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Entry tags:
❪ test drive #7 ❫
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YOUR STORY BEGINS  The Storm came. You remember darkness, but you don't remember much after that. You don't know how long you slept, but the dreams were short. You remember the expanse of stars and galaxies in your direct view. Every world and solar system ever known to man was present in your dreams in careful, pristine detail. You also witnessed the Storm, which has devoured a fair portion of these galaxies. Your Earth and similar planets were assimilated by the Storm. Somehow, you knew it would be the last you'd see of your world. That was when she told you what happened. You knew that you'd be living somewhere new. The details weren't clear, but you knew it was a part of a deal with the entity known as Darma - once, you might have been able to speak to her, but now you are only met with silence. When you awake, you will find yourself in Thesa Station. Your body is still cold, you're hungry, and the halls seem frighteningly bare somehow. EMPTY HALLS ![](https://i.imgur.com/G8jldQW.png") Despite the absence of Darma and the rest of the Natha Orbiters, the station is still managing to sustain itself. Those that dig within the station’s log will find that it’s currently in some sort of Energy Saving Mode. While Thesa isn’t at risk of failing any time soon, people will notice that the ship will appear more dim and desolate. Malfunctions will be common, and while none seem to be life-threatening (yet), they are notably inconvenient. Fortunately, it seems the Orbiters were prepared for the worst, and in a potential response to these concerning turn of events, they've prepared some help.
The virtual assistant takes a wide variety of shapes, from adorable animals to metal paper clips with googly eyes. Regardless of what form they take, their mission is clear: to help in any way they can. It’s unfortunate, however, that they just haven’t been calibrated properly. Hence, they will appear at the strangest times— in the middle of dinner or an important conversation— sometimes they won’t even offer anything useful. Apparently they were designed after a program that existed once, but who really knows.... However, while they may seem like nothing but trouble at first, there are many occasions in which they can actually help. They are equipped with a whole wealth of information on how to keep the station operational. They can offer tutorials and step-by-step instructions on how to fix various aspects of the station and beyond. Their knowledge is extensive, and if they believe the refugee they're assigned to needs a different kind of help (a lesson in smiling or how to have adequate small talk being some of the many topics they're equipped to teach), well ... they're not against supplying it. Expect some invasive teaching. The virtual assistants are also all synced together. Meaning, if there’s a big enough problem, they can ping one another and assign refugees to help with certain parts of the ship. The only problem is that prioritizing may not be their strong suit. What seems like a simple issue could be exacerbated into a huge ordeal. What someone thinks is a fire in the main hatch could actually be a plumbing issue near the Mess Hall. They also seem to assign people arbitrarily. One can only hope all the refugees get along. SEND HELP  While no specific parts of the station are necessarily offline, a lot of the tasks the station would normally complete on its own will need to be handled manually. Fortunately, the main functions of the station are more than accounted for, however everything else will be up to the refugees. As there is no telling when the Natha Orbiters will return, perhaps it’d be wise to take this opportunity to learn to be a little more self-sufficient on Thesa Station. 1. There are some areas the Station can’t automatically clean without exiting its current emergency protocols. Each of these areas will be marked off on the map provided by Thesa's very own virtual assistant, Yppilc. According to Yppilc, one of the key places that would benefit from a good wash down is the airlock. As a fair amount of foreign matter travels through these doors, special suits will be provided for those cleaning the area. The suits will have a built-in communications system and will also include its own oxygen tank. A helpful feature to have, just in case someone may be swept out into space. Which happens more often than one would think! Cleaning too close to the controls can trigger the doors to open… they’re sensitive. The oxygen tank isn’t equipped to last very long, so you can only help comes soon. GIFTS FROM THESA  The Natha have bequeathed their will unto the refugees, the burden of watching over their dear planet not given without a token of trust. Everyone, those newly awakened and those already settled, will receive periodic urging from Yppilc to visit the VR facilities. These messages will grow more frequent, more frantic, the longer they go ignored - for the sake of sleep, it’s best to indulge the request. Load