❪ test drive: #2 ❫ THE OVERFLOW

[natha]

ORIGINAL POST

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. QUICK NAV premise ● faq ● world ● map ● reputation ● npcs taken ● reserves ● application calendar ● hiatus/drops ● modbox [ FULL NAVIGATION ] elnysa nysalogs nysaisles nysaooc elnyan

Comments

ur fault.

[cwiclac]

[ it takes lily maybe a solid two seconds to recognize that this is absolutely james, and another two seconds before she rolls her eyes.

she is relieved -- obviously. crushingly relieved, because james is okay. but -- ]

[ username: lilies

Your first concern is firewhiskey?

[ the unspoken where are you can come later ]

[punshots]

[ Okay, so that's a definite no. She's just like Noct, then, and he can't help a sinking feeling in his gut at the realization. If she's forgotten, then she must've gone back into stasis too, which makes him the ultimate chump for not even realizing she was gone in the first place. What kind of a friend is he?

It also means he has a lot to explain that she probably isn't going to like to hear, so he's grateful when she pulls the snowmobile to a stop. Without the wind stinging his eyes and face, it's a little easier to speak, and he needs all the help he can get with that right now. ]

N-no, it's not that, it's... [ Where does he even begin? He's not the greatest at explaining things at the best of times. May as well just come right out with it. Blunt, to the point. Not padded like the way he usually puts things, and the words feel coarse in his mouth. ]

You were here before. And by here, I mean El Nysa. You must've gone back into stasis and...forgotten.

[ So...there's that. ]

[punshots]

[ Exactamente....he's gotta use that one sometime. ]

you're the scientist we need, but not the one we deserve
but anyway
did you really set up a ladder/stepladder or was that just like a metaphor for something

[crushingly]

[Implying implications, making a confession easier for Mephisto. It's all for naught. He ends up dragging his nail against the skin beneath his nose, eventually catching it between his lips.]

Sounds like we can ignore him for now.

[Adjusting again, drawing his legs up onto the chair to sit in a squat. Like he's poppin' a squat.]

What about you?

[How's your bod, bro.]

[gh0stamidstthec0mbat]

[Good luck Rhys you're gonna need it.

Zer0 kind of just. Pauses. And crosses his arms. Huh.]

Actual magic. / So, Bunkers and Badasses. / We live in a game.

[SOUNDS FAKE BUT OK. Honestly though would it be any weirder than anything else that's been happening?

Not really. Zer0 will just have to get used to living in fantasy wizard land or whatever.]

[punshots]

[ There's a moment of panic accompanying Ryuji being unable to light the fire at first, because if that doesn't work, they're pretty much screwed. But a moment later the logs catch on fire, flames bursting into life, and Prompto can't help but jump in the air with a triumphant fist pump. ]

Yeah! That's what I'm talking about, baby! [ He leans down to clap Ryuji amicably on the shoulders. ]

You did it, man! Your arms are saved to, uh, arm another day!

[ And then he settles down next to the flames, pulling off his gloves so he can extend his hands towards it. Ah, sweet sweet fire... ]

[wallofbriggs]

[The company might; then again, the company might anyway. Or she could decide she wouldn't want to deal with Hawkeye.]

You are so trusting sometimes Mustang, it would be cute if it wasn't stupid. Would you have taken the job if they said there was a chance for more snow?

[Not that she thinks there will be more.]

[terrantrash]

<sub>[It's hard to trust but she makes it hard not to want to try as she tends to him, tying a knot to secure the bandages in place. The smile is nearly suffocating, but he forces himself to look at her, to keep himself fixated on her...

His heart nearly falls out of his mouth.

He's rattled but he wants to believe her. He wants to believe in something, someone, anything so badly it's practically killing him. Her hands against his scalp had felt nice, gentle and caring. Part of him is disappointed they're gone.

She'd be gone too now, wouldn't she? Now that she was done with him?]</sub>

Okay.

[meinwaifu]

[It's not like anyone plays him anyway, they're fine--]

Hmm? Why, I'm fit as always, of course! You know I'm not exactly comparable to him in that regard.

[Nor to any of the other sorry saps among the demon kings who can't slow down the passage of time on their own host body.]

[Which is, you know, all of them.]

