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SPRING TDM.
● ● ● T D M . 0 8
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.
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.
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!
(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.
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.
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.
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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.
F Y I
• 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.
FOR SOME FUN:
Have a clue about the upcoming mission—
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No, Finn, I'm gonna come around! Don't just--
[Aaand, there he went. Skidding out onto the ice, nearly falling on his face. Jake accepts defeat with a sigh, sitting down in the lukewarm snow to wait out Finn's breathlessly determined yet insufferably slow approach.
Jake is halfway through his third mini-snowman by the time Finn comes crashing onto the bank, face bright red from all the huffing and puffing. It's a convincing mask, clouding the signs of exhaustion and hardship that marked Finn's face over the course of his time here. When Jake stands, kicking some snow at him with a laugh, there's only endearment in his teasing tone. No worry. What did he have to be worried about?]
Uh, okay, weirdo. [He's grinning wider now, emotion pricking at Jake's eyes despite his best efforts. He'd already made his peace with never seeing Finn again, at least not until death brought them back together. It was one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do; even harder than accepting death itself.
Maybe he wasn't as peace with it as he thought he was. Seeing Finn now, it feels impossible to even imagine.]
But sure, alright, how's this? [With a single wide step, Jake's closes the remaining distances between them. Without breaking his momentum, the dog winds his arms around his little brother in a tight coiling hug.] Your favorite song's 'Three Baby--'
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[Only the real Jake would come in hard with a reputation ruining fact like that one. But honestly, Finn doesn’t even care. The familiar loop of Jake’s arms around him in a tight hug pushes any doubt out of his mind. Any worry about being embarrassed by some old baby song. All his worries about the people on the station, about the orbs, about his role here, about who needed his help, and who needed their space and a million other things pressing in from all sides at any given time. It all fades away, like distant white noise.
Finn grabs Jake’s arm, holding tightly and looking at him, eyes filled with tears.]
You’re really here…
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Granted, they at least had the phone. Maybe that was the difference between then and now...? Contact?]
Aw, buddy, it's okay. [Jake's tone is encouraging, attempting to keep things light with a quick noogie.] Listen, I dunno how you did it, but whatever you pulled to get us on this ship must've worked. Smoothing sailing back to Ooo, right?
[ Jake's sure Viveca mentioned there was a way back to their home dimensions aboard the Ximilia. Well, almost sure, he was only half listening. ]
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What…what are you talking about? [Finn couldn’t hold back his tears any longer, the flood of mingled happiness and relief and maybe a lot of other things he’d been holding back for weeks now hitting him like a wall. He buries his face against the side of Jake’s head, squeezing him in a tight hug. Holding onto him like this, Finn notices his brother feels strange. Sort of…smaller? Less substantial. Was that just his memory playing tricks on him?]
I’ve missed you so much, Jake. I’m sorry I left… [His voice comes muffled; choked with emotion. It would have been inaudible if he weren’t so close to Jake’s ear.] I’m really, really sorry.
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They'd been here before, the two of them. Jake's sure they would be here again. So then why did the brittle, insistent way Finn held onto him feel so... new? Jake grows a little bigger instinctively, both to give Finn more to hold onto and grant himself the room to get a better look at the kid.]
That's my line, dude. [He frowns, genuine concern creeping up past his perpetual, purposeful chill.] What're you talking about? You didn't leave me, bro.
[He was the one who left. Right?]
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We can talk about that later. I’m just. I’m so happy you’re here, man. [He wipes his face, wet with tears, but finally smiling.] Everyone here thinks you can’t even eat a potato raw.
[His tone had shifted, joking a little as some of the initial shock and stress gave way to better feelings. Hugging Jake had a profound calming effect on Finn. All warm memories and dog smell and the hundreds and hundreds of time he’d been hurt or scared or angry and Jake had scooped him up and made that all go away. Maybe he wasn’t a baby anymore, but he hadn’t grown out of needing his brother just yet.]
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[Now that Finn no longer seemed compelled to cling, Jake could actually get a decent look at him. Physically, nothing out of the ordinary jumped out to Jake. His hair was a bit longer than he remembered, but the kid's hair always grew crazy fast. Nothing unusual there.
There were some cuts. One on his cheek, a few more down his neck, down his arm. That was also par for the course with Finn; Jake stopped getting worked up over those little scrapes and bruises a long time ago. Finn was always showing up with new ones from who knows where, and Jake's nerves would never get a rest otherwise.
