FEBRUARY TDM.

[ximilian]

● ● ● T D M . 0 5

// PART I. rude awakening  

… 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.

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// PART II. such a lovely place  

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.

// VIVECA.AI

Hi, everyone. I hope you've had time to rest, and those new here have got acclimated with the station. Those who’ve been here for longer know the deal, but to the new arrivals: we've got new supplies on the platform. Hopefully you’ll find useful things there. If you made any requests for items, before, you should find them in a separate pile.

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!

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// PART III. study aboard  

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.

NOTE:   Your compalion will adhere to the following rules.
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.

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F Y I

• TDM threads can be considered game canon so long as all parties involved agree to it.
• 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:

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Comments

[kikoku]

Two of my crewmates. They plus Bepo and I are the founding members of the Heart Pirates.
[It's only after he says it that he realizes it's going to be immediately apparently to Corazon what his crew was named for. Whoops!]

They're too loud and none of them are particularly competent but they're loyal and good natured, I suppose.
[He's trying to make it sound like he barely tolerates them but it's Law so obviously the fact that he said anything positive at all means he cares about them a lot.]

[callada]

[Rosinante hears the commentary on his crew, but his mind is still stuck on what he named his crew. In trying to light the cigarette he'd retrieved a moment ago, he instead lights his finger while he stares, then yelps with a wince and sucks at the burned spot, leaving the cigarette to be flung to the floor somewhere (and perhaps it's best he didn't light it, since who knows where it has rolled off to).]

Heart pirates, huh?

[His ears are burning too, but that's not because of the lighter.]

[kikoku]

[Law is glad to see that this man is still accidentally setting himself on fire as well. Not. But he can't even focus on that because he has to be fucking embarrassed about this instead. It's clear that the reason he's still doing the hat look even after all these years is because he needs it to shield his face when he Has Emotions In Public. He's tugging it down and turning red himself.]

It-it's a crew captained by a doctor, it's a perfectly logical name!!
[HMPH!!! WHATEVER!!! IT'S NOT LIKE EVERYTHING HE'S DONE SINCE YOU DIED WAS FOR YOUR SAKE OR ANYTHING!!!! Law's lucky I'm not taking him from Dressrosa so the back of his fucking shirt would tell on him. As if his embarrassment doesn't give him away in any case.]

[callada]

[Given Rosinante keeps so much so close to his chest here, even now after most of a year, he doesn't argue and doesn't ask further about it, at least not while they're on their way through the corridor and into the lounge. There are always a handful of people here curled up in blankets reading, or playing cards or watching movies. Not the place for anything remotely personal.

It's not much farther on before they enter a hall of doorways, and Rosinante opens one up to let Law in. Clearly there ought to be two beds here, but instead the frames seem to have been removed. It's just two mattresses laid out on a diagonal given that's about the only way Rosinante could fit something semi-comfortably in the space. It's neat, though, otherwise. A small desk (with no chair, just a pillow, because his knees would never fit under the desk otherwise) sits in a corner with a few books and some makeup on it, and the closet has a rack of clothes accumulated from various worlds when he found things that actually fit.]

I'll tour you around the rest of the station later if you like but,

[He snaps his fingers to shield the room from eavesdroppers, then carries on. Just nicer to have the extra layer of privacy.]

For now this is probably better. ... Law, how long has it been for you?

[kikoku]

[Someone else might call this overcautious but Law is both fairly paranoid and very private so actually he thinks this is a perfect amount of precaution. He makes a mental note to see if he can work out a way to use room to make a less obviously DIY bed at a later time. Only the best for bird dad.]

It's been thirteen years. But I wasn't able to actually deal with Doflamingo until recently. It took a lot of planning.
[And now he's sort of aimless but Corazon doesn't need to know that. But now that they're in private, shielded from anyone overhearing, saying out loud how long it's been breaks the last piece of Law's resolve to be a Cool Guy.

He throws his arms around Corazon's waist, hugging tightly as he buries his face in the ridiculous poncho he's wearing.]