[But he likes Amaimon so not gonna rub that one in his face. :T]

Ah, but I do wonder... do you suppose the powers that be will restore our bodies for us if we return here? It would be rather nice if we didn't need to worry about overusing our powers.

alvis | killjoys

[fibrosis]

THESA STATION (observation)

[ he's never actually made it outside the quad, honestly. he's definitely never travelled out of the cluster, and technically if you want to take everything into consideration, he's lucky he even made it out of the mines.

and it's not always easy to see the stars from westerley, but it is possible, and it's definitely possible from leith, but that doesn't make this display any less... amazing. it's a whole new set of stars, and while his interest in them is much more passive than it used to be, it's still beautiful to see. no matter how many times he sees a sight like this - such a vast expanse of nothing and everything - he'll never fully acclimate. which is good; he wouldn't ever want to. wonder is a precious thing far too easily broken. while he still has it, it's all that much easier to maintain hope.

hope for what, specifically, right now? he has no idea. but he's not so lost in the new sights and constellations to not be able to notice someone else entering the room. he allows them their time to soak it in, should they need it, before he approaches. ]

Is it new for you too?

OMAGE

un: akari

Not every day I wake up in a new galaxy
At least I made good time on the trip
Not too sure about the brochure's accuracy, but that's probably because I apparently lost mine somewhere
So who's got a decent rundown

GET REKT

[ they have vr programs back home, but most of them are for... well. exactly what you'd expect if anyone said that with a hesitation like that. alvis isn't that fond of the artificial anyway, but he does observe a few other games here and there.

cut to: scene ii, int, sometimeofday. a banana peel was just laid on the inside edge of a turn. cursing can be heard.

he found mario kart. he's not great at it, but he's not bad, and he's thoroughly enjoying learning what the upgrades mean. ] What's the red grenade for?

[sharpestsword]

[ She's curious about him, so she's going to have questions. Staring at him can only tell her so much. He seems cooperative enough and she's willing to return the favor if he'd like her to do so. Perhaps one belongs to him. ]

Do you think you could pilot one of these?

[courageunforgotten]

[Not knowing. It must be frustrating for her, he's sure of that if he knows her at all. Personally, he'd never felt that need to know the how of things. Only the results that came from them, the fact that it happened at all was always enough for him.

Mipha. Alive again. That kind of power, bringing back those who have died, then doesn't that mean that anything lost can be returned? People. Worlds. He doesn't know, but it's a possibility. It's a glimmer of hope.

It's enough for him.]

We're still here.

[When he meets her eyes again, it's with a newly steeled resolve.]

It isn't over. If there's a way to set things right, I'll find it.

[worldlyafflictions]

Right, later!

[Definitely going to escape while Mephisto is willing to let him. He'll wander around the stasis unit for a little while longer before he gives up--there are billions of people here after all, electing instead to go look into dropping off food for Izumo. Or rather he pokes around the cafeteria looking confused until and Orbiter shows up to introduce himself and ask if Shima needs anything.

He'll take that opportunity to leave Izumo a note with his phone number (which apparently can still function with a little bit of modifying by their benevolent saviors), just to see if she'll actually do anything with it.]

[courageunforgotten]

[Acceptable approximation. Good enough.]

So if that's the case.

[Something missing, left out of this dream. Something crucial, a part of him. He hadn't focused on that feeling until just now, but now that it's there at the forefront.

He looks down at the sword in his hand, shifting it to grasp the hilt in his hand and focusing. And it changes. The worn down hilt and scabbard dissolving before his eyes to something else. Masterfully crafted in blue and purple. A light shimmers from within it.

His sword.]

... I think I'm ready to wake up.

[courageunforgotten]

... Uh huh.

[This is getting silly now. Link sighs and folds his arms against the cold after replacing his gloves once again.]

Maybe you should get some more rest. Drink the rest of that while you're at it, I'm curious to see how well it works.

[friendfic]

[ Isabela smirks at him, getting up despite her body protesting she doesn't leave the warmth of the fire and over to the doorway where the cargo has been put aside. She reached between the "decent" cargo, pushing aside the black sheets that conceal a box tightly wrapped with twine that she easily does away with with the small dagger she keeps in a hilt on her thigh. ]

Now let's see what kind of fun they're trying to keep from us.

lily potter ( that series with the kid and the scar )

[cwiclac]

( prompt: winter came #2 )

[ lily is freezing, but luckily for her (and likely people around her), she has the magical ability (literally) to create flames. it takes her a moment or two to find a jar and before you know it, she is sitting in a relatively secluded corner to murmur to herself, and blue flames nestle safely into the bottle. they are levitating, and they cast something of a haunting glow, but lily smiles to herself before she takes stock of the area around her.

she is cold, true, but other people still are probably colder -- and after a moment or two, lily shifts to stand, moving carefully over to where you (nameless person) are sitting. and she holds out the jar with a kind smile. she looks tired, her red hair in her face, and she looks as if she could use a lengthy nap and probably some warmth of her own, but -- ] Here, take it. [ it's quiet, but encouraging. ] I can make another, you look like you need it a bit more than I do.