So then why did Finn look so hollowed out around the eyes? Was he imagining it? Jake swallows the looming threat of later, growing to a rideable size and shape before wordlessly inviting Finn to hop on.]
Speaking of potatoes, you hungry? [For something other than potatoes. Jake didn't regret his pantry feast, it was just about the only thing keeping him standing right now, but those starchy dirt-eggs were weighing down his stomach something fierce. Maybe everyone else had it right. Maybe you shouldn't eat raw potatoes.] That kitchen down there was pretty stocked, I could probably whip us up something easy.
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I’m starving!
[The Finn that Jake knew was starting to really come out now. All enthusiasm and a big smile as he climbs up on Jake’s back. The walk really wasn’t far, but old habits die hard. And before he can even ask, Finn was offering up his request in singsong demand-]
Meatloaf! Meatloaf!
1/2
The simplicity of taking off at a loping gate, his little brother holding tight to his fur, in pursuit of the comforts of home... It was a nostalgic place to disappear to, and not just for Finn. They could put the realities aside for a little while. Questions could come later. ]
Hehe, alright, buddy. [ Was his meatloaf recipe simple? Not on your life. But Finn could've probably asked for asiago souffle garnished with the bonemeal of a baybeast and gotten it from Jake right now. ] Double-meatloaf, coming atcha.
2/2
Walking through the mess now, Jake barely recognizes it. While there was no enforced dinner time aboard the Ximilia, many people filtered in around the same time. The culinarily-inclined would prepare bigger portions, the culinarily-disinclined would gratefully accept them. It wasn't a party atmosphere, no, but it was a place to relax and socialize. In that sense, Jake thinks, the ship wasn't that different than anywhere else he's been.
Except for one thing: Finn. Since he was a little kid, Finn's circle of friends was well-trod territory for Jake. The ones he wasn't friends with himself, Jake at least knew their names and a rough bio. Here, surrounded by complete strangers, Finn looked completely at ease with them. He even waved a few times.
It wasn't a bad thing, not necessarily. It was even comforting, knowing that Finn had built himself a little community in the months without him. But that didn't make Jake feel any less odd, watching it play out in front of him.
Out of the mess and into the kitchen, Jake breaks from Finn with a quick elbow to the side and a quicker grin. ]
Mr. Popular, over here!
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Yeah, well, everyone here is super nice. I can’t wait for you to really meet everyone, you’re gonna gonna love them. They’re gonna love you! [Finn chatters confidently as he starts taking out some of the tools he knew Jake was going to need. He was very familiar with where things were kept, often taking them out and putting them away for other people while they cooked.]
It’s…weird? There being so many humans here and not a lot of anyone else. But…they’re not really like the humans back home either. They’re a lot more like…me.
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He accepts the peeler from Finn, smiling supportively. It's a good thing, that level of comfort. Almost like being home. It's hard not to hear that small note in Finn's voice when he all but says so himself. ]
Yeah? Good weird though, right?
[ After a quick pat on the arm, Jake stretches toward the fridge to get a handle on the protein situation. ]
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[He turns the oven on to preheat. He didn’t actually know what temperature to set it to, but it didn’t really matter. Their oven at home was old as griz, it didn’t even have a temperature setting or display. Jake just used a thermometer and cooked until the food was done.]
I think I’ve made a lot of dumb mistakes, but…it’s cool getting to know what humans are like in other places.
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Jake sniffs the last package; beef, and with a pretty good fat content too. Oh, yeah. That'll do it. ]
Aw, I bet whatever you did wasn't so bad! [ He shuts the fridge door, carting the meat over to the bowl Finn already set out for him. ] And trust me, it isn't gonna be half as embarrassing as all the stuff I'm gonna tell 'em.
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Jake, you better not. [His tone was a warning; if the warning was, ‘if you embarrass me I will be upset with you and maybe cry.’ He places several pieces of thick cut white bread into the bowl, prodding them until they were fully submerged.] Jake, you’d better not!
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Non-stick? You know better than that, bro. Where do they keep the cast-iron around here?
[ There would be no reassurances here today, Finn. The price of getting your big brother back is that you will be embarrassed and there will be no escape. ]
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This is what they got, bro. [He shrugs apologetically, looking thoughtful.] Maybe we can ask Viv if we can get some cast iron biz next supply drop. She can get most small stuff you need, it just takes a little while.
