TEST DRIVE: April

[empevents]

— TEST DRIVE: APRIL —

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 March 25th and Applications (Canon | OC) open a week later on April 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. These threads do not count toward AC.

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 Verens Emergency Response Teams are running drills to make sure that the Verens populace, natives and Otherworlders alike, are prepared for any and all emergencies. This means large scale obstruction of public areas, traffic delays, businesses closing their doors temporarily in the name of professional cooperation... and, best of all, Otherworlder participation!

1. Alpha Lava: If you asked Team Alpha, they would say they drew the short straw. They are in charge of the volcanic eruption preparedness drill! This includes cordoning off sections of the merchant’s square and residential district to conduct the following tasks: evacuation drills, where random houses are the "willing participant" of loudspeaker announcements telling them they have thirty seconds to escape their homes before they die; dunamis training exercises, to determine who would be most able to hold back or freeze incoming pools of lava; and, most helpful, the role of victim mannequin. Posing still as a statue for several minutes at a time to simulate being encrusted by molten lava is a thankless job, but someone has to do it.
   
2. Epsilon Epidemic: Team Epsilon's emergency preparedness drill is outbreak of a deadly disease! For this simulation, they will be rounding up helpful Otherworlder volunteers and distributing signs for them to wear around their necks. Following that, instructions are varied. Perhaps some people end up in quarantine, informed that Team Epsilon will shoot to kill anyone who escaped. Perhaps some people are under strict instruction to act out their sign to the best of their ability, and will be penalised if they don't! (What's the penalty? It's quarantine, or no gift bag, or both.) Perhaps they are simply dead and have to lie in the street all day. Yes, that's very boring. No, they don't have a choice. At the end of the simulation, all participants are given a gift bag filled with handmade cookies (courtesy of Team Epsilon's very own multi-talented Agent N) and gift certificate for a spa day for two. Most importantly: have fun!
   
3. Gamma Grandstanding: Team Gamma ended up with the newest preparation drill. Its official title is "People With Indeterminate Motives" (PWIM for short) to keep from throwing a wrench in the Briarlan trade deal and offending sensibilities, but make no mistake: it is about knowing exactly what to do if pirates invade Verens and conduct a hostile takeover. Some Otherworlders will be placed specifically in local business - restaurants, independently owned shops, even the zoo - and trained how to protect them from PWIM. Some businesses will be targeted; others will be ignored entirely (hope you brought a deck of cards!). Other Otherworlders will be asked to play the pirates - sorry, PWIM - themselves, complete with lame costumes (eyepatches, fancy hats, fake parrots to sit on a shoulder, itchy peglegs) for the sake of immersion. Arr! Aye, avast!

• Prompt E: Despite the rain and everybody coming down with colds during the month, everyone in Verens is still doing their best to get ready for next month's Flower Festival. And Otherworlders are definitely expected to help with prep work. After all, it's everyone's festival, so everyone should help make it the best it can be! So here's a few ways to help!

1. Sign Me Up: The Festival needs signs! Lots of signs. And lots of signs need lots of painters! Or one incredibly overworked painter, but in this case, they've decided to go the teamwork route, pairing up Otherworlders and having them make signs advertising various games at the festival! Sounds easy, right? But with emotion based paints in play, be careful. Too much negativity between partners and the wording will change, the paint could run, go too far in the other directions and the signs will be practically glowing, but possibly lead to claims of false advertising!
   
2. Special Delivery Flower Festivals need lots of flowers, and people to transport those flowers! And thanks to handy tech exchange with Briarlan, this year there's some fancy containment units for transporting them. They're really just crates with some fancy looking meters attached, meant to open up when they reach the festival grounds. Unfortunately, these new inventions probably could've used some additional testing and are prone to opening randomly sending flowers all over the place! Try and collect as many as possible and bring them back to the grounds, the festival organizers would appreciate it.
   