[callada]

[That's exactly why he'd saved this sort of questioning for when they were truly out of sight and earshot of others. Rosinante's lips press together as he feels a surge of emotion yet again, and he tries to extract Law just enough to sink back down to his knees so he can pull him closer again. That's a better sort of hug, one Law can really fold into.

Tears sting at his eyes again, so he shuts them. This is just going to be a lot of crying today, isn't it?]

Thirteen years.

[He repeats it quietly. Nine months had been hard for him to bear. He can't imagine over a decade. Law clearly has grown and changed so much, and he must have his own life and his own goals, and yet here he's doing things like putting Doflamingo in prison and leading a pirate crew named for him - and the latter he should probably have mixed feelings about, but all he can feel is the love and warmth across that long, long gap. A memorial, dedicated to him, which is much larger than anything he deserves.]

I'm so sorry I missed all of it.

[kikoku]

[Wow don't underestimate Law's ability to not move on from something. When he's pulled away to readjust the fierceness with which he reengages with is almost koala-like. He's making up for years of wishing he could do this just one more time. That said;]

You should be.
[Bitter, almost sullen, even as his hands tighten their grip.]

You told me you'd be fine, you idiot. You said he wouldn't kill you.
[He knows why, of course. He knows Cora said it to save him, because he knew Law wouldn't let him hide him if he'd been honest. But he's still going to be mad about it because he's a mean bitch who knows how to hold a grudge.]

[callada]

I'm sorry.

[It's almost a whisper. He buries his fingers in feathers, holding on just as tightly as Law is.

He deserves the ire, he figures. He lied to Law about plenty of things, at first because he couldn't stomach being hated by someone he cared about and was so determined to help, and then later because all he could think of was keeping Law safe even if it was at his own expense. Either way, it was all for protecting the boy. Those lies aren't anything he regrets, not really, even now. They served their purpose.

Maybe now he'll have a chance to make it up to him, and to thank Law for carrying his memory forward long after he ought to have been forgotten by most others.]

I woke up here in the infirmary barely clinging to life, and all this time I've just wanted to tell you I'm here. I'm alive. I... I heard you made it, that you cured yourself, that people knew you and every secondhand rumor gave me so much hope.

[kikoku]

[It's not like he really needed an apology. But he'll accept it nevertheless.]

Of course I made it. I couldn't die after you went and did something like that.
[He's been prepared to die since he was ten years old but he couldn't waste that sacrifice. That's why he'd fought so desperately to work out how to use his ability, barrly clinging to life as he'd operated on his own liver, half delerious and exhausted from the cold. Because he Had to do it for Corazon.]

... I hope you didn't hear too many rumors since most of them are bad.
[They don't call him the surgeon of death for no reason.]

[callada]

[That earns a choke of a laugh that's nearly a sob. He's really trying to hold it together, though, truly.]

I didn't hear anything bad. Except maybe that you're a pirate now.

[It's a tease only though, there's zero anger in his voice. Maybe it was inevitable - after what he did to get Law that fruit, they were both always going to be hunted. At least Law has a crew to surround himself with. Friends.]

Most of what Ace and Yamato knew of you was general. That you became a Warlord, that you had taken down Doflamingo with the help of your allies. And... I guess that you're after Kaidou next. And I want to know about all of that, but I want to know all the rest too. Not just the big news, but what you've seen, and how you've been, and... all of it. How did you even get off Minion?

[kikoku]

To be honest I don't really remember... [He was in a fucking state. Also I. Caitie, cannot find any info as to how he got from minion to Swallow Island so it's a mystery now.] but I didn't actually go that far. I ended up on the next island over, Swallow Island, and I lived there for a few years with this weird old inventor named Wolf. That's where I met Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin too. After news started coming in about what was happening to Dressrosa I felt like I had to finish what you started, so that's when I decided to start my crew.
[It'd all been for Cora's sake. But.]

