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Entry tags:
❪ test drive #9 ❫
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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. Exploring the halls brings you to the transporter room, which will give you easy access to and from Nadril... Getting there is a quick process that leaves you feeling vaguely nauseous and out of your own body, and you can’t travel to the rest of the planet just yet, but the space station and the icy colony are yours to explore. A FORCED AWAKENING (THESA STATION)  ... But that is, of course, assuming that your awakening was a smooth one. In the best case scenario, nausea might be the worst you'd feel. For many others, the newly awakened won't be a pleasant one. In the past, the refugees will only wake when they are mentally and physically prepared for it. After all, they are in a whole new galaxy, and dimensions and time were trampled with to make the Intervention possible. Those who witnessed the storm before it devoured their own world would know as well that the Intervention hadn't been a graceful one, and it's exemplified by the way you wake. Alarms on the station will be blaring when you finally come to, siren calls and flashing light invade your already disoriented senses. You'll find yourself face-planted on the cool metallic floor among many others with you. Some, just as confused and unstable as you; others, still sleeping — they're alive, but no matter how much you try to wake them, they will not gain consciousness. Or maybe some will. It seems the best way to approach those in stasis is to put them back into their chambers in hopes that the glitch hadn't disrupted their recovery. Thesa Station has changed though, seemingly overnight. The space that surrounds the station is now in near-total darkness. Where there were once stars across billions of lightyears, it appears as though they're fading — some would flash right before your eyes. This is especially true for those with access to the Observation Room. Alarms will continue to ring as you find your way there. Once inside, you will see visible glitches in the hologram of the multiverses as a ghostly, dark fabric begins to blanket over the shining dots that represents the many stars across many galaxies. As it gathers the stars, it moves even faster. Somehow, you may feel that it's getting closer now. The impending doom of the Storm is now upon the little corner of the universes where Darma found her planet. It's only a matter of time now before the Storm finally, finally, finds El Nysa. THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT
Nadril will remain accessible once you've established footing — it may seem like a welcome change to the steel, alarms, and artificial gravity. Once you've teleported down, your devices will pick up the message from the one and only Nurray, the leader of Nadril.
True to her words, the city square where you've teleported will have been furnished with a new piece of technology. Those who are familiar with Thesa's ins and outs would recognize it as a version of the Virtual Reality machines that can be found up there, but it is made for far more people. This foreboding machine has a shining gate that allows users to simply step through it and disappear into space. However, what you're really doing, is stepping right into the past.  I. Burning Dawn — You can hear the piercing screams even before your surroundings finish rendering. Once they do, searing heat, choking smoke, and flickering flames greet you — you find yourself in the midst of a burning village, at the center of the town square. The streets are swarming with people, both peasants who seem to live here fleeing for their lives and the heavily armored troops who have fanned out throughout the village, armed with torches and spears. Those who are running speak of safety in the forest — a place of refuge, somewhere they can be protected even from these outsiders with their blades and their fire. But reaching the forest means getting past the invaders who are stationed throughout the village and at all the exits. Fight your way out, sneak your way out, or find some other solution — but to escape this simulation you must find a way out. Should you find yourself killed by the invaders, you will respawn back in the village square again, right where you started. There does not seem to be any other way to end the VR session. II. The Escape — It is bitterly cold. You find yourself as part of a caravan — and though no one explicitly says so, you know instinctively that you are traveling north. Snow crunches underneath your feet and soaks through the material of whatever it is you are wearing. There are cliff walls and caverns visible further up ahead, and the path you need to take is a long, winding road that leads to the top of those cliffs. On the horizon are dark clouds, and murmuring around you makes it clear that you all expect a storm. You have perhaps half an hour before it is expected to hit. What you do with that time is up to you, but should you fail to prepare properly and succumb to exposure, the next thing you know you find yourself within the caravan once more, a chill in your soul as you stare out at the approaching storm. Thirty minutes... III. Crime — "Catch!" Someone calls that word out to you, and a moment later, a small wrapped package is dropped into your arms. There is a flurry of movement from somewhere behind you, and suddenly, men garbed in Olympian insignias — older than the versions worn in Olympia these days, but still recognizable — appear, brandishing swords at you. "Stop! Thief!" If the guards catch you, the scenery around you will distort, and you will find yourself back at the start of the simulation, with a package thrown into your arms. But if you flee, if you evade the guards for long enough through the twists and turns of the Olympian markets of hundreds of years ago, and manage to lose them... When you come out of the VR session, you find yourself gripping a small trinket of some kind — an antique bracelet, or perhaps a goblet, or some other bauble of Olympian make. It is very old, and it is yours to keep. IV. ...And Punishment — The rattling of chains fills your ears as the walls of some kind of cell form themselves around you. There are shackles around your wrists, connected to chains which are bolted to the stones hemming you in. There are others chained here with you, and as you begin to process what you're seeing, someone enters the cell. It's a large, imposing man with scale-like skin, and he takes one of the others in your cell and hauls them away. Minutes later, from outside, you hear screaming — and then utter silence. The man will return in thirty-minute intervals, dragging