memepatheias | Test Drive: December

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Test Drive: December

— TEST DRIVE: DECEMBER —

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 25 November and Applications (Canon | OC) open a week later on December 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.
Enable Me/App This Pls. Talk about your app plans or look for a cast HERE!

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 same committee of natives that decided to tackle Halloween have decided to take on the winter holidays of Otherworlders as well! After interviewing several Otherworlders to acquire some grasp on the traditions associated with these holidays, the committee determines that many of the typical winter festivities just aren’t up to snuff with what they like to see in Verens. So after running away with some ideas and getting the locals involved, there are all sorts of new and unusual winter activities popping up around the city! Which one will you give a try?
1. Tree Toppers: At various locations throughout Verens, there are massive, fully decorated evergreen trees standing tall for the public to enjoy. However, there are more to these trees than meets the eye, and should you approach, you will see a placard among the boughs: climb to the top of the tree, and snatch the crown at the top to become Winter Royalty! Sure enough, the trees are topped with crowns made of real gold, but reaching the top may not be as easy as you think. The trees are several stories tall, and they are not particularly stable. Perhaps you need a partner to spot you, or maybe you’re racing to the top! Either way, it’s going to take some effort to reach the crown.
2. We Won’t Go Until We Get Some: Groups of natives have taken up caroling and arrive at your door to serenade and ask for some figgy pudding. The thing is, they are relentless. They will not leave until they have received some figgy pudding, so if you don’t have any on hand (and why would you), it’s time to take a trip to the grocery store and whip up some of the requested dish. Hopefully you know how to make it...or find someone who knows how, quick! Those carolers are getting awfully hungry, and it’s getting late...
3. Elf on a Shelf: Through the course of their “research”, the committee learned of toy-making elves, though they seem to have conflated their understanding of them with another creature from folklore. They have taken imps from the forest, dressed them up in cute red and green costumes, and set them loose in the city, claiming that whoever captures the most “elves” with be rewarded with a giant rocking horse. Some of the “elves” will hide and thus need to be sniffed out, but others still are far more mischievous and are likely to get into your cabinets and drawers. Oh, dear...perhaps you’ll be earning that rocking horse, whether you wanted it or not.
• Prompt E: The recent death of an Arehtei has prompted some people to believe that there may be some Arehtei who have yet to come back, or have yet to be discovered. As such, a team not at all enforced by the local government are going around encouraging others to join their cause: find new Arehtei.
1. Make 'em Talk: As most Arehtei are like giant animals, the group has captured all kinds of creatures from all over the world and are trying to see if certain emotional reactions will make these creatures talk. Arehtei talk, after all, so it would only be natural for the undiscovered Arehtei to be capable of speech. Perhaps you come by the petting zoo or perhaps you were asked by a member of the team to help out. Your task now is to make the creature before you speak.
2. The Monthly Rituals: The various emotions represented by the current living Arehtei are all well and good, but what about emotions such as Hot and Cold, Rich and Poor, Alive and Dead, Woke and Lit? There are apparently so many other emotions that don't fall under the spectrum of what the current Arehtei represent, and the group is now hosting a ritual at the park in hopes of summoning new Arehtei. People attending the rituals are partnered up again and they have to make their partner feel these new emotions. For your efforts, you are given a cup of either peppermint mocha or raspberry iced tea!
3. Emotional Effects: Maybe even summoning the long forgotten Simpathis, Arehtei of Apathy, might help. Despite the destructive effects of the lack of emotion, people are encouraged to turn off their emotions for a minute or two in hopes of the emotion drops in people's crystals to help the Arehtei in some way. After all, feeling certain emotions make the emotional state of the world tilt in a particular manner. Should there be a lot of apathy, then the Arehtei of apathy might (re)surface and bring some balance! Just watch out for people suddenly making the ground shake. The glass you're holding might suddenly break, or perhaps the street you're walking in might suddenly lose all its colour.
• Prompt F: Life in Empatheias is generally a peaceful one, but it's also important to be perpetually prepared for any kind of emergency. The Verens General Hospital has issued a half-day mandatory First Aid course for all of its citizen. The staff are aware that these kinds of classes tend to be boring for most people, which is why this one will come with some exciting twists! The first thing everyone will notice is that all the training takes place outdoors. To be precise, it's a forest that looks more like a boot camp. Remember, attendance is mandatory!
1. Stayin’ Alive: The first course is a classic CPR course - you and a partner are given an instruction book on how to resuscitate a person, then apply those skills on a dummy. That's what seems to be the case for most pairs, but some others won't be so lucky! It turns out that some staff members will shoot poison darts from afar. If you're hit, it's your partner's job to either suck out the poison, or run back to the supply cabin for the antidote. This is the REAL test! Isn't it thrilling?
2. I Will Survive: The second course is another much-needed skill when it comes to saving lives; namely the fireman's carry. Once again, you're paired up with a partner, but this time only one has to do most of the work, while the other has to do their best to play their part. What does this course involve? It's an army-style obstacle course, where one has to carry another person through various obstacles. How exciting!
3. How To Save a Life: The final course involves performing emergency surgery. Don't worry! The surgery is performed on a test dummy, of course. With the most basic training instructions (which is completely inadequate for this task), you and your partner are tasked with surgically removing the dummy's kidney and replacing it with a fresh one from your medical box. Work slowly and carefully together... and don't panic. Seriously, don't. The staff have also released some monster snakes nearby, just to add to the excitement. Stay calm, and the creatures won't sense your presence. Alternatively, one partner can fight them while the other one works on the patient. First Aid has never been so blood-tingling before!
• Prompt G: Make your own! It could include music and/or jump ropes.
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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[ The sequence of events is brief, but distinct. A small, and therefore even more adorable, chocobo pops out of the crowd. Its appearance causes Prompto to break into a goofy grin, despite his moping because look at the little guy.

