ximiliugh | MAY TDM.

Entry tags:

MAY TDM.

● ● ● T D M . 0 1

// PART I. waking up with a stranger  

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.

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// PART II. the welcome wagon  

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.

// VIVECA.AI

Don’t freak out! I’m the AI of this station, name’s Viveca. Sorry, these old speakers are old tech and don’t get much use… anyway, the reason for that should be on your bedside table. There’s an earpiece. Put it on, and it’ll explain how to use the network that connects everyone here. You can also talk to me through it, if you want.

// VIVECA.AI

Now, we weren’t exactly ready for you to arrive just yet, so the station’s a bit... hm, well, I suggest you go and see for yourself. There’s lots to do here, and I recommend you familiarise yourself with where everything is. Go train, go test a mission on the simulator, check the lab… as long as you stay away from the Northern Wing. Trust me — not only will you not be able to enter, but I’ll know, and that’ll get you thrown off the station faster than you can say "freckles".

// VIVECA.AI

Oh, and get to know each other. The success of your missions depends on that.

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...

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// PART III. ready steady go  

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.

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F Y I

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

▶ NAV

Threaded | Flat

For any questions about this specific test drive, please direct them here! For questions regarding the game in general, please refer to the FAQ.

For any questions your character wants to direct to Viveca, the station's AI, please direct them here! This allows you to receive an IC response and have a conversation with her.

I.1.0 - 2-bed room

Waking up to white walls and sterile beds and another person breathing nearby has Bucky breathing in sharply, sitting up in a hurry, and looking around with wide, wary eyes. What the fuck... this is not where he went to sleep. The feeling of the dream lingers, but he ignores it. Dreams suck, he's used to that.

Instead, he looks for the source of the other breathing, which is not, in fact, a doctor or-- anything else. Just another person in bed. "Hey," he says, short, loud enough to maybe wake someone up. It's less a greeting and more a warning. Wake up, roomie, and reassure this dude you aren't behind dragging him away from his blankets on the floor of his apartment.

II.6.0 - Knives

Bucky hasn't really done the knife thing in... a while. He hasn't lost his touch, he's not sure if he can lose his touch, but he's basically put weapons aside for the past six months. And now he has some, and he's, well, going to make sure he hasn't lose his touch.

He spins into motion, more of a dance against an invisible opponent than a fight, albeit a brutal kind of dance. Knives slash, feet kick, the metal arm flashes. He rolls to a stop, only a little out of breath, when someone else enters the room-- that he stops with both blades facing the newcomer is only mostly unintentional. "Hi," he says, still crouched in a ready stance, before pushing up to his feet. "Sorry."

II.7.0 - Sunlight

Supersoldiers are kinda like big cats. Bucky finds the sunlight room, finds a spot in a broad sunbeam, and just sits, gently hugging his knees, listening to the room with his eyes shut. He's seated in such a way that sun falls on his face, but that if he opens his eyes he can still see the door out.

Which he does when the door slides open and somebody knew comes in. "Find your own patch of sun," he says, with no bite to it. "This one's mine."

III.8.0 - Let's Climb

Super strength and a metal arm make climbing the best option here. Plus, Bucky kind of enjoys the challenge of it, even if he has to keep a tight leather glove on the vibranium hand to make sure he's got enough grip. It's a long fall, even for him, and looking over it gives him the sweats, so he gets the ship to provide some rope as a backup, making a winch of sorts into the jagged cliff top, and starts lowering himself down.

Maybe once or twice he dangles from his safety rope, and has to pant to get his heart back under control-- he's done some falling in his past, and he'd really, really rather not repeat it-- but it's fine. He can do this.

[ ooc notes:

daylight will be appearing as this or this throughout his threads unless otherwise noted! his personal goal is choose the most difficult or challenging path into the mountain. ]

waking up with a stranger: in the infirmary.

[ after checking to make sure no one will notice the flash of light coming from his currently empty quarters, daylight turns on his avaform and, for now, dons the appearance of a human person.

a giant human, yeah, but a human all the same. he just so happen to eat his vegetables a lot more when growing up. totally the reason why he’s nine feet tall, don’t even worry about it, people he passes casually by.

at the start of his exploration, daylight is sticking to what he knows about: scouting the area, counting heads and noting faces, and trying to map out his new surroundings while he explores the corridors. the only reason why he opts to stay in the infirmary for longer than a minute is him realising that there are others in there, shrouded by the curtains that give them a measure of privacy. they could be in need of help and the idea of leaving them behind so he can take a jaunt around the station leaves his tanks in a twist. the last he can do is make sure they're doing okay or they're not being fed anything too gross.

but no good deed goes unpunished. maybe. in his attempts to check the vitals of one person and see what their medication is exactly, daylight, out of the corner of his optic, sees the curtains beside him being drawn back to reveal someone.

is their expression a less friendly one or did the motion just surprise daylight? it’s hard to say but he is quick to react: ]

Oh hey there—! It’s cool—

[ he raises his arms and tries to settle his avaform’s expression to something friendly and unassuming. definitely one that doesn’t scream, ‘i am a danger so yeah go ahead and shoot me!’ or anything like that. that won’t end well for anyone. ]

Looks like we’re in need of an introduction! [ he smiles, trying to appear charming and hopes it’s working here, ] I’m Daylight vis Lornlit, the Everlight of Emergency Aid vos Evermar, the Chainbreaker.

Wish we could have met under better circumstances but better than nothing, huh? How are you feeling?

the welcome wagon:

[ 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

alright then. one of these tasks is most definitely something he can do.

daylight is quick in leaving the training room but is quicker in coming back to it. there’s a skip to his step, a twinkle in his eye… and, under his arm, he’s carrying a medical kit of some sort.

certainly not of earth or human origin with how the glyphs on it are alien and strange and how it seems to hum and vibrate under his touch. huh.

upon noticing someone who may or may not be looking at the item he had brought in, daylight grins at them and raises the kit up for a better look.

he might as well ask: ] Want to learn how to patch a Galateion up? It’ll be quick and fulfill one of the tasks.

ready steady go: call to action.

[ there is no way he can ignore cries for help.

even if it’s a trap or a ploy or anything like that, daylight can’t bring himself to ignore clear cries for help and aid. the death of his auntie still rings loud and clear in his helm and so it takes him only a second to try and head towards the noise—

nearly causing himself to lose his grip on his makeshift handhold in the process. he catches the mistake but just barely, clinging on for dear life.

fuck. of course his goal came and bit him right on the ass. it bit him on the ass so hard that daylight is sure the bite marks are going to be felt for days on end. he can’t look down while scrabbling towards the source of the cries, lest he risks himself falling and injuring himself in the process. if that happens then what will happen to the trapped person?

daylight looks around, trying to find a solution, and sees someone else is nearby. someone else in this area...? he decides to not look the gift horse in the mouth and opts to count his blessings instead. with some difficulty, he cups a hand over his mouth to project his voice further as he calls out: ]

Hey! Hey! You over there! Yeah— Can you help me out over here? [ he jerks his head towards the direction of the cries and hopes their yelling can be heard. ] I’m going to check out whoever needs assistance there but some backup would be nice.

