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Entry tags:
❪ test drive #4 ❫
|
YOUR STORY BEGINS  The Storm came. You only remember darkness, but you don't remember much after that. All you know, perhaps, is that it was cold. You don't know for how long you slept, but the dreams were short, at least. You remember the expanse of stars and the universe that came in view. Every world and solar system ever known was displayed in your dreams in careful, pristine detail. You have also witnessed The Storm, which has devoured a fair portion of these galaxies. It was a dark, thick smog — ominous in appearance and ever foreboding. Your Earth and similar planets were immersed in The Storm. Somehow, you knew it would be the last you'd see of it. That was when she told you what happened, and how you could help. You knew that you'd be living somewhere new, even though you never asked for it. The details here weren't clear, but you knew you'd made a deal with Darma. Not long after, you'll wake at Thesa Station — your body is still cold. It all felt like a dream, but somehow, you knew it wasn't — now, will you keep that promise you made to Darma? PROMPT: THE STORM  CW: death You were awake on Thesa Station. But at some point you, like many other new arrivals before you, wandered into the Observation Deck. Ordinarily, this is where images of The Storm are replayed to remind Refugees of the fate they have escaped. The Natha Orbiters' technology has evolved. They are aware of your gaps in memory. You may have doubts of The Storm even existing, or of your world's destruction. Though they do not wish reliving those last moments on anyone, they have created an experience that will do just that. Before entering the Observation Deck, you are warned that what follows will not be for the weak of heart. As soon as you step in, you will find that the walls around you begin to transform and expand. Welcome to the Planet Cespi, in the Circinus Galaxy. Unfortunately, we were not able to save this world from The Storm's Consumption.
These are its last memories. You are surrounded by blue, grassy hills as far as the eye can see and a pleasant breeze. The atmosphere is thick with a sickly sweet smell. Before you lays the scene of a quiet village, with its residents going about their everyday lives. You aren't alone, either, with an equally confused stranger (or perhaps you know each other?) surveying the scene. Then the world grows completely silent for a full minute. You and your partner are unable to make a sound, verbal or otherwise. Without warning, a deafening roar fills your ears and forces you to double over in pain. The villagers run out of their homes in a panic, finding themselves in just as much pain and confusion as you do. Where there was no sound before, now there is too much for a normal human body to process. Look up. An expanding mass of energy is swallowing everything you can see. It consumes the earth, the atmosphere, the depths of space — and it is getting closer. Your only hope is to outrun it, if you can. The people in the village certainly try to, racing past you. Their fear is very real. Their bodies are very real. You may be able to run from it for a time, only able to catch glimpses of this dark and sinister force swallowing everything and everyone. The earth rumbles and separates beneath you. Electricity surges through the sky, and then through your very body. You fought hard, but it is impossible to outrun the Storm forever. You too will be consumed. Your death is quick, but not painless. What were you thinking, before you took your last breath? You awaken back in the Observation Deck, next to your new friend. PROMPT: TRAINING MODULES  While it’s all nice and well to familiarize oneself with Thesa Station, it is most advised that new arrivals venture out a bit. Not physically. No one is quite prepared for that yet. However, there will be several virtual reality training programs set for those who dare to be adventurous. For those who aren’t and don’t dare, well — good luck, all the same. Once seated and appropriately strapped in, the system will automatically whir to life. 1. When you enter the Natha's newest program, at first nothing loads. You might think this is an error as you look around in apparent total darkness, only able to see your own virtual body if you look down, but soon enough a voice comes to life as if speakers have turned on somewhere. Long ago, the lands of El Nysa were dominated by the ancestors of the dragons who now live among the people, tamed. It was pretty dangerous! How about a little history lesson? And then the simulation comes to life—
2. Let us now travel forward in time, shall we?  a. The Olympian settlement around you is quiet — until the screaming starts.3. And now, the present.  After all those enlightening scenes, the simulation finally brings you to a more quiet area of Olympia. You are deposited out somewhere in The Outlook, a place the very first group of refugees had to trudge through before they found their homes. You've arrived in the early evening — but sunlight is waning, and soon you'll be under a sky full of stars. Luckily, their old campsites aren't too overgrown. The intention here is to get you familiar with some of the local flora and fauna. What sorts of plants will you encounter? Do you find yourself under a Verillum Tree, suddenly compelled to be painfully honest and truthful in conversation with a complete stranger? Find yourself behaving erratically in the presence of Whistleweed? Or perhaps you'll have to break the spell of being trapped in a Vena Amoris' vines... with a kiss. PROMPT: STASIS UNIT  You have found the massive section of Thesa known as the Stasis Unit. There’s no special access required to enter 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: 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... 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
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! An AC-length thread may be submitted for 2 NATHA ORBITER REPUTATION POINTS after acceptance here. Please submit by February 18th.
