SPRING TDM.

[ximilian]

● ● ● T D M . 0 8

GET IT IN WRITING • YOUR NEW NORMAL • CHANGE OF FACE • FYI

// PART I. get it in writing  

… What are you willing to do to erase your regret from existence?

The words ring in your ears as in the darkness of your dream, a teal glow pulses, slowly enveloping you. It is not a feeling of comfort that surrounds you, though — as a distorted voice whispers in your ear, you feel it: cold dread, and a sudden certainty that everything is about to be irrevocably changed.

It is to this daunting realization that you wake, and as your heart slows into something resembling a normal tempo, you notice something you should have noticed immediately: you are not in your bed.

1.0   White walls, clinical yet clean, sparsely-furnished rooms. You may wake in one of three rooms: a room with only one bed, a room with two beds, or a room with four beds. Those waking up in rooms with more than one bed notice that they are very much not alone. Perhaps the other occupants of the room are still sleeping, dreaming the same dream as you just did, or a regular one after returning to the station just a few days ago … or perhaps you wake to the other person in the room watching you.

What you do is entirely up to you: yell in surprise when you wake to someone staring at you? Or maybe you’ll try to sneak away before anyone notices you...

2.0   Those with life-threatening injuries find themselves awakening in the infirmary, in a regular hospital bed. Most of their injuries have been treated, and any lingering illnesses or conditions will have designated medicine bottles on the table next to the bed.

White curtains surround the bed on both sides, giving an illusion of privacy. But is that a rustling sound you hear? Some footsteps? Perhaps you’re not the only one in need of some medical attention... or you've attracted the attention of those with experience in medical aid, and they rush to your bedside, surprised about this sudden new patient.

It is not just for your injuries that you may want some company, but also for leaving the infirmary — you can’t stay there forever, after all, and will have to make your way through the hallways of the station to the living quarters, and claim a room and a bed there.

Once you’re up, you may notice there’s something in your ear: an earpiece that, when you become aware of it, quickly runs you through the instructions for how to use the network, a recorded message by a female voice that explains exactly why you’re here… and leaves you with a map of the station.

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// PART II. your new normal  

So what else is there to do but to explore? Best get to know what is now your new home.

3.0   When trying to decide where yo go, you may find your way to the armory, where you can try to work the machine there to make yourself a weapon — perhaps to replace one that didn’t come with you to the station… or maybe you want to be prepared for the future. The recently-returned team members will surely recommend having a functional weapon with you.

4.0   After you’ve exhausted yourself training, it’s time to grab a bite. For that, you should head to the kitchen, which is equipped with all the basic appliances you might need, and ingredients for most regular dishes.

5.0   A welcome reprieve to the cold, dark space that surrounds the characters can be found in the sunlight room. A skillful illusion surrounds anyone who steps inside the room: you can hear the trilling of birds, feel a light breeze caress your skin as you walk through a grass field. It seems that the illusion reflects the season — the leaves have fallen, a layer of white covers the ground, and the air is crisp and clean. If you follow the path, it leads to where a bridge rises over a brook that has now iced over — but maybe don't try your luck walking on it, as the ice may crack underneath your feet and you'll find yourself plunging into the freezing water.

With an illusion so authentic it may leave you longing for some hot chocolate, it is easy to forget you are in space at all. Perhaps that gives you comfort, or just makes you miss the real nature all the more.

6.0   If you’d rather choose tinkering over nature, the lab is guaranteed to provide you with some entertainment. Glass vials and jars of chemicals sit on shelves in a surprisingly beautiful display of colour on one side of the room, while the other side of the room contains stacks of boxes containing assorted equipment: cords, bolts, panels, buttons, gears, gadgets, gizmos, and thingamabobs. The downside is that the parts available seem to have no apparent method to their sorting. So get digging, and you may just find exactly what you need to make what you’ve always wanted to make!