3. Flower Round Up! Or maybe painting signs and boxing flowers aren't your thing, so how about...corralling them? With all the good vibes in the air, it seems some of the flower arrangements have literally pulled up roots and are running around the festival. And you can't have a flower festival without flowers, so do your best to try and get them back where they belong before they run off to start some sort of flower civilization in the woods*.
   
   *They probably will not form a flower civilization in the woods, but you never know.

• Prompt F: With Verens trading with more and more cities out there, some shopkeepers have gotten an idea to try and increase sales by encouraging both citizens and Otherworlders to shop local by promoting a tour of various business in the merchant district! Though the crystal has been a little negative, they're still hoping the tour goes off without a hitch! After all, it's too late to postpone it.

1. On the Clock: The first stop is Click, Clack, Clock, a clock shop that offers delivery to anywhere on the island! Unfortunately, due to the poor weather, all of the delivery staff are out with colds, so they're looking for volunteers! And yes, you're on this walking tour, but don't be surprised if you're handed a bicycle and a clock and sent on your way to deliver a clock. Hopefully they remembered to tell you where to go before shoving you out the door.
   
2. Shine On: Assuming you haven't been conscripted into the clock store's delivery force, the next stop is at Verens' very own Restoration Works, an establishment for restoring old antiques and making them look good as new. They've set up an interactive demo for everybody, so partner up and practice using your emotions to bring some shine back to some dull scraps of metal! Sorry guys, they're not going to let you work on anything really valuable during the tour, but if you show some promise, maybe they’ll hire you on in the future!
   
3. Polg-Oh No: Finally, the tour will end with a nice relaxing meal at the Sweethearts Cafe. Or it was intended to be relaxing, anyway (who would've thought the antique store would be the calmest part of the tour?), but it seems no place is safe from the Polgo plague. Better keep an eye on your plates, otherwise the second you’re distracted, the small kitten-sized blue bugs might scurry up the table and try and run off with your food!
   
   Even if you’re paying attention, they might give it a shot anyways. So be on your guard and ready to give chase if it happens!

• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include blueberries 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!

Comments

Haggar | Voltron: Legendary Defender

[shroudedsecrets]

[ A; perfect circles ]

[ She'd done some research, sneaking into the libraries at night, but ultimately, one of the most frustrating things about this world was realizing that the very way you interacted with life itself and the world around you had been altered. As such, adaptations... needed to be made, very quickly.

Unfortunately, she hadn't yet found the best spot for potential meditation. The cloaked woman stops in a few different locations, ones that seem likely to be empty and undisturbed, and focuses... it's anger, mostly, that seeps into the ground, carving a circle into it. There's something else, too, that pulls the color out of the grass in the center, leaving the ground appearing near barren. Mimicking an effect, but not quite what she was going for, either. That was a growl from agitation. ]

... Tell me your secrets, Empatheias.

[ It's possibly an odd sight; this hooded figure standing, slightly hunched, in this near perfect circle of... barrenness, seemingly speaking to the ground. Sorry, plants. She's not feeling particularly sorry. But she's not too focused on her surroundings, either. ]



[ B - "tasks" ish; what are you doing in her house, actually. ]

[ On the taskboard, there had been strange monsters being listed for extermination. For the most part they were fairly simple to defeat for hardy adventurers, though the task writers simply couldn't figure out the source of the creatures.

There might just be a new lead, however, one that leads to an old, long run down, long abandoned farmhouse far on the outskirts of the city that's been seeming surprisingly... active, as of late. Some have been whispering that it was probably haunted, and so, it had been relatively low on the list for investigations. And so if you're here you're probably... following up on it. It's a chance to gather some intel about it, if there were no monsters on the scene.

Anyone getting too close, however, might just get the feeling of being watched... very closely. A figure on the roof? Or from just beside you when you had been alone... ]


[ G; wildcard ]

[ got another idea, or just want to have fun? pm or yolo! And be mindful of spoilers. ]

A driveby not-here "A" from hiatusland

[dadofmarmora]

[Meanwhile, way, waaaaaaay far off through the trees, there stands a Galra. Specifically, a Galra stands upon his own front porch. In one hand, he is holding the best steampunk binoculars this world has to offer. In the other, he is holding a cup of coffee.

