elnyan | ❪ test drive: #2 ❫ THE OVERFLOW

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THE PROLOGUE

Many people in stasis seem to be medically sound enough to wake up, brother. Are the preparations ready to go?

Yes, I've long prepared myself for this. Watching them everyday has been truly rewarding.

... Right. Yeah. Okay, let's get them ready to wake up. We should keep their minds active to ease the transition into consciousness. A simple VR program should do the trick, I think.

I will boot one immediately. There! All systems are green. Their consciousnesses are linked. However, their minds appear to be too active... They may be over-stimulated, brother.

Huh? How can that be...? Can we pull them out safely?

Not from my end, no. This may be too large for us to fix alone. Do you think...?

Yes, I think so... It will have to be done organically. Can you send out a message to our refugees?

Of course, brother. I will send one swiftly. We must be sure to fix this before Darma returns.

There is urgency in the Orbiters' request. Refugees currently in El Nysa are asked via mass message to please return to Thesa Station virtual reality area immediately. Zasere tells them that the next set of Refugees are scheduled to wake, but there's been an issue.

On Thesa, refugees will find that the people in stasis are still apparently trapped in slumber. Most of them are complete strangers, but there's a chance you may recognize a familiar face or two. Normally, these people would wake up from their pods without issue, but due to a malfunction caused by the unforeseen force during The Descent, they have to go through extra measures to make this possible. Those in slumber require extra stimulation, something to keep their minds active. What better than a simulation of an area of El Nysa?

Keeping their minds active requires an extremely involved simulation. Those subjected to the VR (prospective characters) will find themselves completely immersed in their new environment, believing themselves to be native Olympians. To wake up from the simulation, characters must work together to accomplish a certain objective(s) in the icy tundra. Characters in-game will be aware that this is a simulation, but this is good practice for properly interacting with El Nysa natives, isn't it?

An AC-length log thread on this TDM may be submitted for Two (2) Natha REP points HERE. Please read the OOC note at the bottom of this post for the terms.

PROMPT: WINTER CAME

The wind in the icy wasteland is bitter and frigid. You are wrapped up in a winter coat, but even still, the cold bites at your skin and leaves you yearning for a warm fire. Perhaps you're a merchant from the city, here to make a delivery, or you're a royal guard, sent to patrol the area. Who are you? The sky is the limit. One thing is certain — you won't snap out of your new identity until you finish a task.

1. Due to the vast diversity of the creatures on El Nysa and the fact that new ones are constantly being discovered, an important objective is to carefully chronicle different species. Unfortunately, to research these new species, they happen to need more than just a visual. More than just fleeting glances in over a snowy hill. Researchers are constantly looking for ways to secure...

You guessed it! Blood and stool samples.

The supplies for the former will be given. Supplies are offered in a small box; one per person. In this box is a small dart that will automatically procure a small touch of blood, and easily shaken off so the creature will be able to securely escape. As for the latter— well, they'll give you a plastic bag if that counts. Look, sometimes to get a job done, you have to get your hands dirty.

Specifically, they seek samples from a newly recorded rare beast known as a Klep. Kleps spend much of their time hidden in caves, so hitting them with the darts will be tricky. They are also nocturnal, but you may be able to lure them out of the cave with fish as bait. When struck with a dart, you must grab the dart and escape immediately, as they will charge you, and killing such an endangered species is illegal. As for stool samples, well... Once you find a pile, you will have plenty of sample to work with.

2. It's cold, to say the least. Too cold to continue forward. Whatever you were doing, you must stop and seek shelter. Looks like your goal is clear, at least. Get warm. Not finding a way to sustain heat, whether it be seeking shelter, building a fire, cuddling up, or all of the above, will likely end in serious consequences.

3. You are stuck in a dilemma. On one hand, you are set to work for Olympia. One the other, you're not completely sure what is really expected of you, or who the man who gave you this mission truly is.

You and your partner are meant to protect precious trade cargo for them. You were told that these were essential supplies for one of the outer colonies. They assured you it was mostly food. In loading the cargo onto the supplied wagon with your partner, however, you noticed something inherently off about it. The weight and even the sounds of some of the contents inside definitely don't sound like food.

Moreover, some boxes are more obviously more concealed— draped in black sheets and reinforced on all sides. You've also caught wind of rumors that you are potentially being utilized to supply advanced weapons and other contraband to Wyver terrorists in the colonies.