So cute that Prompto doesn’t pay attention to anything else. Good thing, too, as he’s increasingly concerned by the chocobo’s direction and unfettered speed. It’s not normal chocobo behaviour- and he doesn’t have pockets full of treats for... them...

Even a baby chocobo launching at his face would be cause for alarm. They’re the size of fluffy cannonballs with several pointy bits to be avoided. Prompto takes a step back with his right leg, attempting to brace himself in case the bird really does plow into him.

Then, he hears Noct say his name with a weird questioning lilt, like Prompto is unexpected - okay, to be fair, Noctis is also completely unexpected in this moment. Prom’s so surprised that he takes his eyes off the chocobo - just for a second - to try and spot his bestie and prove he’s not hearing stuff on top of everything else. ]

Noc- nnnggh!

[ Chocoblue finds its target, and the distraction means Prompto’s stumbling backwards and sitting down hard, legs splayed in front of him and a lap full of chocobo. Prompto addresses the bird. ]

Was that really necessary? I give free chocobo hugs.

Kwheee!

(Yes she seems to be saying. Obviously, it was very necessary.)

That's why you took off.

(Bending down, Noctis retrieves the excitable baby from Prompto's lap.)

Your name was on the wall... We figured you were gone. You couldn't stay away, huh? (Noctis grins, as if it's completely normal to see Prompto come and go from this world. He'd done it once, Noctis knows, so it's little surprise to find he did it again.

But Noctis is glad that he did.)

[ He sticks his tongue out the chocobo, who is entirely too pleased with herself at putting his butt in the snow, and gets to his feet, dusting off the powdery snow that he can feel melting into the back of his pants from boots to belt.

The brushed off snow is solidly purple by the time it hits the ground, but Prompto’s staring at Noct like he never thought he’d see him again.

Which... he didn’t. He half expects some inbred coding to take over to attack the Lucian king, and a purple blue galaxy of decay to eat away at his face. He doesn’t - he knows he’d never let that happen. He’s not one of them.

(But which Them...)

He can’t keep thinking like this and have a normal conversation at the same time, so he shoves it down with all the things that get in the way of his job of bffing. Noct is here, too, with a baby chocobo. Who wants deep thoughts when the shallow ones are awesome? ]

The wall? Oh, yeah. The wall got it wrong. Wild chocobos couldn’t drag me away.

[ Yeah, he has no idea what the wall is, but he’s definitely here so, obviously, the wall’s an idiot.

Prompto can’t resist reaching over to ruffle the baby’s feathers. ]

They’re too busy dragging me back, aren’t you?

Edited (I’m dumb. ) 2018-11-26 03:58 (UTC)

Kweh!

(Glacian jumps and flaps her wings in glee. She's a bit of a troublemaker, but she loves her humans.)

You just get back, then?

(That's why he hasn't stopped by the house to let everyone know he's back. It's not impossible to think this is a Prompto without his memories of Empatheias, but really, he seems to take all of it in stride so Noctis continues with his assumption that it's the same.)