2.0
Breathing comes back to him with a rush, and his eyelids open wide as he sits upright, then winces, groans, and sinks back down onto the hospital bed. Someone has done their best to accommodate him, doubling up on beds and propping end tables with cushioning under his feet. It doesn't keep him from rolling right off the edge and onto the floor when he tries to sit up again, however.

"Ugh," he grunts as he pushes himself into a seated position, then really starts to take the room in. Where is this? Who rescued him from the brink of death, how long has he even been here anyway, and -

"Where's Law?" he croaks aloud, voice rough, head groggy. "Anyone seen-"

He immediately regrets it as his senses flood back to him, and cuts himself off. If Law escaped to safety, maybe it's best nobody knows where he is right now. With that devil fruit, it's better nobody even thinks about going after him. Not until Rosinante is sure of whose hands he's fallen into.

6.0
Orienting himself has been one hell of a weird time, with answers all either vague or promised to be forthcoming eventually. He's sore all sorts of places and a little woozy from blood loss, but he's never let that stop him. Eventually he pauses in the doorway of what looks like some sort of open sparring room, the sort Marineford officers used to hold their hand-to-hand classes in - though there's a lot different here, too.

That's the closest thing to familiar he's seen in a bit, but that's not what has stopped him. Instead, the weird popup message (will he ever get used to this?) has requests for him. Who the hell knows what a boon is supposed to be here, and he's not sure he's in much shape to really get any serious sparring on, but he can teach, or figure out what some of these people can do already. That will pass the time and get him on the path to knowing a few of his fellow shipmates (if that's even an appropriate word for the situation).

If anyone hadn't noticed the absurdly tall figure in the doorway, they might hear the loud thump when he doesn't quite make a clean entrance and runs his shoulder hard into the frame. Ow. But after staggering into the room, he motions to someone nearby.

"You get those tasks too, teaching and learning about combat? Done much fighting before?"

9.0
The entire concept of a simulated environment is a novel one, but once Rosinante is in, the entire thing feels a lot more familiar. No more claustrophobic mystery ship, but the outdoors, a mission, a challenge.

The mine shaft looks hard to fit into with ease (speaking of claustrophobic) and swimming is, in fact, not an option, so into the tunnels he goes, slipping in complete dead silence from path to path as he explores. Silence, of course, doesn't render him invisible, but he's a less obvious target than whoever is just ahead, already fighting off those enormous rats.

Back up, he pleads silently to whoever's silhouette that is, for he can't speak to them at the moment anyway. He only has so much ammunition, but his pistol is loaded, and once he has a clear shot he levels it at a rat about to lunge and fires. The bullet pierces through the creature's head without a sound - to the observer it will look like it was simply flung to the side, killed instantly, and forgotten among the other rats.

But if that person does spot him, he'll give a nod, a brief mock salute indicating you're welcome, I'm here, keep at it - or however they might want to interpret the gesture. Talking can come later, once these creatures have been dealt with.

(ooc: couple important notes for anyone unfamiliar with Rosi - he's literally 9'7" tall, currently in these prompts is not wearing the makeup in his icons, and when he's silenced himself, anything he interacts with, and anything else in that chain reaction, is also soundless - no footsteps, no gunshot, no thud from a rat body hitting the ground.

Feel free to reach out on plurk at

tinylongwing if you have questions!)

1.0 WAKE ME UP INSIDE

( he doesn't wake with a gasp, but with a jolt. it's a familiar sort of feeling — heart pounding, blood rushing through his veins, some unnamed emotion prickling along the back of his neck — that something just isn't quite right. gladio's eyes snap open and he knows, instantly, he's not in kansas anymore, toto. it smells too clean here, the acrid smell of smoke and death no longer permiating the air. it's stark, white, clean, still and silent. a bead of sweat rolls down his temple.

gladio sits up, looks around as if he might suddenly see something familiar or understand what's really going on. but, he doesn't and his hands fist against the bedding. there are others in the room, just a couple, he thinks, judging by the lumps on the beds. maybe someone's even awake. he doesn't really recognize the face(s) he can see, but he's unwilling to leave anyone behind. for all he knows the empire could be behind all this and leaving anyone here is out of the question.

so, he does his gladio thing and gets to his feet and claps his hands a couple times — loudly, like he's some kind of coach — to get attention focused on him. )

Alright, everybody up. We need to get out of here.

7.0 GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE

( a little funny to take sunlight for granted, but gladio used to be one of those people. sunlight was just a thing that was there and no reason to question the comings and goings. it was just a natural part of a day. the sun rising and the sun setting. normal, natural.

until it wasn't.

after being in the dark for so long, then finally getting to see the sun again... brings such a bittersweet feeling. gladio had seen the sun, only briefly, before winding up here. and, well, logically he knows this one is absolutely fake but it feels real. the birds sound real. everything seems real and gladio feels stricken by it. feels frozen by it because he feels like he shouldn't be even considering enjoying such a thing. not after all that's happened. not after he's failed at doing his job.

but, it's the sun and something normal amidst all this not normal. so, he stands there, absolutely in the way, while he figures if it's actually alright for him to go further in. )

?.? LET IT ROLL & STREAM BUTTER 🧈

( network post comin live at ya in the middle of the night. )

First: name's Gladio and if anyone wants to learn basic self-defense, come see me. Don't know the skill set of everyone here, but this is basic stuff everyone should know. Especially in a situation like this.

Second: can't sleep and have nothing to read, ( aka: he needs to take his mind off of Things ) so tell me about your favorite book.

PART I. WAKING UP WITH A STRANGER (two beds)
(Amanda wakes up with a start, sitting up in bed. She looks to her left and sees someone. She is very, very confused, wondering if something happened, was the dream real? Where were the Rowdy 3? Why was she here, without them? She glances at the other person again and asks in a silly sing-song voice,)

Were you watching me sleep?

PART II. THE WELCOME WAGON (armory)
(She doesn't need much for a weapon. A simple baseball bat will do, but she does find some barbed wire to wrap around it. Carefully, but she still manages to catch herself. She sucks on the finger she nicked, holding the bat with her other hand to admire it.)

Whadda ya think? Elegant, simple, scary.

