ximilian: (Default)
ximilia mods ([personal profile] ximilian) wrote in [community profile] ximiliugh2021-08-19 10:36 am
Entry tags:

AUGUST TDM.

T D M . 0 3

// PART I. all that glitters  


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

The words, when they die out, leave you in emptiness — despairing, all-consuming, the kind that invites only the worst thoughts. What have you done? What have you agreed to do?

But then, from the emptiness, a golden light shines, and as you reach for it —

you wake up.

1.0   Perhaps it was less the golden light in your dream and more the insistent feeling of something metallic poking your side repeatedly, making beeping noises… wait, beeping noises?

When you look down, you’ll see a small robot staring at you and looking less than happy (maybe it has something to do with your disheveled state, maybe it's still mad about having to clean up after a certain pizza-induced mess). When you get up, it unleashes a series of beeps — and then furiously starts to scrub the floor.

Yes, the floor — instead of waking up in a bed, you find yourself lying on a hallway, white walls and white floor surrounding you. You don’t have long to stare at the minimalistic look of everything around you before the little bot starts poking you again, the word MOVE blinking across its visor.

So better get out of its way! Perhaps you’re on the hallway on your own and leave on your own… or perhaps there’s someone else, sleeping near you. Maybe do them the courtesy of waking them up before this little angry bot does! Or perhaps you’re the poor soul still sleeping and needing a rescue before the beeps make it to you.


2.0   If you need a visit to the infirmary, the situation may be more dire — perhaps there’s blood on the wall that you wake up against, your clothes may be dirty or ragged… whatever it is that has happened to you before waking here and has left you injured, it sure doesn’t create a reassuring sight. Best get to the infirmary as soon as possible.... with some assistance, perhaps.

Once upright, 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. the new staycation  


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

3.0   The most pressing question that you might ask yourself is: but where will I stay? The question is answered once you walk through the winding white corridors to the common area. Behind it, there are three types of rooms: those with one bed, two beds and four beds. The rooms are clinical yet clean, and sparsely-furnished — and most importantly, most are occupied. So be prepared to get some roomies!


4.0   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.

And speaking of weapons: to put it to good use, head to the training room, where the entire purpose is to provide you with a space to spar and train to your heart’s content!


5.0   After you’ve exhausted yourself training, it’s time to grab a bite. For that, you should head to the kitchen, which… seems to be filled with a lot of leftovers: takeout boxes with an assorted collection of pizza slices, kung pao chicken, lamb curry... not to mention the entire tray of chocolate brownies. Feel free to eat your fill — or if takeout isn’t your cup of tea, open one of the large fridges to pick fresh ingredients and make your own lunch.


6.0   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. A new addition is a flower garden where there once was a meadow — now, roses, camellias, lilies and dozens of other flowers sway in the wind, all varieties in their own flower beds, with a winding path of stones leading through them. The path leads to where a bridge rises over a sparkling, babbling brook.

Here, 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.


7.0   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!


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

// VIVECA.AI
Hi everyone, just letting you know there’s a new supply drop. It should be a little more… well, organised than before. If you made requests for items earlier, you should find them in a separate pile near the platform.

Indeed, the platform near the personal quarters is still whirring with power, and new items form neat piles 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. bright young things  


(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   If you’ve been given a particular body change that might aid you in this mission, do not use it to your advantage.

B   Team up with a fellow Orber to uncover the hidden location.

C   Get up on stage and put on a performance during the simulation. Your song choice will determine the outcome of success in your investigation.

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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 are currently open!
Apps open August 27.
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:

Have a listen for some clues about the second mission.
(Hint: there are four clues in total.)


NAV

hikae: (Default)

[personal profile] hikae 2021-08-31 06:04 pm (UTC)(link)
"Here's hopin' that our followin' missions are about doin' good things then." Majima stated carefully. The Gyeongje affair ended on a high note, even if sacrifices has been made. But that was all on the team, leaving that town a better place was all team's effort, and none of it orders.
majorbiotic: (Down)

[personal profile] majorbiotic 2021-08-31 09:30 pm (UTC)(link)
His food was halfway to his mouth when Majima said that and Kaidan paused, considering. He hadn't really thought of that-- if their missions might not be morally upstanding. His brow creased as he considered.