But what do you do? Refuse to make the delivery, and people in the colony will surely starve. Try to remove the weapons and only deliver the food, and you will be killed on sight for being too suspicious. Make the delivery as-is, and not only will Olympians die at the hands of terrorists in the future, but you will betray your country.

Decide quickly...

4. There are many dangers associated with traveling in such an isolated, harsh environment. You must help each other to survive. Perhaps someone has fallen on thin ice, and requires a rescue. Maybe someone is on the brink of starvation, and you must share what provisions you have.

When you come to, you will awaken in Thesa Station. All will be explained to you by Zasere or Sael via telepathic link. Your world is no more. The Storm has consumed it. We offer proof in the Observation Deck if you desire it, but it won't be an easy thing to stomach. We offer you a new life, in our planet of El Nysa. We just ask for your help in maintaining the vitality of El Nysa. What can we offer you in exchange for your help?

PROMPT: STASIS UNIT

You have found the massive section of Thesa known as the Stasis Unit. There’s no special access required to access this part of Thesa Station, but refugees are warned that it may not be for the faint of heart. Here, in large pods that nearly cover every square inch of the space, are all of the people the Orbiters have managed to rescue. Your loved ones, your greatest enemy, your next door neighbor— you might find them here. These people are in a state of deep cryosleep. Due to the damaging effects of The Storm, their bodies are not yet ready to be awoken.

PROMPT: GET REKT

The Orbiters have noticed that some of the refugees really miss their video games. The technology in El Nysa could be much worse, but it definitely leaves much to be desired. Which is why, after expressing relief that everyone awoke safely, the Orbiters have decided to provide a little fun in the form of video game competitions.

Anything from old-timey arcade machines to state-of-the-art computers, consoles, and VR headsets (though you may be a little tired of VR right now...) is available, and yes, they have your favorite games! Enjoy PAC-MAN, Starcraft 2, or perhaps Dance Dance Revolution! Teach a friend how to play. Get unnecessarily angry and competitive. Most importantly, have fun. Keep fourthwalling to a minimum, please.

Recommended playing: QWOP

PROMPT: OMAGE

Upon receiving your mobile phone, you will be asked to set a username. Voila, you can now access the network! You can choose to send a message to the entire network, specific usernames, or you can try out the Orbiters’ service, Omage, which connects you to a random user. They thought this might be a good way for their new guests to make friends with each other...

Connecting to server...
Looking for someone you can chat with...
You’re now chatting with [username]... Say hi!

PROMPT: WILDCARD

You are welcome to write any scenarios in Thesa Station! Characters have been granted temporary access to the Observation Room, and are encouraged to study it carefully.

FINAL OOC NOTE

Please give toplevel priority to prospective characters! Current characters wishing to thread these scenarios with other current characters are encouraged to create separate logs. However, threads between 2 current characters are not eligible for Natha Orbiter REP.

These threads may be carried over as game canon if players choose! Players are encouraged to submit TDM threads as application samples, but they are not required. Please direct any OOC questions to the questions thread below! A TDM thread of AC length may be submitted HERE for 2 NATHA ORBITER REPUTATION POINTS. Current players may submit their thread at any time, and prospective players may submit a thread after acceptance.

Please note that threads must contain at least five (5) log comments from your character. A toplevel counts as a comment. Network threads are not eligible.

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...you know, you'd have better luck if you actually tried playing.

[And suddenly behind her is none other than... Mephisto! Just the person she wanted to see, right?? He's actually been here a little while, watching Izumo as she paces back and forth from the crane game. He'd been debating what might be the proper way to greet the only other conscious survivor of their world (that he's been able to find, at least) but all things considered, maybe there is no proper way?]

[[ooc: Feel free to keep your canon point nebulous if you still haven't picked one, I can roll with whatever!]]

[ she hadn't realized she'd been so engrossed in that stupid crane game to not have even noticed her surroundings. if she'd realized someone had been watching her, especially someone she technically knew, she would have been far more careful...

or just stubbornly avoided the game altogether.

so when he appears behind her, she yelps, jumping away from the source. in the process, she nearly bumps right into the glass case of the crane game, but luckily those things are pretty sturdy anyway. ]

H-Headmaster..!

