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FEBRUARY TDM.
● ● ● T D M . 0 5
… What are you willing to do to erase your regret from existence?
The words ring in your ears as in the darkness of your dream, an ocean-deep blue glow hovers in front of you. Transfixed, you reach out to it... only to hear a different voice, a distant echo of cruel laughter, and with a sudden certainty you know — whatever you’ve just agreed to has changed everything forever.
It is to this laughter that you wake, and as it fades and your heart slows into something resembling a normal tempo, you notice something you should have noticed immediately: you are not in your bed.
1.0 White walls, clinical yet clean, sparsely-furnished rooms. You may wake in one of three rooms: a room with only one bed, a room with two beds, or a room with four beds. Those waking up in rooms with more than one bed notice that they are very much not alone. Perhaps the other occupants of the room are still sleeping, dreaming the same dream as you just did, or a regular one after returning to the station just barely a week ago … or perhaps you wake to the other person in the room watching you.
What you do is entirely up to you: yell in surprise when you wake to someone staring at you? Or maybe you’ll try to sneak away before anyone notices you...
2.0 Those with life-threatening injuries find themselves awakening in the infirmary, in a regular hospital bed. Most of their injuries have been treated, and any lingering illnesses or conditions will have designated medicine bottles on the table next to the bed.
White curtains surround the bed on both sides, giving an illusion of privacy. But is that a rustling sound you hear? Some footsteps? Perhaps you’re not the only one in need of some medical attention... or you've attracted the attention of those with experience in medical aid, and they rush to your bedside, surprised about this sudden new patient.
It is not just for your injuries that you may want some company, but also for leaving the infirmary — you can’t stay there forever, after all, and will have to make your way through the hallways of the station to the living quarters, and claim a room and a bed there.
Once you’re up, you may notice there’s something in your ear: an earpiece that, when you become aware of it, quickly runs you through the instructions for how to use the network, a recorded message by a female voice that explains exactly why you’re here… and leaves you with a map of the station.
So what else is there to do but to explore? Best get to know what is now your new home.
3.0 When trying to decide where yo go, you may find your way to the armory, where you can try to work the machine there to make yourself a weapon — perhaps to replace one that didn’t come with you to the station… or maybe you want to be prepared for the future. The recently-returned team members will surely recommend having a functional weapon with you.
And speaking of weapons: to put it to good use, head to the training room, where the entire purpose is to provide you with a space to spar and train to your heart’s content!
4.0 After you’ve exhausted yourself training, it’s time to grab a bite. For that, you should head to the kitchen, which is equipped with all the basic appliances you might need, and ingredients for most regular dishes... and large amounts of chocolate. Weird.
5.0 A welcome reprieve to the cold, dark space that surrounds the characters can be found in the sunlight room. A skillful illusion surrounds anyone who steps inside the room: you can hear the trilling of birds, feel a light breeze caress your skin as you walk through a grass field. It seems that the illusion reflects the season — the leaves have fallen, a layer of white covers the ground, and the air is crisp and clean. If you follow the path, it leads to where a bridge rises over a brook that has now iced over — but maybe don't try your luck walking on it, as the ice may crack underneath your feet and you'll find yourself plunging into the freezing water.
Regardless of whether you like the wintery atmosphere, it is easy to forget you are in space at all. Perhaps that gives you comfort, or just makes you miss the real nature all the more.
6.0 If you’d rather choose tinkering over nature, the lab is guaranteed to provide you with some entertainment. Glass vials and jars of chemicals sit on shelves in a surprisingly beautiful display of colour on one side of the room, while the other side of the room contains stacks of boxes containing assorted equipment: cords, bolts, panels, buttons, gears, gadgets, gizmos, and thingamabobs. The downside is that the parts available seem to have no apparent method to their sorting. So get digging, and you may just find exactly what you need to make what you’ve always wanted to make!
7.0 If it’s items you’re lacking, though, some time after your arrival, the earpiece alerts you to a new message.
Indeed, the platform near the personal quarters is still whirring with power, and new items form neat piles on it. There’s clothes, shoes, dishware, skincare, books… even a couple of CDs, and a few cute stuffed animals. So sort through what there is and grab what you want, before someone else does!
Eventually, you’ll find yourself at the doors of the the simulation room — it has been equipped with a new simulation to take you through possible mission-like scenarios so it’s best to prepare yourself and see what it has in store for you.