"We'll have to see," he decided at last. "And if there's any mission they send us on that I don't agree with, I guess I'll handle it then."
hikae: (145)

[personal profile] hikae 2021-08-31 11:22 pm (UTC)(link)
"Now— That was a downer, wasn't it?" Majima said almost apologetically as he started to fold and cut the (now empty) pizza box, until it could fit into the trash can.
majorbiotic: (Brood)

[personal profile] majorbiotic 2021-08-31 11:52 pm (UTC)(link)
"No," Kaidan shook his head, "it's an important thing to consider. I guess I was coming into this with a bit of an idealistic mindset, but it is possible they'll give us a mission that we don't agree with for one reason or another. And it's up to us on what to do when that happens."

Kaidan did come in with the hope that he could undo his regret, but he wasn't going to add any new regrets in the process.
hikae: (49)

[personal profile] hikae 2021-09-01 12:02 am (UTC)(link)
"Nothin' wrong with idealistic mindset. That's what makes all good shit possible. Hell, that's what made the team leave the place better off than we found it. That idealism, not orders." God, now he again felt an urge for a cigarette... Not only kitchen was a non-smoking zone, but cigarettes also weren't really common around here. "Myself, am on the more cynical side, so we get to strike a balance out there."

Or cancel each other out, or something.
majorbiotic: (Tilt)

[personal profile] majorbiotic 2021-09-01 10:13 am (UTC)(link)
"Then let's hope we get assigned together in a squad," Kaidan said. "That sort of balance is important. It's like something I've told my students before: learn how you can work off each other so you don't work against each other." He resumed eating his curry. "And hey, if we work off each other well enough, we may get a reward like this, so all the more reason."
hikae: (01)

[personal profile] hikae 2021-09-01 11:08 pm (UTC)(link)
Good one Alenko, nice turn of the conversation. It was getting too serious and too somber, and it was good not to linger. He was often at risk of that, lingering— it was all correct though, balance and having a team that covered as many roles as possible.

"Oh so yer a teacher too? A man of many talents, huh." Majima brightened and the lighter tone returned, along with the— some really sneaky movement as he skirted around until he found chopsticks.

"So Mr. Alenko, what kind of lectures can we expect?" he said it conversationally, a distraction seconds before a hand, armed with chopsticks darted in the direction of the curry.
majorbiotic: (the fuck?)

[personal profile] majorbiotic 2021-09-02 12:46 am (UTC)(link)
"I doubt I'll be asked to teach anything here," Kaidan shrugged. He noticed the chopsticks reaching for the curry and just barely managed to get his food out of the way. "Though maybe I should start with some basic manners," he teased. "You could have just asked for a bite. I don't mind sharing." To prove it, he held out his bowl so Majima could take some.
hikae: (08)

[personal profile] hikae 2021-09-02 01:41 pm (UTC)(link)
"Now, it wouldn't be a test if I asked!" Majima pointed out, literally pointed with the chopsticks even. Kaidan's reflexes were good, no wonder given his occupation, but it's always different getting to see that for yourself.

And speaking of manners, Majima doesn't shed the playful attitude, even as he solemnly partakes in curry and states "However, I shall graciously accept the offer"
majorbiotic: (Stare)

[personal profile] majorbiotic 2021-09-03 07:45 pm (UTC)(link)
The amused smile stayed on his lips. Not exactly the sort of test he put his students through. He held the bowl out so they could both take turns eating the curry. An unusual way to become acquainted with someone, to be sure, but he would prefer this peaceful eating of curry over the hectic ways he met some of his friends.


[ooc: btw I am in the game now so if you want to continue this CR, I'm up for it! I'm enjoying it so far]
hikae: (18)

[personal profile] hikae 2021-09-03 10:53 pm (UTC)(link)
ooc: welcome to the game (I threw you a plurk friending, hope that's okay)! ngl I'd love more CR with Kaidan. We could wrap up this one here and look for starting something new!