe, but it turns out that the people here are more curious than she expected. Which is a pain, honestly, hence why she's keeping away from the crowd. ]

Other than what you just said, there probably isn't much more to them. This is going to be a waste of time.

Do you have something better to do? Nothing wrong with relaxing once in a while.

[ Especially when free food is involved. Says the guy who can sleep for days. The downside of this party is that some people are really nosy but Maki strikes him as the type who can deal with that quickly and painlessly. ]

You can always try to catch the bouquet so it won't be a complete waste of time.

[ He clearly wants to die. ]

[ It would be 100% fine for her to deal with these snobby losers if she was convinced of a reason to, but unfortunately, having to deal with an overly excitable crowd is a sore spot for her. It comes on fast – a humid, soupy heat that envelopes the air around them as a result of Maki's emotions manifest.

It's frustration, anxiety and anger all mixed. How stupid for her to come here to begin with. In spite of his comment about the bouquet, the spike in emotion really isn't Minato's fault. This has been building. She knows that she shouldn't be so negative, but her friends are gone and she doesn't know if she'll ever see them again. And surviving so long in the killing game before this was an emotional circus.

Even though it's made of wood, one edge of the grandfather clock starts to melt, almost like wax. Maki notices and her eyes widen. ]

[ She's heard about this phenomenon. Vaguely. Even without the visual cue, she realizes she needs to calm down, so she consciously takes a breath. ]

You shouldn't tease a girl that you just met.

[

]

I just thought that it might help you kill some time.

[ Word choice is key. It's almost impossible not to notice what happened to the clock and he can't help the feeling that he's digging his own grave right here and right now.

He's going to be next, isn't he. ]

There's plenty of other stuff to do, it doesn't have to be that.

[ It's funny, because Maki is doing everything in her power not to use the k word or the d word. She did just embarrass herself to cover the possibility that her Special Talent might be revealed, so.

The clock does stop melting with most of it still in tact, but it also doesn't… un-melt. Dali would be proud. Maki puts the tip of her thumb to her teeth, then looks Minato back in the eye. ]

It's alright. Let's see what there is to eat.

[ Food should make her less cranky. Also, yes, he does have to eat with her. Them's the breaks. ]

Let's.

[ Can you tell how enthusiastic he is. To be fair, it's his usual state, so. ]

Do you think you could at least tell me your name? [ Just in case he's going to get melted, he wants to know the name of the person who did it. ] The title is unnecessary.

[ He's walking on thin ice, isn't he. ]

[ Oh, right. Normal introductions are a thing. ]

Maki Harukawa.

[ It's thin ice and he is barely treading light enough. She knows that he knows that she's deliberately hiding something, but Minato still gets a blast of hot air in his face courtesy of the fact that she's still feeling high strung. ]

Forget about the title. I'm serious.

[ Dead serious?? ]

Minato Arisato. You've probably heard that name already.

[ If he's trying to be funny, it's probably not going to work. ]

What title? Do we even get titles?

[ Maybe he's not going to die today. ]

Is title something to eat?

[ Okay, maybe that's taking it too far. ]

… Good. I get it.

[ Why does she feel bad for doing that just now? Perhaps because, with the way emotions affect this world, a feeling that inspires one of her death glares could end up doing real, physical harm.

To borrow someone else's catchphrase: such a pain. Maki stomps on over to a serving table where there are crab cakes and other seafood… or she assumes. What is half of this stuff? ]

Tch. Talk about extravagant.

Extravagant or not, food is food.

[ His high schooler taste is telling him that a burger or ramen would be better. This doesn't stop him from gathering enough seafood to make a medium pile on his plate. ]

It's someone's wedding so they probably want it to look fancy. Hope it tastes as good as it looks.

[ Priorities. ]

You're not eating?

[ She did pick the table at random. Upon closer inspection, there is some tasty looking sushi over on the end of the table where she's standing. ]

I am.

[ She decides on something that looks unagi and shoves it into her mouth. Shit. No OK, that was really good, and it's obvious from her expression. And also from the fact that another piece follows into her maw. Munch, much. ]

There. I tested it for you.

[ This is how she tries to lighten the mood. ]

[ At least he knows better than pointing out how her face looked like when she tasted the sushi. ]

Thanks, you're too kind. [ If he wants some unagi, he should probably act fast before Maki's done, but... ] I tested the crab sticks for you if you want them.

[ Again, Minato feels like playing along. ]

Is testing food for each other what friends do?

[ She's not going to say anything about how it might be poisoned. Not. Going. To. ]

Aren't you a little too laid back?

[ Maki is able to keep her voice casual while she grabs a plate. She chooses out some more sushi, then adds a few other items – including, yes, some crab sticks. ]

Or you're stupid.

Just hungry.

[ But there might be some truth in her words, all things considered. ]

Poisoned food during a wedding reception? Wouldn't it give the duke and the actress a bad look?

[ For someone who doesn't seem to care much at a first glance, he's quite observant. ]

Yeah, it would.

[ Should she say any more? Probably not, but he is the one who brought it up. ]

Say someone wanted to implicate them, so they sneak in here and slip something into known a rival's dish. That person keels over in the middle of a party and then fingers start pointing in a lot of different directions, each group involved with the power to back up their accusations. It could spark chaos.

[ That's...elaborate, and needlessly to say that he's impressed. Not that it shows on his face, but. ]

When you put it like that...it sounds like it might happen.

[ And he's munching on that crab stick nonetheless. ]

But if you're wrong, you might miss the chance to try some of these foods.

[ Unless this is an excuse to try all the dishes, which, in Minato's book, is absolutely fair and acceptable. ]

If that was their plan, they wouldn't leave it to chance and poison food at random. So the two of us should be safe, unless you're actually somebody important.

[ She tilts her head, then nibbles on a crab stick of her own. ]

Either way, it's worthwhile to be cautious.

[ Minato gives her a shrug; he's anything but somebody important, honestly. ]

I feel much safer now, thanks.

[ And much better when he notices the deep-fried shrimps. ]

Are you always this cautious or just when you arrive in a new world?

[ What is a normal conversation. Maki blinks and frowns a little. ]

Isn't that kind of like the question I just asked you? About being laid back.

Answer again honestly if you want, then I'll do the same. Otherwise, the reason is that I'm just on edge because I'm hungry.

[ She finishes the crab off for emphasis. ]

Oh, I see now.

[ That explains everything. Or...does it really? Still, Minato offers her his own plate on which he gathered an impressive amount of seafood. ]

I get it, you're hungry. Here, take it. It has Minato's seal of approval, totally poison-free. You can relax.

[ He even tries to smile. It's a tiny one, though. ]

[ There isn't much to explain other than that Maki is petulant and secretive. She does feel fortunate that he's not pressuring her, though. That happens to relax her more than his words.

Maki would like to smile back, but it doesn't quite manifest. So she accepts the plate and self-consciously eats some. ]

I owe you. [ She sounds sincere. Maki offers him her original plate, largely because she doesn't know what else to do. ] Sushi?

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