8.0 The doors slide shut behind you and the room goes dark. Small pinpricks of light will start to build on each other until you’re surrounded by grey skies overhead and grassy green lawns, a row of old stone columns lining your vision. It seems you’re in a courtyard of some kind, but that’s not all. Something tugs at the hem of your sleeve or nudges at your leg, a warm presence that feels comfortable and ultimately very familiar. They look up at you, or maybe they meet your eye-level, a creature that varies in size, shape, colour, and form depending on what reflects you best. This creature, known as a compalion is a physical manifestation of your spirit or soul and will stay by your side on this journey.
You can stay here and get to know your compalion, or you can take your new companion and explore the campus. Because, if you do move forward past the line of columns (a hallway it turns out), you’ll find that the small cluster of buildings forms an academic campus of some kind.
a) They cannot go any further than a few yards away from their person; the further the distance, the more painful the separation will feel.
b) Your compalion will shift into one form throughout this simulation and can be any creature that best mirrors your personality.
c) They can be as small as a flea and as large as a small elephant; get creative!
d) Whether they speak to you in your native tongue is entirely up to you (some speak, some don’t)
e) Basically daemon rules apply.
9.0 While it might seem like fun to spend hours just exploring the old buildings with your compalion and any Orbers like you that you might bump into along the way, it’s important to remember that you have a goal to achieve: follow the clues and retrieve the orb. Your compalion might offer an idea or two for where to go, or it may just be voicing the thoughts in your head, but it’s not a bad thing to follow your heart (or your gut) as it were. You might find that the rooftops of the campus buildings are easily climbable to get a good vantage point of your location. (Just be careful not to slip and fall! The height from here is quite dangerous.) A clocktower stands proud in the distance among a cluster of other campus buildings, marking the time.
Inside, you might be led down dark stone halls and into a series of classrooms: including reading quarters, study rooms with old leather couches and warm carpets covering stone floors; lecture halls with stiff wooden seating and individual desks to match, a chalkboard with indiscernible scribbles half-wiped away; and a laboratory that deals with something a little less modern than you might be used to, or perhaps with its twisty vials and bubbling potions, it suits you perfectly. There is the large library filled from floor to ceiling with books beyond imagining.
If you look out from the tall arch-shaped window from a classroom, or if you’re outside and you tilt your head up to the sky, you might notice that the sky appears to be darkening further, growing heavy with what is inevitably an oncoming rainstorm. If you’re inside, it might be best to stay indoors; if you’re outside, perhaps it’s time to find some shelter. Or if you’re determined to find that orb outside, risk you and your compalion getting wet.
● ● ●
N O T E: Additionally, there are three personal tasks provided to each character as they enter the simulation. In-game, each character will be given one task. For the purposes of the test drive, we’re leaving it to players to pick a task for their character and run with it.
A Team up with another Orber and their compalion to find the orb's location.
B Climb into the clocktower and ring the bell.
C Explain your best theory regarding your compalion’s manifestation to a fellow team member.
F Y I
• This TDM covers the month of February.
• TDM threads can be used as samples for apps. In fact, we encourage it!
• Reserves are currently open!
• Apps open February 24 and will remain open until February 28.
• For any questions regarding TDM, please direct them here. For questions about the game, please refer to the FAQ.
FOR SOME FUN:
Have a clue for your upcoming mission:
Wei Wuxian | The Untamed
Open to all
Part Two: Sunlight room
[Wei Wuxian wakes up, which really isn't what he was expecting. There's the memory of a dream on his mind and a voice in his ear offering an explanation. He listens quietly, instinctively filing away bits and pieces that hold no meaning to him and then folding them neatly and putting them away. He understands the important parts.
He pulls the earpiece out and holds it in his hand, and there's a faint pull of curiosity in him—the stirrings of a need to know how it works—but it fades as quickly as it came. The earpiece gets tucked into his robes and he stands.
Everything here is wondrous. None of it feels real. The only thing that keeps him from assuming it isn't an extremely weird dream is the fact that he can feel the floor beneath him. There's a slight chill that settles on his skin. His palm, when he digs a nail in to see what will happen, still hurts. Still bleeds. He frowns and continues to wander.