7.0   As you wander back towards the common areas, you may notice a room off to the side. The room takes up a chunk of the common area, and on its unassuming door is a little plaque that reads, 'The Ximusic room'. Should you enter, you will find a sound-proofed practice room that contains — yes, you guessed it, band equipment that even the most musically inclined should be satisfied with. So pick up an instrument, saunter up to the microphone to belt out your favourite tunes, or take a seat at the side of the room and enjoy others' playing.

8.0   If it’s items you’re lacking, though, some time after your arrival, the earpiece alerts you to a new message.

// VIVECA

Hello, everyone. I hope you've had time to rest, and those new here have got used to being here. Those who’ve been here for longer know the deal, but to the new arrivals: we've got a drop of new supplies. I hope all of you find useful things among them. Anything specifically requested will come with a name tag. We're working on locating the next orb, but in the meantime... I hope those who have just returned get some rest, and those who have just arrived read up on what is expected of you during missions.

As you make your way to the platform, you'll see there is nothing amiss in the neat piles of items on it. There’s clothes, shoes, dishware, skincare, books… even a couple of CDs, and a few cute stuffed animals. So sort through what there is and grab what you want, before someone else does!

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// PART III. change of face  

(CW: POTENTIAL BODY MODIFICATION)

Whether you’re a quick study and you’ve become settled into life on the station, or you want to get the full lay of the land (in a manner of speaking) first, if you decide to explore the hall past the control room, you’ll eventually come across the simulation room.

Step past the threshold and the doors will slide shut with a quiet woosh. Nothing suspicious; nothing to worry about. But before you can really get a sense of your environment (a grey, large-ish empty room, no furniture, no discernable objects to provide markers), the room goes dark, and then … there’s really no other way to describe it: the room transforms.

You find yourself in a club. The music is upbeat, loud, but not too loud. Down a short flight of steps flanking the bar and seating is the open floor with more tables and booths bathed in a warm, dim glow of light, and at the very end of the room is a stage with its bright spotlight showcasing its performers — though, at the moment, the stage is empty.

9.0   When you take a step forward, you’ll feel a presence gently push at your chest or your shoulder — a tall and jovial man resembling a well-dressed bartender from the top up (the rest of him appears to move along wheels) approaches with a tall flute glass in hand. Its contents are sparkly and blue.

“Hello, there. Care for a drink? I’m afraid you won’t be allowed to continue until you do, and I assure you this is entirely safe. All effects you might experience remain only so long as you participate in this simulation.

Will you proceed? Please respond ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.”

There’s something a little strange about his voice, a cadence that doesn’t sound quite natural even when the simulation is so realistic otherwise. Once you’ve given your consent, the bartender continues.

“One thing you should know: there is an orb within this club. This drink will aid in your ultimate retrieval of the orb. To better blend in with our patrons, you may experience temporary changes within your body. Good luck.”

10.0   It seems the bartender wasn’t lying. Once you’ve allowed the drink (tasty, sweet-but-not-too-sweet, effervescent, with light notes of your fondest childhood memory) to settle in your stomach you might experience a myriad of effects on your body, ranging from a change in skin colour (pink? green? blue with spots?), an additional limb or two (or three), a tail or wings, or cybernetic parts such as lie-detecting eyes or a tongue that can uncover truths and lies in others. If you happen to find another Orber within the room and both of you have consumed the offered drink, you might find yourself experiencing a full bodyswap.

None of the changes are painful; if anything, they might not even be noticeable until you look into a mirror, look down at your limb-in-question, or your companion points it out.

11.0   The moment you approach the stage, a performer will appear as if out of thin air and begin to sing, her voice strong and smoky and melodic. Her enthralling performance could put you into a trance, but you have an orb to find and a personal task to accomplish, so it’s time to put your best foot forward and do a little investigating.

Talking to some of the patrons might prove fruitful as some of them are convinced that the stage has never sounded or looked so good, like there’s something giving performers that extra oomph that no one can explain. It might be wise to wait until that last performance before you sneak up there — or maybe you want to do a little snooping around now, you know, while everyone’s distracted. Strategize with your fellow Orbers and uncover the location of this hidden orb.

