memepatheias | TEST DRIVE: October

Entry tags:

*test drive

TEST DRIVE: October

— TEST DRIVE: OCTOBER —

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 September 24th and Applications (Canon | OC) open a week later on October 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: The new season has brought some interesting merchants into town from the outlying cities, and one peddler from Theasthai in particular is creating a lot of buzz with his magical masks that he claims will bring good fortune and riches to the wearer if worn for a full day’s time. Some masks are ordinary and will have no effect, while others...are a bit more unusual. For a modest fee, you may rent one of these masks, but be sure you return them within three days...or the consequences may be dire. Oh, and mind that once the masks have been put on, they cannot be removed until midnight of the following day! Choose wisely...
1. Paper Faces on Parade: Sure enough, many of the masks have strange effects on the wearer’s emotional state. Some may alter their behavior and make them more peaceful or more aggressive than normal, while still others will have more significant effects, like encouraging its wearer to give the next person they see a great big hug or a genuine compliment, whether they like it or not. In cases where the wearer may not go along with their mask’s persuasion, they may find the mask growing tighter and tighter around their head! But if they give in to whatever action the mask suggests, they will find themselves overcome with feelings of accomplishment and satisfaction. It’s not such a high price when it’s just a hug or a compliment, but hopefully your mask doesn’t want you to throw a pie in the face of the next person you see, or even worse, try to kidnap them...
2. Master of Disguise: Yet other masks appear blank when they are put on, and to the wearer, they will continue to appear as a blank, unremarkable mask. But for others who look upon the mask when it is being worn by another, they will see someone important to them who is not currently present in Empatheias. Is it their long-lost best friend they see? An old flame? A bitter enemy? Better think quick! Who knows how they may react to the person they see you as.
3. A Terrible Fate: So, you forgot to return your mask in time, did you? The mask salesman is absolutely not happy, and even if you attempt to return the mask later, he will not accept it. He promises retribution to come soon, and in the next few hours you may start to notice that it almost looks like the moon is getting closer to the island. But that can’t be possible, can it? Yet over the course of the day, it will appear to you as though the moon is rocketing closer and closer to the island, dead set on a collision course! You should tell someone, right? The only problem is...no one else sees the same thing you do. They don’t notice the moon at all! What will you do? Evacuate the city, or submit yourself to asylum? Or commiserate with a fellow offender who neglected to return their mask on time?
• Prompt E: In the wake of the fundraiser hosted by Otherworlders earlier in the month, a certain miniature local celebrity will be making a follow-up appearance at Verens’ mobile petting zoo! Currently set up in the city’s central park, the petting zoo will offer opportunities to both feed and play with a wide range of animals, including goats, alpacas, pigs, rabbits, deer, sheep, and of course, regular-sized ponies for rides. There will also be a few domesticated wyverns available to interact with, for those who aren’t put off by the horns and teeth! While the zoo itself seems to consider its primary audience to be local children, visitors of all ages are welcome and encouraged to enjoy themselves.
1. Feeding Time: Of course, the petting zoo’s primary attraction is the chance to get up close and personal! There are apples and carrots available to be offered to the animals that favor them, as well as plenty of ordinary feed that’s available for a small fee. Some of the animals, however, are less interested in the food and more interested in what their visitors are wearing— goats can be caught nibbling on shoelaces or pant legs, and more than a few hats will be snatched off of heads by curious alpacas. Others are far less mischievous, with rabbits, piglets and fawns that are far more than happy to take any offered snacks and respond affectionately. Whether you’re spending time with one of the more docile animals or having to chase down a mischievous hat-thief, they’re all certainly happy to have visitors!
2. Goat Racing: Taking some inspiration from chicken races of the past, the petting zoo would like to introduce Verens to everyone’s new favorite sporting event: goat racing! Attendees are free to place their bets on goats— all money will go to supporting the zoo itself and continued care of the animals, but the prize is that anyone who happens to pick the winner gets to take one of these little guys home with them for the day! Surely, we’ve all dreamt of temporary goat parenthood. Pick your favorite to win! As it turns out, however, the goats are easily distracted and many will keep wandering away from the race to chew on whatever they can get their teeth around. Some kind and focused encouragement will go a long way towards helping them get back on track, but be careful not to overwhelm them! They’re under a lot of pressure, here.
3. On the Lamb: One of the attendants has accidentally left the gate to one of the pens open, and as a result, there’s suddenly a dozen sheep on the loose! They’re quick to scatter, and many will run off to various parts of the Merchant’s Square and towards Canal Street, with the potential to fan out towards other parts of the city as well. Do your best Bo Peep impression and help to round them up! The sheep are easily spooked and agitated, but projecting a sense of calm and other soothing emotions will help to keep them calm in turn, and make it easier to close in and guide them back to their handlers, while impatience or frustration will spook them further and cause them to flee. Patience is absolutely the key to bringing these lost lambs home!
• Prompt F: Magical Girls are the latest craze in Verens! A local group of enthusiasts have heard enough stories from Otherworlders that they want to create their own festival based around it. Of course, nobody actually needs to be an magical girl to participate, nor does gender necessarily matter. No, this is an event for those who appreciate the genre or just want to have some little fun. For each event, there are star gems to be won, which are traded in for sweet goodies, so why not give it a shot? Extra points for those who come in a magical girl costume!
1. Talent Show: Every magical girl has some kind of skill or ability, right? In this event, anyone can show off their pose, speech, transformation, animal-sidekick... whatever they feel best represents a magical girl! Put lots of enthusiasm into it! Everyone else attending the convention must rate their performance on a scale of 1 to 10. The higher the rating, the more star gems you win!
2. Battle Royale: A closed off part of the city has been reserved for more serious magical girls, where the rules allow any magical girl to challenge the other to a fight. There are no rules for how they wish to engage in fight, apart from the loser having to relinquish all of their star gems to the winner. Do you challenge a fellow Otherworlder magical girl? Or do you form a team with one to beat some of the natives, who also fight as magical girls? Be careful, they're quite good at using their emotional effects to their advantage!
3. Gacha Galore: It's the end of the Magical Girl Festival, and now it's time to turn in your star gems. But there's a twist! Nobody gets to choose their prize, but instead they have to pay 20 star gems and let the roulette pick their prize. If you got what you wanted, feel free to show it off! And if not? Well, maybe somebody can trade?
• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include pumpkin spice and/or buckets.
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!