PART III. READY STEADY GO (through the tunnel)
(Amanda goes through the tunnels easily, whacking rats as she goes. When she hears the muffled cries for help, she immediately heads to the wall and puts her hands on it. There's nothing she can do, she's powerless-- the voice in her earpiece tells her to move.

Amanda shakes her head. Nope.)

I won't leave you! Hang tight!

1. INFIRMARY ( spoilers for titans s2. )
[ Donna can take a punch. Has taken them, from her fellow Amazons, supers, aliens. But standing there beneath that tower, electric shocks reverberating through her bones, felt different — painful, sure, but more than that...it was final. The brain cuts the body off when the pain becomes too much to bear.

If she dreams in the pitch-black, it’s of people long gone, of someone promising they can be returned. When she awakens, she's still stuck in that half-memory. She presses her hand into the sheets, fingers splayed. Unmarked. Healed by her physiology (or her rescuers, maybe). Back there, if Donna had thought she would wake up again, it would have been somewhere like this. Nondescript, unfamiliar. A safehouse.

But if she were safe, her friends would be here.

At the first sign of movement, Donna counters too fast for any human to register her as more than a smudge of dark hair and white gown. With a swish of the curtain separating them, she pins anyone upright to the nearest wall, inhuman strength applying a measured pressure. ]

2. TRAINING
[ After retrieving her clothes and personal items from the infirmary, Donna narrows down the theories about her night at the carnival. The clothes aren't the ones she fought in that night, but they are hers. They might be what she was — what they dressed her in to — it doesn't matter. That's not why she came here.

With an armory-generated staff in hand and a golden lasso looped at her hip, Donna seems at ease in the training room, at least. ]

Any chance you know how to use one of these?

[ She tips her head toward the second staff, balanced against the wall. Since she manufactured both in the armory, there’s no guarantee that they won’t snap under pressure. ]

3. SIMULATION
[ At the foot of the mine, Donna crouches. Her movements are practiced, almost graceful, securing one end of the rope to her grappling hook. As she stands, she tests the knot with a tug of the rope between her hands. It holds.

Choose the most difficult or challenging path into the mountain. She swings the hook in a perfect circle, warming up, and then catches it in her free hand.

Her mouth quirks. ]

I’m going in through the top. [ arching an eyebrow, as if to ask: Are you coming? ]

[I] THE ARMORY

[Eva has been in enough clinical rooms of one sort of another to recognize what she's woken up in straight away. The biggest problem is of course that she sure didn't go to sleep here. Nope, not even close. And after spending moments assuming this was a dream and then realizing with a bleak sort of clarity that comes with fully waking up that nope, it's not a dream either.

Oh walnut, what she gotten into now.

Eventually after the AI's announcement (and may a chat with her?) set a few things right in her mind Eva takes the advice to look around end eventually ends up in the armory. She stands studying the machine itself a moment, looking over the platform first.

Eventually she stands back, hand on her chin and one arm crossed around herself with a lightly furrowed brow.]

Looks interesting but... is there some kind of instruction manual? Or do you just try to wing it?

[II] THE KITCHEN

[Eva isn't exactly a world renown chef but she keeps herself fed and even hosts her own dinners now and then. No matter how much Neil disparages her dry carrot cake.

Rifling through the things in the kitchen yields a wealth of non-perishable items and some older but still perfectly usable root vegetables. Judging by her pleased smile when she comes up with the chicken stock it's obvious she's got something in mind.]

Fresh would be better but I'm not turning my nose up at food.

[Now then. Opening a drawer she begins rooting around for utensils. And knives?
Definitely a pot, that would be helpful.]

[III] THE TUNNELS

[Going through the tunnels had proven pretty effective honestly. They were fragile maybe but sturdy enough and in comparison to trying to climb the mountain or swimming in waters with unknown aquatic life -- well, she would take this. Even if the idea of some alien jellyfish sounds pretty neat she wasn't too keen on the idea of swimming with them.

Unfortunately they weren't alone in the tunnels. They're on the right path but when they come to a fork and tentatively check one of the paths versus the other, Eva shines her flashlight down it's length. Barely illuminated in the light a pair of something reflects the light back at them in a distinctly red tint that sense the hairs on the back of Eva's neck standing on end.

She backs up a step immediately, trying to keep her voice down.]

Uh. I think we're better off with the other way.

[IV] WILDCARD

[Eva's personal goal is to 'help a teammate during the mission'. She's also likely to want to help those muffled cries as well.

Feel free to throw any other prompts either with the mission, the sunlight room or anywhere else on the station at me if you like! PMs are open for any questions or plotting needed.]

[1.0] AWAKEN

[He awakens with a start, eyes snapping open to stare up at the ceiling. For an age he lays deathly still in that position, the weight of his regrets--wait, what the hell is that ceiling?

He sits up immediately, pulling the front of the hospital gown as he looks down at it before groping around for--his armor, folded neatly beside his weapons.

He swings his legs over the edge of the bed to stand, and proceeds to yank the hospital gown right off so that he can change.]

[7.0] SUNLIGHT

[The first thing he does when he's steady, reluctantly bringing the communicator with him, is get a layout for just where he is right now. He's clearly here for reason enough he's not in immediate danger, but it doesn't do much to ease his wariness. It's all so... unfamiliar. Not just because it wasn't where he was, but because he's hardly seen any place like this. Even the Asura don't live entirely in metal constructs.

The light, at first, looks like an exit, so he pushes through the door. It's after taking a few steps that he realizes something is... off.

He turns on his heels to survey the field suspiciously.] An illusion?

[9.0] RATS

[He has, at least, figured out the flashlight, even if the exact tool is a big foreign. Buttons, though, that he can figure out.

He keeps the light trained ahead, his other hand taken up by his blade. Because he sure wasn't going to descend into a dark cavern without having a way to stab things.

They reach the fork in the tunnel. Syrlya flashes the light down each path once before turning to who's next to him.] I think we should take the left.

[1.0] WAKEY WAKEY.

_{[ Klaus would consider his sudden arrival here.. quite the upgrade from the jail cell in Dallas in 1963. Though, he's not particularly chaffed to be somewhere else completely; just moreso concerned about the whereabouts and well-being of his family. He is noticing that he does, in fact, end up at the wrong place at the wrong time quite often. Here, though.. this was different, but he has grown accustomed to not really knowing where he was at. Those instances hadn't occurred too recently ever since he sobered up.

This time, Klaus has another bed next to him containing another person. While he respects their privacy, he cannot resist reaching out to befriend them. After all, they could be beneficial and (hopefully) friendly! Whoever is in the second bed will feel a presence as Klaus leans in close and in a sing-song voice, attempts to wake the other passenger gently: ]}

Hiiii, hi. Rise and shine.

_{[ Klaus veers back, perched at the foot and edge of the other bed. ]}

So.. so. I'm not the best at cooking, or anything, but this— this is.. um.. bacon, kind of.. I think..