We will no longer be providing overflow posts. In an event where the post hits CAPTCHA, players are advised to move threads to an overflow post on their character journals or create their own catch-all post. These threads remain eligible for REP. There will be an application cap of 60, and no reserves. Please read here for more information. |
lyse hext | final fantasy xiv
[ They warned her of what she might see, but nothing can really prepare someone for that. For the silence or the Storm that follows, rolling through like a blight on the land and its people. Lyse is no stranger to war, and certainly knows her way around unnatural diasters, but this is the first time seeing something that would have otherwise been left for the Warrior of Light to contend with.
And she feels helpless as the pain of a world rushing to its end lances through her head. It's all she can do to suck in a defiant and ragged breath, nails digging into earth as she pushes herself up to stand. Never mind that none of this is real; she's managed to forget that important detail the moment this "memory" decided to bowl her over. The only thing that sticks is the need to run. Get up or she's dead.
And she can't die here. Not like this.
Maybe you're a straggler, or somehow managed to get knocked down by the unrelenting wave of people desperate to get away. Whatever the case, there's a strong hand gripping at your elbow, pulling you forward. ]
Keep moving!
[ You're moving one way or another, even if she has to physically drag you along with her. ]
( b: history lesson )
[ So. Dragons.
These guys don't have the best reputation where she's from. Some of them have managed to do some good PR work to work on that, but this one doesn't seem like the type who's concerned with his image. Lyse won't be the first one in her circle to say that she fought a dragon and survived, but after being heralded as this tribe's elite warriors, it's probably safe to say she's and whoever she's with are about to join those ranks.
But how is this red-clad "warrior" supposed to fight something like that without a weapon? It is a mystery. ]
I know they think we're heroes and all, but doesn't this seem a little dangerous sending only the two of us out here?
[ She should probably sound scared, right? Then why is she smiling, almost like she might enjoy this. Being cooped up in the station was making her antsy; at least here she could get the blood flowing. ...Although maybe she's been hanging around the Warrior of Light too much, to think that.
...
Nah.
But what's that, a sudden hard downdraft and the sound of something leathery catching in the wind? A shadow overhead? They won't have to wait long to find out, because dropping down from on high is their mark, scattering rocks and debris as it lands, shaking the ground beneath their feet. The dragon has arrived, and there's another sound mingling with the sound of sediments falling back to the earth:
Crack. Crack.
Punching one hand into the other, the blond pugilist smirks, settling into a lowered, guarded stance. ]
Well, I guess that makes this easier, doesn't it?
[ She is beauty, she is grace, she's gonna punch it in the face. ]
( c: innocence lost )
[ They told her about the Storm, showed her the effects, and still nothing makes it truly stick like seeing your loved ones suspended in a death-like sleep. She doesn't understand what powers are at work to make a place like this function, all of it is beyond her. But there is one thing that she does understand:
They survived. Somehow, all of them managed to make it through the Storm, and everything else that had been thrown at them. That should be enough for her, and it is... for the most part. But as Lyse walks through rows and rows of stasis pods, lingering only long enough to say a few quiet words. But it's not the ones who she expects to find that hit as hard.