● ● ●

N O T E:   The effects of the drink and the level of changes your character experiences is entirely up to you. Patrons of this fine club won’t bat an eye if you look a little like them.

Additionally, there are three personal tasks provided to each character as they enter the simulation. In-game, each character will be given one task. For the purposes of the test drive, we’re leaving it to players to pick a task for their character and run with it.

A   Say the opposite of what you mean during the simulation.

B   Create a scene with an unsuspecting teammate.

C   Get up on stage and put on a performance during the simulation.

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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 open February 19!
• Apps open February 24.
• For any questions regarding TDM, please direct them here. For questions about the game, please refer to the FAQ.

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FOR SOME FUN:
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Comments

cal kestis | jedi: fallen order

[hindsights]

[ SMALL SPOILERS FOR JEDI FALLEN ORDER! ]

PART I;

i. wake up;

[ waking up on a space ship isn't a new thing for cal; space has been home for a long time. longer than bracca was, longer than even his new ship is. the mantis is home and cal knows the sound of it. he opens his eyes and stares at the unfamiliar ceiling, reaches out and finds that he cannot sense cere or hear greez trying to fish the bogling out of the vents.

he moves slowly, carefully as he pushes himself up to examine what's going on. his dual-sided lightsaber is at his side and cal reaches out to wrap his hand around the handle, holding on to it as he swings his legs over the side of the bed.

there's another one on the other side of the room and, oh, that's got some personality doesn't it. he frowns, narrowing his eyes as he hears the door open. he jumps to his feet, holding the weapon behind his back. ] What's going on here?

[ the words are cautious as the jedi narrows his eyes, level. he tries to tap into the force, into memory, but the last thing doesn't make sense. ]

iii. armory;

[ if nothing else, the training room is a breath of fresh air. cal's thankful for the fact he can make weapons here and set up anything he needs.

for his part, he chooses to set up a few training droids that float around and allow him to chase after them. after mustafar, he's shaken in his own ability and what he knows. there's no time to waste, even if he's not home.

so he does what he hasn't done since leaving bracca --- he trains. lightsaber disconnected into two halves, he wields the blades with skills learned through memory and a too long adventure. maybe cere would have finally taught him something, maybe he could have learned from trilla if she'd been able to escape vader's grips. it's anger that fuels him as he thinks about her words.

'avenge us.'

anger is a dangerous thing, he knows. that's what master tapal had said over and over again. but cal's survived through fear and anger, through hope. so he lets out a scream, slices through two practice droids with a scream and stands over them as they fall to the ground trying to catch his breath. ] Fuck.

iv. kitchen;

[ greens weren't exactly plentiful on bracca. bogano, yes, but cal's not the cook. that was greez's role and they didn't really have any time for something fancy.

so he digs through the fridge for something familiar and instead he finds something he's not sure what to do with it all. he pulls a thick bunch of tiny green flowers out of the fridge, crouched down by a lower drawer and examines it for a moment.

then he looks over his shoulder at whatever soul may be passing by. ] Do people eat this?

vii. music room;

[ music has always made cal feel better, helped him work faster. he doesn't play any instruments of his own but the force helps him pick up pieces, remember songs and recreate them if he can.

so he picks up a guitar left behind, sits down on a stool to drum at the chords. he's not sure who's played the song last but the opening chords are soothing enough. simple before they melt into the sort of music cal likes, rock and roll. he smiles to himself, keeps the song flowing until the memories attached the instrument fade away and he's got nothing to go off of. if he's gathered an audience, he hasn't noticed. not yet. but when he does, he offers a shy smile. ] Any chance you know what comes next?

x. wild card;

[ ooc: feel free to pm or throw a starter my way, i'm down for anything! ]

iii

[inventure]

[ iris has spent the better part of the past hour just roaming around the station, trying to get a feel for where is where (and maybe subconsciously drafting and committing the layout to memory for Reasons). it's pure chance he happens to wander by the armory when he does, at exactly the same moment cal delivers the finishing blow to those poor droids. it's the scream that has the demiflora freezing in his place, right at the armory's threshold, mouth open, gaping. that had been... intense, to put it lightly. but from the rigid set of those shoulders, iris gets the feeling it hadn't been as successful in working off all of this stranger's tension.

he realizes, belatedly, that he'd been staring.

in an effort not to make things awkward and come off like a total loon, iris flashes the jedi a thumbs up. ]

Nice, uh. Nice moves.