_{[ He's brought your character breakfast in bed. What is on the plate? It's hard to know, but he's not the best chef anyway. Looks like some dried meat and fruit that he found. ]}

[7.0] SIMULATOR.

_{[ One thing he had never taken well to was being told or forced to do something against his will. He was hoping just to rely on someone else with all of this.. fix your regret kind of stuff, but it seems like this won't be the case. Once the explanation is finished and Klaus looks down at how well equipped he is, his whole body slacks and he blows a raspberry with his mouth and turns to his counterpart. ]}

Do we have to? I mean, can't we just.. I don't know..

_{[ um he's opening one of those unsatisfying snack bars and digging right in already. ]}

This looks spooky. Trust me, I know spooky. All the spooky things.

I.2.0

He gasps awake, lungs still remembering fire and smoke and bitter defeat, and then lays in the infirmary bed for a long few minutes. No barn, no Was that a dream? Was it really? He's here, isn't he? He's not dead or burned or--

--he sits up, patting himself down nervously. Not burned. A little tender, but not burned. His nice black coat looks a little singed, though. "Damn. This was not how expected today to go," he comments, mostly to himself, but if there's anyone else around, feel free to answer anyway.

II.4.0

Chase is staring at the line of cans sitting on the counter in front of him, in the middle of the kitchen. "Chicken soup. Okay, that sounds fine. How the hell do I even get this open?" He's not actually talking to you, but if you want to help, he will absolutely not say no. Rich kids used to mothers who cook and private schools with very fancy cafeterias do not know what to do with canned goods.

Nor, it seems, even where to find the can opener. Maybe he can punch it open with magic....

III.10.0

Water is Chase's favorite thing. "Three time freestyle champion, at my last school," he brags to the nearest fellow passenger as he strips off his (poor, still-singed) coat. "Let's see how we do here, huh?"

He flashes a grin, one tooth crooked, and offers jokingly, "Race you to the orb?"

2.0: Arrival at the Infirmary

[The last thing he recalls is the fight with Kimblee at the mines. Being separated from Al and Winry as a result. Having freed the two chimera so they could get out after the fight. Having used alchemy on himself in attempt to try help the healing along, at the cost of some of his own lifespan.

So as a result it's no surprise he wakes up somewhere that seems like an infirmary or hospital of some sort or other. Given how he passed out and all. Probably the chimera carried him here or something? He sits up, after waking up panting a little, glancing around at the unfamiliar surroundings.]

Where....is this?

[And then he is starting, glancing around for the source of the voice when he hears the AI on the speakers. He's got no idea on these earpieces, or what this 'network' is exactly. But the ear pieces seem obvious enough to go with the ear and all, so it isn't too difficult for him to figure out at least? He's just not used to this sort of technology.]

A network? Simulate what? What missions?

[He has no idea what is going on?

Cue him putting on said ear piece as best he can and venturing from the infirmary to explore.]

3.0 Armory

Tch. I guess this will have to do.

[Ed sets about gathering some metal, collecting it into a small pile, clapping his hands together to emit pale blue sparks, creating a spear somehow out of said pile of metals. Shaping it into a spear as if by some sort of magic? Alchemy, actually. He will say as much if anyone mentions it being magic or miracles or some such nonsense.

And Ed might be tempted in wondering on the quality of the metal if it could also be that he could use this if necessary for his auto-mail. He purses his lips and glances to his right arm, hoping nothing would happen to it away from home like this.]

Wonder if this stuff would work. Not that I'd have any clue beyond basic maintenance for my auto-mail without Winry.....

[But there's metal. That was promising? Hopefully? As long as someone could make use of that?]

6.0 Training

[Ed's not unused to sparring. He's just. Well, used to doing so against Al. Or Izumi. But that doesn't stop him from changing into some shorts and a tank top, which definitely reveals his auto-mail arm and leg as he asks someone else if they were up for a sparring session together. It might be easy for someone to underestimate him, given his smaller height and all. But his body is muscular enough to hint that he is in pretty good shape.]

You up for this?

9.0 Simulation - Tunnels

[He....can't swim. So he's limited to the other two options. And there's the risk with his auto-mail that even as lighter metal was used in his current arm and leg, he might be heavy enough to have the rocks cave in with his weight. The weight obviously being why he doesn't swim, can't swim in that he just sinks. He figures it seems safer then to go with the tunnel. So off he goes, with his flashlight once he learns to use it and finds the....rats....?

He pushes whoever might also be traveling through the tunnels behind him, using his spear to try drive the rodents further back away from them.]

Back behind me!

Orb:

[The voice. The orb. But....no. No. He couldn't. He couldn't do it. Ed can't just abandon people that need help. His damned bleeding heart. His rationale that even if he did get the orbs to help Al, Al wouldn't want this. Wouldn't want to get his body back at such a cost if it meant others suffered or died to get that. Ed knows it. So he ignores the voice in the earpiece, trying to figure a way to get to those people and get them out before heading to the orb. Or sending someone else to get the orb while he helps them, if someone else is near enough to do so. As long as they get the orb, right? One of them. It doesn't specifically have to be Ed himself.]

Go! Get the orb and I'll try get these people out. Somehow....without collapsing this place....

[He had to figure something. Maybe he could just shift the wall in transmuting a doorway? Or something?]

[ooc: personal mission: help a teammate.]

1.0 sneak away before you wake

[ there's some perks (?) to a ten-year-long revenge plan, one of them being long since used to waking up in dread after a dream where absolutely everything has gone wrong.

well, nie huaisang thinks as he sits up in an unfamiliar bed, this certainly isn't qinghe. which means the first thing to do is to get more information; if there's anything he's learned, it's that if you're not a strong fighter, knowledge is your next best bet.

the other occupant in the room is still asleep, and he has no interest in socializing... not just yet. instead, he gets up, dusting his robes and picking up his fan and saber (ugh) from his bedside table, and prepares to sneak out of the room.

the sneak attempt is going surprisingly well, at least until there's a clattering sound from behind the wall and he promptly trips over his own feet. ]

Ow, ow, ow! [ there's absolutely no way his roommate isn't waking up to all the noise... so best roll with it. he peers up from the floor, smiling apologetically. ]

Ah... good morning?

7.0 sunlight and birdsong

[ after the disappointment that are the armory and training room, both of which provide absolutely nothing that he's interested in, and the lab that only serves to confuse him, the sunlight room is a delight.

anyone who comes in the room and looks around even a little, will see nie huaisang sit underneath a tree, a relaxed smile on his face, and a little blue bird sitting on his finger. ]

It's incredibly lifelike, isn't it? I wouldn't be able to tell the difference, if it wasn't so friendly.

