memepatheias | TEST DRIVE: April

Entry tags:

*test drive

TEST DRIVE: April

— 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!

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.
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!
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!

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!
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.
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.

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.
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!
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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

(OOC; tag me in whatever format you prefer, regardless of my starters. I will match!)

• C.

[ Videl frowns as she turns a flat, disc-shaped pendant over in her palm. To say she was dubious of all the things the little item could purportedly do would be an understatement; collect emotions, power 'magitech' (whatever that was), and make everyone telepathic? ]

Not likely. [ She scoffed to herself. ]

[ But as she turned the pendant over again, second thoughts wedged their way into Videl's mind. If telepathy wasn't real, then how did that wrinkle-headed alien Babidi talk to everyone on Earth all at the same time? She remembered the image of a fat pink monster projected into her mind without her intention. ]

I don't want a bunch of strangers reading my mind whenever they want. [ The complaint was meant for herself, but her vehemence is strong enough to project the thought without Videl's intent. ]

• D-2.

When someone from Team Epsilon approached Videl and asked her to help out with a public safety drill, of course she was more than willing to go along with it. He fished a random sign out of the pile he was carrying and looped it around her neck, instructing her to act it out as accurately as possible. Videl didn't even get a chance to ask her what kind of safety drill they were doing before he thanked her for her help and rushed away toward other potential volunteers.

Oh well. Videl shrugged and reached for her sign. Acting wasn't really what she had in mind, but how hard could it be?

Until she read her sign.

I HAVE CONTRACTED SYMPTOM: DYSENTERY

"Hey, wait a second!" she let the sign fall from her hands and jerked her head back up to look for the man who had given it to her. Unfortunately, he was nowhere to be seen.

"There's no way I'm acting this out!" Videl shouted.

• E-2.

[ Videl is still several blocks away from the Flower Festival when the crate she has been tasked to transport starts vibrating in her hands. ]

[ Concerned, she sets it down on the sidewalk and kneels down in front of it. ]

What's the matter with you? [ She asks the crate as the vibrating intensifies. Videl places her hands on both sides to try to hold it still and get a look at the meter. The meter dictates when the crate opens, was the explanation she received. Well, what does it mean when the dial is out of control spinning in circles? ]

[ The vibrating worsens as someone approaches, wobbling violently in Videl's hands like there was a live creature inside it rather than a bunch of flowers. ]

Watch out, I think this thing's about to blow! [ She warns the approaching figure, but before they have a chance to react, the crate does exactly as threatened. The top explodes open, sending a blast of flowers right into the newcomer's face. ]

• G.

[ Wildcard! ]

[Hearing Videl cry out about something being about to blow was all the indication Gohan needed to leap into action.]

Hang on, Videl, I'm coming!

[He just had to grab this mysterious exploding box and fly it off into the sky before it had a chance to blow up. He could handle whatever kind of explosive it was no problem!

But the moment he places his hands on the crate, it explodes, sending its eruption of flowers right into his face, leaving a bewildered Gohan, confused as to what just happened.]

--Huh?!

[ Videl squeezed her eyes closed as what seemed like an impossibly large quantity of flowers exploded from the crate into Gohan's face and up into the air. ]

[ She carefully opened one eye to survey the damage. Gohan looked like he had been replaced with a rainbow topiary; leaves and flowers of all shapes and colors clung to every inch of him from the chest up. The flora that had flown past him was drifting lazily down to Earth again, blooms buffeted down the sidewalk by a gentle breeze. ]

Oh, shoot. [ Videl huffed, letting the crate fall from her hands. ] Those were supposed to be for the festival.

[Things not on Gohan's bucket list: becoming part of the decorations for the festival. But with how thoroughly he'd been covered with the flowers, he could certainly be set on display right about now, the only part of his upper body visible is his wide eyes.

At least, until he lets out a powerful sneeze that sends many of the flowers clinging to him flying in every direction, including at Videl.]

Ugh... Thanks for the concern, Videl. [Not.]

[ Just as Videl is about to stand, Gohan's sneeze sends the flowers flying right back at her. She jerks up her hands to cover her face, but not fast enough to keep the flora from blasting back to her at an intensity she could almost swear was as strong as the exploding crate. ]

Sorry, Gohan. [ She apologizes as she lowers her hands and stands. A veritable shower of blossoms falls from her clothes as she moves. ] I don't know why that thing went haywire all of the sudden.

[When he realizes he just sneezed all the flowers back at her, he suddenly feels guilty for his crankiness just seconds earlier. He's glad he didn't accidentally send her flying with that sneeze at least.]

It's fine. [He'll even help and reach out to pluck a few of those stray flowers out of her hair.] Are you okay? This thing must've been defective. [He pokes at the meters still attached to the now broken crate.]

[ Videl grabbed the hem of her t-shirt and shook it to dislodge the flowers. A few flowers ended up falling down the inside of her shirt instead. She groaned. ]

I'm fine. [ She replies, shaking her shirt more forcefully. A particularly long-stemmed flower works its way a little further down her back before getting stuck on the edge of her sports bra. Great. ]

I don't know what set that thing off all of the sudden. [ Videl jerks her head in the direction of the meter Gohan is examining. ] It didn't do anything the whole time I was carrying it, but like the second I saw you, it just started going crazy!

Videl | Dragon Ball Z

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