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[ Squall was just heading off to start training. There was a weapon over his shoulders because it's normal to just walk around in public with your weapon out, right? At some point he may have noticed a slight struggle, but it didn't seem like it was anything the guy couldn't handle so Squall just continued walking until he heard the man shout out to him. He sounded frustrated in his words which finally caught Squall's attention.

Squall quickly turned around to see the sheeps all charging in absolute fear with a man close behind. Quickly Squall swung his blade off his shoulders and held it in front of him. What could he do to stop the sheep? Most of his magic was only used to cause harm. It would take far too long to summon a GF.
He wracked his brain until finally an idea hit him. He gripped his weapon tightly as it began to glow. ]

FLOAT!

[ Quickly a beam of magic shot out from Squall and his Gunblade, hitting the sheep and within seconds the sheep weren't able to touch the ground. Like little fluffy balloons they started floating a little off the ground. ]

(( ooc: idk just gonna pretend they've already met here for this adventure. ))

[ Fingers scratch at his cheek as he glances this list over. It's an assortment of food that needs to be brought in for whatever dish it is that's been requested by the others and somehow he and Terra have been made in charge of picking up these ingredients to make... whatever this is, he's not exactly sure and wondering if they should get something for their stomachs after this. ]

Well. From what that merchant said, this thing [ as he points to it on the list ] can be found... up there.

[ To which he points to a tree.

A big tree.

A very big and tall tree.

And he sort of just... stares.

Yeah. ]

You wanna go up there or should I?

Be careful! Don't let them--

[Oh? Terra skids to a halt a yard or two away, surprised by the song that comes rolling out. Well, the singing doesn't just settle the sheep. It settles Terra's heart, too.]

That's right. [It's weird... He turns his hands up and looks over himself, confused. He feels a lot better, less worried, less frustrated. Deja vu, again. Light. Wait a minute--

The girl looks familiar. He comes closer slowly.] Princess Aurora?

Yeah. It's hot. Be careful. [But he'll hand it over, freeing himself up of one drink.] The taste is a little strange at first.

But you get use to it.

I'm sure. [Her delight gets him to smile some. He doesn't need to drinks, and he's glad it makes her excited.] We can try it together.

If you want.

[This will only be one of the many surprises he runs into, honestly. Terra's convinced the sheep are just going to bowl the other guy over. He's fully prepared to feel awful about getting someone else hurt--

Except, Squall turns out the gunblade, and Terra stops in surprise. What???]

Whoa!

[There they go. He's never seen floating sheep before, but it's a thing currently happening.] A keyblade...? [It really does remind him of one, but he can tell when he finally gives it a look, they aren't the same. Or they are, and Squall's has a very odd appearance.]

Nice work. They were getting out of hand.

[It ended up being easier than expected with Xion's help. Actually, when she first appeared, he started to feel better, more confident too. Less grumpy about them running from him.

And as it is, they aren't running anymore, even if they give the two of them some uncertain baas.] We did it.

Good job, Ven. It turned out to be easier with two people.

[Ven gets a genuine, but gentle smile. Carefully, Terra squats down, and he puts the drinks on the ground beside them before looking back up. He's a bit shorter than Ven now, but it's okay. They're mostly on the same level.]

Hey. [He puts both hands on Ven's shoulders. It's real. Ven is solid, and his heart blooms with relief.] Long time, no see.

[ The only one she'll notice nearby was one Squall Leonhart, leaning against a fence as he was watching the Wyvern relaxing in the pen. He might have heard her excitement but it wasn't anything he wasn't used to hearing from others he spends his time with. ]

Scale-y and perhaps a little frightening on the outside. Like giant cats on the inside.

[Why them? What fates conspire for their continued suffering, even in alternate universes? Someone save them.