7.5 tmw you have no marketable skills

[ even before people start deciding which way to take into the mines, there's someone who seems to have made up his mind about it. on the side of the mountain, after being given the supplies, nie huaisang stands and declares, ]

I really am the wrong person for this! I could never climb down, it's too dangerous! But I'm not a good swimmer either... and the tunnels sound so scary! Ah, if I go, I'll only be a nuisance... it's really best if I stay right here and provide moral support.

[ no one in the history of ever has been so eager to sell everyone on his own uselessness. ]

?.? the wildcard option.

[ hit him with a network misfire, recognize his network name of headshaker or catch him in the armory declaring he doesn't need a weapon because he can't use any of them anyway... or in the training room, despairing over how there's no way he can complete any of the tasks for the boon.

his personal mission is to retrieve the orb at all costs... ironically enough. ]

Edited 2021-05-22 13:11 (UTC)

WELCOME WAGON: KITCHEN

[ it is not the first time in his life that nicky has found himself working with limited food supplies, with the kind of supplies that last a long time. there is nothing fresh here, but between canned tomatoes, some of the root vegetables he has decided are suitable for consumption despite the musty smell, the dried meats and the herbs, he thinks he'll be able to muster up a decent stew of sorts.

he knows how to make the best of it and this place and its futuristic, well, everything is far more luxurious even now than many of the places of nicky's past. still, there's an almost mournful note in his tone: ] This would be better if I had fresh garlic and wine.

WELCOME WAGON: SUNSHINE

[ this room, nicky decides, is his favourite. he walks the path, head tipped back a little toward the sunshine. it is an illusion, he realises that, but it is one that he appreciates. ]

It seems very real, doesn't it?

SIMULATION

[ nicky is not reckless, but fuctional immortality means that some risks are easier to take for him than they are for someone else. perhaps that is why there's nothing but absolute certainty in his tone, in his demeanour when, after hearing the muffled cries for helps, he says ] We have to help.

[ even if the mine collapses-- it is only a simulation, and he will survive (or come back to life). and perhaps the person crying for help is only simulated, too, but he is not willing to risk that.

functional immortality makes it easier to take that risk, but the truth is that his ethics are hard-won regardless. ]

WILDCARD

[ ooc; find him in the training rooms, exploring, hit him up on the network (are there misfires), idk, anything goes! ]

1.0 waking up with a stranger

( king cardan awakes much the same way he has for the past few weeks — entirely alone.

in his own bed, at least, smaller and less comfortable than he remembers it. for a few embarrassing moments, he doesn't realize anything is amiss, really — because he feels the same, isolated, a weight heavy on the cracked bone marrow of his chest. it doesn't take long for him to recognize the tuft of his bed isn't the dandelion fluff of lush and lavish kings, or that it isn't the morning dew and peaches scent of faerie land that wafts towards his nostrils, seductive beckoning for breakfast. instead it's something sterile, distinctly apart from nature as a whole. and, finally, with a look around — he isn't alone, actually.

communal bedrooms, like servants in a castle. a year ago, cardan would've turned his nose up and pitched a fit. now, he just sits up, on guard.

minding his distance, cardan stares at his roommate with a feral kind of intensity, as if hoping to will them awake on a look alone. when that doesn't work, he takes the pillow from behind his back and tosses it very rudely at them, smacking them in the face. )

Hey. Get up.

( he also always sleeps naked. so there's that. )

7.0 the welcome wagon

( fighting does not become cardan, and neither do dried out fruits hold any amount of interest for him. in fact, it seems the only place for him to find a little peace, or if not peace familiarity, is the sunlight room. of course, he knows it's all a mock gesture towards the real thing, but sitting in a patch of illusionary grass is preferable to the coldness of space.

shoes in hand, his bare fae feet take him across the bridge. he looks to make sure no one is watching — though, surely someone is — before he extends his hand towards the brook, black-painted nails twitching with a command that seems to merit no results. he knew it wouldn't, that he couldn't call land from the water when there was no land or water to begin with — but with a frustrated groan his drops his hand anyway, taking his shoes angrily to throw into the brook. the splash they make is satisfying and imaginary. )

Ridiculous. ( to his lack of power or to himself? groaning again when he realizes he has to go grab his shoes, he rolls his eyes, bending to roll up the bottom of his silk spun leggings. unhooking the billowing, blood red cape from his shoulders and leaving it against the rocks.

come see a faerie boy Struggle and have a Bad Day, thank u. )

10.0 ready steady go

( for a change, there's something cardan actually has experience with on mission — the cruelties of the undersea, all the vices and pains included. after his last go with queen orlagh and the torture of jude (greenbriar, his mind supplies) duarte, he has little interest in nearing any waters of any kind, without intent of war or destruction.

however, his given goal is still clear in his head. help a teammate during the mission. surely saving some wayward, foolish humans from a siren's grasp qualifies as help. being fae himself makes him resistant to their glamours.

not that they aren't lovely and terrifying on their own. he just already has someone lovely and terrifying, who preoccupies much of his brainspace.

thus, cardan offers himself to the water-based attempt at the orb, striped to his leggings and poised in the water, blood crown tilted on the back of his tousled black hair. perhaps cruelly, he encouraged a human to come with him — setting himself up for the chance at helping with as little effort on his own part as possible.

after all, he just needs to help. there were no rules he couldn't help out from sticky situation he constructed on his own, game built in the direction of his favor. )

?.? wildcard

( byop! feel free to pm me with any questions. )

( I ) welcome wagon

[ despite the voice's explanation, max cannot make sense of this place or how he's come to be here. it seems impossible. he's trying not to let that bother him because impossibility has never stopped him before, but before, he's always had-- some semblance of familiarity, at least.

here, nothing makes sense.

still, there's nothing to it. he finds a place that promises weaponry and that, at least, is familiar, comforting almost. he starts with a gladius, but what comes out is-- only vaguely related to the kind of sword he'd been expecting. the handle is lacking, for one. ] Is this a joke?

[ his voice is certainly loud enough to be heard by anyone else in the room. or someone passing by. outraged enough to draw attention, too. ]

( II ) the simulation

[ max knows illusions, but he has no concept of simulations like this one. it seems too real to be anything but, and so there's real urgency in his tone, in his expression. ]

I can hold the mine if you help whoever is on the other side of this.

[ can he, though? if this were a real mine, the answer would be yes--not easily, perhaps, but max's furycrafting has always been strong more than anything. he is not the kind of person for finesse, never will be, but when it comes to sheer shows of strength, there are not many in alera who can match him. (not many here, he supposes, although how would he know? no one else here even seems to know furycrafting.)

whether his powers will work in a simulation, though, is another question entirely. ]

( III ) network

Crows take it--

[ someone has no idea how any of this works. ]

Is there ale or wine here? And would someone care for some company? [ he means company. but he also means company. ] I could do with a distraction.