[hindsights]

[ cal spins around, blades still in hand. the natural move is to slip into a defensive position but then he sees what he's faced with.

it's just another person; not a monster from his memories, not someone even aiming to attack. so he lowers the lightsabers, turns them off and reconnects the handle to make two into one. he reaches up to rub the back of his neck, offering a smile. ] That's probably not what my--

[ nope. stop that. ] Uh. Thanks.

Did you need the room? I'm pretty much done here.

[inventure]

[ iris' hands come up, palms out. ]

No no, I'm good. The room's all yours.

[ iris? training? ........ yeah okay he probably should, to be honest. but will he? jury's out on that.

he gestures towards the metal handles in cal's hands. ]

Cool swords.

[ were they swords? he's never seen retractable (?) ones before. he's making an educated guess here. ]

[hindsights]

[ cal takes the moment to clip the lightsaber back into it's holster, offering another smile. ] They're lightsabers.

Have you seen one before? [ he guesses not but can't be too careful when on the run.

he's friendly about it, but he's asking because he needs to get a baring of where this person's from. if being a jedi is as dangerous here as anywhere else. ]

iv

[bindsthedead]

Not raw, most of the time.

[The speaker is a tall young woman, who's sorting through boxes of tea. She looks up, spotting another newcomer.]

You cut it up into smaller pieces, and then it can be cooked in a variety of ways- boiled, steamed, roasted... It tastes fine, as long as you don't overcook it.

[hindsights]

Not most of the time? [ maybe there's desperate measures or something. cal rubs the back of his head with his free hand, stands holding the vegetable before look at it. ] What's it taste like?

[ he picks at one of the cloves, looking like he's tempted to pick it off and stuff it into his mouth. three, two, one and yep. he grimaces. ] Oh--- that's--- that's really bitter?

[bindsthedead]

Because while it's not poisonous, it's- [Aand Cal just took a bite, and Sabriel has to stifle a sudden laugh.] Bitter, yes.

I've got some leftovers, if you want them. Or you could just have a sandwich.

[There's always something left over, and most of the crew that can cook are in the habit of making sure there's something around. Plus the assortment of canned and instant foods. Sabriel pulls out a small container of soup- something she'd made yesterday- out of the fridge and takes off the lid.]

Here. There's this this thing called a microwave you can use to reheat things.

[It's some kind of advanced science that Sabriel doesn't fully understand.]

[hindsights]

[ well, no one ever called cal smart. he sets the plant back on the counter, leaving it for someone else to deal with. manners, what manners? ] I'll avoid it for now.

Dos the soup have any of that in it? [ he asks, a small amused smile on his face as he rubs the back of his neck again.

but then when sabriel explains the microwave, he pauses. ] We don't call it that but I've seen one of those before.

iv

[cigars]

Never seen broccoli before?

[ well, ain't that something? columbo stands by the fridge behind, trying to peer past him, less like he's looking for something specific and more like he's just taking in the contents of whatever's in there. finding something good to bite into wouldn't be so bad either. ]

Most people do. Or they're told to. Supposed to be healthy. You know, cause everybody's gotta have their vegetables, right? My wife's gotta sneak it in my meals because otherwise I'd just eat anything covered in some kind of meaty red sauce. Can't help it. It's the Italian in me. Some spaghetti or chili — could live on the stuff. Broccoli?

[ he gives a brief frown before he shrugs. ]

I'm obligated to eat it for the balanced diet.

