MAY TDM.
● ● ● T D M . 0 1

So what do you say? What are you willing to do to erase your regret from existence?
These words ring in your ears when you wake with a gasp — perhaps the last thing you remember after hearing them is the sense of free-fall, or your throat constricting as tears threaten to fill your eyes. Whatever it is, you can’t shake the feel of dread — that whatever you’ve done in your dream has changed everything forever.
As the sense of dread 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 not alone. Perhaps the other occupants of the room are still sleeping, only to wake up with their heart pounding… or perhaps they have been awake for longer, a spectator to everyone else’s dreaming.
What you do is entirely up to you: try and wake the others from their dream? Yell in surprise when you wake to someone staring at you? Or maybe you’ll try to sneak away before anyone else wakes...
After all, nothing binds the characters to the room they wake up in. If you find your bed comfortable, you may claim it as yours, or try to change rooms. However, there are only eight one-person rooms — so those who want solitude may have to fight for it.
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.
In fact, if you’re very badly off, you may want to hope for some company — you can’t stay in the infirmary forever, 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.

Suddenly, the soft hum of the station is replaced by loud static, like an old radio being turned on. Wherever you are on the station, it’s impossible to miss it — or the clear voice that follows.
With that, the speakers go silent — though if characters follow Viveca’s instructions, the earpiece will provide them with a chance to speak to her again.
True to her word, there is a lot to do and see on the station. When characters leave their rooms, they have the chance to explore all of the Southeastern and Southwestern Wings, and the Center of the station.
3.0 In the armory, characters can try to work the machine to make themselves some weapons to perhaps replace ones that didn’t come with them to the station, or to simply be prepared for future missions... but there aren’t many materials available, so the more the weapon requires, the more chance there is of the end result being less than satisfactory. A gun whose barrel is made out of recycled rings, a sword that’s just the blade and no handle, a knife made out of cheap aluminium — well, it’s better than nothing, right?
4.0 Eventually, when characters get hungry and want to eat, the kitchen and mess hall are ready for them… mostly. What food there is on the station seems to have been stocked for long-term storage: canned foods, dried meat and fruit, dried herbs and seasoning, condiments, some rather musty root vegetables and cartons of chicken stock. It’s certainly not impossible to make good dishes out of those, but it may require some skill.
5.0 The lab provides an interesting space for those who enjoy tinkering and technology — though the parts available are all in large boxes with no apparent method to their sorting. It may very well be that what you need for a hoverboard or a robot dog are in the boxes — it’s just a matter of finding it!
6.0 Meanwhile, those who want to train (or perhaps let off some steam by sparring with others) find the training room suitable for their needs. On top of the entire room existing for the express purpose of training, whether it’s martial arts, weapon skills or magic, anyone entering the room will see a message pop up on their network:
Complete these tasks for a boon:
a. Teach someone a new move or skill
b. Win a sparring match against someone
c. Learn to fight with a new weapon, style or skill
Should you take up this challenge, any time you complete any of the three, you’ll see that one turn light green — a mark of completion. Once all three are completed, you’ll see a new message:
Congratulations! You are now eligible for one (1) boon. Please check in later for submissions.
But when is later? What submissions? Even if you try to ask, no answer comes… all you can do is hope that you haven’t done all that work in vain.
7.0 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: characters will hear birds singing, feel a light breeze on their skin, as they walk through a grass field, a meadow and a small forest. In the middle of the room, a small brook runs the width of the room, and to cross it one must walk over a bridge — wooden, creaky, yet undeniably charming.
There are other things to do, of course… but the only room that requires a mandatory visit from everyone is the simulation room...

For those eager to get started, it might be best to do a little practice run first, huh? When you’ve successfully entered the simulation, you will immediately be provided with a supply satchel containing the following: a grapple hook, a long cord of rope, a flashlight, and a couple of snack bars (these will not actually feed you IRL). And your mission, if you choose to accept it (and you must, right? Otherwise what else are you doing here?) is as such:
There’s an orb buried deep in the Lodgen Mountain Mines — a series of winding underground tunnels long since abandoned now that any and all useful resources had been picked clean — and it’s causing a little bit of a problem down there, but the good news is that it’s yours to claim so long as you can get in and get out. You see, there’s been a cave-in and the culprit is the orb itself. Extracting this valuable object might take a little bit of doing, and if that’s not complicated enough, the orb’s presence appears to be the cause for the mines being in their current state of fragility.
Still: you’re resourceful, and more than that, you’re determined, and you can enter the mines in the following ways: going in from the top and climbing down through the mine shaft; going in from beneath the rubble where a narrow but perfectly safe-ish tunnel opening leads back into the mountain; finding an entry point from the mountain’s side by way of a refreshing dive into the lake that neighbours the mines.
8.0 If you decide to climb into the mine through the mine shaft, there’s a risk of the rocks you’re using as hand and footholds to crumble, or for the rocks to give way against your weight.