the inhabitants of the cell away for execution until he gets to you. If you do nothing, you will meet your end in a variety of ways — beheaded by an axe, perhaps, or drawn and quartered, or boiled alive. Should that happen, you will awake in the cell again, until you find a way to free yourself and escape. V. Castaways — The tang of sea salt fills the air as the image of the ocean builds itself around you. You find yourself on the deck of a ship, sailing away from the isles of El Nysa, toward the thick, thick fog that has kept everyone fenced in for so long. "It's never been done before, crew," shouts a man with a thick beard, wearing the clothes of a captain. "But today, we'll be the first! Full speed ahead!" The ship sails directly into the fog, and it seeps in around you, obscures your vision and becomes so thick that it's almost hard to breathe. But you can hear the waves breaking on the ship's hull, and everything is fine. Until it's not. Until the sound of the waves breaking is the sound of waves crashing, until the wind whips around you and howls but does not clear away the fog. There's a sickening crunch as the mast cracks and twists and falls, shattering the deck and sending you and everyone around you into the icy cold depths of the sea. The isles are back the way you came, but can you make it? Try — because should you sink to the depths of the sea, you'll only find yourself on the ship's deck again once you open your eyes. INVISIBLE WIRES
While there are no apparent seasons in the everwinter of Nadril, the diverse flora is not all year round. Now, with the coming of the most distant moon of the year, there grows a beautiful red vine. It snakes upwards from the ice, bright red against the glowing scenery. Growing along houses, coiled up tree trunks, and spidering over the ground, the plant is resilient and quickly adapts to any terrain.
It's quite the sight to behold, but get close and the veinlike roots fade, becoming entirely invisible. Like this, the vine ensnares its prey. A small tendril wraps around your finger, your neck, or burrows into your chest to entwine your heart. Each plant chooses two hosts in this way, binding them together with a sharp ache that becomes more severe the greater the distance between them grows. You may be alone when afflicted, left to suffer the night wandering to find your other half to soothe the pain. The vine withers after about 24 hours, leaving behind no trace, however, resisting its pull has been known to draw blood from the most stubborn obstinate victims. FINAL OOC NOTES
As always, feel free to wildcard prompts within Thesa Station and Nadril!
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 two (2) Natha REP. The due date for submission is January 20th, 11:59 PM EST. Due to the plot-relevancy of this TDM, current players are able to play these prompts in-game in their own logs. However, only threads involving a perspective player may be used for Natha REP. For this application cycle, there will be a cap of 60 and no reserves. Applications will be open on January 2nd at 12:01 AM EST and close on January 4th, 11:59 PM EST. Thank you! |
no subject
uglyshiny, floating piece of technology. what are you going to think about that?that aside, it's going to be nice to know that she'd taken up the mantle of worrywart ( ™ ) in his absence, and while he might not have expected anything different from her, to be sure, it's just going to be one more thing he'll end up thanking her for, because if she hadn't been around … well. there's no knowing how things could have gone.
( even if he has no idea what's gone on between lance and keith. it just needs to be mentioned. )
the confusion that spreads across her face is concerning, but of course a question like he'd just ask is bound to bring something like that around if there are discrepancies regarding important things like memories; there is going to be a lot of explaining before he'll come close to understanding the situation here, but of course he's never been anything but patient, so. it won't be so awful.
even if he does almost do a double-take when she admits how long it's been since she woke up. ) Eight months. ( it sure does sound like that's going to take some mulling over. ) How is everyone? How are you? ( concerned space dad is go. )
no subject
Things have been... challenging.
[Honest, but the hesitation in her voice implies she's still working out what exactly to burden Shiro with. Between Keith and Lance's friendship hanging by a thread, and her run in with Takasugi in Olympia, things have been far from simple.
But he only just woke up and there's already so much to deal with, and she gives herself a small shake of her head, as if deciding that her problems could wait.]
We are safe. [...Even that seems dubious, given the state of the stars beyond them. She sighs,] There is a lot to talk about, but you probably have plenty of questions of your own regarding... everything.
no subject
( which. is admirable, all things considered. but he's never wanted anyone to hold anything back just because he isn't in the right mindset to process everything. )
there's time, though. and he won't press if she doesn't want to talk about any one thing in particular; he'll be happy enough to know that everyone that's already awake is moderately … okay. his posture relaxes just the slightest bit even as he finds himself reaching out toward the arm that has curled around her middle, hoping that the point of contact isn't unwelcome considering … he's tried to stop her fretting before.
but that feels like lifetimes ago, after everything that's happened to now. still, human fingers brush over her forearm in the lightest of touches before that hand drops back to his side, and he knows the look he must have on his face shows all that soft concern he hasn't quite put a voice to yet.
he's always been just a little bit transparent when it comes to his worry for the others. ) All that matters is you're safe. ( he says quietly, and it's the truth — even there are a few questions he finds lingering in the back of his mind. time. there's more than enough time to expound in the things that are too difficult to get through now. ) But if you wanted to tell me more about this place … I'm all ears.
no subject
She drops her arm back to her side, and she nods. It's easier to fall back into business — they both found comfort in
being busibodiesproductivity, she was sure — and talking about facts and events was always easier than feelings and insecurities.]First, [That being said, her eyes slide back to his opposite arm, and the unwelcome anxiety that comes with a question that she worries she already knows the answer to,] I... may I ask about your arm? That is not of Galra design.