Somehow, along the way, I kept picking up strays, so there's 20 of us in the Heart Pirates now. I guess every time I saw someone down on their luck I just thought about what you'd do. Frankly I don't know why most of them stick around, and I think they're out of their depth in the New World but I do what I can to keep them safe.
[Law's not so secret soft side.]

It's been exhausting, but I can't say there wasn't ever a time I enjoyed myself. I like traveling, and there's lot of things to see on the Grand Line. And a lot of interesting people.

[He's not going into specifics about how he's been because the answer is "depressed a lot of the time."]

We were on Wano last I remember. Strawhat is the one who's taking on Kaido directly, but I guess me and Eustass-ya just took out Big Mom.
[Said in a vague distant sort of way like he hasn't fully processed himself that they fucking did that.]

[callada]

[Rosinante relaxes his grip a little so Law can talk, though he's definitely not actually letting go entirely. He sits and listens with his complete, focused attention, trying to imagine every little moment even though the details are sparse.

Law's enjoying himself. He's traveling, he's meeting people, he's living a good, full life. It's a dangerous one and it makes him so very worried, but Law obviously has proven himself capable.

... Maybe beyond capable as that last pair of sentences comes out, and he stares wide-eyed.]

You guess? You - what? How? Why?

[Which isn't to say he doesn't approve, exactly, since he's certainly no fan of Big Mom or any of the rest of the four terrors of the seas, but still.]

[kikoku]

Well she's not dead yet so I can't be 100% sure.
[That's why he's couching it.]

I don't like him, but Eustass-ya is quite capable. If I remember correctly he has the next highest bounty after me in the Worst Generation [Law the fucking what now.] and it's well deserved. It was a joint effort taking her out.
[Law's fine relaxing a little though he's definitely still leaning against Corazon because he's got not interest in breaking out of this hold any time soon.]

[callada]

[Law, the fucking what now.

This is just becoming a game of prioritizing horrifying questions.]

... What's your bounty?

[Okay, that one he almost doesn't want to ask, actually, but too late.]

[kikoku]

[Uh oh.]

... It went up to 500,000,000 when I quit being a warlord.
[He says as if it's somehow the Marines punishing him for quitting and not because he caused a lot of fucking problems for them.]

[callada]

Five h-

[He's already pale, but can he get paler?

The answer, it turns out, is yes. Give him a few seconds of stunned silence, all right?

Because that's more than most bounties he knows off the top of his head, from his time. It's more than Fisher Tiger's, and he tried to assault Mary Geoise directly. More than most of the Donquixote Family combined.]

Law. I... I don't understand.

[He so desperately wants to, but it's all coming in terse snippets, like Law is ashamed to tell him what he's been up to. But even if he's not literally begging, Rosinante's eyes are certainly pleading. He knows exactly how hard it is to be open and honest, though.]

[kikoku]

Strawhat-ya's is bigger.
[This is his only defense even though it just raises further questions.]

My plan required the freedom of movement that comes with being a Warlord, so I had to make a name for myself in order to become one. I'm a doctor so it's not like I'm going around killing people, so if that's what you're worried about, don't.
[Some might have wished he had with the state he left them in but that's irrelevant and Corazon doesn't need to know that.]

The most recent increase is because we took out Doflamingo, for example.

[callada]

[It's going to come out in bits and pieces like this forever, isn't it. And that's fair, even if it's hard, because nobody is ever going to sit down and talk through thirteen whole years of life. At least Law is answering his questions. He'll take that.]

So... You became a Warlord in order to get into a position that would let you finally put Doflamingo behind bars, then. I can see why that alone would make you a threat, when he's not someone to be taken lightly, but part of that also was his whole trade network. The price on his head represents more than just him as an individual. You... Well, the government probably is still upset you have the ope-ope fruit, aren't they? Plus, that bounty probably works in concert with your allies. They'll figure if they can take one of you, the others will be more likely to fall.

[The more he talks and reasons through it, the less panicked he feels. It was a shock to hear about, but there's logic behind all these decisions, and he knows enough about how those decisions are made to talk through probable rationale. This is serious, work-mode Rosinante surfacing now.

