memepatheias | 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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Maybe. Sort of. If you squint. It's about as likely as a pig flying without the assistance of a trebuchet, if we're honest with ourselves, but what is the master of Chaldea if not someone who defies the odds and manages to turn the tide of any situation to her favor?

The people organizing the event got themselves into this situation, they can deal with retrieving their own antidote and case from the woods. Maybe a bear will decide to pursue a first aid certification and practice CPR with the unlucky fool who gets stuck with rummaging around for the stuff.

Gil considers it for a moment, and then gives a nod--even if it isn't time for lunch, there's always time for ~~wine~~ drinks and not being where one's been mandated to be while waiting for hunger to strike. "An acceptable idea. Let us go."

The fact that Gilgamesh actually accepts her as a Master in any capacity at all in the first place is practically a miracle in and of itself, given his attitude, so who knows. Though Ritsuka would be more than satisfied with Gil just toning things down a bit.

Look, they were trying to be helpful, they just had... not the best grasp of how to help, is all. Surely that should count for something??

Ritsuka's eyebrows raise just a little at that response; oh, so he wants to spend the remainder of the morning with her, after all? Not that there's anything wrong with that, but she'd more than half-expected him to decide to go off and do his own thing once matters were dealt with.

"Alright," she nods as she stands, glancing around for a good place to put the case, as she doubts that going back to the cabin with Gil in tow is a good idea.

Gilgamesh's only concern is making sure Ritsuka was actually healed of course; there's nothing more personal to it for him. That's all. If she passed out and died in the forest because Gilgamesh frittered off to do something more important like insult people or fight Arjuna shirtless behind a legally distinct version of Denny's at four in the morning, there would be... problems. Who knows what would happen to the supply of mana should Ritsuka stop breathing and stuff?

One should be responsible for the care and feeding of their mana battery, to at least some degree. Mongrels were still responsible for their own miserable upkeeping, but... Gilgamesh tolerated this one a great deal. He could dip a hand into the water and remove the blockage that kept a fish from swimming every now and again.

"Just toss their refuse at them and let's be done with this farce."

Whatever his reason for helping, Ritsuka's still grateful for it, of course, and won't hesitate to say as much. She does, however, finally just setting it done on the rock she'd recently been seated on herself.

"Do you have someplace in mind?" she asks once that's taken care of. If he doesn't, she knows where a few nice cafes and such can be found, but, well, it's Gil. It's usually wisest to offer to let him take the lead first.

Oh gods, don't thank him. He may not go into a hermitage like Arjuna keeps threatening to do, but the idea that someone would assume he acted on anything but his own self-interest... perish the thought.

He gives a nod when she stops trying to be helpful and leaves the case to be retrieved by whomever is unlucky enough to get sent to see if the angryman and his sidekick are still around, arms crossing over his chest as Ritsuka puts the choice of place to him. Being as Gil isn't the one who needs to eat, he doesn't have a particular attachment to any establishment... plus he hasn't bothered learning any names yet... "Impress me with the best the mortals here have to offer."

It's just what she does, okay! If she's grateful, she says so. It's the polite thing to do!

And, well, if he wants her to pick something, that's perfectly fine with her.

"Well, I can't say I've tried everything here... But I know a few nice places." And unless Gil has something more to say on the matter, she'll start leading the way out of the forest and back to the city.

Yes, but Gilgamesh shows gratitude by A) not insulting people as much (backhanded compliments are still compliments, you all are just thin skinned) and B) being occasionally generous with petty treasures like wine or gold coins or advice. Thanking someone for something so insignificant is so... quaintly pedestrian.

"As I said, impress me. If your establishment fails to live up to the barest minimum of my standards, I'll be forced to exact judgement and appropriate punishment in the wake of the disappointment." He tucks his hands into his pockets as he follows along, seemingly deciding it's a good day for legs as he keeps pace with Ritsuka.

"So no junk food or weird stuff. Got it."

Not that she was thinking of anything of the sort, of course. But after the minor ordeal this morning had turned into, well, the idea of playing hooky and going out for something to eat with one of the Servants instead is oddly pleasing. Even if the Servant in question is Gilgamesh.

But in any case, it's putting her in a fairly cheerful mood, herself, which means the snark is likely to come out in full force.

"I would be highly surprised if you managed to find something that I would classify as 'weird', given all of the experience of my life."

Hello, tiny human master, this is the supreme hedonist from the era of 'fuck it, we'll eat that too just in case we never have food again'. He's probably had some culinary experiences just for the sake of saying he had them, like some sort of smug, rich asshole.

"Hmm... So you're saying the food from where you're from was pretty weird?"

She knows that's not what he's saying at all, but that is a valid interpretation, right? Besides, she's morbidly curious what examples he might come up with.

"Not all of the fare, no. A great many things you mongrels of the modern eras enjoy were pioneered in my civilization, of course--there's rarely a time where one of you manages to actually find something unique to offer... but there were also times when someone would look upon the food we have and seek to create an experience, or use as many pieces as possible."

Dodge and a miss, little master. "What food do you plan to present before me, as we walk?" And walk... and walk... this is a lot of walking for someone who can be incorporeal and also has a flying chair.

It's a big city, a nice day, pleasant(?) company... Walking is fine, at least as far as Ritsuka's concerned. Especially since she's really in no hurry to be anywhere right now. A feeling which she's rarely experienced since arriving in Chaldea, and is still getting used to having again here.

"I'm still deciding," she says in response to Gil's question. Mostly, deciding what she's in the mood for, for all Gil's posturing she doubts he'd take issue with any place she thinks has good food. She'd gotten rather spoiled by some of the culinary-inclined Servants in Chaldea, she definitely knows what good food tastes like.

Gil's amazing company, how dare you insinuate otherwise. While he's left the choice of their meal up to Ritsuka, there's a part of him... a very large part of him... that has to be nosy and has to have a hand in the way things proceed. "I see. And what are the likely candidates?"

(Somewhere, a certain Faker's head comes up, protest dying on his lips about him not having time to do all this domestic nonsense... while he's in the middle of whipping up a feast for everyone in Chaldea who cared to eat. The feeling of being judges comes and goes. The rice needs steaming.)

Test Drive: December

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