[hindsights]

... Right. [ cal looks down at the broccoli and then back at his new companion. he reminds him a bit of greez, though he can't place what it is. maybe something about how quickly he talks, saying a lot all at once.

he looks like the sort of guy that might gamble too.

cal shakes his head, pulling himself out of his thoughts. ] We don't have it where I'm from.

Is it still balanced if you're drenching it in meat sauce?

[cigars]

[ columbo pauses to think about the question, lips pressing a little to emphasize his thought. ]

Well, we all gotta slip in our vices somehow.

[ it's not like he does himself any favors with all the cigars he chain smokes. he tried the healthy kick once, all diet and exercise, hitting the gym — didn't take. ]

So, if you don't have broccoli, what do you eat?

[hindsights]

Yours is meat sauce? [ he tilts his head, the corners of his lips lifting upward in a boyish and cheeky smile.

and then the question hits. if he's expecting others to share, cal should expect it. ] Vegetables that aren't like this one and a lot of polystarch portions.

[ it depended on what he earned in a day as as a scrapper on bracca and then on what greez could put together if they had the funds. ] Ever tried those?

iii.

[pangzi]

[ Baixi was looking forward to having the training room to himself, but he stands patiently and watches with interest as the current occupant swings swords made of some kind of light beam at the training robots. When the swords slice the robot clean in half, he can't help but be impressed. ]

Don't worry, I can fix them.

[ He says confidently, not actually knowing whether he can or not. He built Robinbot, so he's fairly sure these training robots can't be all that different. ]

What are those swords made of? Some kind of plasma?

[hindsights]

[ does he almost jump out of his skin at that? yep. cal spins around and looks at the guy who's just spoken. ] You can?

[ even cal can't put them back together that fast, not after a lightsaber strike. then again, the guy didn't say anything about fast. he glances down at the two blades in his hands, looks back up with a bit of hesitation. ] They're lightsabers.

Plasma's close. [ the intricate details of kyber crystals and the inner workings of a lightsaber can be saved for a bit more quesstioning. ] Never seen one before?

[pangzi]

[ For a guy as big as he is, Baixi moves quietly. It's a skill he's had to hone, in his line of work.

Now that he's finally been noticed, he steps forward, kneeling down to examine the bisected robot, the melted edges still smoldering slightly. ]

I think so. I designed and built something similar, back home. The exact mechanics of it might be different, but the principles are the same. It'll take me some time, but it should be doable.

[ These training robots don't seem to have any kind of complicated AI like Robinbot does, so it shouldn't be too hard just to repair the physical forms.

He looks up at the sword hilts, trying to intuit the mechanisms that would power and contain a blade that deadly. ]

No, I can't say I have. Not in that form, anyway.

vii.

[spikedbats]

[ music isn't exactly his forte, but that doesn't stop steve from stopping by the ximusic room every so often. usually he's not the only one, so it's not all that surprising to find someone else already plugging away on the guitar.

what does startle him, though, is that he recognizes the song. it's not a song he listens to often, but it's hard not to know it, especially now that he's been at least attempting to open up his musical horizons. might as well, since who knows how long he's going to be stuck here?

led zeppelin isn't one of the names on eddie's denim vest, but they were mentioned in passing, something about the books about mordor, and as it turns out some of their songs are kind of catchy, so yes, steve finds himself rooted in place, mouth dropped open, as nostalgia and a yearning for home take hold. he almost forgets he's the one cal is directing his question to, considering he is the only one here, and clears his throat to cover up his own embarrassment. ]

Uh, kind of, but I don't really know how to play guitar. I might be able to hum the music, though?

[hindsights]

[ cal nods, he doesn't need the force to see that he's struck a chord with the guy who's stepped into the room. maybe he wasn't the one to play this song on the instrument but it means something to him.

he offers a bit of a wry look and shakes his head. ] That might help but I don't really know how to play it either without watching someone do it.

[ he doesn't want to mention the force, not yet. not until he knows if he's safe. ] What's the name of the song?