[ don't sneak up on your students like this... it's embarrassing.

for you. ]

[Oh yes, so very embarrassing... for him. Totally.]

[He bows, chuckling at her reaction. Ahh, maybe he should have snuck up on her as a dog after all! But certainly he wouldn't have been able to fool her with that again...]

Guten morgen-- ah, or is it abend by now? Honestly, it's so difficult to say just what time it is when you've woken up in the middle of the day in the middle of space!

[His expression softens.] But it's good to see not all of my students have overslept. Have you been awake for very long?

[ not in the least, but she would have at least been a bit more amenable to his dog version... at least that form is cute...

her eyes narrow faintly at the softening of his expression, echoed in the playful tone of his voice, too. she ends up glancing away before long, arms coming up to fold beneath her bust out of reflex. ]

Long enough. [ her tone remains quiet and respectful, but only to an extent. she remains as closed off and untrusting as always, coming off more aloof than cold. her words are vague, and she means them to be. long enough to have heard what happened, long enough to have changed out of her medical gown, long enough to come to terms with the idea of it all but certainly not long enough to know what to do with it. ]

[Wow he can be cute!! You know, if you're into lanky old men with epic guyliner and evil facial hair.]

[He snickers at her reaction -- it's not unexpected from Izumo. Or any of his students really. It's not like he's ever made the effort to actually come across as caring or trustworthy or even nice. It'd probably just be creepy!]

Well, I'm glad the experience hasn't changed you too much, at least.

Ah, but I'd say this is cause for celebration! Surely if the two of us are here, there may be others awakening soon, yes? So why don't we commemorate this occasion-- [Points at the crane game and winks] --by letting me win you that cute little stuffed animal you've been eyeing for the past 20 minutes!

[~~See it's creepy~~]

[ no one is ever into evil facial hair... protip.

but the creepiness of his gesture is perhaps quelled, or at the very least overshadowed, by the embarrassment that sparks from his accusation. she leans back out of instinct, hands coming up already in protest. ]

I — don't know what you're talking about..!

[ suggesting that she would have been so enamored by that cute yellow chick doll... which is really more a round yellow ball with eyes and a beak and tiny little floppy chick feet.... how dare. how very dare. ]

[so dare, much rude, wow]

Oh, am I mistaken? [That look on his face says he knows he isn't, grinning away.]

Well! Regardless, I've been eyeing it myself! It may yet be early to dwell on nostalgic things like this-- but honestly, it's been a while since I've played a proper crane game!

[You know, like a few months. As if the weird otaku demon didn't frequent gaming arcades back home in his down time.]

[ half his home is decorated by weird arcade toys... ]

What you do with your time isn't any of my concern, [ she says, perhaps a little too sharply. she's slowly but surely getting her bearings back. it's one thing to try to digest the reality of this new situation; having those from home suddenly crop up on her keeps knocking her off considerably.

speaking of...

she quiets for a moment, watching him carefully. before too long, though, she hastens to glance away, folding her arms under her bust. ]

Have you... really met no one else from our world here?

...none who are awake. Though I've seen more than a few familiar faces still sleeping in the Statis Unit.

[Including a few faces he's kinda conflicted about seeing, which might show rather briefly on his expression. For as much as he was Mephisto and was relatively unflappable, learning that the world he's known and fought for was simply gone was a hard pill to swallow.]

[And seeing Lucifer's face immediately upon waking up didn't really improve the situation.]

Ah, but I've only been awake myself for a few hours at best! I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the possibility that we've simply yet to run into each other. This station is rather large, after all.

[ she takes care not to look at his face when he mentions those still in slumber. izumo herself has made it a point never to linger too long in the area if she can help it, though a fair few times her own curiosity betrays her. but at every hint of long dark hair, or the pudge of a middle-aged man — she turns tail and leaves.

and while the idea of having her entire world and universe just suddenly gone hadn't been easy to digest, she finds the sharper blow to be that despite all her work, and all her struggles, men like gedouin still get a free pass. if she had had any complaint in this process at all, it would be the orbiter's lack of distinction. certainly they could afford to be a little more discerning in their saving.

but those are thoughts best left to stew in when she's alone. ]

It doesn't really matter to me. [ as she gathers her thoughts back to the subject at hand, her tone goes quiet, aloof. there had been a brief second there that she had wondered — humored the possibility of seeing them all again, but.

what point was there in it? true cross is gone. what reason would she have to see them again? besides, hadn't she already left them behind already? ]

Oh? Now that's unexpected. And here I thought your little friends had finally come to mean something to you.