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Oh trust me, I'll be making a list. I'm not even seeing a panini brick, dude!
[ It should have been a small thing, but it suddenly felt so huge. His kitchen was his sacred space back home, filled with years of tools honed to execute their functions perfectly. His Super Porp biscuit cutter, his yeti-pelt pastry brush, how long was he going to go without that stuff?
Because from the way Finn was talking, the way he seemed so settled... it was starting to feel like a long time. ]
But, it's fine. [ Jake says, abruptly, forcing his usual sort of easy brightness. From the last drawer, he pulls a microplane. At least they had one of those ] It's fine. C'mon, get me some onions and tell me about the people you've met here. Chef needs his entertainment!
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It was a familiar scenario; Jake cooking an elaborate meal while Finn played sous chef (generously speaking) and rattled on about his day or some new thing he’d seen or question he had. You could almost forget the surroundings being so wildly different than their home; no warm sunlight streaming through the windows or sounds of birds outside, or the comfortable coziness of their much smaller kitchen. Finn had started to get used to it, but everything here felt comparatively…cold. Artificial lights, and cool whites and stainless steel. ]
Yeah? Okay, where should I start? [Finn was already pulling up the directory of names of everyone aboard the ship, excited to start catching Jake up on everything and everyone. Under normal circumstances, they were in constant communication, telling each other practically everything going on in their respective lives and heads. Three months was a long time, and Jake? He had a big storm comin’.] You want me to just go down the list?
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Better that Finn sit and keep him company from here on out. That was an important job, too. ]
They're all randos to me, dude. [ He cuts the onion lengthwise, setting his microplane to the lengthy task of grating. ] List 'em by shoe size if you want.
STEVE
Guess I should start with my roommate, Steve! [It strikes Finn as momentarily strange to be calling someone his roommate to his brother, the person who had been his roommate for the better part of the past twelve years or so. A small, but somewhat potent reminder of how very long these three months had been, and how much had changed.]
He’s a really cool guy Jake, you’ll love him. He’s super funny, makes a killer grilled cheese, and he knows like, everything about doing hair. And he’s only a couple years older than me! [Another small but significant thing; Finn had known hardly any humans, and all the ones he had known were well and fully adults, many years older than him.]
When I first got here, he was…one of the first people to really make me feel kind of, at home, you know? I think he’s got people he misses a lot too, so it helped to hang out and sort of talk about that.
[Finn holds back part of what he was thinking…that in many ways, Steve wasn’t just a devastatingly cool friend (with maybe some secret shades of dork), but he felt like a brother figure too.
But Finn didn’t want to make Jake feel like he’d spent his time on Ximilia replacing him. Never mind that he did already have more than one brother back home. What’s another? What’s another two or three? You couldn’t have too many bros.]
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[ First onion half grated, Jake switches to the second. These onions were pretty big, maybe he'd only do the one. Time would tell. ]
You got any other roommates, or just the pair of youse?
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[Finn assumes, with no prompting or evidence at all that this is something high on Jake’s concerns list. Definitely not his own anxiety. ]
Okay, who else… [Finn taps his chin, thinking back to that first week. The people who’d first reached out, made connections with him. That seemed as good a place as any to work from.]
Oh! Have you met Marta? She also makes me grilled cheese sometimes. [ A running theme.] She’s a human, dark hair, really pretty, about, mm. This tall? [He holds up a hand to indicate, as if that means anything to Jake.]
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Finn could get so anxious about those things, so eager to fix a feeling when it wasn't even really a problem. When it just was. Better to let this one slide out of kindness. Besides, he had onions to attend to. ]
Nope, not ringing any bells.
MARTA
She’s got kind of…mom energy? If you know what I mean? [It wasn’t clear if Finn was talking about a general mom energy, or one of his own two moms, but he’s confident Jake can tease out the nuance. Or at least understand the lack of specificity.] And she’s really…kind. Like, I think she cares about people more than almost anyone I’ve ever met. She really, really cares.
[His tone was admiring. He respected her quite a lot and it was clear in the fond way he spoke that she’d left something of an impression on him.]
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KOVACS
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ANDY
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JORIC
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KAZUMA
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RYUNOSUKE
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YUJIN
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MCCOY
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SABRIEL
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NATASHA & YELENA
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NEWT
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HELEN
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WEI WUXIAN
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FELIX
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GWEN
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GWEN, CNT’D
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ZIGGY
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ITACHI
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