[ the antillar maximus way of life: when in doubt, lean hard into hedonism. ]

( IV ) wildcard

[ tl;dr max is basically a magically over-powered frat boy with a tragic past and a lot of fatalism from a canon that's legit "what do you get when you cross the lost roman legion with pokemon". catch him anywhere aboard the station, generally being (deceptively) loud and rowdy and simple. he's also very up for sparring or for sex as a distraction. ]

PART I // 2.0 // an ode to lost jigsaw pieces

[ Injured. That’s one way to describe him, sure. From the neocortex down he’s completely fine – a well-built young man studded with glittering patches of cyberware, scarred in places and covered in broad swathes of tattoos in other places, but otherwise whole and hearty in his airy medical dress. But his brain feels... shot. Pulled thin, overstretched, wounded. Injured, yeah, somewhere deep in the meat of his brain. The lights are too bright, the sharp edges of the room are fuzzy, distant – the light tastes metallic, the air smells blue. And his mind... his mind is missing something huge. Important.

Panic flares and lodges itself in his throat, choking him; he coughs, plasters his hands over his face, takes a heaving breath and fights the urge to pass out again. He’s painfully alone, scooped clean and raw, bleached to the bones. It’s wrong. It’s so fucking wrong.

Dragging his palms down his face, scraping over his metal jaw, he groans – a guttural noise of mourning for something he can’t even fully name. (No, no, no - the name is Johnny.) V glances aside, his pale blue optical processors whirring in his skull (fuck, why can he HEAR that--). There are pills on his table, neatly labelled in their uniform bottles. No orange. No blue. It hurts his head to try and read them, so he promptly forgets them. This isn’t something that’s going to be healed with pills. It never was. He drags together every ounce of strength in him and struggles upright, sitting haphazardly on the side of the bed. ]

’M checkin’ out, [ he mumbles thickly to whoever is nearby – fellow patients, visitors, whoever. The irony of his words are completely and utterly lost on him.

The ability to stand upright is completely lost on him, too. He staggers upright, a valiant effort, but his wounded brain thinks otherwise. The room spins and he pitches sideways, hands thrown out to grab whatever he can – the bed, the bedside table, the neat tray of pills – on his way to the floor, grunting: ]

Oh, fuck...

PART II // 5.0 // pennyroyal tea

So, Viveca’s said their bit and V’s installed the piece in his ear. It’s helpful, sure, and V has kinda missed the automated babble of messages rattling through his brains. It’s a small balm for the much louder, much ruder voice that he’s missing, sure... but it’s something. It fills the empty, accusing space between thoughts that feel much slower, much thicker than they used to. Fragmented. Distant.

Now reunited with his street clothes, V numbly wanders the halls. He’d made his pact, he was here to do a job and change the past – so why were they not getting straight down to business?

Because right now you've got scop for brains, he tells himself in lieu of the guy who would. Because you’re a dead man walking, you dumb fuckin’ gonk. Because you need time—

Time to heal, time to relax, yeah, he knows. And he fucking hates it - he doesn't deserve either thing right now. It takes a supreme effort from V to let himself do either, let alone both. So he explores instead of sitting down and making friends with the rest of the imported souls. The lab draws his attention first – there’s a fuckton of chrome installed in his body that could do with a check over, just to make sure that Arasaka doc hadn’t left any weird surprises floating around in his software.

So here’s V, stood before a lab computer, with his link in one hand staring intently at the computer’s interface as he scans the digital streams that swim through the lab, searching, pinging... ]

Hey, [ He says to anyone in the room. ] I'm lookin' for a port. [ He waggles his personal link, attached by its chrome umbilical to the heel of his palm. ] D’you know where we jack in to these things?

[ ooc: this is V from a "bad ending" of cyberpunk 2077 and their will be spoilers for the game and the Devil path. his regret and the thing he wants to change? to reload an earlier save and make different choices pls. ]

sunlight room

[ anderson doesn't have an explanation for this, for waking up in this place instead of mega-city one, but as far as she can tell, this is real. not some drug-induced dream, not some simulation--

or, well, perhaps the sunshine and birdsong are simulations, but the place simulating them seems real and the simulation is a good one. she's never seen this much green in one place before, she's never taken a breath of air that felt and smelled as clean as this, never heard birdsong or crossed an ambling brook by means of a wooden bridge. her heart aches for everyone in mega-city one who will never experience anything like this even as she takes another deep breath, feeling her lips curve into a smile.

the sunshine feels good on her face.

she'll sense anyone approaching before hearing or seeing them, but remain where she is, head tipped back and eyes closed, until they're closer. only then will she open her eyes and turn to face them. ]

Hi.

network

What was your life like, before this?

wildcard

[ catch her in the training room, spar with her or have her offering self-defense lessons, w/e. she'll be exploring, so anything goes, really. anderson's a mutant with telepathic abilities that she uses relatively freely (esp in unknown situations as self-defense), so she'll be snooping in people's minds -- but let me know if you'd rather she doesn't and i'll figure something out :> ]

i. DORMS

[ A. Patience, not panic, will help win the day, and he has years of waiting behind him already.

Kaz sits on the edge of the bed, left leg bent but the right extended, boot-heel propped on the floor. Although his roommate stirs, he remains focused on his work, pulling on black gloves with care. Given all his crisp layers (dark shirt buttoned all the way up, waistcoat smooth over the top, watch chain tucked neatly into a button), he must have been the first to wake and promptly dressed himself in the quiet. Beside him, a cane topped with the head of a crow tilts against the bed. ]

Your effects are in the closet. [ in an English accent (or Kerch, if you have an ear for it), hoarse from sleep. ]

[ B. It’s only sensible to look for Inej and Jesper. They were with him at the docks, and they’ll be more dangerous together than apart — if they were caught in the same rusted snare as him, at any rate. (And it was foolish, to reveal his tells to someone else, even in a dream.) Kaz checks room after room, lingering in the doorway of a dorm with at least one empty space. ]

[ evenly, with a tip of his jaw at the spare bed. ] Have you seen anyone else?

ii. SIMULATOR

[ They enter through the tunnels. Kaz makes a brusque argument for it, based on the depth at which he suspects to find the orb and the myriad unknowns involved in the water route. Their packs and tools will help them more if they aren’t sopping wet. Then, cane in one hand and flashlight in the other, he sets a brisk — if uneven — pace on their journey, speaking first only when they face a fork in the road. His height makes for a few tight squeezes along the way, but he never complains.