After a while of wandering, Wei Wuxian finds himself in an impossible place—the sunlight room. He knows it's an illusion from the moment he steps in, but the breeze feels real, the birdsong sounds real. It's a very clever illusion—better than any other he's ever seen.
Illusion or not, it's peaceful here and he settles himself on the bridge, feet swinging idly over the water.]
Part Two: Armory
[After he's had some time to wander around and accept that this is, if not real, than at least real to him, he finds himself in the armory. Or a room that is labeled "Armory" but consists only of a single contraption in the middle of the room. Curiosity finally beginning to win out over the haze he'd woken in, he approaches the device with a frown. There's not much to work with, just a box like device and a flat desk attached, but when he gets close enough he notices that the flat desk is lighting up.
Drawing a finger over it, his eyes widen further when he realizes it reacts to touch. Huh. That's certainly different.
Never one to shy away from figuring something out, he proceeds to continually move his fingers over the desk, pressing here and there and touching various options that pop up. He has absolutely no idea what he's doing, but he's determined to keep doing it until he makes something happen. Eventually, something does happen.
There's a noise from the device that absolutely does not make him jump, and suddenly there is a...fish lying in front of him. A very heavy metal fish. He picks it up and almost drops it, fumbling it in his hands because he wasn't prepared for the weight.
So if anyone is wondering why there is a man standing in the middle of the armory holding a metal fish, he doesn't know why either.]
Part three
[When Wei Wuxian said that the sunlight room was the most advanced illusion he'd ever seen, he'd been wrong. Or well, he'd been proven wrong immediately after. This place—the campus he's been walking around for some time now—is much more advanced.
He gets sidetracked in the library for far longer than he should and then gets turned around in the hallways. Eventually though, he makes it out to the clocktower, ignoring the slowly darkening sky to lean over to the magpie sitting on his shoulder and offer with a grin that doesn't quiet reach his eyes,]
Well, I've fallen from higher places. [The Magpie turns to him and gives him an extremely unimpressed look. He didn't know birds could give judgmental looks but he is absolutely being judged by a bird. Laughing, he approaches the clocktower and begins to walk around the base, all the while his eyes on the bell at the top.]
Okay...[he says aloud, maybe to the bird or maybe to no one at all,] Okay, if I can just...[he goes quiet again and drops to the ground. There's a blank talisman paper in front of him that he's pulled from his robes, and then he's mumbling to himself as he bites a finger and begins tracing various lines and characters on the paper with his blood. After a while of mumbling to himself like a madman and ignoring the growing signs of oncoming rain, he stands and slaps the talisman against the tower. The characters on the paper glow bright red.
Smirking, Wei Wuxian places a hand against the wall, and then another, and then a foot, and this his other foot. He is now ancient Chinese Spiderman. Like that, he climbs roughly six feet in the air, the bird on his shoulder squawking indignantly at him and pecking at his neck.]
Ow, okay. Why are you so—[Instead of finishing his sentence, Wei Wuxian's grip on the wall fails, his talisman goes dark, and he falls six feet to his back with a loud thump and a pushed out breath of air.]
Ah...ow.
armoury.
[ He stops in the doorway just as the fish damns them all with its appearance. He looks at it. He looks at Wei Wuxian. He then dearly wishes to look around and mutter, in the name of Light, what the fuck. ]
I hope that's not your weapon.
[ it's a fish...... ]
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Frowning, Wei Wuxian swings the fish through the air and then fixes the room's new occupant with a smirk.]
I don't know, I kind of like it. [He could definitely brain someone with it if he needed to. No one would see it coming.]
Bet I'd have the element of surprise on my hand.
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I imagine they would be defeated by the indignity alone.
[ So, so dry. He shakes his head. ]
Is there anything else in this room?
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Armory
Congrats, Wei Wuxian. You now have a metal person staring at you. When she speaks, it's with a woman's voice, though there is a metallic quality to it. ]
What sort of weapon is that meant to be?
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It's weird, but then so is literally everything else happening here and after a few seconds pause, he decides he doesn't care. Not enough to be worried about it anyway. And she sounds like a very nice metal person.]
Ah, hmm. Is that was this is for? [He gestures at the machine and then lifts the fish to take a better look at it.]
It could be a very surprising weapon. Would you expect it if someone hit you with a fish?
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I can't say that I would. But if you're just going for a cudgel, there are better designs than fish.
