❪ test drive #4 ❫

[natha]

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— a. The lush lands that blossom to life around you all at once are real enough to make you forget you're in a simulation — at least for a moment. Those refugees who have been to the planet in reality before will find themselves in territory as unfamiliar as those who are brand new, as this simulation takes place far back in history. Instead of sprawling cities and civilizations, the most you'll find is scattered villages, many of them no more than nomadic campsites at best. You've been outfitted to blend in with the natives and these simulated people won't react to you as a newcomer, but as a member of their village. Are you a doctor, or perhaps a warrior? Maybe you're even in charge! But they want your help, and they want it quickly: a dragon is coming. The dragon is larger than the mount-sized breeds that exist on El Nysa today — much larger. It's a good six stories in height, bestial, and angry. Maybe it's then that you notice the lands that surround you are littered with scars of scorched earth, some of them several yards across, and there's a reason these people don't live in one place for very long. But don't linger too long on the makeshift grave markers sticking out of the burnt countryside — the dragon is coming. b. If you're looking for something a little less violent, perhaps another area of the historic simulation will be up your alley. This one finds you on a cliffside, waiting among other villagers for an event the people are talking about in hushed whispers, some of which you can identify as prayer. When the white dragon raises its head up from the depths of the ravine, towering impossibly high over you and the others on the cliffside, it's no wonder most of the natives fall to their knees in awe and wonder. This dragon doesn't attack, only looks at the people on land with an ancient and strange wisdom. Then it speaks. Not in words, but the low rumbling sound that starts in its throat and becomes a full trumpeting bellow to the sky seems to have meaning, and somehow, you can understand its cry as it entreats the people to praise and worship. The natives around you are already starting to give offerings with their prayers, food and carvings and — blood? Is that someone's arm being offered up? That's different. 2. Let us now travel forward in time, shall we? a. The Olympian settlement around you is quiet — until the screaming starts. Guerilla fighters from Wyver flood the streets, knocking civilians aside and breaking down doors and windows when they find their way barred. They move methodically, advancing toward the nicer parts of town where the politicians reside and leaving terror in their wake. They're here for the politicians, people say. They're here to punish the people who made the decision to advance into Wyver in the first place. Blood for blood, as the saying goes. Where they'll be taking them once they have them is anyone's guess. A soldier emerges from a building, dragging someone in elegant clothing out by the hair. Looks like they've found one. Will you rescue them? Make a run for it yourself, lest you be mistaken for one of their targets? Or maybe they've already caught you and some other unfortunate Refugee who's been dropped into this simulation, and the two of you need to figure out a way to escape. b. CW: branding You find yourself in the midst of a bustling crowd gathered at the Temple of Thesa. Robed acolytes stoke fires on either side of the altar at the front of the temple, where miserable-looking people who seem to be from a village in Wyver await, bound in ropes. The priest, at the front of the crowd, picks up a metal brand from the altar and gestures for another acolyte to bring a prisoner forward. The crowd watches with interest as the prisoner is forced to kneel in front of the altar, their arm laid out flat on the marble surface. Another cry — "For the glory of Olympia!" — and the crest of the city is burned into the prisoner's arm. The crowd cheers, deafening the cries of pain. The priest ushers forward another prisoner, and then another. Is that a familiar face you see in the lineup, thrust into this bit of history by the simulation's whims? You have to do something. Or are you unlucky enough to find yourself bound? ...Well, hopefully someone else in the crowd has more scruples than this priest. 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... 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     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. QUICK NAV premise ● faq ● lore ● map ● npcs taken ● atp/emp ● application ● rep/acp calendar ● hiatus/drops ● modbox [ FULL NAVIGATION ] elnysa nysalogs nysaisles nysaooc elnyan

Comments

[earthy]

[If only Sora could see Terra's expression right now as it shifts first from surprise to wide-eyed recognition and understanding and then again to incredible bewilderment.