[...]

[It's actually really, really unexpected -- was she traumatized?? As the one pulling all the strings up until now, he'd have expected something considerably less cold after everything that's happened!]

[But ya know, either way, probably not a good thing when the demon calls you out for being cold-hearted.]

[ she visibly rustles at the implication. sharp crimson eyes shift towards him, and for a second she looks shocked, maybe even worried. that he might have seen something he hadn't been meant to. that she might have shown it now, even when she was trying her best to hide it.

but then her expression closes up once more, twisting into a scowl. ]

Isn't that a little too familiar for a Headmaster to be saying to one of his students?

Not at all! It is the very duty of an educator to foster both the hearts and minds of his students, lest they venture out into the world unprepared for that which lies ahead, be it in academics or their personal life!

[Look at him actually trying to sound like someone dignified and worthy of respect.]

[Hold on, let him ruin it--]

Fufu, not that it matters to me, seeing as True Cross Academy and the Order are no more, yes? I suppose here in this world, you are I are simply a human and a demon.

Ah, unless of course you'd prefer we maintain the same association as before regardless? I certainly wouldn't be opposed to preserving something more familiar between us.

[Weirdly chummy headmaster or terrifyingly powerful demon: pick ur poison, Izumo.]

[ honestly, it's a bit refreshing that she actually has a choice this time around. ]

I've met humans more terrifying than you. Your demon blood means nothing to me.

[ maybe she should care a little. be even a tad scared. but she can't seem to muster it right now, here in the weird dark room of a pseudo-arcade in the middle of a large space station in gods-know-where, flashing neon lights and all.

but really, in the end, he is right. there is no true cross. there is no order. there is no illuminati. maybe, just maybe, there isn't even a satan. but she hadn't cared much of satan before, and she certainly doesn't care any more of him now, so why should she feel all that moved by someone lesser?

she looks away now, a deep furrow set in her brow. she'd been close to feeling something before — hope, disappointment. maybe even a little bit of anger at herself. but now she just feels strangely empty. the past five years of her life had been working towards this one thing (even more, if she were to be truly honest with herself), and now... now what? ]

If you see the others... Don't tell them you saw me.

[You know, he kinda likes this Izumo--]

[Her response only earns her a laugh. So fearless! But it's not like he should expect anything less. Though it's still a bit puzzling why she's acting this way, almost as if... but that wouldn't make any sense!]

[Regardless, if she thinks she's going to be able to just walk away from him right now, she might have another thing coming. Because he may be an all-powerful demon, but... right now, he's mostly just bored. And that's more terrifying than anything.]

Ohh? Now that puts me in a rather unfortunate position! If I were to agree to such a thing now, then who's to say someone else hasn't already asked the same?

[ that knee-jerk subordination she'd felt earlier just keeps chipping away with each coy response he gives...

it's why her own response is two syllables short of respectful. ]

I don't care.

[ honestly...! what can he do, expel her? haha. i mean yes he's still a demon and he could technically kill her right then and now, but he could have also killed her three, five minutes ago if he wanted. aren't we all just in a constant state almost-dying?

gods she should probably get some food in her. something to drink, maybe. she's feeling lightheaded. ]

If you're so uncomfortable by it, then tell the truth. [ tbh she's pretty sure those guys would find some way to find her anyway, if they were so inclined, because they're annoyingly loyal like that, but that's! no skin! off her nose! she will just have to cross that bridge when she gets there.

besides she's starting to get the feeling telling this man to do something will just result in the exact opposite happening anyway. ]

Either way, neither option requires you to point me out.

[Come to think of it, have they ever really talked one-on-one at any great length before now? Probably not, or maybe she would have told him off right at the start. No one deserves to start off their post-apocalyptic life by dealing with Mephisto.]

[But at this point he shrugs, seemingly admitting defeat, and heaving a heavy, exaggerated sigh.]

Well, if you're going to insist! Ah, but I suppose I shouldn't take up any more of your time, then.

[And he bows -- but that grin on his face is still there.] Do take care, Kamiki-san. [AND HE POOFS and he's gone.]

[...]