[ She steps fully over to the room, seating herself at the weapons construct console and typing in the commands to get the machine to create some small wrist-mounted missiles. Her finger movements are quick, precise, and Wei Wuxian will be able to see the computer draw up the schematics exactly as she has designed them. ]
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Sorry for the delay!
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part 2. sunlight room
in the sunlight room, there are days when xichen spends his time meditating or enjoying the illusion of fresh air. other days he brings liebing or his newly acquired guqin and lets the soft notes of clarity float through the space for all in need.
today, he's simply on a stroll.
the air is still as he approaches the bridge and then comes to a stop. sudden, abrupt. of all people from home, wei wuxian straddles a strange space for lan xichen. he does not wish this on anyone, but does he fault him for making a deal. after guanyin temple, he understands the complexities of his circumstances, of the regrets he may hold. he wonders which one brought this man here, if it is the same as the one that had pulled him onto this station before.
xichen is not surprised to see him here, yet nothing about seeing him sparks joy or comfort.
simply, he feels worn by the sight of him -- tired in his bones.
he takes a deep breath, realizing in that moment that he will be a strange sight for wei wuxian too. he does not look like the man the other knows, not with his hair pulled back into a loose braid and dressed in modern clothing; black jeans, an oversized white sweater with a long knitted navy cardigan over it. the forehead ribbon is not gone, but none of xichen's usual hairpieces are in sight.]
I do not remember you to be a fan of cold rivers or springs, Master Wei. [he calls out as he approaches, a greeting in a soft and gentle voice. there is no point in asking what he is doing here, by now viveca will have explained the circumstances that bind them; the deals they made. they have regret in common.] Have you been here long?
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But the sound of that voice shocks him out of his daze, enough to have him freezing up, tension a sharp line in his shoulders and back.
He's run into others here and even spoken with a few of them. It was a simple thing to put on a face and play pretend, rustle up a charming smile or ask the right question to keep attention off of him.
He doesn't rise from his position on the bridge. Doesn't turn to look at him because he can't. Not yet, not now. Not when just that voice—the familiarity of someone who knows him and knows what he's done—is enough to send his thoughts spiraling into some place dark and empty.]
Zewu-jun. [He returns, and his voice doesn't shake. It doesn't do anything at all, entirely devoid of emotion. Closing his eyes, he wishes suddenly that the bridge were higher and the icy water below deeper. He wonders if giving Zewu-Jun his back in that circumstance might be a tiny piece of penance. (It wouldn't. He knows it wouldn't.)]
Does it count as truly cold if it isn't even real? [He says finally, ignoring the second question altogether.
Still he doesn't turn to look. His hands tremble in his lap and he stares at them, clenching them into fists.]
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he watches wei wuxian for a moment, takes in the whole sight of him. compared to the man who wangji took in to cloud recess after the debacle at mo manor, this wei wuxian looks closer how xichen remembers him on the summit of nightless city. he looks young, yet worn beyond his years.] The bridge is fake and yet it supports you.
The illusions here are more realistic than what most back home can achieve. [but the most painful illusions don't require magic at all.
xichen lets out a soft sigh and walks closer on the bridge, crossing behind the younger man.] Come. There's tea and Emporer's Smile in the kitchen. That's real enough.
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CW: suicidal thoughts
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armory. add another one to the fish observers list.
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I wasn't. I don't know how any of this works, but it's fascinating, isn't it? And now I have a very useful fish.
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Are you going to hit people with the fish?
[metal fish homicide might as well happen]
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part 3
he's wandering around when he hears a spectacular sound as someone collides with the ground. he curses quietly under his breath as he jogs over to peer down at him. )
You okay? Looked like it hurt.
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Wei Wuxian lets out a quietly wheezed] Traitor. [Under his breath, and then—] 'm fine! [To emphasize the point he rolls over and coughs, and there is only a little bit of blood. Don't worry, that's normal! Groaning, he pushes himself up into a crossed leg seated position, swiping his knuckles across his lips to wipe away a drop of blood and then offering the stranger a cheeky grin.]
I don't suppose you can fly?
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but, uh...
that is not normal. )
Oh— ( he pats his pockets to no avail. when he needs a stray napkin filled with snacks, he doesn't have one. ) Sheesh, are you sure you're okay??
