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FINAL TDM.
● ● ● T D M . 10
The words ring in your ears as in the darkness of your dream, a copper 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. The illusion has been programmed to reflect the seasons — the leaves in the trees are currently bright with all the colours of autumn: orange and red and yellow; and the air is crisp and clean. If you follow the path, you'll be led to a bridge rising over a sparkling, babbling brook, a few fallen leaves floating on the water and falling around you like very bright raindrops.
With an illusion so authentic it may leave you longing for a nice glass of ice-cold lemonade, 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!
Maybe you have taken the warning to be ready seriously, or maybe you’ve heard someone mention the simulation room and want to see what the fuss is all about — whatever the reason for your walking into the room, the first few moments don’t seem too exciting. It isn’t until there’s another person in the room with you that the door suddenly slides shut, and the scenery starts to change.
7.0 Simulation on the Fritz: However, what it changes to is not one of the simulated missions. Instead, the room draws on its occupants. A little flash of memory here, a familiar scene there — the room molds itself after what one (or both) of the people in it know, perhaps a place they’re familiar with: the university library you used to spend hours and hours in studying, or the castle you’ve been trying all your life to conquer.
Or perhaps the room is torn between which person’s memories to draw on, and it ends up producing a strange mix of both: a busy street surrounded by lush forest instead of buildings, or a spaceship sailing on open sea.
As there is no simulated mission, there is no completing it to get out… so look for the little things that are not quite right in the simulation: a shimmer in the air, a grey brick in a red wall — a token of sorts. Finding it will make the simulation die down around you as the room goes dark again.
8.0 Mission — An Open Door: As the simulation starts, the scene that unfolds around you is a gilded hallway. It stretches on and on behind you and in front of you; along its sides, there are countless doors. Some are lavishly decorated, some made of pure gold, some of wood; some are decayed, looking like they might fall apart by mere touch; after a heavily reinforced door comes a door made of frosted glass… and so on.
But the longer you stand in place, the more you start to feel a sense of urgency: you must keep moving… you must find it. The orb. It’s there, behind one of the doors. All you have to do is choose which one to open.
Oh, you can open as many as you want, but be careful: you never know what is lurking behind them. It may be that you open one and step into a room that is nothing but air; it may be you unleash a horde of hungry monsters. Or perhaps you luck out and get a room that is just a room, with lavish couches and plush pillows, and maybe some grapes and apples set in a bowl in the middle of a gold-decorated table.
It’s not just the orb that you need to find, though... because just like in real missions, you receive a message that tells you your task — one that you have to complete, if you want the orb to help you in your quest to undo your regret.
● ● ●
N O T E: 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 Tell someone what you are most ashamed of.
B Let a teammate get injured during the mission.
C Steal something from one of the rooms.
F Y I
• TDM threads can be used as samples for apps. In fact, we encourage it!
• Reserves are now open!
• Apps open September 26.
• For any questions regarding TDM, please direct them here. For questions about the game, please refer to the FAQ.
Have a clue about the upcoming mission—
haku ( spirited away )
[ .. is that-- is that a dragon coiled up and squished onto the other bed? he's definitely smaller than he should be, not that anyone else would know that, but there's still enough sleek, scaled dragon body to spill onto the floor and into the other half of the room. hopefully he hasn't accidentally wrecked anything his new roommate owns.
he seems to be sleeping, but with the way the end of his tail is twitching, that probably isn't going to last much longer. ]
.002
[ haku still doesn't entirely understand what's happened, which he's aware is a failing on his part. to be honest, though he'd faithfully cared for the humans who'd lived along his banks for hundreds of years, in the last few decades before his river had been filled in, they'd grown increasingly apart from him. and now? well, the spirit world has no need for things like.. cellphones or.. computers.
the kitchen should be a place of relative comfort for him. he likes to cook, he likes to feed people, and some aspects of it are almost meditative, giving him the opportunity to calm and focus on his thoughts.
it had taken him a little time and assistance to figure out how the kitchen aboard this star-sailing ship works, but now his small form is perched on a stool at one of the countertops, slender hands forming neat little triangles of rice. at his side is a small pile he's already made-- not exactly the way he prefers, considering some of the odd or missing ingredients, but as close to home as he can make. ]
There's tuna-mayo, [ he pipes up softly, not looking up from his hands, ] and ham-and-egg, and what I think is umeboshi. It tasted that way, anyway. [ he finally lifts his eyes, leaf-green and much older than his appearance. ] I put a bit of magic into them for everyone's health.