into the simulation, and the scene is mired by the confusion of battle. You and another stand on a low hanging precipice, overlooking a failing front line. The location and conditions of the fight vary, drawn from the memories and fears of the participants themselves. Olympia and Wyver, locked in a caustic war - and your new home is succumbing. Or your homeland, entrenched in conflict from the past, or from a dreaded future. While the scene laid out before you is chaotic, one thing stands clear; your allies are fighting a losing battle. Comrades fall, innocents flee, and the wounded cry out for help. The program has determined what could best spur you and your comrade to intervene, though the more stubborn refugees may need additional goading from their partners. Your next action determines more than the outcome of the fight before you. Choose wisely - this message is conveyed mentally in a garbled voice that sounds familiar and ethereal all at once. Jump into action and fight. Save an ally - perhaps even your partner in this simulation - from certain death. Or help those who cannot help themselves. Act, and you will find yourself imbued with a new power. Use it, and the scene will soon come to a close. Despite returning to the reality of Thesa Station, you’ll find this newfound power still within your grasp. A gift from Darma, to aid in the battles to come. OOC Note: Feel free to give your character any one power that would be classified as a ‘major spell’ on the ACP rewards table. These powers can fall under any category (Unaffiliated, Natha, Olympia, or Wyver), and must be reported by existing characters and new applicants here under the most appropriate header no later than September 8th 11:59PM EST. Please include a brief description of the power you’ve chosen. You will receive a response within 48 hours if there are any modifications required. SOCIAL-LINKED(in) By some miracle, there are still some quieter parts of the hall. This may be an appropriate time to check out your smartphone. Aside from the expected "Omage" app, there seems to be a new one called Social-Linked. There, you may find a profile waiting to be posted. The app allows for the user to fill it in, but there is also an auto-function! upon pressing it, it will generate a shockingly-honest answer based on the Natha's observation of your history. Roman will be your only friend in this app, with his very own profile: PROBLEMS IN STASIS  1. The ship’s malfunctions have reached the stasis chamber, a long feared outcome finally dawning on sleeping friends and families. Yppilc will be quick to notify all refugees aboard that the pods will need close monitoring. Whether you’re visiting to keep an eye on things, or simply there to see the face of someone dear, be careful. Bumping a control panel, or drawing a hand along the glass could trigger an emergency ejection. Lights blink and a mechanism hisses, and then the pod is gone. With the pod thrust into space, you’ll be left with nothing but a small screen displaying the chamber’s position. There are ways to retrieve it— such as climbing into a suit from the airlock or following Yppilc’s instructions. Regardless of approach, it’s imperative that you stay calm. One error, and you could eject another pod or cut off the view screen entirely. 2. The newly awakened won’t find a moment of respite. The errors that pervade over the rest of the station have altered the contingencies for resuscitation in a majority of the pods. Some may awaken with gaps in their memory, or an old injury yet unhealed. Some may be afflicted with new ailments, such as loss of a sense or severe nausea. Anything could happen, with the computer systems processing so inconsistently. Interfacing with Thesa in any way, from entering the VR simulator to accessing the medical facilities, can cause the same range of side effects, so even established refugees should take caution. FINAL OOC NOTES
As always, feel free to wildcard prompts within Thesa Station!
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. Players may submit an AC-length thread HERE from this TDM for 2 Natha REP. The due date for submission is September 16 11:59 PM EST. For this application cycle, there will be a cap of 60 and no reserves. Applications will be open on September 2 12:01 AM EST and end on September 4 11:59 PM EST. Thank you! |
no subject
Except, well, the part where she's not really sure why he's so excited about her being here, considering she's not aware of how long she was asleep compared to him.
Still, his hug is welcome, and after a moment of minor surprise, she smiles with a small, breathy laugh, and reciprocates the hug.
Her voice is rather soft, content, when she responds. ] Yeah. I am.
[ Despite how many questions she has, she's more than happy to allow him these moments of joy. So she swallows her questions for the time being to keep her response simple. ]
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But she's here and she's awake.]
This is just- this is so great! When did you wake up? Did you find Riku yet? Oh man, we should go find him, he'll be so happy to see you.