[The last she knew, his old arm was destroyed according to Keith. If he only just now woke up, that could only mean a few things,]
no subject
it leaves a heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach, but he doesn't think about it. can't afford to now, when there are still a lot of things to be figured out and smoothed over. back to business, back to facts, and the sorting of feelings and all manner of such can come later. if it comes at all.
there's the smallest shift in his expression when she asks about his arm — because he would have just assumed she would remember, since she was the one that designed it — but given his prolonged exposure to slav and the talk of so many alternate realities and the like, he isn't as surprised to get the question as he would have been otherwise. maybe … hm. ) It's Altean, actually. ( his smile turns soft, tentative. like he's about to start walking on eggshells. )
You designed it for me, actually. ( might as well come right out with it. )
no subject
I see. [Uneasily, and it takes her a moment to consider her next words. But ultimately, it's not really benefiting Shiro for her to be cagey right now, and truthfully, she finds it easy to talk to him about these things, even now, millions of light years from where they last saw each other.
She takes a deep breath.] I... do not have any memories of that. [Clearly. Ever since her first stint in stasis, when she woke up with new memories of home, and just as Lance only remembers up until Oriande, she's long suspected that there were still details being kept from her. Whether it is by accident or design remains to be seen,]
The last I remember of “home”, we were just beginning our journey to Earth.
no subject
it's a bit disconcerting, no matter how you slice it.
after the admission, though, he tries to keep his expression fairly neutral; there will be time enough to sort out what it means that all of them seem to have differing memories, once he realizes that it isn't just allura that doesn't recall things precisely the way he does.
the important thing is that everyone seems to be all right. at least, according to the information she's given him so far. ) Oh, well. That explains a little. ( he exhales, and is still working on keeping his expression carefully neutral. ) From what I remember, we'd only just touched down. ( well. they'd been there long enough for him to see adam's name on the memorial wall … and be fitted with this nice new piece of
uglytech. )no subject
I imagine we will all eventually catch up to the same timeline. Eventually. [Similarly, she attempts a nonchalance to her tone that likely falls several degrees too flat. She’s never been good at hiding her feelings. But there is truth to her words, even if she’s not exactly comforted by them,]
Both Keith and I had several of our memories come back in the same instance at one point. I’ve suspected that it could happen again.
[Shiro’s news just solidified her theory. But there’s nothing that can be done about it, and she offers him a small smile,]
I am glad that we made it to earth. And that I was able to do something to help you.
no subject
somehow, she always knows. ) Eventually. ( he repeats, because somehow that drives the point home — or maybe just makes it make a bit more sense, even though he doesn't think he'll ever be able to wrap his head fully around the tomfoolery of timelines.
he's trying, though. again, all thanks to that slav exposure.
the memory thing, though. that makes him pause because it's enough of a point of concern that he wonders if it happens often, but he doesn't want to worry so much out loud that she finds herself concerned for him. more than she might already be, that is. so, quiet worry it is! ) There's a lot I could tell you about that, if you wanted to know. ( his expression falters again, and he wonders if he should mention the galra having taken over. ) It wasn't exactly the homecoming everyone was expecting.
( or deserved. )
no subject
[It's not really a surprise that their journey to earth didn't go without a hitch, but there's something about his tone that suggests more than just an intercepted Galra fighter or two on the way there.]
I would like to know as much as you'll tell me but- [She casts a look around them, at the empty observation deck,] You just woke from stasis, are you tired?
[Ah. Her mouth tilts up in a belated smile. Although she knows better than any that stasis did not really sate one's need for sleep as one might expect.] Or if you are hungry... There is no need to overexert yourself just this tick.
no subject
( not that he's ever been the type to give in to that kind of pessimism, but there is no getting around it when it seems like every time they start to get a leg up on moving in the right direction, something is there to stop them. and it's just. exhausting.
but. moving right along from that because of course she's low-key fussing over him already, something they will always have in common when it comes to the people they care about. ) I'm a little groggy … and a little nauseous, so I'm not entirely sure if food would be a good idea just yet. ( nothing like waking up from stasis and blowing chunks right off the bat.
not that we think that would happen. but it's on his mind. ) I'm fine, really. And I can catch you up whenever you want. ( a beat. ) Maybe you could show me around a little, if you're up for it?
no subject
She nods,] A tour it is, then. But first-
[And I hope Shiro doesn't mind a second hug, because-]
It is good to see you again.
[There's not enough words to truly express how good it is, seeing her friends again. She'd been lucky enough to have Keith from the beginning, but even then, the phoebes she'd spent waiting for the others to wake was phoebes longer than she's ever been away from the other paladins. They weren't so much lost, as she could see them whenever she wished, but she still felt the separation deeply. They were her family.]