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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.
● ● ●
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—
you know i can't resist a good wildcard
That was kinda sad to think about so Zhao didn't think about it. He was grateful for those that were still left.
What he would never in a million years expect was to find someone he knew from home show up. Which was great because it meant he could just go about his day and meet new people randomly as they showed up. Or he could read the roster of people later and catch up. The point being... well, he didn't go looking. He just went about his day.
And today was a good day to stay in the kitchen. So there Zhao was, cooking up a plethora of meals in the kitchen. His way of saying hello, perhaps. Eventually everyone made their way to the kitchen in order to find out what was available to eat anyway.
Whatever was cooking, it definitely smelled good.]
no subject
Which gave him a tiny pang of...what? He couldn't really say what it meant. He hadn't even known them that long. Can you miss something you've only known for a short time?
Bothered by this feeling, he wandered his way toward the kitchen. Finding food would keep his strength up and allow him to sort through everything he'd learned up to this point.
He smelled something familiar. Almost as though he were back home and Zhao was making do with the tiny kitchen in Survive and cooking a feast for their group. He'd have to see who was doing a fantastic job of making his stomach growl.]
Excuse me, are you making samgye tang?
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No. Why, do you want some? Because I can probably scrounge up the ingredients for it.
[He answered without turning to look at the person behind him. His tone of voice was casual and easy-going as it tended to be. Especially here. He had no reason not to be relaxed and social in this tiny community that only slightly knew of his past.
Zhao finished working on one of the meals he was cooking and set it aside. Then he turned down the heat on one of the dishes still cooking on the stove and finally, finally he turned around to take a look at the person who asked the question.
His eyes widened slightly but the surprise was hidden by the disbelieving smirk that covered it up instead. It was certainly a sight.]
Ne, what are you doing here? Don't say anything that'll suck to hear like someone died, all right? I don't wanna hear it.
no subject
When he sees that it IS his friend, he blinks in surprise. Then his thoughts quickly come into alignment leading to an obvious conclusion. An incorrect one.]
I should just checked the kitchen first because if we're all stuck here, of course this is where you'll end up. I didn't see Kasuga-san anywhere, but he's probably where all the video games are.
Have you seen anyone else, Zhao?
no subject
Nah, haven't seen any of us on the station since I got here. And I don't think anyone was here before I was... except Majima. Don't ask. It was a trip and a half with that one.
[Not because of what might have been the obvious reason--the insanity of the Mad Dog--but rather because of timeline shenanigans. It had been the same Majima, and yet very decidedly not considering how young he had been. It was nuts.
Thinking about Majima's absence would eventually make Zhao sad though so he continued the conversation before anything more could be said about it.]
You... you didn't notice I was gone, did you? [a slightly lengthy pause and then:] I've been here for over a year now.
no subject
Well, if Majima-san was here, I'm glad he was less...lethal. [Between him and Saejima, Joon-gi felt like each of his ribs had been individually and lovingly bruised.
The next bit of information elicits genuine confusion. He frowns.]
I...how is that possible? I was just with you. We were just having the usual drunken karaoke at Survive. Nanba was singing, then we all passed out upstairs. Just...happy to have survived everything with Tendo and Masato.
Is this some kind of odd...side effect of being on this ship?
no subject
Something like that.
It's the way the orbs grab people. It's not always the same for everyone, and time doesn't really matter to them. We're sorta...outside of normal time, and especially not on the same timeline as the one back home.
The orbs thrive on chaos. The more confusing the timeline shenanigans, the more likely they enjoy it. [He shrugged in a 'what can you do' sort of way.]
no subject
[But the thought that Zhao might have been stuck here more than a year?
Like everyone else in their little band, they told Ichiban a lot of their stories. It was hard to ignore a charismatic man like him. They hadn't quite been so open among everyone else.