[But wait a sec- they're in the medbay. Why was she in the medbay, is she okay? Is she sick, is she hurt? All too reluctantly he draws back from the hug, still keeping his hands on her shoulders.]
Hey are you okay, did you need to see a doctor? Do we need to find one?
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Hey, slow down. I can only answer so many at once.
[ Not that he can see it, but she moves her hands to start trying to count off her answers as she gives them. ]
Um, well ... I didn't wake up too long ago. I've been looking for you two the whole time, and you were the first one I found. So no Riku yet. [ But it sounds like Riku's here and fine, too, so that's a relief to hear. ] And I'm fine. I think. [ There's the issue of her sight but he's having the issue too so ... who knows?? Is it the lights?? ]
Did I get all of them?
[ She's honestly not sure. ]
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But he laughs when she answers him.]
Yeah, you got 'em all.
[Right now he's so happy he'd pick her up and swing her around but he's temporarily blind and in an enclosed space so that might not be the smartest idea he's ever had. But he definitely feels happy enough to do it! The smile on his face is so huge that it's starting to make his cheeks hurt.]
I'm sorry I wasn't there when you woke up, it's kinda scary waking up alone, and then they tell you all that stuff about the storm. You sure you're okay?
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She's luckily very good with taking things in stride, though, so she's mostly fine with the situation and how she woke up. Sure it wasn't ideal, but things worked themselves out, right?
And she shakes her head to dismiss his apology. ] It's okay, Sora. Really. [ Don't feel bad, please!! ] I had a bunch of flowers to greet me in your place, anyway.
[ Flowers that were a total mystery to her, but she appreciated them nonetheless.
The Storm stuff certainly did its fair share of giving her concern — mostly for the safety of her friends. But if they're okay, then ... everything will be okay. ]
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[He hoped she'd appreciate them, it's probably a good thing she can't see how puppyishly excited he is to find out her reaction.]
I wanted to bring you something, so you didn't feel like we were doing things without you while we were here. Me and Riku've been here for a while now.
[A while with dragons and kidnapping and bad times out the wazoo, but he's not about to think or talk about those right now. Kairi's here. He doesn't want to make her worry or spoil their reunion with the bad things that have happened.
Like lights going out right when they've found each other again.]
Man, I can't believe the lights have gone out, this is so weird.
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So it was you, huh? [ Too bad he can't see her smile. But the warmth in her voice can make up for it maybe. ] Thanks, Sora. I liked them a lot.
[ She'd hug him again, but he's making a good point here. ]
How about we try and get out of here now?
[ Enough darkness conversations! Time to see each other!! ]
no subject
[Sora's cheeks feel warm and he's kind of glad that it's so dark in here that Kairi probably can't see that. Sometimes he'd wondered if he was just being silly, sitting on his own and talking to a completely unconscious Kairi in her pod and festooning the place with flowers, but knowing that she liked them casts all worries he might have had aside.
He is kind of disappointed she can't see his smile though.]
I'm glad. I really missed you.
[Oh no, that's gonna sound weird, especially if it's not been all that long for her since they last saw each other and maybe he should ask her when she had actually come from but now he's been quiet for too long and he needs to say something otherwise he's going to look (hypothetically) like a complete idiot.]
And you're right, let's get outta here and find Riku!
[But it's so dark, he doesn't want to lose her. He lets go of her shoulders and fumbles about in the dark until he finds her hand and lightly takes it in his own.]
C'mon.
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[ So he doesn't have to miss her anymore. And it's a good thing, because she really doesn't want to be causing him the heartache of missing her. It hurt being without them on Destiny Islands a little while back. Missing Riku every day, thinking about the hole in her memories that was Sora. All the time. She knows what it feels like, and it's the worst. It makes her especially happy to be with them now.
When he takes her hand, she gives it a small squeeze. ]
Yeah. I can't wait to see the look on his face.
[ Time to surprise Riku with a Kairi!! ]
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[He squeezes her hand back and leads the way, trying hard not to drag her along behind him in his enthusiasm, especially in the dark like this where who knows what's lurking out of sight to crash and bump into.]
