memepatheias | TEST DRIVE: August

Entry tags:

*test drive

TEST DRIVE: August

— TEST DRIVE: AUGUST —

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 July 25th and Applications (Canon | OC) open a week later on August 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: Helisium, the upcoming festival, is a celebration of daytime games and ballroom dancing. However, the sad truth is that not everyone knows how to dance, or how to play certain sports. To kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, a certain section of the party-planning committee has come up with a new sport that incorporates the best of both worlds. The name of the game? Footloose Ball, and it's the latest craze! Why not join and learn something new? There's even a tournament being held, with a big prize on the line!
1. Training: The rules of Footloose Ball are simple, it's a combination of rugby football but with a twist! The player in possession of the ball must constantly be dancing as they try to reach the goal. But there is plenty of time until the game, so the coach has instructed everyone to go out into the city and dance for a whole day. Going grocery shopping? You must dance! Waiting in line for coffee? You better dance! Talking to someone else? Get them to join!
2. Otherworld Cup: It's the day of the finals game, and now it's do or die! Literally! Maybe. What the rules forgot to say was that the player in possession of the ball must dance, or the ball will shock them with a high voltage! Can they get to the goal and score a point for their team? As for those NOT in possession of the ball, they don't have to dance until they have the ball, and they get to use whatever skills (or magic?) they know in order to stop the other player. Anything goes!
3. Victory Pose: The winners of Footloose Ball Cup have been declared! Now all that's left is a traditional team photo with the trophy. Make sure not to blink! Just kidding. The method that the group "photo" is taken by isn't with a device, but a traditional painting instead, which means the team will be posing there out in the sun for a while. You can't rush art, as they say, so make sure to stand still as the artist does their job. The good news is that players are allowed to talk to each other as they stay still, so why not get to know another a little better now that the game is over? As for those who aren't posing, they are allowed to interact with the players, too. Why not get them a drink? Or heckle them? That's also an option.
• Prompt E: Helisium is the highlight of the summer and every restaurateur in Verens is eager to see their establishment become one of those selected to cater for the festivities. Of course, there are only a few slots available, which means the only way to settle who’s the top chef in town is through some rigorous cooking competitions! These teams of chefs are going all out, and need all hands on deck, so they will be seeking volunteers to help them win their way to the top! Do you have what it takes?
1. A Pizza the Action: One round of the cooking competition asks teams to cook rather traditional dish: pizza! However, nothing is as simple as it seems, and the hosts soon reveal that teams will be required to cook their pizzas with some...unusual (and dangerous) secret ingredients. Are you given a spiky, smelly durian to work with? Are those lobsters actually alive? Or are you asked to serve your pizza while it’s on fire? The more creative you are, the more points you’ll earn your team. Things are sure heating up!
2. Piescraper: Any chef worth their salt will tell you that presentation is key, and in this event, presentation is the only key. Really, it doesn’t matter what you use so long as it’s food, but the judges want to see the most impressive food sculpture you can come up with! Just bear in mind that these creations must stand on their own and be created entirely, 100% out of food products. Your team may earn extra points for making the tallest sculpture as well. Start building!
3. The Great Verens Bake-Off: Desserts are almost as important to Helisium as the regular food is, though the judges for this event seem to be a little less...intense than the others. For this competition, participants are asked to bake and decorate a beautiful, tiered cake with sweet, edible flowers. These flowers have certain emotional effects on those who handle them, and such individuals will find themselves feeling very pleasant and agreeable, no matter how prickly they may ordinarily be! They may even try to assist other teams with their bakes. Oh, well...at least everyone seems to be enjoying themselves. The judges will be making their decisions based on which team had the most camaraderie, so play nice!
• Prompt F: The roleplaying cult of Ortheias seems to have become more prominent lately, having taken in new members from Briarlan. Today, they seem to be playing a "murder game" called Syndicate! They are also inviting people who aren't members to participate… will you join them by picking a role from the purple hat the men in cloaks have to offer, or will you just watch? It's confusing and anger inducing, either way. For those who want to play the game, the objective is to catch all the Syndicate members before they "kill" all the innocents in the game!
1. I Put On My Role and Wizard Hat: Perhaps you are forced by a man in a cloak, or perhaps you voluntarily pick a role from the various strips of paper in the purple hat. The roles are for the Syndicates are: blackmailer, consigliere, boss, and framer. As for the innocents, the roles are: janitor, spy, veteran, doctor. There seem to be neutral roles, as well, such as the survivor, the witch, the amnesiac, and the fool. The game moderators don't seem to intend on explaining what the functions are of each role (thanks, mods!) so go ahead and make up your own backstories and abilities. Of course, they key to this game is to figure out who the other person is without letting your own identity slip. Good luck!
2. Activity Check: Everyone is safe while the sun is still up… Do you have your role and have you gotten to know the other participants of the Syndicate game? Good. Because the game moderators now want you to participate in an activity! You now have to think of a lie about yourself and convince two other people that this is true. Basically - just lie to as many people as you want! Be sure you're convincing… but remember - the moderators are watching you. No unruly business!
3. The Trial: After a day has passed in the setting of the Syndicate game, a trial happens. Why? Because you've lost one person to one of the Syndicates. This person is now dead in the game and cannot be revived. It seems that everyone is suspecting you - whether it's your clothing, the way you're dressed, or just the fact that you're breathing the same air as they are, you are now the primary suspect for the "murder"! Prove your innocence to all players involved, try to pin it on the nearest person, or maybe even get into a fight with everyone? The world is your oyster.
• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include raisins and/or a skirt with holes in it.
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

