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AUGUST TDM.
● ● ● T D M . 0 3
… 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.
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.
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!
(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 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.
F Y I
• 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.
FOR SOME FUN:
Have a listen for some clues about the second mission.
(Hint: there are four clues in total.)
Noctis Lucis Caelum | Final Fantasy XV
[ One of the bodies in the hallway is not being woken up by the aggressive beeping of the cleaner bot. They're a bit short, dressed in all black, and has black hair with silver undertones fanned around his face. Noctis Lucis Caelum, Prince of Insomnia and King Regent, appears to be curled up in a ball on the floor, snoring quietly away, despite the fact that he's covered in dirt and flecks of blood. By the time the robot gets to him and is poking him, he stirs a bit, then reaches back and tries to smack it, his eyes still stubbornly closed. ]
Five more minutes, Igs.
[ And then he just rolls over an inch or two, like he's going to go back to sleep. Which he appears to actually do, by all reckoning. He's not moving for the poor bot anytime soon. ]
.04
[ Any arrival freakouts now handled and hopefully a memory, he's wandered around and found somewhere to claim as his own, and cleaned up as well. He'd arrived with his weapon, thankfully, but the Sword of the Father asked him to pay a price in mana when he was using it. That would be a problem if he ran into any prolonged combat, and he hadn't yet had a chance to restore his magical flasks. Lacking the engine blade to swap out for it at least, he'd made his way to the armory.
He's used to technology, though not what appears to be, by all reckoning, a 3D printer, so he's swiping through a ton of suggestions on guns and the like, squinting. ]
Do I have to use a gun, or can I get a sword out of this thing at all...?
[ He's talking under his breath, but he'll gladly accept any help. Especially since he seems to have left the options filtered to 'firearms'. ]
.05
[ Visiting the cafeteria? Noctis has apparently gathered several slices of pizza - mostly cheese and pepperoni - onto a plate, along with a soda. He's sitting at one of the tables, not even having bothered to reheat the pizza, and appears to be chewing thoughtfully.
When he spots someone, though, he quickly swallows and waves a hand at the stack of boxes. ]
There's plenty of combo stuff left over there. And curry, if that's your thing.
[ Then, realizing he's the odd one out here most likely: ]
I'm Noctis.
.10 & .11
[ Like his father, Noctis taking the drink results in a pair of dark wings sprouting from his back, a blue sheen visible on the feathers. He looks rather embarrassed about the whole affair, and has them folded up tight against his back, trying not to bump them into anyone.
He looks fairly out of place, especially because the task he was given merits that he should get on stage and put on a performance. If he wants to save the people he cares about back home, though, he can't balk at doing such a thing, right? He does get pulled in by the music for a bit, listening to the singer with a dazed expression, but he eventually shakes himself free of it.
When he finds another Orber, he seems relieved, speaking to them in low tones. ]
We should probably do something to figure out where this thing is. Maybe it's in one of the changing rooms?
.??
( ooc note: please feel free to wildcard me for any of the situations on the station! you can also PM me here to plot something out~
for noctis' "singing" attempt, if you'd like to help him with it, i plan to have him get on stage, get nervous, attempt all star as it's the only song he can remember, and then forget all the words after 'and they don't stop coming' in his panic. ]
5!
Yeah, sure. [Well, that answers that, and she goes over, eyeing the kung pao chicken with more than a little interest. Soon enough, she grabs a plate and fork and goes to town. Apparently inter-dimensional dream travel makes a girl hungry.
She's already put her plate on the table across from him and is sitting herself when he introduces himself. Right. Manners.]
Oh, uh-- Cagalli. Mind if I join you?
no subject
[ Noctis might normally mind a bit but sitting, hiding, and ignoring everyone aren't going to help him get through this. Gladio's words still smart, after all, so he attempts a little friendly smile in Cagalli's direction. It doesn't.. quite hit right but it's passable. ]
You new too, or are you one of the people that was already stuck here?
no subject
[She completes the whole sitting process, then sticks the fork into the chicken, pleased to see it slides right in. Nothing too tough or stale is a good sign.