It's the one she didn't expect that does. ]
But Papalymo, I... I don't understand.
[ And there she stands, at the end of a long row of nondescript stasis pods, frozen there, her face even paler in the harsh, sterile light. This can't be right, she saw him die; the mark he gave her was gone, so why, how... She doesn't dare touch it, for fear of realizing that all of this is just a dream.
Because why would he be here if it wasn't? ]
( x: wild card )
[ Have an idea for a prompt? Feel free to hmu at![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
impearls! I'm pretty open! c: ]
c
He comes to a stop, though, as he spots someone. A hyur, blonde-haired and blue-eyed. He had descriptions of the Scions given to them, but a description of Yda Hext... it isn't worth terribly much, in terms of identifying Lyse Hext upon sight.
So he is more guarded, as he approaches. A little less overstated than ordinary, perhaps. He has a sense of how unnerving certain discoveries here might be. He could swear that he passed the pods of a few brave knights he knew to be dead.
So, when he motions, it has less flare than it might. But he still waves outward with his hands, because he can't help but talk with expressive movements.]
It is quite unlikely, is it not? The sort of people we find here? A friend of yours, perhaps?
no subject
Hearing heavy footfalls closing in, the pugilist turns her head toward the taller Elezen. Had he just woken up, or was he here for the same reason that she was? Lyse offers him a brief, acknowledging smile before looking back at the pod before them.
A friend? ]
You could say that.
[ But it's far more complicated than that. He was like family. That's what all the Scions are to her, but Papalymo was different. He was always different, and without the time to mourn the loss of someone who was such an important part of her life, seeing him like this... ]
But... he shouldn't be here. Not like this.
[ It rips those hastily-sutured wounds wide open again. ]
no subject
[A slight sigh.
The Elezen folds his arms over his chest, rather than the trademark animated movements. Haurchefant looks down at Papalymo's stasis tube. A Lalafell. He looks almost peaceful like that--but everyone does. Even the Archbishop and the Heaven's Ward did. It isn't a fair comparison, he thinks; this Lalafell must have been a sight nicer than them, and deserves better.]
Many a person has been brought here. And several were faces that I truly thought I would never see again. Whatever this place is, I fear it pays little respect for the orderliness of time.
And, I think, little respect for our hearts. 'Tis a cruel way to reunite friends, to keep them from speaking and seeing one another.
c
Lyse..
[ alisaie's voice is soft as a breath, behind her. with alphinaud's awakening, alisaie couldn't help but hope for more - hope, and dread. there are so many familiar faces in these pods, so many friends and comrades she has ached for over these long, long moons but there are a few she would rather not see, and still others on whom her heart is torn.
her grandfather, namely. those who have found their rest and deserve to keep it. those she is not sure she could bear to see again.
but lyse is not one of those people. alisaie has missed her terribly, her bright smile and upbeat disposition, all of her refreshing, hardworking positivity. that is the sort of light that alisaie has always needed in her life, and the sight of her is so painfully nostalgic that she cannot help the tears that sting the corners of her eyes. gods, don't cry - but it has been so long. ]
It is not something that you will.. ever grow accustomed to.
no subject
It feels almost like seeing a ghost. She hadn't been one of the countless faces that she saw, but seeing Alisaie there in the flesh, it's almost too good to be true. It wasn't, was it? Her eyes weren't playing tricks on her, right?
A smile slipping in, it's a little strained, brows turned upward. Like it's a struggle to just stand there in one place, but she has to be sure first. ]
Alisaie, is that really you?
[ Please, don't tell her this is just another simulation. ]
no subject
Aye, of course it is.
[ she says with her customary flash of sass, but its effect is a bit diminished by the way her voice trembles, and how she lifts her eyes, blinking rapidly in an attempt to keep the tears at bay. ]
It has.. been some time, my friend.
b (aka FITE DRGN PLS)
Yeah. [ Suffice it to say.