The first shout stills him, expression unreadable even in the glow of their flashlights. He looks askance, gaze flickering to the wall and the person beside him. A second cry. If his partner moves toward it, his cane swings out, sudden and firm in their path. ]

We crack on with the job. [ sharper. ] No detours.

[ Retrieve the orb at all costs, leaving any possible trapped individuals to fend for themselves. ]

iii. WILDCARD

[ Outside the central entrance to the northern wing, Kaz strides as quickly as his limp will allow. In fact, he’s in such a rush that his cane catches someone headed the opposite way — ideally sending them tumbling into the forbidden door. Hope that metal wall doesn’t bruise, buddy. ]

Oh! [ Luckily, Kaz corrects his own stumble just in time, leaning heavily to one side. ] I’m terribly sorry. [ He tries to reach out but a wobble stops him, so he fixes both hands to his cane to steady himself. Brow creasing with concern, he sweeps his gaze over whoever he tripped (and their surroundings, too, a lightning-quick case of the joint). ]

[ a sheepish smile. ] Are you alright?

iv. BONUS

[ Find him examining materials in the labs or mooch off his halfway-decent soup in the kitchen (cooking is a life skill, even for bad boys™). Can do special starters with other sim goals on request. Wherever he is, the gloves stay on. PM any questions! ]

I. WAKING UP WITH A STRANGER

As if waking up in a strange place isn't disconcerting enough, the person you wake up next is... uh, not sleeping like anything resembling a normal person. He's on top of the covers, first of all, fully clothed, lying flat on his back with his arms straight down his side like a wooden plank... or a corpse, if you will. Seriously, is he even alive?

II. WELCOME WAGON:

There stands a man in the training room... completely not dressed for training in his 19th century butler uniform, thoughtfully tapping his chin with a finger.

"...Well. I suppose all three of these will be a small matter to accomplish."

And then he turns to smile at a nearby person (namely, you):

"Your pardon. Might you intend to focus on any of these tasks in particular?"

Let's cooperate? Time, money, and so on.

PART I. the infirmary

[ when edelgard wakes up, it's to a stark white room she does not recognize. it takes her a moment to adjust, like she'd forgotten how to breathe — but in her defense, during her last conscious memory she was certain she'd breathed her last. laying stock-still, listening to the sound of her breaths, feeling the rise and fall of a chest notably missing the gaping hole that'd been given to her in what feels like just seconds ago...

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

[ wander by the armory and one might peep edelgard frowning in front of the pedestal, holding in her hands what appears to be a large battle axe made entirely out of styrofoam. she doesn't look pleased, punching away at the control panel beside the pedestal with the concentration of a boomer trying to work their newfangled ipad dagnabbit. wander close enough, and you'll hear her mutter to herself, ]

No, I do not want a Nerf gun, whatever that is...

???. network (username: vonhresvelg)

While convenient, I admit I can see potential for this particular mode of communication to be troublesome.
Would anyone happen to have any suggestions on how to best avoid negligent messages from being sent?

CYOA

( edelgard can be found exploring her new surroundings with a critical but curious eye, so feel free to run into her in other areas: in the sunlight room, taking a moment to dip her feet into the babbling brook during what she had thought was a private moment; in the kitchen trying to find some tea or sweets; hesitating outside of the simulation room because honestly, what the fuck even is this technology. comment or pm with any suggestions for prompts if you don't find one you like here and let's work something out! )

● ● ●

( note: playing it fast and loose atm so i haven't yet decided on her specific route but it will probably either be silver snow, verdant wind, or azure moon. but for the most part it shouldn't make much of a difference unless you happen to be a canonmate! )

// PART I. WAKING UP WITH A STRANGER

[Waking up from a nightmare isn't exactly new to him. It's quick, sharp. A stark contrast between the horror-filled memories of his past, and the cold truth of the present. There's still those moments spent between sleep and alertness where he finds himself trapped. Where he has to fight to escape his own mind. And it's something that, more often than not, follows him in to wakefulness.

So when he sits bolt upright, heart hammering in his chest and a cold sheen of sweat on his body, he manages to remain silent. He's had plenty of practice at this, so even finding himself in an actual bed isn't enough to shake that. He does still need to take some time though. To take a few moments trying to piece himself back together again, tucking away memories of his past just long enough to remind himself that he is no longer the Winter Soldier. That he's James Bucky Barnes. He's his own person now, and nothing is going to take that away from him again.

(Once he's finished here, there won't be a Winter Soldier to separate from. He can do this.)

He's sat on the edge of the bed soon enough, taking stock of the situation. Of himself, the room, the...second bed?

The person still sleeping in it.

Right.

Maybe he should just get out of here before they wake up. It's awkward enough already, without having to explain to someone that staring is kind of his default. Not everyone is as accepting of it as Sam. But before he even manages to get to his feet again, the other person seems to be waking up, and Bucky-

Well, he just freezes. And waits.]

// PART II. THE WELCOME WAGON

[It's the voice that motivates him in to action. The familiarity of it, rather than the information itself. So despite the impossibility of it all, he still finds himself following those words. That request. Finds himself reaching for the ear piece without question. Hearing Karli's- Viveca's -voice has left him a little unbalanced. But it makes listening to her (it's?) advice that little bit simpler. Sure, they may not have been friends before, but it's one piece of familiarity in an otherwise alien situation. It helps.

Besides, it's not like he'd ever leave the station unexplored anyway.

So he heads off, his trip to the armory only lasting long enough to take in the rather pitiful supply. With most of his own weaponry still tucked away back home, he's stuck with only a few knives for company. And in a situation like this, he knows that isn't anywhere near enough. Not with the missions he knows he'll be sent on soon. Not when the reward is that big. He may not enjoy fighting, but he'll do it. He'll do whatever he has to if it means undoing everything. If it means that the world will have never heard of the Winter Soldier.

Naturally, the lab gets bypassed entirely. A single look through the doorway had been enough to make it clear to him that it wasn't a place he'll be visiting any time soon. It may not look anything like those labs, but it's enough to put him off. Enough to have him move right along, following the corridor...outside? Or to some approximation of it.

The sunlight room is a welcome change after trekking through the rest of the station. So it's there that he finally ends up. There, that he finally comes to a stop. It may not be real, may not be anything more than a simulation. But after spending most of his (remembered) life in New York, being free to walk through open fields and quiet forests is something he has to take advantage of. That sense of peace and calm is something he's only really found in Delacroix. So while the people there may have played a large part in that, he's willing to take what he can get here. And that means finding a space in the sunlight room where he can sit down and simply exist. Where he can watch as the water trickles by while he tries to come to terms with just what he agreed to here.

And of course, if anyone approaches the area, his attention is quickly on them. Is uncertain, measured, yet somehow approachable. Its been a busy couple of months, and he's gotten a lot better at acting human again. Finally.