Whyyyyyyyyy is Zarkon's witch on his lawn.

Despite the flickering purple light that indicates his own nerves having just been wildly set off, Kolivan heaves a sigh as though this is merely a minor annoyance and continues to watch. His appreciation for coffee is so great now that not even his feelings about this latest development can ruin it. He will go and untactfully send the Paladins into another hideous neurotic tizzy after he has finished his cup and not a second sooner. In the meantime, better keep watching. It's good to have intel for these things.

Siiiip.]

A (I regret everything and nothing at the same time)

[spontaneouscombustion]

Hi there!

[Who has two hooves, a high soprano voice, and very little sense of self-preservation? This little pony! Just walking through Kolivan's lawn the forest for some reason or another, coming across a cloaked figure, no big deal! I mean Zecora surely taught her that cloaked figures in the woods weren't NECESSARILY evil!]

YOU'RE out awfully late to be sitting in a circle of dry grass! My name's Pinkie Pie!

trial by pony, i see how it is

[shroudedsecrets]

[She's had time to encounter some... unusual things, but to be fair, when one is rather accustomed to seeing various sorts of aliens and monstrous beings on a daily basis, having a very pink and hooved creature suddenly appear, perhaps, wasn't strange.

The cheerful introduction and chattering though, that was another matter. It draws her out from her concentration to take in the interruption, studying Pinkie Pie's appearance and well, anything else she could tell from a cursory glance. What an interesting specimen... but it was capable of speech, so she'd have to be cautious, for now. ]

Perhaps. [ She didn't sound as if she cared particularly, about whatever time it was. ] And yet, here you are. Is that natural, for your species?

[spontaneouscombustion]

Nah, usually everypony back in Ponyville is asleep right now! I am too, but there was this task that wanted me to catch these little glowflowers, and the forest is WAY too bright in the daytime to see them, so I took a nap this afternoon so I'd be WIDE awake enough to catch some, and I was trying to pick my sixteenth one when I saw you, and I thought "huh, why's that lady sitting in a circle of dry grass in the middle of the night?" I mean you ARE a lady right; I'm still trying to tell humans apart so if you're a gentlecolt- or a gentleMAN I guess- or both or none of the above let me know! And now we're talking!

[BREATHE, child!]

What are YOU doing out here? And what's your name again?

[shroudedsecrets]

[ What is that uncomfortable throbbing in the back of her mind. Ah. A headache. Usually those were brought on by fatigue, some exasperation at a plan gone awry, or... other reasons. But this. This chattering ... pony, was it. Did it end?

She's barely listening to it all, to be honest, trying to figure out the best way to make use of this creature or otherwise dispose of it. Ah, yes. There's the pause. ]

Working.

[ That's how you give a succinct answer, Pinkie Pie. And yet, not answering anything being asked, of course. ]

You talk a lot. Is that all you can do?

B

[tookashirototheknee]

[He might have always believed in aliens, but to get Matt Holt to believe in ghosts, that's one step too far. He's dressed in his armor, staff at his side, and not really attempting any stealth. The monsters all got staffs to the face, and he's only flagging a bit.

Once he gets to the main building, he looks around, taking stock of his situation.]

I know there's no such thing as ghosts, so whoever you are, it would be fantastic if you stopped scaring the shit out of people and sending out monsters.

[... this is why no one wants Matt to do diplomacy]

[shroudedsecrets]

[ So it was another one of those types. Except... she recognized this one.

Frankly she intended to keep doing what she wanted. The problem, however, was that she had been noticed. Perhaps the beasts weren't particularly subtle, but she had to test, really, what manner of things she could do here, trapped away from her technology and everything... that mattered.

Still, she keeps herself hidden in the shadows nearby, watching intently, and close to a dobosh goes by, before there's something of a rush of an icy breeze from the trees. That usually got most people to go away... but she had a feeling this was a stubborn one. ]

[tookashirototheknee]

[Depending on how much she looked into the Champion, this one would be very familiar indeed. Undaunted by silence, Matt keeps walking up to the house, acutely aware of his surroundings.