[spikedbats]

[ steve lets out a defeated sigh, trying not to let the feeling of uselessness consume him. he knows he's not really useless, but it's been drilled in him long enough that if he's not perfect, then he's not good enough. ]

That's a cool trick, though. Wish I could be more help. [ he smiles wryly as he takes a seat near him and wracks his brain. his memory hasn't been quite what it used to (not that it was anything to celebrate before) from repeated bumps to the head, so it takes him a moment to cycle through all the different tidbits he's picked up over. ]

I think it's...something to do with a stairway? Stairway to Hell? No wait, that's Highway to Hell. Stairway to Heaven! Yeah, that sounds right.

iv

[heyciri]

( investigating the rest of the kitchen, blinking each time she finds something starkly unexplained in her world experienced and endlessly curious, ciri had only avoided the fridge because he'd been taking up its space. or one of them. it's a larger kitchen than some she's known, far smaller than others, and these cupboards keep providing all manner of goods from cans and jars and thin made boxes and wraps and what is most this?

she has a jar of nuts in hand when she looks over to cal, brow furrowed at the item in question. she has to come closer to peer down at it properly. )

If it's in the kitchen, it should be. There's other areas for the dangerous things.

( the medical bay, the place where people could make weapons with the machine she doesn't understand but understand creates. there's a draw to it, the constructive power behind it, but that can be addressed later. )

If it's not meant to be eaten raw, you could... roast it? Or make it part of a soup. Or stew.

( thinking to more recent meals, and less to decadent ones from the majority of her life. sauces could make a great deal of things more delectable than they were on their own, spices likewise. which of what was here she had no idea. )

[hindsights]

I guess a stew is always safer than eating anything raw. [ cal says after a beat to ciri, offering a bit of a small smile. ] I'm not much for cooking or greens.

[ not by choice, really, but by circumstances. bracca was too far out for fresh food to arrive quickly or to be within a scrapper's pay, so cal ate more dehydrated portion packets and polystarch portions than he could count. none of it tasty but it kept him alive.

greez brought more greens to his diet and now he regrets that he doesn't know how to cook them at all. ] I'm too new to know where everything in the kitchen is to actually roast it.

[ and then realizing he's new and she may have been here longer, may know something--- ] I'm Cal. I just got here.

[heyciri]

( a pause before a similar response to what he's offered: better manners than hers have been so far, really. )

Ciri. I just arrived too, in the last day. I don't know where everything is, but if you want a pot, I know where those are.

( looking through the cabinets before had solved that mystery, if less so for how the cooking surfaces in this kitchen worked. she gestures toward the cabinet in question, belatedly tacking on a: )

It's nice to meet you, Cal.

( nice to meet most anyone here, since there's no one to have any interest in what or who she is beyond being an asset to their overall team. or at least not the kind of negative interest that she's running from back home. )

i.

[edraith]

Oh —

[ she hadn't expected to see anyone in the room as she entered, and so lúthien's grey eyes widen, her hands raised in front of her without a second thought, to placate. ]

Easy, child. If I am not mistaken... I was in your position just some time ago. You are on the Ximilia, a new member of this team. Here because of a regret, is that not true?

[hindsights]

[ there's something immediately calming about the woman standing in front of him, graceful and soft in her movements and tone. cal swallows and lets his shoulders drop just a hint.

her words make sense but-- ] Then it wasn't a vision or a dream?

[ he feels grateful for it and then confused. what sort of thing can pull someone to another place in their sleep? the force, yes, but he's not sure that's what at work here. then again, he's just woken up and looks more like a school-boy that's overslept than a fugitive with a weapon behind his back. ] I--- Thought it was a dream.

[ he drops his hands to his side, revealing the lightsaber handle he'd been concealing. ]

[edraith]

Nay, that it was not.

[ her tone is quiet, almost apologetic — before she realises that he doesn't seem upset about it all. but then... he is here. she remembers still how she had felt, upon realising that the voice she had heard had been real.

she notices the thing in his hand, but it has no meaning to her — a capsule of some kind? ]

We are all here for the same purpose — to find magical objects of great power, the ones those here call orbs, in order to be able to undo something we wish had never happened.