It's much later, when he feels a little more settled, that Bucky finally makes his way to the training room. Even with the offer of a reward though, he isn't in a rush to get involved. Not when he knows just how easily he could hurt somebody. Its been more than eighty years since he last fought to win instead of kill. Since he sparred with a partner, or fought off whatever bully Steve had managed to end up facing off against that week. Since then, every fight has ended in loss and bloodshed. A soldier fighting the enemy, a weapon directed, an asset unleashed.

So rather than jump right in, he ends up keeping to the edges. Ends up watching as people trickle in and out of the room. He's missing out by not getting involved. He knows that. But he knows what the true end goal is here. So when it comes to having his regrets undone, he won't miss out.]

// PART III. READY STEADY GO

[It's with a (half) full stomach that Bucky finally makes his way to the simulation room. There's time spent going through the supplies he's given, familiar of course, but entirely generic. Unrevealing of what's in store. When the mission is given though, it's met with relief. It may only be a test, a simulation of what's to come, but he's grateful that it seems to be a relatively straight-forward task. That they aren't expected to face off against an unknown enemy along the way.

(Retrieve the orb at all costs. Leave any possible trapped individuals to fend for themselves.)

Perhaps it isn't as straight-forward as he thought.

At the mines, Bucky opts for the tunnels over the other options. If he moves carefully, keeps track of every turn he makes, then he should be fine. It's easier than climbing down, and safer than swimming through. But still, he stays on guard, flashlight in his right hand, a knife in his left. Vibranium arm or not, he still needs something to defend himself with. Just in case. And that quickly proves to be the right decision when he first catches sight of a glint of light in the distance. A pair of eyes- Scratch that. Pairs of eyes staring back at him. Something is down there, and the sudden echoing silence makes it clear that they know he's here. All of them.

He makes it all of three steps closer before there's the sound of feet scurrying towards him, screeches of anger bouncing off the walls. And then there's teeth wrapping round a metal arm, snapping under the pressure and still not giving up.]

Shit.

[Well, he made it half a day before getting dragged in to a fight. Apparently his newest role now is as an exterminator. And if anyone nearby wants to join in, there's plenty to go round.]

[ooc: Bucky's coming from post-FATWS. So while he won't openly talk about anything that happened, please let me know if you'd like to avoid spoilers and I'll keep it out of his introspection.]

Edited 2021-05-22 22:35 (UTC)

[There are a lot of potentially triggering things in Cal's backstory and while he's not likely to discuss them with strangers, I would still like people to be aware of them. I have a detailed permissions post here, please check if there is anything there that you would be uncomfortable with before responding. Thank you in advance!]

1.0 - Early to Rise

He can still feel the blood on him when he wakes, clean, in a bed that he's never been in, in a place he's never seen. More beds surround him, but he barely registers them--or if they're at all occupied. He's too distracted for the moment, staring at the ceiling and struggling to grasp at the remaining threads of a dream he only half-recalls.

Erasing his biggest regret is going to take some fucking miracles, but he's here, so maybe that indicates something. He can't really allow himself to hope that maybe this will actually work, but...well. At least the mystery dreamweaver seems to be starting off well enough.

It takes him several more minutes before Cal dares to sit up and look around. There are other people in the beds, but they seem, for the most part, to still be sleeping. Or else lying there like he'd been. Either way, maybe he can sneak out of the room before he's noticed. That would be far too perfect.

God, he could use a cigarette.

7.0 - Ain't No Sunshine

It's not real, but it still seems far too...cheerful. There shouldn't be anything like this left in the world, even though he knows, intellectually, that the world will go on despite his wishes, it still seems unfair. Pell is dead, and Pell was all of the light in the world. It should have vanished when he did.

And despite knowing that it's as real as an orange sky, it still feels real, and the cognitive dissonance is disorienting. Sort of like realizing in an instant that the one har who mattered is gone. Only far less bloody.

With his face raised toward the "sky," he closes his eyes and just breathes for a moment. He doesn't smile. He doesn't even move for several minutes, before abruptly opening his eyes, glaring at nothing in particular, and moving toward the exit with a soft "fuck" muttered under his breath.

9.0 - Creatures in the Dark

In Cal's mind, it doesn't rightfully matter which way he chooses--either he finds what he's looking for, or he dies. Whichever way it turns out, he'll be satisfied. He finds the damn orb, or he gets to be with Pell sooner rather than later.

Still, he pauses at the crossroads, evaluating the paths before him, mostly by glaring at the darkness, seemingly daring it to come and take him. Likely, he's worse than anything it can throw at him, anyway, and if not, he's not afraid. He will walk smiling into Hell with the rest of the demons sent to take him there.

"Well then, forward into the dark, I suppose."

4.0 the welcome wagon

( it's been many years since aleksander felt actual scarcity in supplies, but through them, he's never forgotten the bitter bite of hunger. so, in a way, he's prepared for this. kept his grisha humble through the years, kept himself efficient with survival. papochka in a way, he knows people need comfort after the trials they've been through thus far. the militant general in him knows soldiers need food before battle. it is, as they say, two birds with one big pot of stew.

so it's an old mama recipe he works on. baghra's wrinkled hands, he remembers, soft only when dealing with hen eggs and their delicate yolks, and even that was after delivering a swift crack. it's some hearty dish, making the most with what's at his hands, sniffing around canned foods suspiciously but making his way regardless. he hasn't personally cooked in a long time, and when he did, he served hundreds of grisha — let's say he doesn't know how to dial back the recipe, craning himself over a huge pot.

aleksander morozova, the darkling, an immortal man over four hundred years old, made domestic. )

Hungry? ( he asks, a weirdly dark and severe presence while lifting a spoon up to his mouth to taste. interestedly, he tilts his head, some lilt of playfulness finding its way to his voice. ) Or helping?

9.0 ready steady go

( darkness may become the darkling, shadows an obvious extension of who he is, but disquiet still fills his chest as the dark settles darker, the further into the cave they wander. in fact, he greatly prefers the light, a realization that does feel like his own senses mocking him at his point, with old realities just out of grasp. a little like the steadily disappearing light behind them, the total darkness swift to follow.

finding himself relating to a barren cave filled with monsters. how poetically dullard. even aleksander is annoyed with himself.

the skittering starts soon enough. almost exhausted by threats, aleksander takes the arm of whoever's leading, giving them a short tug back. )

Get behind me.

( rats have the advantage in the dark, but what they don't know is it makes aleksander stronger, too. goal at the back of his mind, help a teammate during the mission, the steps towards the rat pack, shadows gathering deeper, darker, true black around his fingers. )

?.? wildcard

( feel free to byop, or hmu through pm if you have any questions or ideas, heh. )

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