All right, the boy did say Xehanort. And the boy's name is Sora. So, he must be the Sora, huh? The Sora Riku told him a little about. The Sora he saw on that small world so many months or years ago. The Sora the Keyblade chose over Riku, seemingly of its own volition.

... How does he know Xehanort? How could he and his friends be facing off against the old Master? Terra remembers having a similar thought after fighting Riku here in El Nysa: how could Xehanort be involved in events taking place ten years or so after the Storm destroyed the Graveyard? At the time, he'd reasoned that it was probably just acquaitances or followers of Master Xehanort (this 'Ansem' and 'Xemnas'), carrying out his twisted agenda after their leader's disappearance.

Except now it sounds like Sora's talking about Xehanort himself, not just some underling. How is that possible? Xehanort was right in front of him when he lost consciousness -- when the Natha grabbed him. And Xehanort's up there in a pod now. Has been since Terra woke up from stasis. Did he actually escape the Storm when it swallowed up the Graveyard... only to get picked up by the Natha on another world later on? Around Sora's time?

(Or...)

... Ah, all that can wait. He's got an anxious Keybearer to deal with here. Terra raises his free hand slowly. Easy.]

Sora.

[Not Xehanort. Who would even mistake him for Xehanort? A young, bright-eyed kid for a wicked old man?]

You're Riku's friend.

[Wait, wait, hadn't Riku said...?]

Master Sora.

[Yes, Riku definitely said Sora was a Keyblade Master. (Seems awfully young for that, though? Maybe he's exceptionally skilled.)]

[happylocksmith]

Master? Who, me?

[Sora points at himself again, this time with wide-eyed disbelief and incredulity, and then he does yet another double take.

Let's just... give him a couple of moments to process here.

Okay.

One: the wrecking ball in armoured form is not about to attack him and that Is A Good Thing. Sora is going to do his very best to keep that particular status quo up.

Two: the suit of armour somehow knows who Riku is and Sora's reaaaaally hoping that their first encounter went more smoothly than his did.

Three: the suit of armour apparently thinks he's a Keyblade Master.]

You got it all wrong, I'm not a Master yet. I mean, I almost was but I wasn't- I'm not there yet. But I'm gonna be! Just you wait, next time I'll pass that Mark of Mastery just like Riku and we'll both be Masters together and stronger than ever by the time we stop Xehanort.

[earthy]

[Terra's going to need a moment here, too.

Riku told him Sora is a Keyblade Master? Sora's telling him he isn't one (yet)? He took the exam but failed it somehow?



... 'I'll pass that Mark of Mastery just like Riku and we'll both be Masters together'???]

Riku is a Master?

[?????????????

One of these days, Terra's face will get stuck with this super confused look on it.]

[happylocksmith]

[As long as Terra keeps that helmet on, Sora will never know.

But at the moment, he's going to take that tone of voice to mean that the suit of armour doesn't believe him and Sora's going to frown.]

Sure he is! He passed the test with flying colours.

[Sora couldn't sound prouder of his friend if he tried, but he's shooting the suit of armour some serious side eye.]

Wait... how do you know Riku?

[earthy]

[If Terra were at all aware of the fact he's still wearing his armor, he might take it off. Alas, he's just awash in a sea of thoughts and questions and more thoughts and more questions here.

He doesn't seem to notice the major side-eye he's getting. Doesn't even seem to hear Sora when the younger Keybearer asks him how he knows Riku. He looks down at the ground between them and the business end of his Keyblade settles in the dirt.

Riku passed the exam. He showed the Mark. Riku's a Master.

But how? He doesn't even wield the Keyblade now. The way Riku tells it, he can't. He 'proved himself unworthy' of the weapon and it went to Sora instead. (Which makes no sense. Since when does the Keyblade do that?)

Riku's got all that darkness in his heart, too...