Your room's still open. I think we expect everybody who leaves to come back so we don't fill them.

...Hey? Why's the snow purple?

[ This human loves her too, instantly. There's a lot in her favour, as she is A. a chocobit and B. likes him.

Prompto has run out of ways to wing it, a little too late to admit his cluelessness without landing on the scale of sheepish-to-stupid. He has absolutely no idea what room Noct is talking about. It's probably safe to guess that it's not his cell.]

I guess I got "back" a couple of days ago.

[ The first time around, the air quotes are verbally emphasized. Then, Prompto mouths the word 'back' and actually makes the air quotes gesture with his hands, while he mentally scrabbles at ways to explain that he's been playing along because he's currently having a hard time not twisting his hands in his shirt. He can either look chillaxed, or he can keep out intrusive thoughts about how he's basically an MT. It's really hard to not immediately blurt it out. Hey Noct, I'm a self-murdering evil soldier who is highly susceptible to Starscourge, we still cool?

Six, no. He won't put that on Noct.

But the purple snow comment helps him dodge, and Prompto quirks an eyebrow and looks down, just in time to see it flash to white, then back to purple, then white, then a slightly softer purple. It keeps going down to a lavender colour.

It's so odd, and beautiful, that Prom can feel his insides unknotting, some of the tension swept away with an unexpected visual treat. ]

I wish I had my camera.

[ Crap, now he's got to explain why he have his camera at the ready. How is he so bad at this devious stuff, he mentally chides himself. ]

It's kinda more a video thing, though.

Edited 2018-12-05 03:12 (UTC)

[ The first signal, obvious as it was, had been missed. Noctis assumes that Prompto would just ask questions if he didn't remember, but with the physical indication that he's not 'back' at all, it finally sinks in. Putting his hands on his hips, Noctis drops his head. ]

Don't just play along if you don't know what I'm talking about.

[ He sighs before looking back up. ]

So, you don't remember anything from before?

Yeah...

[ The sigh is missing the exhalation of air, but it’s present in his tone anyway. Prompto draws a breath through his teeth. ]

I figured we could get to that... eventually.

[ And if he hoped that eventually meant never, because then he wouldn’t have to admit his complete cluelessness. It’s too late for that now; the chill of being called out for lying is forming a lump of ice in Prompto’s stomach. The guilt of letting Noctis is immediate, and he watches the chocobo because it’s easier to face. ]

I’m sorry. I just - I thought, if I could pick up enough info, I’d remember whatever it is I’m missing. Like how you’re here, too. Ooor that I’ve got a room someplace. But...

[ He shoves his hands into his back pockets and shrugs his shoulders, holding them aloft with locked elbows. ]

I don’t remember being here before, and purple snow’d be hard to forget. I don’t think I’m the right ... me.

[ That sentence went somewhere clearly unexpected. He tucks his chin back in surprise and distaste, and his voice falls away to a quiet nothing on the last word. He could very easily be the wrong guy. Prompto isn’t sure he’d know the difference. ]

You're always you. There's nothing right or wrong. Sometimes, it's just a different you. Or me. Or Luna. I don't remember my first time here. This is Luna's third, and she doesn't remember it either. I think this will just be your second.

It's pretty hard to explain. Somehow, we ended up here. You, me, Luna, Dad, Ignis, Gladio, Clarus, Cor, and Crowe. Some people's been here and left but never returned. We're all from different points in time.

[ Noctis' eyes flicker to Prompto's covered wrist. The timeline reminds him of something that needs to be said, to be gotten out of the way. ]

What's the last thing you remember from home?

[ That’s a lot to take in, and he’s not sure he should bother. Prompto’s in another land if he’s trying to rationalize the denial, or another planet if he’s trying out some of the language that gets used to describe the otherworlders.

He can almost understand that.

But coming in from different points of time? Some of those people are dead. It’s not funny.

Prompto’s mouth dips down into a frown, and his eyes narrow to try and scrunch up the tear ducts so they don’t get betrayingly watery. Of course, it’s not a joke. Noct wouldn’t joke about his dad and Luna like that. ]

Don’t take this the wrong way, but are you sure you didn’t hit your head? That chocobo’s pretty excitable. One good head butt is all it’d take.