[ trust her? ]

( prompt # 2: network )

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

Has anyone got a scarf?

( prompt #3: stasis )

[ once lily finds out that there is such thing as a stasis area, you can't keep her out of it. she's warned, yes, and told that she likely shouldn't go because it will probably make her upset, but she has to know.

if harry (or anyone else she loves, truth be told) is in this room, she has to see it for herself in order to truly believe it.

and so lily can be found wandering through the tubes, trying to see into them to look at faces. the tip of her wand is lit to use as a flashlight, but she looks determined, if a bit grim. ]

Not here . . . [ it's quiet, murmured to herself, as she moves to the next tube. ] Where are you -- not here...

[beatupgrass]

"There's no air, so yeah... Pretty inhospitable." He stares down at her (he loves that he can do that even if it's not necessary). "You're the second person to mention a dude named Percy to me, so either that's a frickin' common name or you know a red-headed broad with antlers named Keyleth."

[fractaljesus]

[The smile that zaShunina gives him is knowing, eyes drawn to the exquisitely crafted blade now clutched in Link's hand. His arms return to him then, the small cube floating between them.]

You appear to have grasped it. [He muses, and the cube expands--large enough to engulf his body.] In that case, wake up. [And then the cube does engulf him, before blinking out of existence, taking the man in white with it.]

3

[planetary_bonds]

[Yusei narrows his eyes at the load in his own arms, a similarly suspicious looking box. This scene...it's not real, but the mere idea of it even having a chance of happening in reality chills him to the bone far more than the winter air about him.]

The way I see it, we're dead men either way.

[As traitors, or as rebels...but if he's going to go down either way, then...]

I'd rather go down on my own terms. I assume you feel the same.

[tummyflowers]

[Richard does drink some more the warm water. It's quite bracing out here in the cold and it's warming him up from the inside out. He reckons that he could probably last 3:00 minutes in the cold after drinking it, though only in level one cold temperatures.]

It's quite nice, really. I mean, for water. But we really ought to do something. I mean, aside from the pinching. Leave, maybe? What were you in the middle of?

[This feels like the line of questioning he should be going towards...]

NEEEEEERRRRD

[courageunforgotten]

[That seems to have worked out well enough. Link nods in acceptance of Mikazuki's thanks. He'll follow the stranger's lead as far as food goes, reaching into the fire for a relatively simple chunk of meat skewered on a stick.

He sighs a little, eyeing it. Not much in terms of flavor but he can only carry so many supplies.]

That's right. [He takes a bite, frowns a bit. Chewy.] You too?

[Could be Wyver. Not that he'd be any more eager to start a fight out here were that the case.]

[meinwaifu]

[Hey Shima hey Shima hey]

[Know that thing where Mephisto occasionally just kinda appears all quietly out of nowhere?]

[Guess who's behind u--]

Hmmm, resorting to a peace offering, I see!

[courageunforgotten]

[Everybody's a critic.]

It isn't just water.

[Does Richard really want the answer to what else is in it? Time will tell.]

Tracking klep. And I'm not planning to leave, I'm sure there's a den nearby. Now it's just a matter of waiting.

[He's been at this all day, man.]

SKLJDHFLKSJDHFLSKDJ !!!!!!!!

[heorot]

[ the relief washes over him all at once. like passing through a wall, or crashing into a shield. before, was an ever present worry and now he feels nearly twenty pounds lighter.

they'd promised she'd be okay. that she and harry would be sleeping. that, perhaps, they would wake up with him but even if they didn't, they would be okay. it was what got james out and around, the knowledge that it all went alright. that they were safe.

but even with all that - he missed her. just knowing that she wasn't around, wasn't with him, slowed him. weighted on him. and with a single message, he undoubtedly knew. ]

username: PRONGS

yours isn't?

[ it goes unsaid, despite the immediate shift in his direction. wherever it is he was going is no longer important. ]