... Unless. Unless Sora's from some other point in the future? Some point past Riku's time... or the time Riku remembers waking up from? Like those Refugees who fell back asleep and when they woke from their pods again, they remembered living past the time the Storm supposedly hit their world. Almost as if they'd lost weeks' or months' or years' worth of memories. Except some of them actually got older, too. The pods correcting a mistake they made or something.

That could be it. That's gotta be it.

Terra feels himself sink to his knees.]

I knew it. I knew he wasn't lost.

[Sora's not the only one who sounds quite proud all of a sudden. Although, there's also a bit of relief mingling with the pride in Terra's voice.]

[happylocksmith]

[Well that's not exactly the answer Sora was looking for. Nor was he expecting the suit of armour to collapse to his knees like that.]

Huh?

[Is... is it supposed to do that? Did he break it? Is this like last time when he just stopped after they fought and didn't move again?

Except Sora doesn't want that, he has too many questions to ask. How does the suit of armour know Riku? And...

And why does he sound so relieved?]

Hey... are you... okay?

[Can suits of armour be okay? This is just too weird.]

Armour guy, do you need help?

[earthy]

[It takes a minute for Sora's voice to really reach Terra again, but when it does, he stirs out of his little reverie and lifts his head to consider his fellow wielder.

This boy... There's a strong light in him, isn't there? Maybe that's why the Keyblade chose him...

... Anyway. What was Sora saying? Oh, right.]

I'm fine.

[More than fine now, really.

Terra glances back down, this time at himself. Hm. Well.

Light abruptly flares across his armor, engulfing the entire suit and then whisking it away. In the suit of armor's place, a guy in a compression shirt, hakama, and suspenders he should seriously consider uncrossing or just get rid of altogether kneels.]

The name's Terra, though, not 'Armor Guy'.

[happylocksmith]

[Coming face to face with the armour after it nearly pummelled him the first time was pretty spooky. Sora honestly wasn't expecting the armour to come off, or who (or what) would be lurking beneath it, but when the light flashes and the armour disappears, leaving behind it a man Sora's never met, all he can do is stare.

He's not met him, he knows for a fact he's never met this man before but he's seen his face all too recently.

Terra.

Riku had mentioned a Terra visiting the island long ago, when they were kids, but Sora doesn't remember that. Sora remembers chasing a dream of him, and a girl, and the two of them turning and reaching out to him.

Ven.

Sora doesn't know who Ven is. He doesn't know why this stranger - Terra- and the girl with blue hair who seemed oddly familiar to him, would call him that.

So Sora just stares, startled, mouth agape and heart thudding in his chest all of a sudden, almost more unsettled than he was when he found him in the armour.]

You're Terra?

[earthy]

... Yes?

[Okay, it's starting to get seriously disconcerting, everyone from their worlds staring at him when they see his face. But at least Sora isn't calling him 'Ansem'... or dropping back into his fighting stance or anything like that.

Terra looks down again for a second then slowly picks himself up.]

You've heard of me somewhere before?

[happylocksmith]

Riku told me... he said you were another Keyblade user like us but- I've met you before. You don't remember? We fought... when you were in the armour. You thought I was Xehanort. You said... I wasn't the one you chose. I didn't know you were an actual person in there!

[Yeah that sounds stupid, he'll realise that in a minute.

At the moment though, the fight in the wasteland isn't what's troubling him. It's the more recent time that he's struggling with, when Terra called him Ven in his dream. Terra and the girl had looked like they recognised him, they'd reached out to him. They'd known him, and they'd called him Ven.]

I didn't know you were you.

[earthy]

[Oh, Riku told him about-- what huh what.]

What?

[What???]

You... You're saying... [Is he saying...? He can't be saying... But he is, he's saying...

Terra closes the gap between them in one quick movement and grabs Sora by the shoulder.]

Where did we fight? And when? Recently?

[It has to be recently, right? Like within a couple years of Sora's time?]

[happylocksmith]

[Terra looks about as confused as Sora feels.

Which is very.]

