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Entry tags:
❪ test drive #4 ❫
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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. |
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There's little time to ponder over a decision, though, and Nami realises this the moment one of the guards step into the cell. She immediately kicks him into a wall with all her strength, her heels jabbing painfully into his face. Since the guard appears to be a normal person as well, it looks like her kick was enough to make him fall to the ground. ]
We can forget about escaping in secret now. Let's untie them too! [ It's not like they have a choice anymore. Nami moves to where some of the captives are, hastily removing his ropes. ] Untie each other, okay? Quickly!
no subject
Honestly, JJ hadn't even considered trying to fight any of the guards, his first instinct is to run, but when he sees Nami take on one of the soldiers in nothing but a bikini top and heels, he feels a little emboldened. Throwing a punch is slightly beyond him, but he stands from where he's crouched, reading to shove away a Wyver attacker—
He's lucky he hadn't been standing two metres further ahead, where a freed prisoner jumps up in elation, and there's barely a second for the smile to settle on his face before the axe of a Wyver soldier cuts in from behind him, slicing through meat and bone like its butter, and in an instant the image of freedom is replaced by the sight of a headless man, lacking facial expression and yet encapsulating horror and shock all the same.
Whatever sense of cooperation had taken hold of the prisoners immediately dies, replaced with an electric panic as everyone starts to operate solely by one beat: survive. ]
Hey... [ JJ can hardly breathe, numb as he grabs Nami's arm, and his eyes so wide that it must hurt. ] Let's run.
why are you like this
She can't even look at that man's body without feeling that nausea set in. Though she turns away, the expression on his face stays a clear image in her mind -- one of horror, as his only sliver of hope is torn from him in such a gruesome way. ]
I need -- I need my weapon. [ No more gags about losing her wallet anymore. She needs to get her weapon back so she can defend herself and protect these other prisoners. ]
no subject
He can't live through something like this. In the panic, he starts to confuse reality with simulation, guilt welling up over having caused a fuss that resulted in a man losing his life—more than one man actually, as the axe swings again and bile rises in JJ's throat. He can smell the blood. ]
Just, please. Let's go.
[ He's not sure if he actually says the words, or if he just imagines them. But he's not thinking about Nami's weapon—they're not going to fight. They need to run, and that's exactly what he does. Grip tightening on Nami's arm, he yanks her as the soldiers turn their attention toward the pair, turning and running out of the crumbling home as quickly as he can. ]
no subject
There's a limit to how long they can keep running, Eventually, they find their way out of the building, and Nami leads JJ to a run-down building nearby. She collapses against the wall, leaning against it as her chest heaves. ] Those people -- we left them!
[ When she thinks about what had happened to that man she saw, the tears start welling up again, and Nami frowns, cursing herself for her lack of strength. ]
Is this how it will be down there as well?
no subject
So he'd run, and maybe he'd do it in real life too. Probably would, because what can he do against a man with an axe? Nami might have a weapon to reclaim, but JJ doesn't have anything but his bare hands. Moreover, he doesn't have the will to fight, that type of aggression just isn't in him. ]
No. [ He says urgently, shaking his head. ] No, it's peaceful down there. There's a little bit of bad blood but there's no—
People don't actually go to war over nothing. There's no reason for this.
[ He wants it to feel like a consolation, like it doesn't matter. None of this matters, even though it had happened to someone—to people. But it's not real, and he's careful as he reaches out to put a comforting hand on her shoulder, his own eyes surprisingly bereft of tears. ]
This is the past. It's way better now.