9.0 If you decide to go in through the tunnel, be careful you don’t take the wrong prong in the fork of paths. One will get you closer to the orb, but the other might lead you into the darkness where the first thing you’ll notice are several beady little specks of light reflecting off the beam of your flashlight, accompanied by the sharp chittering of large monster rats who haven’t had a decent meal in who-knows-how-long, and are eager to befriend you. It’s probably a good time for that weapon you have on you, or if that’s not an option, maybe there’s something you can MacGuyver from your supply bag?
10.0 Swimming is always an option, but like all unknown waters there’s the risk that you’re not alone, and we don’t just mean your fellow teammate swimming somewhere close by. (Though you might want to continue onwards together, Buddy System Style and all.) There are beautiful, haunting creatures that live in the depths who have the ability to draw their prey towards them through song — Sirens, some might call them. They call to you now, and oh boy, don’t you want to dive deeper? See what secrets they hold? Now would be a good time for your swimming partner to pull you back to your senses or be lost to the waters.
But okay! You’ve made it. Don’t forget that the mines are still in a very fragile state, so it’s best to tread carefully and avoid making sounds that could agitate the delicate infrastructure and risk the whole mission — and your simulated life. This is on you. This is about you.
Or is it?
When you’ve neared the location of the orb, you’ll find that it’s mostly quiet and you’re on your own, except … if you stand still for long enough, you can hear muffled cries for help behind a large wall of rock right by you, sounds that are clearly distressed and panicked. But before you can make any kind of snap decision, there’s a tiny blip of static in your earpiece and a matter-of-fact voice will state that you should probably get going — there’s an orb to recover and you’re nearly there. Anything else you attempt to do is outside of your mission, and time is ticking. Will you listen to the voice or will you try and save the trapped? You might be successful, but time is running against you and the longer you stall the more unstable the mines become.
● ● ●
N O T E: During each mission, characters will be given one personal goal to complete. For the purposes of the test drive, we’re offering three goals to choose from and leaving it to players to pick one for their character and run with it:
A Choose the most difficult or challenging path into the mountain.
B Help a teammate during the mission.
C Retrieve the orb at all costs, leaving any possible trapped individuals to fend for themselves.
F Y I
• TDM threads can be used as samples for apps. In fact, we encourage it!
• Reserves are currently open to those with invites. They will be open for everyone May 26.
• Apps open for those with invites May 26. They will open for everyone May 29.
• For any questions regarding TDM, please direct them here. For questions about the game, please refer to the FAQ.
edelgard von hresvelg | fire emblem: three houses
eventually, she sits up. looks around. feels cold air on her legs and arms and back that doesn't feel natural, but she shivers with something else other than the chill. she spies a table with a box of clothing next with her name on it next to her, just out of arm's reach, but when she swings her legs over the side of the bed she feels the thin garment on her shift, and that chill at her back only expands. despite herself, her cheeks flush with embarrassment.
fortunately (?), she spots or hears someone's footsteps nearby, and she decides against the lesser of two embarrassing evils. ]
Excuse me. Would you mind handing me that box?
[ please try to ignore the outrageously crimson-red armor dress... and the fact it happens to be soaked in blood. ]
PART II. the armory
No, I do not want a Nerf gun, whatever that is...
???. network (username: vonhresvelg)
Would anyone happen to have any suggestions on how to best avoid negligent messages from being sent?
CYOA
p1
it's his seventh pass by the infirmary and for the most part, it's been pretty quiet. but, this time he hears a voice as he begins to pass the door. so, he does the gentlemanly thing and peers inside. he's not expecting to get an eyeful of a curvy backside, but here they are.
he leans his shoulder against the doorframe, arms crossed low over his torso, and just the barest hint of a smirk flirting at the corner of his mouth. )
You sure you don't want something else first?
( to which he means to cover up, not anything like a triple x throwdown. )
no subject
I don't know what you mean.
[ she narrows her eyes at him, deciding she does not appreciate his smirk. if he were truly a gentleman he'd look away! and ignore the sharp blush on her cheeks, skin too fair to be anything else but traitorous. ]
The box will do just fine, thank you.
no subject
but, look, he's helping in his own way. being in the infirmary isn't a good time and he's making it light and fun. maybe just a lil flirty. who's to say! it's taking their mind off the troubles at hand or something.
anyway. perhaps to her approval (or something), gladio does keep his eyes above the waist... though his smile cuts just a little sharper seeing the flush color her cheeks. doesn't comment on it, though. a small saving grace, maybe. he pushes off from where he's leaning and comes further into the room to grab the requested box and hand it over.
he also shifts the top blanket up to drape over her shoulders to give her some decency back. see? he's nice. kinda. )
That's what I mean, if you want to play at being oblivious.
no subject
Thank you...
[ she shifts the box onto her lap, quietly looking its contents over. her lips form a thing line at the side of her bloodied dress. she'd been certain she would have preferred it to what she's wearing now, but after seeing the large puncture right in the center where her chest would be... yeah, she's rethinking that now. ]
I don't suppose you've seen any spare clothing around?
no subject
well. he can kinda guess why she's here. )
No problem.
( he begins to wander around the room, peeking into cabinets and drawers, whatever's around. he finds a plain pair of scrubs (or what looks similar enough to them) and brings them over, tossing them onto the bed beside her. )
That'll probably work until you can get something better.
