![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
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—
no subject
[Sabriel can't help but smile softly at that.]
As for the plants- we get fresh vegetables and nuts in supply drops. No one's had an allergic reaction to any of those.
[Some people might dislike vegetables, but that's a different matter. Sabriel admires some of the irises, which have sprung out of the ground in a rainbow of colors, along with the tulips.]
But... There is a reason for not letting other living things onto the station, and it's probably best not to risk it. Even if it might be nice to have a kitchen garden, at least.
[The Sunlight and Simulation rooms will have to do then.]
no subject
（ yes, she peeked. professional interest, can't be helped.
she cups the blossom of something that looks like a tulip, and then snips its stem to add to the basket. ）
'Other' living things, you said? Is it so dangerous, with these orbs?
no subject
[Sabriel frowns, running her hand. over a patch of rosemary in bloom. Despite it being artificial, it sure smells like the real thing. Her motions are careful- she knows that this woman is both Dead and powerful, but at the same time... She hasn't attacked anyone, and she doesn't think Viveca would allow something remotely close to Kerrigor's nature onto the station.
Still, she misses the weight of her bandolier.]
They seek chaos. And unrestrained, left to their own devices, they can corrupt their surroundings. The other concern is that if someone who was not part of the crew, who was not also seeking to undo their regret gained access to them, that they might try to take them and use them for other purposes.
no subject
（ the mission briefs have been... instructive, in their own way. and she recognizes this one as someone who has been here since they began — often integral besides. ）
Would you say there's a considerable fear of such a thing?
no subject
[After the Precursors, the reason that non-crewmates weren't allowed on became very clear. And Sabriel knows better than most how something that looks like a normal animal can be anything but.]
And Degar recently renewed the spell sealing the orbs, so there's little worry of that either.
no subject
I must say, a cat would be a pleasant diversion... but I can appreciate the precaution taken there.
（ the sealing spell intrigues her — not bakudō, but something that functions along similar lines. degar, as far as she can tell, does not possess reiatsu. ）
So I suppose the concern is just those remaining in the greater universe, then.
no subject
[But even without that, their goal of chaos, and tendency to fall into the hands of those with power of some form meant that they were dangerous.]
But here is relatively safe, even if it's sterile.
[They've only had a handful of Incidents and none of those were from the orbs breaching containment.]
no subject
I understand the poisoning occurred on E-23b. The wildlife... was that Gyeongje?
no subject
[And Sabriel cannot quite keep a note of dry contempt out of her voice at that.]
The form that took was a plague that twisted the people there into monsters. So we ended up allying with the orb's current holder to find a cure. What we didn't fully realize was how much she'd traded to the orb in exchange.
[And Sabriel thinks everyone who was on that mission still grieves for So-Yeon sometimes. She knows she does.]
no subject
（ she cannot imagine wasting the lives of one's vassals like that, for nothing more than material gain. it is the same disdain she has for the noble families that do not care for the suffering in rukongai. ）
It is good, then, that it was resolved.
no subject
[And his fate is up to the people he wronged and lied to. Which in the end, is probably the fairest thing.]
Although I wish that we had been able to save So-Yeon- the woman who had stolen the orb to try to help people. Her bargain with the orb- it's like it ate her, hollowed her out. When she gave it to us, she just- faded.
no subject
（ she is not so arrogant as to assume that every people, every world, has a cycle of reincarnation the way that hers does. the north american branch of soul society does not function the same as the one in her native land, after all. what is believed bears influence. ）
no subject
[There are so many things worse than mere death, after all. Every necromancer knows this.
Sabriel's next words are delivered in a tone of solemn recitation.]
For everyone and everything there is a time to die. Some might deny it, or seek to delay it, but they cannot defy it.
[That was the last lesson her father had ever imparted to her. One that she still struggles to accept sometimes. Sabriel's fingers dig into the soil.]
It wasn't... fair, what happened, but she died without regrets.
no subject
（ it's said with a faint smile, and she brushes an errant strand tugged free from her braid back over an ear. ）
Though I suppose, if we had none — we would not be here, now would we?
no subject
No. But- forgive me, this is going to sound rather rude, but- why are you still Dead?
[Somehow, Sabriel manages to pronounce the capital letter. She looks at Unohana dark eyes meeting her gaze, as Sabriel tries not to reach for her inner core of Free magic that acted as the source for her necromancy.]
In every other case, Viveca and Degar have revived people who they recruited after their deaths.
no subject
to the girl — ）
How is it you define 'Dead', girl?
（ the word girl translates strangely, losing a bit of its polite nuance from the term ojōsan. but the soft, sweet tone stands in where language fails, making it clear it is meant more as a kindly title than an insult to her age. ）
no subject
Those spirits that were once alive, but are no longer, and who have not yet passed beyond the Ninth Gate. Mostly, the term refers to those who seek to return to the world of Life, and try to resist the current.
[And lose both their humanity and human shape in the process. Kerrigor might have been an exception once, if he had been able to fool Touchstone and the royal family all those centuries ago, but he had been freshly dead then. Sabriel had seen his most recent body, which looked like something made by someone who'd never seen a human, but heard them described.]
no subject
（ she has no thirst for life to speak of. she has been a spirit several millennia, and she has known for several human dynasties that she would not return to the reincarnation cycle once death took her. hell is the only possible place for one such as her, and if nothing else, it will be an interesting experience in and of itself. ）
no subject
What would you call yourself then? And why do you feel like them?
[Sabriel understands that different worlds have different afterlives, albeit with enough similarities that she's often able to step into that space between Life and whatever happens afterwards. She understands that the deceased returning as monsters is not inherent in their nature. But she's still very curious.]
no subject
（ playing coy? yes. but she's sort of enjoying herself, and the soft, playful smile tugging at her expression is a clear indication of that. ）
no subject
[How to phrase this politely? Dealing with the dead was so much easier when she had her bells... Well. Might as well be direct, and give Unohana fewer ways to evade.]
Because to my senses... you don't feel alive.
no subject
（ u gotta work for it, girl. ）
no subject
[Not that the title means anything, but it feels right to use it when speaking to the Dead. And while 'Abhorsen' is a title that only has meaning to those from the Old Kingdom, and 'Charter mage' is a similar story, there is one other word that can be used to describe her.]
And I'm a necromancer.
no subject
Well, Sabriel, 52nd Abhorsen, you needn't worry about whatever it is you think I am. Living, Dead, or anything in the liminal space between — I'm here for the same purpose as anyone else. You may have to let that be enough for now.
（ both her indulgences and her patience only go so far... ）
no subject
And Viveca and Degar do not recruit people carelessly.
(no subject)