Terra looks at the list, and then he tips his head to glance up at the tree. Cue the pan back to show just how ridiculously huge it is compared to the two of them below. Welp.]

It could be dangerous. You better let me go up. [What happens when you get up there and the thing is huge because the tree is huge, too, moron?] I can use my glider.

[He... thinks.]

Well, thank you! [She happily accepted the drink] That's really nice of you... Is there anything I could do to repay you?

[ Luckily for the two of them the Sheep weren't floating away into the distance at this moment. They seemed to be startled and confused by everything but they were stuck floating there at waist high height.

Squall lowered his Gunblade to his side, looking back from his weapon to the new guy. He hadn't seen him before, but he mentioned a keyblade. Was he another one of Sora's friends? Or maybe... a friend of one of Sora's others? It could just be a coincidence all together, but that didn't seem likely in this place. ]

Seems like they got to you a little.

[ There might be just the faintest sound of a tch left from his lips. Though, rather than out of annoyance as it might have been once upon a time, it's more out of amusement as he grins while looking up to the tree. ]

Guess someone needs to catch you when you fall, right?

[ Teasing. Maybe. He looks back to the list and the little picture that had been drawn beside it... is this Sora's artwork? Looks like it. Great. Nevertheless, he shows Terra the list, pointing to the little picture of what looks like a banana with a flower sprouting out from the top. ]

Says we need five of them.

No. You don't have to repay me. [And he seems a little tad flustered she'd offer. He hadn't considered it even.] It's enough we can try it together. To see what it tastes like.

Are you ready?

[Squall isn't wrong. A tad ashamed at how irritable he got, Terra looks down at his palm before curling his fingers and dropping his hand.] Yeah.

I guess they did. I was trying to help, but they would run. I got upset because I thought they would hurt someone else if I couldn't catch them.

[ Squall gave him another glance before reaching out to pat his shoulder a few times. He can't really blame Terra. Back when he first arrived here, things like that would have drove him insane. For as calm and collected as he was back home, this place really pulled him from his elements ]

Animals startle easily. I wouldn't let it get to you.

[... Ven?]

Yeah, I was kind of just getting headbutted by them on my own... But, um. My name is Xion, not Ven. It's nice to meet you, though!

[Wow, Riku. Cut him some slack. He doesn't want anyone else to get hurt is all!

Looking down again, he leans enough to see the list. Did Riku draw these? That's cute. He'll assume Riku drew them without being any the wiser. Okay. Bananas with flowers.] Five. Got it. [Terra surveys the tree once more. Easy... right?

Holding his hand out, he draws Ends of the Earth to his palm in a flurry of cubic glimmers, and then he flips it up out of the way. Before it lands, it shifts into the blue and gold glider. Nice. A little draining on the emotion juice, but nice.

When he gets on, though, he pauses.] I said I'd go alone so you don't get hurt.

But... maybe I got ahead of myself. Do you want to ride? I can drive, and you can pick them.

[Now no one will be there to catch them when they crash.]

Alright! Thanks!

[What a nice guy. She nods.]

Ready when you are!

[Even what seems like such a simple reassurance relieves Terra immensely.] You're right. [Fall down. Get back up. He remembers.

His gaze lifts to the floating sheep, and he's glad they haven't ascended straight into space.] Thanks for the help.

If I push them back, will they keep floating?

But-- [?!?!?

When he really pays attention, it's true? It's not Ven, it's--it's not even a boy, it's a girl. His mouth opens, but he doesn't even know how to begin to apologize.] Sorry, I... thought you were someone else. [Xion is nice and all, but his heart sinks just a little.]

Xion then. It's nice to meet you. Thanks for the help. They kept running away. I thought they were going to hurt someone by mistake.

[ He's a little glad about that too. He's never actually used that spell on an animal before. It was mostly to avoid earth like attacks during battle.

Squall cleared his throat a little, scratching at his cheek. ]

Honestly... I'm not really sure when it will wear off. It's kind of finicky.

[ Oh wow, it's a real live crazy person. She'll just.. stand here and watch and wait for him to come down.

If it takes a while she might buy a hot dog from a street vendor and eat it with the same amusement one might eat popcorn while watching a shitstorm with. Either way, she's definitely staring at him pointedly when he returns to the planet. ]

That's fine. [She'd stick her hand out in a friendly manner, but, well. There's still the sheep to attend too! But... She is a little distracted. He seems familiar too?]

Do I know you from somewhere, though? You remind me of someone I know... [But... That can't be right. Everyone she knows is in the Organization?]

[ Because they're totally going to crash, right? Wait, no. Falling with style. That's more like it. Yeah.

A tilt of his head, he looks the blue and gold glider over with wide eyes and a cool muttered under his breath. Looks like Terra can still wow him even with being older now. The suggestion for teamwork, however, has him snap himself out of that in awe sort of look before eyes of aquamarine blink up to the other and he mulls over that for just a couple seconds because- ]

Only if you teach me how to drive, too.

[ There it is and with a grin, he moves to get himself on the glider as well, rolling up the list of ingredients and tucking it inside his vest pocket. ]

Ready when you are.

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TEST DRIVE: October

E3

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