His attempted smile is met with a curious look, but she shrugs it off. Awkward people aren't new to her by any means. He gets a nod in return.]
Brand new. I'm pretty sure that pizza-- [Her forked chicken piece is pointed at his plate] --has been here longer than me. [Then it's popped into her mouth. Mm, pretty good.]
i didn't get this notif?? dw pls
[ Which yeah, it clearly hasn't been here that long, like both of them. He watches her eat a couple pieces before he starts in on his pizza again. ]
I'm kind of surprised this place has fast food, I got the sense it'd all be like... gross rations or MREs.
no notifs for you!
[She's mid-chew when he speaks again, so she swallows quickly, somehow managing not to choke. Smooth.]
Maybe it's like a welcome party. Once the fun's over, we'll be stuck with those.
4
When he walks into the armory, someone else is already there. But not just any someone; Prompto knows that build and messy hair almost like the back of his hand.]
NOCT?!
[Prompto immediately surges forward to drape his arms over his friend's shoulders and pull him into a hug - possibly from behind, if Noctis doesn't turn around fast enough.]
You're here! I dunno how you got out of the crystal, but I'm really happy you're here, buddy! Like... really happy!
[He is starting to sound a little choked up, but Prompto can't help it, considering everything else that's happened.]
no subject
Prom!
[ At least they're from the same spot - if Noctis entered the Crystal already. ]
I have no idea how I got out either, but it's good to see you.
[ Even with the guilt still crawling in the back of his throat about Ardyn tricking him, and somehow that resulting in Prompto being captured in the Keep. He'd barely had time to apologize before he'd been pulled into the Crystal. ]
What - what happened after I got pulled in? I dunno how long it's been but Bahamut made it sound like I was supposed to stay in a while.
no subject
Must be the same way I got here... but we can count that as a victory, right? I don't care if it counts as cheating, as long as you're out of that rock.
[This was the first time in a while that Prompto felt like things were finally going their way. Sure, it was a little scary to think about how they could've even gotten here in the first place, but where there's life, there's hope. Just getting Noctis out of the crystal was worth whatever sort of help the people here needed.]
We were still trying to figure out how to haul the crystal back home, dude. We had a few good ideas, so we decided to rest up a bit before looking for a truck to 'borrow' from the Nifs. I laid down to take a nap, had a weird dream, and boom! Now we're in space!
... I bet Gladio is going to be pissed.
no subject
[ He gives Prompto a small smile, though it doesn't quite meet his eyes. Prompto's excited he's out and Noctis - Noctis knows that he has to stay in it in order to stop Ardyn, and bring light back to Eos. He doesn't want to go over that yet, not when things feel so refreshingly normal for once, so he laughs softly at Prom's comment about Gladio being pissed. ]
I had the same dream, I think. Someone asking you if you could undo something you regret, right?
four
but, well, he is passing by the armory on his way to the training room. no point in sitting around doing nothing.
in his passing, it's like a beacon in the darkest night when he hears the word sword. his ears practically perk at the sound and he can't help but go inside. keith hesitates, just for a moment, before gesturing toward the machine. )
They're separated by weapon type. So you, uh, have to look outside of firearms.
no subject
[ Noctis looks up from the screen to see someone else in front of him. Tall, dark hair, looks honestly normal from his perspective which is, quite honestly, nice to see so far.
He looks back at the screen and sees he's left it filtered to guns and makes a low groaning noise, clicking on the swords icon. Immediately it's filled with all kinds, several of which are more familiar to Noctis. ]
Figures I must have sorted it wrong.
[ But he looks at Keith and gives him a small smile before looking back at the screen. ]
Thanks. Can't believe I didn't notice that, but that's what I get for being a newbie, right?