[ Accusing the chocobo of causing a brain injury feels terrible, but it’s better than having to break such godsawful news to Noctis. Glacian will be fine. Prompto and Noctis wouldn’t be.

Prompto instinctively reaches to cover the new bracelet when his friend notices it. He’s not sure when he lost the old one - the clasp probably broken when he fell - but finding a replacement for it was one of the first things he did in Verens was cover up the barcode on his wrist. The braid of scraps of black fabric is close enough to his normal style, although it’s already fraying because he has no idea how to work with cloth neatly. ]

The last thing I remember?

[ Why, when he’s already having doubts about what’s real and what isn’t, does Noct have to ask a question that’s so precise and easy that Prompto doesn’t have time to stall and pick a safe answer that won’t upset anyone or make him into a liar? ]

It turns out Aranea’s all right. Like, she was a solid eight when she was with the Empire, but I’ve gotta bump her up to a ten now.

[ There. That’s close enough. ]

Kwehhh!

[ Glacia is a friend, not a cause of head injuries!

The reach for his bracelet is enough for Noctis to know exactly 'when' Prompto is from. He's lived it already. The first time he met Prompto here, he hadn't known that the others knew of his origins and didn't mind. ]

We still haven't rescued you, huh?

[ They do. Noctis hates that the last memories they have of the him on Eos is looking down from a train. ]

We do, and that barcode doesn't mean anything so you can stop worrying about hiding it.

[ It’s not like he’s pleased about pinning it on Glacian, but he’s trying to offer distractions. Prompto’s wears his heart on a sleeve (more like for a sleeve), and he’s lousy at covering up how he feels. He’s not even an open book. He’s a movie poster. ]

Ah! Enngh...

[ The gasp of naked surprise slips into a nervous groan, as it all sinks in. Noct fits so much into so little. ]

You rescue me?

[ His voice sounds small and hopeful. It’s what he’s been holding on for, that chance they won’t decide he’s dead or an affordable loss. Infinitely replaceable and rarely missed. ]

I mean, of course you do. I knew you would. I kept telling myself just hang on a little longer and they’ll come busting the doors down.

[ The snow all around him is slowly blackening. When it seems like the frost can’t get any darker, the colour starts to be drawn out of Prompto, who can’t force his fingers to release his wrist. He had wanted Noctis to confirm that he was a genuine person - an individual, , not a soulless thing force grown in a can. Someone worth saving.

But he’s not, is he? There was another one of him here. He’s not convinced it was him. Would he stomach telling them the story? ... it would depend on how Noct reacted, and, right now, Prompto can’t face him. ]

Are you - how do you know? Did he tell you?

[ Good. Noctis likes posters a lot more than he likes books. Movies themselves are even better.

His head shakes. Glacian seems to have calmed down. ]

No. After we rescue you, there's a door we can't get in without a barcode so you use yours. You're Prompto so it doesn't really matter where you came from. You didn't treat me like a prince very often, ya know. I'll be annoyed if that kind of thing starts to matter to you now.

[ Their origins don't define them, but just as Noctis had tried to be in the actual moment, he talks about it casually, not like something that needs special attention. The barcode really hadn't changed his opinion at all. ]

It - it doesn’t. You’ve got to know it doesn’t matter by now. I don’t care -

[ He’s so taken aback at the implication that it somehow changes how Prompto views Noctis. Treating Noct like a normal person has nothing to do with Prompto being a disposable Niff clone baby. They’re not the same thing. ]

Ah.

[ It’s not a gasp of eureka. It’s more like the undignified grunt that would escape someone who just got bludgeoned with a toilet seat or something equally humiliating.

It kinda is the same thing. He treats Noct like a normal guy when there’s a “good” reason to treat him differently. Noct’s saying Prompto’s a normal guy despite a damn good reason to treat him differently.

Even if one way’s supposed to be deference and the other disgust... it’s still like he’s saying Noct is too shallow for that choice, which is ridiculous. Prompto’s been waiting for Noctis to confirm he’s the real Prompto Argentum. If Noct has the depth and perception to make that decision, then the same depth is more than enough to say that it doesn’t matter where Prompto’s from. ]

...thanks, Noct.

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Test Drive: December

Have some size vagueness, because small chocobo is a relative term.

older baby chocobo. still a smol

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care if we make this canon?

Let’s, because then it’s out of the way.

sorry for my speed. holiday guests are over

Don’t worry about it. It’s also just hard to work through scenes that skirt canon without quotin

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