[ Hey, Mai. Don't mind this young~~er and alternate version of your boyfriend~~ kid here float up behind you and take a look at whatever it is you're doing. ]

You ever had to catch one of those with your hands?

[She didn’t mind. Although she did a very notable double-take at said young~~er version of her b...wait it’s not like that!!!~~ kid. Not necessarily because he was flying. She was used to people around her flying, albeit mainly adults. It was because she caught a glimpse of his face, and could have sworn he looked just like...]

Ah— [Almost too late, she realized what he was trying to do, and extended a hand out towards him.] Wait, no! These aren’t typical fish. They’re dangerous.

[ Her warning is enough to catch his attention and he turns around with a bright albeit relaxed smile on his face. Still floating, yep. ]

Relax, will ya? I can handle lots of stuff just fine. Really, you don't need to worry about me.

[That smile.]

[There was no time to mull over the parallels, however. He might have paused for a second—just long enough that Mai let out a sigh of relief—but she suspected stubbornness would soon prevail. That left her with precious little time to formulate a plan. One that began with her smiling warmly up at him with a nod in affirmation.]

Oh, I’m sure you’re more than capable. It’s just that... [She gave a nod back towards the table.] ...it can’t just be any fish I catch. I’m using the bait to stuff it with the gummies needed to complete the recipe requirements.

That’s why we can’t just reach in to get one.

[ Glancing past her, Trunks blinks those blue eyes of his a couple times before he comes to cross his legs in the air along with his arms and just... floats there, yeah. ]

Wait, so you gotta stuff it with gummies? That's kinda weird.

[ But then again, so's this world, so. ]

[Floating was much preferred to playing with piranhas.]

Yes, I though so too. But those are the rules.

[And that’s when an idea came to her. A compromise.]

If you’d still like to help, there’s a second fishing rod in the closet. Between the two of us, we should be able to catch them twice as fast, right?

[ A compromise, huh? Well... ]

Yeah, I guess.

[ Even if he could probably catch them even faster with his bare hands but, sure, why not do the human thing and not so much the half-saiyan thing?

So, drifting his way over to the closet, he pokes around in there before he comes back with the fishing rod and, walking now, he comes up beside her at the tank and casts his line in. ]

Oops, I forgot to put bait on it.

[While he was doing that, Mai seemed to have caught her first bite; slowly reeling the line in, she took a step back to avoid some of the incoming splashes of water atop the tank. Turning just long enough to bear Trunks and letting out a light-hearted chuckle.]

That’s alright. Just reel it back and—

[The splashing increased, and her brows furrowed for half a second before she did a quick calculation in her head, steadied her feet...and pulled. Hard. The fish came flying out of the aquarium, and she had just long enough to grab the small cooler at her side, holding it up so she could catch the fish, slam the lid down over it, place it on the ground...where she promptly sat on it and ignored the faint sounds of rustling inside.]

[Then she smiled at Trunks again, as if none of that had just happened.]

There’s some gummy worms on the table. Help yourself.

[ Ok, so... did that just REALLY happen?

Trunks is left standing there and STARING in slight disbelief as she sits herself down on the cooler and pretends as if none of that just happened. Clearly she must be like a pro at this or something since... how??

But, when she speaks to him, it snaps him out of his STARING (gosh Trunks, how rude) and he blinks a few times before looking back to his hook just... pathetically floating there in the tank. ]

Uh... yeah, right. Guess I'll do that.

[ To which he sets his fishing rod down and hurries over to the table, grabbing a handful of them to bring back over. ]

You do this a lot or something?

[Oh, you can fly but a girl can’t literally catch herself a simple gummy-stuffed fish?]

Not really. [She’d been fishing before...back when there were still fish to catch, but—] Well, not like this.