Her icy wind barely gets a shiver from him, but he does glance in its direction. Hm.]

Funny. Cold never bothered me anyway.

[Matt, stop making references that people have no chance of getting.]

But, seriously. The last thing this place needs is monsters. I get that you want your solitude, but it's probably better to just... tell people that.

[shroudedsecrets]

[ Still determined to trespass, was he... well. Perhaps it only meant that she should find a better location for a hideaway. The recognition was there, but would he be useful?

From the shadows, she finally speaks, though still keeps up that cold wind as an intended deterrent, as he's about to approach the door in earnest. ]

You might want to rethink what you're about to do.

A

[virtuosoweblumexpert]

[Coran hasn't actually seen Haggar face to face. Even longer since he saw the woman she once was so he doesn't realize who he's speaking to at first.]

Uh, perhaps if you tried asking in a nicer tone of voice? [Comes the "helpful" reply to her rhetorical question.] And in a way that doesn't kill the plant life?

[shroudedsecrets]

[ Well, then.

Haggar was hoping not to be disturbed while she made adjustments toward her ritual, and for a few moments, doesn't even deign to respond to the interruption.

That voice, though... she knew with certainty that it was a member of the Princesses' entourage, but one she had mostly discounted as a threat in any sort of way. Sorry, Coran. If he's still there after, oh, another dobosh or three, she'll speak up, in a disinterested tone. ]

What I do is none of your concern.

[ But that deadening plantlife is starting to spread out from beyond her little circle, the blades of grass all turning white and gray. ]

[virtuosoweblumexpert]

I think it does if you continue to go around killing all the plant life around here. I was thinking of starting a flower garden and dead plants- well! Let me tell you! They don't make for a very good flower garden!

[He's kidding. He's making a new Castle of Lions. Not a flower garden.]

[shroudedsecrets]

[ He can't see the raised eyebrow from under the hood, but she's not amused. Not that she knows much about actual gardens to care one way or the other. ]

There's power here enough to create flowers from nothing, if that is your actual concern.

A

[lendedahand]

[She wasn't the only one out for a good meditation. Okay actually she was, but Lavellan would like to make the purpose his little stroll in the forest sound more mysterious and important than it actually was. Sometimes and elf just needed to get out of the city and be true to his nature as a total hic.

And it was just his luck that he would stumble upon some hooded weirdo in the forest. That always ended well. He could just turn around right now and walk away. Just leave the woman to go about her nefarious grass-killing business in peace.]

As much as I'm certain you know exactly what you're doing, I've yet to ever see the ground willingly spit out answers.

[Or he could just open his face and stick his nose where it no doubt did not belong. It was fine, he had magic, she had... something that sorta looked like magic. They would get along fine.]

[shroudedsecrets]

[ Ah, another challenger to her rhetorical musing. She ignores him for a few moments, displeased at being interrupted, but this was also an exercise in emotional control for her.

Eventually she glances toward him--barely, through that hood, her voice carrying only a slight hint of irritation. ]

Then perhaps you've not the skill to bring it out. What do you want from me?

[lendedahand]

In the face of my dashing good looks and charming personality? I would think even the ground would have to give up something!

[He steps a bit closer to get a better look at the patch of dead grass, curiously prodding at it with his foot. Yup. That grass is pretty dead.]

Me? Oh I was just in the area when I heard something going on. In my past experiences hooded mages in the forest always have the most fun so I thought I'd come introduce myself!

[Actually in all honesty he was expecting more fireballs and shouting. This is probably the longest he's been able to run his mouth in such an encounter before people started throwing fireballs at him. Today must be a good day.]

[shroudedsecrets]

[ He's lucky, that she's not the type to snap unnecessarily, being fully aware that attacking an idiot while out in the woods really would not have been to her benefit, in these circumstances. ]

Really. Do you usually make a habit out of running up to people when they're in the middle of something and yet live to tell the tale.