Yeah, if we can find him somewhere the lights are working. We can get a picture and everything, it'll be great.
[Because if you can't prank and blackmail your best friend with nothing but love then who can you prank?]
Seriously, what's with the-
[There's a dull thud as Sora walks straight into a wall.]
Ow!
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She lets out an 'ow' herself, before rubbing her face with her free hand.
She can't blame him much, though. She would've probably run into a wall sooner or later if she were leading, too. So instead of reprimanding him, she decides to instead bring up something that's been on her mind for a little while. ]
Are you sure it's the lights? I think something's been wrong ever since we met.
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[What she’s just said suddenly registers with him. Since they met here? But that’s not right, Sora was able to see her with no problem and then the lights went out. Right?
He just needs to get some light on the situation and they’ll figure this out.]
Hold on a sec, I wanna try something.
[Awkwardly, he reaches behind him and eases her safely out of the way. When he’s sure she’s a safe distance away, he holds out his arm and there’s a telltale ‘schink’ is he summons his keyblade to his hand.
Alarmingly, there is no familiar flash of light to herald its appearance as the weight of it arrives in his hand.
Not wanting to alarm Kairi or alert her to how much this development unsettles him, he asks cautiously:]
Could you see that?
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At his question, she instinctively shakes her head 'no' before following up with sound because, right, vision isn't a thing right now. ]
No, I couldn't see a thing. [ She wears a worried expression on her face now. ] When we met, I couldn't even see you. But it sounds like you could see me.
[ If that ... helps. To explain. Probably not, who knows if they'll figure out what's going on here, but ... yeah. She hasn't seen his face once since she arrived here, but from how he's acted and spoken, he could see her for a few moments before "the lights went out". Maybe the difference in their losing their sight has something to do with it. ]
no subject
Yeah, I could see you. You're a real sight for sore eyes. Or, you know, not actually working eyes, I guess.
[Try to keep it light Sora, don't let on how much this is alarming you!!]
Let me try something else real quick...
[He lifts his Keyblade and concentrates on Kairi as he casts Cure.]
Heal!
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She listens to his spell after he says he's going to try it, assuming he probably used it on her considering he would've said something had it worked (or not worked) for him. And ... she blinks a few times, moves her head like she's trying to look around. And then ... gives the response he was probably hoping she wouldn't give. ]
Still ... nothing.
[ She wouldn't know what's causing this, but it came out of the blue and at different times for both of them, so it had to have been something both of them did ... and there's got to be a way to reverse it, too. ]
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[Well that's... not good. Unless it's because his magic's not strong enough, Master Yen Sid said he'd lost a lot of his power after falling to the Darkness. That's not good at all, what's the point of having healing magic if he can't heal someone when they need him to?
Which means they're just going to have to find someone stronger than him.]
Shoot. I guess that means we're gonna have to try something else.
[He dismisses his Keyblade and gives her hand another squeeze.]
I'm sorry.
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What are you apologizing for, silly? [ He might be able to feel her bounce on her feet a bit once from the way her hand moves up a little. ] It's not your fault this happened. If the two of us work together, I'm sure we can figure out how to reverse it.
[ You're with a Princess of Heart, buddy. All light in there. And besides, she doesn't like hearing him down, and she feels a responsibility to try and keep him cheery. He's always doing so much for her, so it's only right that she return the favor whenever possible. They're in this together and they'll get out of it together, and be just fine. Like always. ]
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[And then Sora realises something. There's just no point in moping about something that can't be helped, and he can't let this ruin things. Kairi's here! So what if it's not perfect? She's here and he's spent too long waiting for her to wake up to let something like this get in the way.
He breaks out a smile which he sure hopes Kairi can imagine, even if she can't see it.]
You're right! There's nothing we can't do now we're together again.
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Right. There's the Sora I know. [ It makes her heart feel lighter to hear him like that again. ]
Now let's think. What did we both do around the time it happened?
[ If they backtrack in their heads what was going on, they might get a hint!! At least, that's the first thing that comes to mind for her. ]