[Although she had to admit, it wasn’t nearly as hard as she’d first anticipated. Certainly much easier than stealth-sniping at a Saipan “god”. Although the reflexes she’d gained in all that time were coming in handy. At this rate, she might even manage to catch all five she needed for the recipe.]

One down, four to go. Do you think you can get the next one?

[ Hey, to be fair, it's not like he could do anything like that either. Fishing is not really something Trunks does??

Trunks blinks a couple times and looks to his gummy worms in hand before he goes about pulling his line out of the water and baits the hook with a green coloured worm. ]

Heh, no problem. Just be ready to catch it when it comes out, ok?

[ To which, he tosses his line in, this time with bait. ]

I will.

[She even grazed over the handle of the cooler so as to be exactly sure where it was when the time came for her to act.]

[In the meantime, she sat and watched Trunks bait his hook and toss it over the side. Taking in his youthful features, childish confidence, and the way he seemed so blissfully care-free. Even at that age—and Mai wagered he must have been in his pre-teens at most—the Androids would have already struck. He would have known what it was to fight for survival. Maybe he did. Maybe he was putting on an act...or simply happier because there were no Androids here to destroy this city the way they’d devastated her home.]

[However, all those musings aside...]

So this is what he was like as a child.

[A single thought, strong enough for her to inadvertently broadcast, courtesy of the amulet hanging around her neck.]

[ Nope, no androids for him. Just a pink blob of a jerk who's killed those he loves but, you know, still not anything a child should have to deal with. But even regardless of that, Trunks is a perfect mix of his parents and putting on an act when things are a lot more difficult than they should be is also something he's pretty good at. ~~nevermind the stubborn cockiness and all.~~

Usually.

Sometimes he gets frustrated because, hey, he's just an eight year old kid??

But when Mai's thoughts gently trickle through, Trunks blinks and looks back over his shoulder to her. ]

Huh? What who was like as a child?

Edited 2018-07-20 00:52 (UTC)

[Like the proverbial cat caught with the canary, Mai visibly recoiled back.]

You...heard that?

Uh, yeah? Don't you know you project your thoughts through your amulet?

[ She... must be new. ]

[Guilty as charged.]

[Mai glanced down at the offending object for a moment, eyes narrowing as if expecting some sort of apology. When none came, she looked back up with a sheepish expression.]

I knew we could deliberately broadcast them.

I didn’t...think it would do so whether I wanted it to or not.

I guess it just happens sometimes if you're not careful.

[ To which Trunks looks back to the aquarium and his pitiful little baited hook just floating there in the water. Wow, fish sure are stupid to not want to go for this amazing bait?? ]

So? Who was like a child?

[She made a note right then and there to be significantly more careful about what she thought. Around anyone.]

A...friend.

[Deliberately remaining vague, so she wouldn’t have to lie.]

You remind me of him. But I didn’t know him as a child, so I suppose...part of me wondered what he might have been like then.

[ Please relay this meeting to your ~~boy~~friend, Mai, because their childhoods are quite different, let alone in upbringing. ]

Why don't you just ask him?

[She could only hope so. For this version of Trunks’ sake.]

...that’s a good question.

[And although she already knew the answer, she couldn’t help find amusement in its simplicity.]

We never really talked about our pasts much. Too much to worry about in the present.

Like what?

[ And, as a thought comes to mind, Trunks turns a little to face Mai. ]

Is this like a dating thing?

[OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES]

[Sitting up with a start, Mai stared after the younger Trunks for several seconds, slack-jawed, as her cheeks turned a bright shade of red.]

N-no...not that...

[That was entirely convincing, y/n?]

Things were...not great. Where we come from. [Some is the initial embarrassment faded, and her expression sombered. A haunting shadow passed over her expression as she thought of her Future—a look Trunks may or may not have seen on others from the same timeline.] There was...someone. A bad person. We were trying to stop him from hurting people.

[And that was the G-rated version of events.]

[ Yep, totally convincing.

Not.

But as she continues, Trunks notices the way in which her expression changes and, regardless of being an eight year old, Trunks is a little familiar with that look... let alone perceptive, so, no... can't really be a dating thing. Maybe not entirely.

Falling silent for a moment, he looks back to the aquarium again. ]

Yeah, I know how that goes.

[Her heart sank a little at his admission, although...she still held out hope they were talking about two different situations.]

You do?

Yeah.

[ But before he can clarify on that, a fish suddenly snags his hook and Trunks' attention snaps back to the aquarium and out of his thoughts. ]

Hey! I got one!

[ Are you ready, Mai? Because... Saiyan strength and all... he literally yanks the thing out of the water and flings the fish in her direction... maybe causing a small tidal wave of water to splash out of the aquarium as well. ]

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