( how can he discuss flying when this guy's coughing up blood???? )
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Gwen
Wandering into the space, he's drawn to a row of liquids held in elongated cups, each a more brilliant color than he's ever seen. Removing the vial of bright red liquid, he's quick to unscrew the lid and take a long whiff. The scent that hits him is powerful and entirely unfamiliar. Dark spots pop at the edge of his vision and he leans back immediately, holding the vial out far from his body.
Some kind of poison maybe? Certainly it's some kind of toxic herbal concoction.
Eager to figure it out, and as stupid as he is pretty, he slowly tilts the vial in the air, aiming to see what happens when a drop of it hits the table. In his defense, it's not that he doesn't think something bad might happen, it's only that he doesn't particularly care and he's very curious.]
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she wears her hoodie (proudly rocking, as she does often, her own merch) over a short indigo dress patterned with constellations and her blue-soled black chucks. blue eyes look up from what she's working on toward the recent arrival. the team isn't so large that new orbers don't stand out—especially when they decide to start huffing vials in plain view. she quirks her eyebrow at him. ]
Chem lab safety 101: don't stick your nose, tongue, skin or innocent table at an unknown liquid.
[ a gentle tug has the vial flying toward her. impossibly, she catches and stoppers it in a second, and sets it carefully on the table beside her. ]
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I wanted to know what it would do. [The words are an afterthought, his gaze now firmly attached to her hands, trying to figure out what she'd done. It hadn't been so different from a burst of qi refined into the shape of a string, but it hadn't looked like energy.
Blinking, he remembers that he is in fact interacting with a person and raises his gaze to meet hers again.] Ah, did you just save the table from imminent destruction?
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Mm, maybe not the table. But probably the two of us from whatever this would do. [ considering even she got an unpleasant tang in the air when she inhaled.
gwen points with her thumb to the fume hood behind them. ]
If you're going to work with something and don't know what kind of vapors or gases will come wafting out, open it in there. The clinic's basically full up from the last mission, and there is exactly one doctor on staff.
[ she turns her attention back to her work: measuring out precise amounts of various liquids. papers scribbled with formulas and notes sit at her elbow. ]
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Itachi
Wei Wuxian is standing in the middle of a hallway in the simulation, half-turned towards one door with his head turned in the other direction. The reason for this odd positioning becomes clear as a closer glance reveals a small dark magpie sitting on his shoulder and currently yanking on a tuft of Wei Wuxian's hair with its beak.]
I understand that you want me to go that way, I'm just saying that if we could compromise just a little, I could go and check out this room first, and then—ow-OW!Not my ear! [His voice rises in volume as he lifts a hand in a failed attempt to remove the magpie from his shoulder and only succeeds in getting pecked some more for his trouble. Grumbling to himself about mean stubborn birds, he retreats from the door with a loud sigh, seating himself on the floor with his back to the wall as he contemplates all of the life choices that have led him here.
(He contemplates them for about half a second before remembering that thinking about anything other than what is happening to him in the here and now is an extremely bad idea.)]
You know, [he starts, ignoring the sting of hair being removed from his scalp as his bird friend continues to lodge its protests] I could always—
[Before he can continue his sentence—an empty threat about making bird stew—there is a streak of black, and he jumps to his feet. The black blur solidifies into the shape of a cat and his magpie friend flaps wildly about his head until Wei Wuxian reaches for it and carefully tucks it away in his robes.]
Hey! [He scolds the cat who is eyeing his robes like its considering taking a leap at them] If anyone is eating this dumb bird, it's me.
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Cat — come.
（ he has not given his a name. its presence and existence makes him distinctly uncomfortable, but as he expects its existence is tied directly to the simulation room he has suffered its presence. it would be easier to tolerate if he knew it were a summon and not some odd facet of the room itself.
the cat does return to him grudgingly, sitting down in his shadow, its tail curled over its paws as it looks on with regal — but wholly feigned — indifference. its red, red eyes are focused on where the bird has disappeared into the man's robes. ）
I apologize. She is difficult.
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Difficult? She just came when you called. This one [he pats lightly at his chest where the magpie is still hidden away, the bird letting out a soft caw at the attention] won't even stop chewing on my hair when I ask.
[That's because you're a menace Wei Wuxian, and it takes after you, but he hasn't figured out that much yet.]
How did you get her to listen to you so well?
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（ itachi: not realizing the fact that his unachievably high standards for how she should behave mirror the ones he has for himself: priceless. ）
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