H-hey!

[He should be more startled by the big guy grabbing his shoulder like that, especially seeing as he'd previously known him as a very hard hitting opponent, but for some reason he doesn't balk at it, although the urgency behind it is a little unsettling.]

It wasn't too long ago, there was a portal in Mickey's castle, and me and my friends Donald and Goofy, we were in this big, empty world with these huge mountains and suddenly there was this dust storm and then you were there and we fought...

[But then he can't contain his curiosity for much longer before he blurts out:]

But I didn't ever see you outside of the armour and then all of a sudden Riku's turning into you in my dream and you and this lady are calling me Ven and I don't even know a Ven! What the heck's going on?

[earthy]

[Terra keeps hold of Sora's shoulder for a moment, staring hard into his eyes as the boy answers in the affirmative. Yes, they fought recently. They fought recently! Him in his armor and presumably with his Keyblade. In some empty world? The Graveyard, maybe? Or some other world he hasn't been to before (yet)? Well, what world isn't half as important as Sora having seen him in his future time!

But before Terra can explain what this news means for him, Sora suddenly blurts out... something else? About some dream? Where Riku turned into him (what), and then he and some lady called Sora Ven (seriously, what)? And he apparently also thought Sora was Xehanort at some point for... some reason.

'What the heck's going on?' sounds about right to him.

Terra's hand falls away, back to his side, but he just stands there, super baffled and super lost.

He finally manages to muster up an answer for Sora. A completely honest answer.]

I have no idea.

[He has no idea.]

Ven's a friend of mine, though?

[Does that... Does that help anything... He doesn't feel like that's helping anything...]

[happylocksmith]

[Sora sighs. It is a deep, heavy, world weary sigh that one so young has no business sighing.]

I figured you might say that. Man, why do I always get stuck with the questions that don't have easy answers?

[Honestly, Terra looks about as baffled as Sora feels and he feels bad for his new acquaintance. It's not his fault he doesn't know what's going on. He hasn't even told Riku and Kairi about those parts of his dream yet because he knows how crazy it all sounds, and he's just blurted it all out to this guy he's just met because for some reason he was in it and calling him Ven-

Wait. Wait. If Ven's real- and suddenly Sora remembers that Terra-In-Armour had used that name too just before he fought.

It's not much, but it's something!]

Say, is your friend here too? Maybe he can help us find out why I'd be dreaming about you and the blue haired lady-

[And then he stands bolt upright as it comes back to him. That flash of a memory of her from his dream, when he was little... the lady on the beach! That's where he'd seen her!

But... he'd told her his name was Sora, right? Why would she call him Ven?]

Are you friends with a blue haired lady too?

[earthy]

[Terra's expression softens a little with sympathy. This kid's been through some things.]

Yes. My other friend has blue hair. Her name's Aqua.

[That's got to be the 'lady' Sora's talking about. (It's kind of strange to think of Aqua as a lady, but he supposes she is more 'lady' than 'girl' now...)]

But both of my friends are still sleeping in their pods. Or they were last I checked.

[And he checks a lot.]

[happylocksmith]

Oh. That's rough, I'm sorry. My friend Kairi's still sleeping too, and my friends Donald and Goofy and King Mickey too.

[But then... if this Ven person's here too then maybe Sora can go and see him for himself and maybe that might help him get to the bottom of this business. Mistaken identity's no fun for anyone.

But he won't ask to go now. He's just met Terra - at least met him properly anyway- and barging in and insisting on seeing his friends might be a bit rude. He'd feel weird bringing strangers to meet Kairi while she's sleeping. Just call him protective.]

Have you been here a long time?

[earthy]

[King Mickey? The same Mickey he passed by outside Yen Sid's tower, maybe?

But yeah, you have fun with that seeing Ven thing, Sora. Won't leave you with a whole bunch of new questions or anything.]

Just a while. Seven months or so.

[It's not years or anything but a decent chunk of time.]