Except that Joon-gi had had the opportunity to know Zhao for a few years (if not very well). He'd always seemed alone. Being a part of the group gave him a different appreciation for Zhao. Enough to call him friend and to see him just flourish in their midst. To have that taken away might have been a lot harder than it seemed. Then again, Zhao always enjoyed being lighthearted, even about his past trauma.]
Well. For what it's worth, I am here. I suppose the only thing I can do is try to wrap my brain about where we are and you can let me know what you've found out.
no subject
He smiled faintly at Han's attempt at...levity? comfort? kindness? Whichever it was, it made Zhao smile. It was the thought that counted.
What Han didn't know was that behind the smile was sadness. Zhao knew more than he was letting on, and the fact that Han didn't know all the ways this deal worked (yet) meant Han didn't have the knowledge to know that it was Zhao's choice to leave his friends behind. Sure, the Chinese man hadn't known the extent to his deal at the beginning but it had been over a year now--and Zhao knew things now that he didn't then. And yet he was still here. He chose to be here despite what he knew.
He shrugged and continued the conversation, none of his thoughts making it to the forefront of his demeanor.]
Sure thing, Han-san. It's good to see you... [Not that he really wanted anyone from back home to be here, but it was good to see someone from his past. It also tugged at his heart a bit. He shoved that down deep on instinct.] Hope you like spending lots of time idling about a space station because that's gonna be a thing for a bit.
Maybe not too much longer though... then there's the missions. That's when the real fun starts. But let's take it slow. What do you wanna know about first?
no subject
Secondly, while I'm eating, maybe explain a little bit about the missions and what exactly they entail. I have a feeling they're not going to be like Kasuga-san's missions with Part-Time Hero or whatever that organization he keeps talking about.
[At the very least having a meal and a mission briefing would give him more control over everything that had happened to him in the last few hours.]
no subject
[So the gangster began to prepare the dishes for consumption. Starting with the one already finished. It was probably best if it was eaten while it remained hot anyway so this was a good thing honestly. Then Zhao returned to the second dish and declared it would be fine as is and prepared it, too.
Everything gathered, he brought it out to the cafeteria so that Joon-gi could eat while sitting and Zhao could lounge in a chair opposite him while talking.]
So, what are the missions like, huh? Well, they're certainly not a cake walk that's for certain. They typically start off with us trying to find the orb first, how it got there, if it was found by locals, where it was found, when, where it's been, where it is currently. Once we figure out that last one, we gotta find a way to get it and resolve any bargains it could currently be in otherwise we don't make it back home. Here. To the station. Or... home home either for that matter.
no subject
[He has a question that he doesn't ask: was Zhao still here because of all the missions he had to do and failed or because he succeeded and it's like an odd prison sentence? Maybe he'd have to go on one and find out. He's cleaning up on his meal because that's one did when Zhao cooked. Delicious as always.]
In your experience, how difficult have missions been?
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[Han should probably ask that question of his. See if he liked the answer. The way Han is acting about all of this... Zhao is beginning to suspect that his friend doesn't understand what sort of bargain he got himself into. Or maybe even forgot about it like it was a dream considering how easy that was to do.
It's been so long Zhao barely remembers how he reacted to the bargain being struck. He knew it was a chance at a regret, and he knew what he'd gotten himself into. But maybe his view had been skewed in all this time because he'd been here so long and learned so much about the true nature of everything.]
Well, we're kinda use to this sort of thing by now, aren't we? [He shrugged.] More full tilt than most of the shit back home. But it depends on the world.
I'd say they start off easy and fun, then devolve into full on battles to the death most of the time. Hell, there was even a war on one world... and literal representations of Heaven and Hell. [He smirked.] I went to Hell. [Said a little too proudly.]
no subject
I'm less surprised about you going to Hell than I am about a mission involving literal representations of the afterlife.
So we have to be prepared for literally anything.
[He finished off his bowl with a nod.]
I am beginning to see why I was chosen.
no subject
Yeah, it's kinda weird but you get used to it here. Or don't and be surprised every time.
[Zhao made a little amused noise.]
...you have no idea.