He frowns at the whole lot of it, though, then wriggles an arm free so he can try for a cigarette again. Just gotta dig past all the poncho fabric to find his pack.]

I keep saying "they". Who's in charge of the Marines, in your time?

[kikoku]

I don't know how they decide bounties, I just keep track of them.
[But yeah there is still so much wack shit he could hit you with but isn't. He's being polite.]

The fleet admiral is Sakazuki now. [Said with a not intangible amount of disdain. Fuck that guy.] Sengoku is still around though, he's just semi-retired. I actually met him on Dressrosa.

[He assumes it is implied, by him bringing him up, that the meeting allowed him to become aware of the former fleet admiral's specific connection to Rosinante.]

[callada]

[Yes, Law, but - well. Let his inner Marine brain churn along and dissect the reasons anyway, it's fine. He shrugs at the dismissal of his logic, since it's all speculation on his part anyway. There's too much he doesn't know.

He manages to withdraw the pack of cigarettes and select one, then exhales slowly as Law continues. Poor Sengoku. One of the only other people Rosinante thinks about often here; yet another person important to him who he can't talk to and let him know he's all right. He owes so many apologies.]

I'm glad you met him. Did you... get to talk much?

[Hopefully, right? Because even though one is apparently some sort of worst pirate ever and the other is one of the greatest among the Marines to serve, surely they could set those things aside for a moment.]

[kikoku]

[He shakes his head. Also, he's keeping a close eye on Rosinante to make sure he doesn't set himself on fire for the umpteenth time. It's definitely not just an excuse to watch him, to soak up the novelty of the fact that he can look at him again.]

Even though he was choosing not to make a move to arrest me, there were plenty of other Marines present to arrest Doflamingo, including one of the Admirals. We had to leave in a hurry. But he did tell me to make sure I kept living since it was a gift you gave me.
[So at least they had a nice moment?]

He also seemed a lot less high strung than he did when I saw him at Marineford two years ago. I guess retirement suits him.

[callada]

That's good.

[Really, truly, that's an actual relief to hear. That they parted on good terms, and that Sengoku is living a far less stressful life now. He's more than earned it.]

He really was like a father to me, and I owe him more than I ever really paid back. But he was always so busy, and I know I wasn't the easiest kid to raise, either. Wish I could just thank him. Hell, [he pauses to light his cigarette, and this time it happens without incident,] last time I talked to him I mislead him.

[Just another lie in a whole chain of them, but he feels terrible for having to do it. He's a real professional when it comes to betrayal, sometimes.]

Worth it, though. [Because here is Law, proof of his efforts.]

[kikoku]

[It's interesting, how familiar some of this sounds.]

I have to figure I was the payback for having been a difficult child to raise.
[Law is a very difficult child.]

You know, Strawhat-ya's grandfather is in the Marines as well.

[callada]

I'd hardly call those few years tossing you around "raising" you. Maybe the last six months, when you weren't trying to parent me by making sure we had food.

[He chuckles a little. See? Team effort, really. Rosinante doesn't know a thing about parenthood. All he wanted was to keep Law alive. The rest would have come later, he always used to figure. Once Law was healthy, he could get back to his studies. Maybe they'd wind up more like brothers, in time? Or even just best friends. That last one seems even more plausible now, because thirteen years later puts Law at just about his own age. Same age as he was back then, certainly. It's a shift he's looking forward to, though. He's no good at being anyone's dad with all his own problems to deal with.]

And yeah, Ace mentioned something like that. Monkey D. Garp. Used to scare the shit out of me when I was a kid. He and Sengoku are close, but he's loud and up there in rank. I didn't know he had a grandkid. His son's... Well, I dunno. Trouble, I guess.

[kikoku]

I suppose so. But you taught me a lot in those six months.
[In any case. He certainly hasn't met Dragon the Revolutionary but he's sure heard about him. Trouble is right.]

Trouble must run in the family since Strawhat-ya's bounty is three times mine. They're starting to call him the Fifth Emperor.
[The mental images this conjures.]