( he does put some distance between them and keeps his back to her. he's probably gonna be good and not peek. )
Are you feeling alright? I can go find someone if you need help getting dressed.
no subject
she's not normally so rude, but she can't help the dry laugh at his question. ]
I feel... perfectly fine. [ physically, anyway. she assumes he couldn't possibly mean any other way. ] Like nothing even happened.
[ she sounds both in awe of this fact, and slightly troubled by it. healing injuries, even grave ones, she's witnessed. she's even experienced. but healing from death? now that gave her pause. ]
no subject
...well, used to be. things changed and yeah. that kind of comparison isn't the greatest so he's going to steer swiftly in the other direction. that's much easier.
he makes a low sound of acknowledgment, pondering over what her statement actually means. usually, people who have something small wrong with them don't wind up in a hospital gown, so his curiosity is highly piqued. assuming she's likely dressed by now, he glances over his shoulder to check. )
Curious what happened to you. Was it something here?
no subject
No. It was right before I was taken. [ a pause, a slight frown. ] Right before I agreed to come, I suppose.
[ she eyes him, now finally feeling comfortable enough to really take notice. ]
Did you not wake here?
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
oh hello - sunlight room!
for a moment, she thinks it might be a little trick of the room, some hallucination it knows she'd want to see in a place as lovely as this. but dorothea is too old to be afraid of looking like a fool, so she hurries towards the figure anyway. ] Edie? Is that you?
[ ooc eta: i usually take her from CF jsyk ! ]
hello!!
—Dorothea!
[ it isn't often edelgard likes to be caught off-guard. she has to berate herself, really; not even a full day here and she's already let her guard down so foolishly. she is fortunate it is just dorothea, just as she's fortunate it's dorothea, a face as friendly as it is familiar.
still, she can't help but be embarrassed, to be caught idling so. she flushes and tugs her feet up from the brook, moving to stand. ]
I didn't expect to see you here as well.
[ the implications of it is... disappointing. while regrets are not uncommon in people, she would have hoped those closest to her didn't have any they wished to undo this desperately. ]
no subject
so all she can do when she sees edie is smile, her jaws almost aching with the force of it. ] Me neither, but I'm so glad to see you. This place is all so strange. The idea of facing it without a friend is... daunting.
no subject
I'm glad I can be that comfort for you, Dorothea.
[ of course, edelgard is glad to see a friend too. especially someone as warm and effortlessly comforting as dorothea. but it is definitely a double-edged sword to see someone she cares for here. ]
You haven't had any struggles here yet, have you?
no subject
[ they could talk about the regrets that led them here - but dorothea wants to keep the smile on edelgard's face. so instead, she asks- ] Have you visited the training room? I got some odd set of instructions when I peeked in.
no subject
I haven't, no. I'm afraid I got a bit too distracted by this room. [ she shakes her head, both at her own distraction and the fact that it feels quite weird to call this area a mere "room." still, she realizes she's dawdled long enough and bends down to retrieve her boots. ] Is it something I can help you with?
no subject
If you're given the same tasks I was, we could complete them rather easily. And you know I'm no good at brawling. I'd happily lose to you.
p2
Styrofoam, plastic, aluminum... They've thought of everything except for what it should be, and honestly? She can't help but laugh at it.
Tifa watches the woman grumbling at the control panel nearby, eyes falling on the funny looking weapon in her hand and, no longer able to stifle her giggle, she calls out playfully.]
Hm? You don't like that axe?
no subject
she bashfully smiles through a flush of embarrassment, holding the fake axe up and swinging it through the air. ]
It makes for a good model, certainly. But not one I'd readily take to the battlefield, I'm afraid.
no subject
I'm sure you could make it work. Just gotta make sure to hit real hard.
[She makes a smacking motion with her fist before taking a look around the room, as if to gesture to the weapons (or lack thereof).]
Too bad that axe isn't the exception. Can't even find a pair of knuckles around here. Just a bunch of... ah... [She picks up what she assumes to be a sword, but attached to the hilt is a pool noodle, and she waves it around to make her point.]
no subject
Are you a brawler, then? [ edelgard seems neither put off nor surprised by this, only visibly intrigued and impressed. she gestures towards tifa's fists, her tone coy and playful. ] At least your weapons came with you.
no subject
[Brawler would be an apt name! She's never thought to call herself one until now, though.
After a couple light whacks with the "sword", she slides it back into its place where she found it, carefully, as if it were the real thing.]
What kind of weapon were you hoping to find? Maybe I can help. Two heads are better than one, as they say. That applies to double the eyes, too.
no subject
If you're certain I won't be taking up your time, I'd gladly appreciate help. [ so far, it doesn't seem as if having a weapon is necessary, but if it's true they'll be sent out on missions... well. who knows how those will turn out. ]
I prefer battle axes, personally. But I can also wield swords and lances, if we can't find that.
network ; username: quinlan
no subject
???. network. username; General
[There's the faint sound of rustling as the Darkling tries to cut off communication, a muttered curse.]