Sorey is uncommonly steely here, in tone as in posture, but it’s not from fear. It’s more reverence than fear, since he knows exactly what he’s up against.
Mainly. Mostly. Maybe.
Who ever thought he’d see a dragon in this place... depressing doesn’t begin to cover it. But, if seraphim are as he’s read, then it’s completely feasible this dragon is-- ]
Wait -- we can’t kill it. [ Said even as he reaches to his hip and draws his trusty sword. (Well, a whole lot less trusty now, isn’t it? Ah well.) ]
We have to try to subdue it.
[ She can still punch it in the face and accomplish that, surely.
...Right? ]
yesssss
Probably.
Rolling her shoulders back, Lyse readies herself to charge, but stops when her partner makes his declaration. Subdue it? He does know what they're up against, right? ]
But it just razed an entire town!
[ Sorey. Sorey, please think about this. You're not being even remotely reasonable here. Dragons are beyond bad news, and while she did not have the unique pleasure of dealing with the winged beasts as they terrorized the people of Ishgard, she's heard what they are capable of. It really only takes one bad, bitter, fire-breathing apple to ruin the bunch.
But she'll listen. He has 10 seconds, tops. ]
no subject
But.
He’s put plenty of foes to this very sword by now, and this instance will be no different, if that’s the way it has to be. ]
I know! [ He calls over the growing rumble of this massive beast. ] But you have to trust me!
[ Sorey knows where dragons come from, and it... isn’t pretty. So he can’t just slaughter it -- who knows who this dragon used to be? ]
They can be purified!
[ But... how’s he going to do that without help? He doesn’t know, and it won’t stop him from trying, anyway. ]
b!!! lyse stahp
Lyse being so raring to go against something like that is just ... how does she do it?
And he covers his face with his arm when the dragon lands, to shield it from the wind and debris. ]
You cannot seriously mean to fight that!
[ It may just be some sort of ... simulation thing? But it feels very real. And being killed by a dragon is something he very much does not desire. ]
can't stop won't stop
Lowering herself slightly, she stands nearly shoulder-to-shoulder with him, her eyes locked on the angry dragon before them. ]
Then what else do you suggest we do?
[ The options she sees here are to run or fight, and she's sick of running. Besides, it's not actually real, right? So this is a bit like combat training. Just look at it that way! Combat training and a history lesson all rolled into one, it's perfect for the both of them!
It's probably fine, right? If he has any other suggestions, he's welcome to tell her now! ]
no subject
Though I loathe to say it, running seems to be our only other option. [ There's not much one can do with a giant dragon right in front of them. If the Warrior of Light were here, it'd likely be another story, but ... well. He realizes talking Lyse out of fighting it will prove to be a lot harder than he'd like, so. ] But I highly doubt you will take it.
[ There's defeat in his voice, as though he's realizing he's lost this argument before he's even begun. ]
c
How unfair it is that she had but just reclaimed her destiny, only to be forced into a sleep from which she may never wake.
It isn't uncommon for there to be others about, and he draws nearer to the sound of Lyse's voice, if only to provide some small comfort to a stranger. ]
I do not know that any of us truly understand.
no subject
He shouldn't be here. They left him behind, even if she fought desperately to stand at Papalymo's side at the end. Wanted to so desperately, even if she's begun to understand why he refused to allow her to stay.
Can you see her here, Papalymo? Even like this, were you still watching over them?
Her gaze flicks to the newcomer (a Miqo'te?), then back at the glass chamber in front of them. ]
He fought to protect all of us, but we couldn't do anything. He should be able to rest peacefully—
[ She clenches her hand at her side, her gaze steely and difficult to read. ]
—But when it mattered the most, we weren't able to return the favor. It wasn't enough.
no subject
[ He slowly approaches the pod that has held Lyse's attention, eyes sweeping over the still, and distinctly lalafellan, form inside. ]
I wish I knew how the Natha came to keep the dead alongside the living, but much of how they do what they do is beyond me.
no subject
Seeing her dear friend here, and knowing that what he did may have been for naught. The work that they did, all undone by some cataclysmic force she can't quite draw to memory. It's overwhelming, and she isn't sure what to do with any of this. ]
Thank you.