[ Her tone is about as dry as the grass around them. ]

B. Sorry for the lack of icons, just finished season 5.

[tactical_honor]

[It was familiar work. Acxa had never really gotten to know the witch, but she had saved her and the others from a certain death, so she was indebted to her. She felt the other before she saw her, but stood her ground, right now she felt that the other needed her and would have no reason to attack. And if she did, well Acxa had failed twice now and death was the reward for such.]

no worries! c:

[shroudedsecrets]

[Unlike the others who had approached, this was a presence she recognized. Still... in a strange world like this, it felt necessary to exercise caution as well.

So she keeps her distance just enough, though she does address Acxa, mostly waiting to see how she would respond.]

... So. You've come.

[tactical_honor]

I have, we had an agreement and I have not fulfilled my promise yet.

[She did not flinch. Acxa had no reason to fear the witch, or rather that given her situation had Haggar wanted her dead there would have been little she could have done to prevent it. So instead she simply remained where she was, waiting for the other to assess the situation. It was clear that no harm was meant towards her, and despite the bounties, Acxa had come alone without the intention of collecting a reward.]

I recommend that we take this inside.

[shroudedsecrets]

[Hn. For the moment, that was satisfactory; being sought out willingly and with their agreement in mind, should anything have changed, she would have to take care of it swiftly.

Too many had come seeking this presumed "reward" already.]

There's a side entrance. Find it and meet me inside.

[The light of day was nearly gone enough, Acxa finding it and getting inside that way would be far easier than her leading her there directly. That and she had a few... things to disable, so she intended to teleport there first.]

B

[zariconic]

[Zarkon simply cannot allow monsters to terrorize the populace. As a paladin, it's his duty to protect people—at home or here, even if this might not be his own universe. There are few people better qualified to deal with monsters. He's a good hunter—as well as a good tracker and investigator, so he'd found his way here at last.

He comes to a halt before the farmhouse, frowning up at it. It's not a very defensible structure, but that doesn't mean he's going to go charging into it without assessing the situation first. There's something unnerving about this place, but at the same time, he doesn't find it particularly hostile. He remains calm. His bayard is a familiar weight in his hand.

Zarkon may not be one to charge in blindly, but he's also not one for sneaking around, and he doesn't enjoy the feeling of being watched. He announces himself.]

Come out and face me.

!!! oh my goodness, hello, hi

[shroudedsecrets]

[With the way people were starting to show their attention in this area, it was hard not to notice, whenever someone would get too close, and to begin the contemplation of when to chase them away. Some scared easily, easy to dismiss a 'ghost', but...

That stance... that stride, Haggar had noticed it from a distance, though kept hers, uncertain; keeping herself as unknown as possible was part of her plan, as much as people tended to pick up on when they were being observed.

Of all the adjustments this planet had put her through, the last thing she was expecting to see, to even hear, was... in her realization, she was unable to maintain the cold air temperature meant for keeping away outsiders. She remains hidden, up until he calls, and she could hardly refuse a summons from him, even in these circumstances.

She emerges, not from the house, but from the shadows of it, still keeping some distance between them, but enough for him to see her.]

... I am here, my lord.

hello there! i was just browsing the test drive, and i was so happy to see you

[zariconic]

[For a moment, he's silent.

That isn't the response he was expecting. He hadn't necessarily thought his arrival would result in an all-out battle, but quick emergence and a show of respect hadn't featured among his predictions of possible outcomes. Zarkon isn't easily taken aback, but this is enough to do it. It's not that he has any qualms about being referred to as "my lord" in general. He deserves that respect, but he'd had no reason to think that the person hiding in the farmstead would be one of his subjects. But—who is she?

He still doesn't feel any alarm, due in part to the sense of familiarity that has registered with him on some level, but which he hasn't paused to examine in the immediacy of the moment.

An emotion-inspired breeze whirls around Zarkon's shoulders. He doesn't like to show confusion or uncertainty, even if he is feeling them, so he doesn't hesitate too long. He covers his uncertainty with a quick order.]

Explain yourself.