.003
network | un: ハク
Excuse me. I haven't been inside yet, but I've been told that there's a room here that simulates the natural world. If I might ask, is it large enough and safe for flight? Is there water?
I spend most of my time in human shape, but it would be nice to be able to stretch my limbs, so to speak. My other form is still much too large for the corridors here.
[ ooc; i just reused his prompts from last tdm, but feel free to wildcard or pm if you want something specific. ]
same hat and by hat i mean hair - also .003
[ Maybe it's the eagerness to fly that draws Yzak to respond instead of just his nosiness this time. But in either case, here he is. ]
What's your other form?
same hat!!
Will I be too large for that room?
no subject
no subject
no subject
.002
The space above her collar where a normal mouth probably is says:]
A bit of magic? Do you have a quirk like Recovery Girl?
Or is it something like a bona fide magician? I love magic shows.
no subject
the questions make him pause in his work, and he reaches for a kitchen towel to wipe his hands, turning to face her politely. just because he can't see her face doesn't mean it isn't there, after all. ]
I apologize, but I'm not certain what 'quirk' means in this context. I'm not a magician, either, technically speaking. [ although yubaba had taught him quite a lot more magic than he'd ever needed before as a god. ] I'm.. [ he trails off, not entirely certain what to call himself. ] I was a river god, so my magic comes from.. what I am. [ he sets the towel down, then reaches for one of the onigiri, offering it out to her. ] I used to bless the humans that lived along my banks, so that's the sort of thing I weaved into these.
1/2
A... A river god...?
no subject
Wait, you're not teasing me, are you?!
Because I'll have you know, just because I'm open-minded doesn't mean I'm going to fall for silly tricks!
[... She absolutely would fall for silly tricks.]
no subject
[ gods of bodies of water are important gods, since fresh water is so important, but they're also easily forgotten if they're small-- and haku hadn't been a particularly big or long river.
he offers out the onigiri again, mouth tilting up in a small smile. ] You can call me Haku if it pleases you.
no subject
N-no way! That sounds — Whoa, you're serious! You're really serious!
[HOW DO YOU PROPERLY SPEAK TO A GOD? She's been to shrines and has prayed to gods before, but it's never been so up close and personal — should she act normal? Should she be talking to him in a more respectful manner? Should the god be giving her food?! Ooooh, this is so stressful...! She offers a little bow, immediately buying into the concept of a river god standing in a space station.]
It's so nice to meet you, Mr. God! I mean, Mr. Haku — Haku-sama!
001
Am I still dreaming?
[Sabriel's section of the room is packed with books, notes, a sword with a distinctly magical aura, and several musical instruments, including some bells with an alarming magical aura.
Wait, is it... sleeping? Sabriel slides out of bed, and steps closer.]
no subject
so that really happened. he should have known better, really-- strangers in the dreams of a god? of course it had felt like a contract.
further trying to uncoil himself to transform, the little room unfortunately suffers the effects of his size: his tail knocks something over, and his whiskers and horns probably aren't helping matters. he's so overwhelmed he's only sort of acknowledged the human in the room, but he'll apologize for it as soon as he gets himself sorted out. ]
no subject
Can you- understand me?
[But whoops, better catch that pile of books before it falls over.]
no subject
Yes, [ he answers once he works out his voice, and uncurls a clawed foot to help her catch the books. ] I beg your pardon-- Let me just-- [ he withdraws his foot once more, and his scales shiver, beginning to shrink and fade, body shrinking, until a few moments later, what appears to be a human boy is seated in his place. ] My apologies. I didn't break anything, did I?
no subject
[And whoever- or whatever this person is, they have excellent taste in haircuts. And some part of Sabriel is a little alarmed by the shapeshifting, reaching out with her more supernatural senses to try to get a sense of this stranger's power.
But he's a new arrival. Better get the explanations over with.]
Do you remember making a bargain, before you woke up?
003; un: y.mikotoba
[He fell in one time, he'd know.]
Might I ask what your other form is?
no subject
I am a dragon. I was once the god of a river, but people eventually stopped believing in me, I suppose. [ mostly he doesn't mind: it's a sign that humans have become self-sufficient and confident in themselves and the world around them. it does leave him at odds, though, and he supposes that's how yubaba got her claws into him. ]
no subject
Truly? Then I'm honored to speak to you.
[So much is possible on the Ximilia. Surely, even a river god might have enough regrets to call him here... but it's still pretty surprising. Almost as surprising as the prospect of forgetting the kami of the river completely.]
I can scarcely imagine a world where humans didn't believe in you. You're... simply a part of that world.