[ And she is thankful, even if her words lack any kind of color or luster. Looking back up at Papalymo, her smile sags at the corners. ]
I should be happy that they brought so many of us here in one piece. But I know this isn't what Papalymo would have wanted, if he had anything to say about it. He would have tried to find a way to stop what happened, before it came to this.
no subject
[ On “this”, he waves a gloved hand, indicating the stasis chamber at large, rows upon never-ending rows of still, silent forms. Friends and strangers alike. ]
I am… sorry to ask this now, but you are of Hydaelyn, are you not?
b!
This dragon is a fair bit more gargantuan that the wyverns he fought back on Eos, but the principles of battling one are probably the same, right? Sure. Aaaaaaand if all else fails, this is just a simulation. No matter how real the spike of fear in his gut is when that dragon shakes the very earth under his feet. He's faced down worse foes.
Probably. ]
Y-yeah! I'll hold him, and you punch!
[ ...He's joking. It's a coping mechanism, but he can't help but notice she is wielding only her fists and isn't summoning a weapon to her hand, like he does a moment later.
Through a clenched jaw: ]
How we gonna do this?
[ He is not the strategist here. ]
I'm so late to this SOBS
And anyway, from what she was told, this was like training right? It might hurt, but this thing can't actually kill them. At least that's how she understands it. She gets to cut loose a little, and being cooped up on this ship has made her really want to stretch her legs. ]
Sounds like a plan!
[ Wait, she's actually taking him seriously? Yes, yes she is. Doesn't he look a little soft to hold down a beast of that size and magnitude? But it's probably fine.
But as far as taking something this big down— ]
Follow my lead!
[ LYSE THAT ISN'T A PLAN—oh, there she goes, charging in without warning. With only her fists. Whelp. Time to follow?
you've got some phoenix downs on you right Prompto?]now in the right place weeps
Right? ]
Oooookay, we're doing this!
[ And he summons a pair of handguns in a flash of white-purple light. Good to know that trick actually works in here. Otherwise, this would've been a long fight. His swordwork still leaves a lot to be desired, so even if bullets aren't the most effective projectile against a monster of this size, it's his best bet.
So, here they go. Prompto charges after her, speeding up to keep pace. ]
Think you can get in close?
a
He stands in the middle of the field, wind whipping his bandage loose around his head as he watches the scene unfold. It's a view he hadn't been afforded the luxury of seeing when it struck him, drifting asleep on a vessel in space.
It's comforting, to see the enemy eye to eye.
Serenity would be shattered one way or another, though Takasugi expected it to be the crashing maw of the Storm, rather than the strength of a stubborn girl.
But oh well. He follows, because he doesn't want his arm yanked out of its socket, though with none of the urgency she possesses.] You can't outrun it.
no subject
Somehow hearing him over the howl of aetherial wind and the screams of panicked villagers, her gaze flicks to Takasugi for a brief few seconds. Her grip on him tightening, the pugilist woman brings her attention forward again. He can say what he will about whether they will be able to make it out alive—or if it really matters. It does to her. ]
I'm not leaving anyone behind.
[ Not again. ]
no subject
[The fingers digging into his arm aren't possessed by adrenaline shaken panic. They're simply strong, grip unrelenting, slackening only to allow movement as they run. With each stride Takasugi turns, shoulders shifted away inch by inch.
He can run by himself.
Though it's foolish.
If she doesn't release him, he won't force it. The storm will consume them both either way.]
Except- [Takasugi's voice is caught in the wind, whipped into silence so quickly he can't even hear it. What follows is bellowed, a howl from the planet itself. Gusts devour his groan of pain, as well.]