[Yeah right.]

[He's not leaving just like that. Wherever she's headed next, mysteriously, they're gonna cross paths again!! And he's gonna wait for the ~~worst~~ best possible moment, of course.]

[ the next time she goes into any public area, it is within the stasis unit. she chooses a time she finds no other bodies walking in and out of it, sticking to her newly made rule to keep to herself if she can help it. though in doing so, she breaks one of her old rules, to keep away from this place lest she find someone she would rather never see again.

but in the end... her curiosity wins out, and she wanders back in as silently as possible. she has no real way of knowing which particular pod is her own, but... she finds an empty one anyway, peering closely into it.

would such a thing even hold the answers she wants? ]

[Well! If it's the Stasis Unit she's visiting, then for once, their meeting may actually be mere coincidence. He wouldn't intentionally follow her to a place that could only guarantee a negative reaction, considering the atmosphere here. But more than that... this place was a little unsettling for himself as well. Not only because it served as a reminder that Assiah and Gehenna were really gone, but also because of a few particular sleeping figures whose appearance here had him feeling ill at ease. If they were here and not stored away in the other moon, didn't that mean they were supposed to wake up soon?]

[He happens to be looking at a row on an adjacent walkway, and spies Izumo from between a gap separating the two. Well... he can't very well just let this go, can he? He turns and leans over the rail with his hand on his chin, the walkways narrow enough that they're only a few feet apart.]

...I'm sorry to say, but I don't believe they'll simply let you go back to sleep if you try to crawl back in.

[ it wasn't exactly what she was contemplating at the time, but she can't help but wonder about it now that he's made the suggestion.

her gaze shifts towards him before she can dwell on the possibility for too long, and this time she manages to keep her surprise to herself. she leans back away from the pod, but her palms remain pressed against the glass. ]

Because everything else they've done so far has made perfect sense. [ her words are more a bitter murmur, but at least this time none of that ire is really directed at him.

she looks him over for a moment, before deciding to just come out with it: ]

Was it News Year's for you?

It was, yes.

[He's already run into Shima by now himself, so he has an idea of what's going on... even if he doesn't understand why. Why would only Izumo be from the past? Unless her memories simply haven't caught up? In a way it was fascinating to him, even if it was also a little annoying.]

I take it that wasn't the case for you?

[ she doesn't answer, because it's already pretty obvious what her answer is. ]

It doesn't make sense, [ she says instead, though she doesn't really bother to clarify what specifically she's referring to. everything, maybe. she winds up shifting her attention back to the pod. had hers been broken, somehow? ]

It is a bit of a conundrum, isn't it?

[And it's all the confirmation he needs, really. Also don't mind him as he casually climbs up over the railing and hops over to the same side as Izumo.]

I've heard rumors that this recent batch of refugees had some difficulty in waking up... Perhaps your memories were simply damaged in some way during the transition? Ah, or maybe we're simply not from the same Assiah at all, and the Storm occurred much earlier in your timeline?

At this point, I'd say the possibilities are quite literally endless.

[ she visibly stiffens up when he inches closer, but she does nothing to dissuade him save for a quick look over her shoulder. he's a powerful demon, after all; there isn't really much she can do to stop him from doing what he wanted.

still, she remains guarded, hands unconsciously curling around the hem of her skirt. the room she'd wound up commandeering had a set of the true cross uniform in its drawers... which was curious enough, on top of all these other curiosities.

but she had woken up in the medical gown she'd last remembered wearing. if her memories were the issue, wouldn't she have been wearing something else?

and so she considers his other theory, feeling her blood run cold. ]

...Do you mean — I'm from a different reality?

[ it sounds absurd, but at this point, what doesn't? if that's the case, does that mean the rin she'd met, the shima... were they not the ones she'd known? she honestly can't decide if that's comforting or not. ]

It's only a theory... different timelines can exist simultaneously, though I can't say I've ever encountered something on a scale as big as Assiah as a whole being duplicated.

[Which is totally low-key pissing him off tbh, since as the king of time and all, this is supposed to be his specialty!!]

Regardless-- the Storm aside, it must not be a very different one if you still recognize myself and all your little friends. Even the smallest change at some point in history should have had far reaching repercussions for the present.

CRANE GAME and also hello....!!

omg hello! and yes.. makes vague hand gestures at canon points tbh

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