❪ test drive: #1 - the overflow ❫

[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 as you slept. 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 can help. You knew that you'll 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 was all a dream, but somehow, you knew it wasn't — now, will you keep that promise you made to Darma? PROMPT: THE MESS HALL     It's fascinating to the Orbiters how such a dull room can be turned around so completely with people in it. All meals are served by Roman, and while all the food is delicious, some of it is a bit odd. Is that neon green soup? That’s hideous. If you happen to be in the mess hall at a particularly unlucky time, you and the food will suddenly begin to drift. Someone’s got jokes, and they’ve turned off the gravity control. Now it’s just you, your fellow refugees, and the floating sea of food. Wait, did that person just chuck a pie in your direction? 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. Be advised, however, that participating in one of the training modules will start you off favorably with the Natha Orbiters’ in terms of REPUTATION. Once seated and appropriately strapped in, the system will automatically whir to life and the dense foliage and forestry of a section of El Nysa will open up. According to one’s map registry, it clear to see that it’s miles from the outer gates of Olympia, but not as far enough to venture into any other territories. So, in that sense, you’re safe. 1. Or you could have been, but unfortunately the wilderness is home to various types of beasts and monsters hailing from different universes and galaxies. On the bright side, perhaps one of them will be oddly familiar to you. Or maybe someone else who is currently synced is willing to give you that extra helping hand. Fortunately, if you’re powerless, there are options. From telekinesis to flight, there are strange abilities one can adopt and “test” out in the virtual reality. Granted, you’re only limited to one at a time. They say in the near future, some of you may be granted these abilities under certain conditions. But, please practice some caution. You aren’t alone in the system, after all. 2.. Who do you fight for, the VR system will ask you individually before you enter the module. The righteous Olympians, or the free-spirited Wyvers? Whatever your choice, when you enter El Nysa, you will wholly and truly believe your allegiance. A. Working together: You now have to suffer the consequences of your choice, as you and your partner have been captured by guards of the opposite faction. Now jailed and soon-to-be tortured, you must find some way to negotiate your release. Perhaps you’ll find some means to escape without detection. Maybe you’re the “fight your way out” sort of people. B. Facing your enemy: That person you stepped into the VR with? They’re out to capture you. Or maybe you seek to capture them. 3. When you enter the virtual reality, things aren’t exactly how they’re supposed to be. Maybe that’s natural, especially if this is your first time, but the problems here seem a bit more fundamental. Maybe you find yourself under a parental safety lock, and you’re suddenly censored. Exposed back? Censored. Body suit? Censored. Or replaced with a mascot costume. Worst of all? You can’t sign out. Not right now, at least. Regardless, whatever it is— ridiculous filters, body alterations, or even body swaps with other users... you are assured it’ll all be fixed with due time. Zasere sends his humblest apologies and promises no more wire chewing, or so the announcement states. 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: HANGAR STATION     You find your way to the hangar station. Here rests are a factory worth of docked mobile suits. You recall how the Orbiters had previously spoken of a "space frontier," but only after seeing this you realize how real their words are. Most machinery have marks of wear and tear, assurance that they have indeed been used before, and an assembly of others are going through repairs and maintenance. No one seems to care that you've just strolled in. In fact, there seems to be a couple of the aircraft that beckon you to take a closer look. Maybe you’ll only look on the outside, maybe you'll be greeted by the hand of a mobile suit extending toward you and welcoming you to its cockpit. You go out and explore SPACE!!! Unfortunately, that mobile suit should have warned you it only had 20 minutes of flight time left in its system. Or, perhaps, you’re a particularly ambitious pilot and you’ve strayed past the designated perimeter. Either way, the HUD display is now blinking with errors, cropping up with a single message: DISTRESS SIGNAL. 1. You’re the poor sap who happened to chill around the Observation Deck. Unfortunately, everyone seems busy with the influx of mobile suits out and about, and the only one who can answer this distress signal is on the Navigation System, well, you. Hope you can figure out the controls fast enough. Guide the pilot back to the safety of the hangar using the most efficient route possible. Keen Navigators will find an instruction manual that provides a shortcut to automatically return a suit back to base. 2. You’re actually sitting in a two-seater mobile suit. Funny how that works, isn’t it? Maybe you were unwittingly dropped down a hatch, or dragged along for a joyride by your ambitious co-pilot. Either way, it looks like help is going to take some time... 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! A Training Module thread of AC length on the TDM may be submitted for 1 NATHA ORBITER REPUTATION POINT after acceptance. QUICK NAV premise ● faq ● world ● map ● reputation ● npcs taken ● reserves ● application calendar ● hiatus/drops ● modbox [ FULL NAVIGATION ] elnysa nysalogs nysaisles nysaooc elnyan

Comments

iii

[rampager]

No.

[If Merk was here in all his feathered, cynical glory, then maybe that plan of escape would still have a chance. He knew how to sneak, to steal, to slip in and out of tightly-guarded places like the deadliest of shadows. Vorin doesn't have that kind of finesse — his strengths lie elsewhere.]

But I have another idea.

[She's 4'7. He's double that size and probably three times her weight. Yet Vorin is careful in the way he moves closer to inspect the lock, trying his best not to crowd her out or make unwanted contact. One eye is kept on the guards, taking in the way they hold themselves and how much attention they're paying.]

We should decide on how to deal with them first, however.

[adelphoi]

[ my, he's a big one, isn't he? and.. interesting enough to look at. alisaie has met many members of several eorzean beast tribes, so she's not entirely unused to beings that look and move like him, though she can't say she's ever seen one quite like this. a goat man? definitely new. and big as an aurochs, at that.

better still, he's self-aware of his own size, which alisaie is endlessly grateful for; personal space is something she holds in high regard. it's a bit difficult, considering the cramped dimensions of the cell, but it's doable. ]

Mm..

[ a shame, she doesn't have any sleep spells in her arsenal, though she could bind them easily enough.. if only she were properly equipped. but of course, their captors would not be so foolish as to leave them armed, so spellwork is out, at least until she locates her crystal and rapier. ]

If we hope to incapacitate them, we'll need to draw them closer. They've taken my crystal, I can't target them from here.

[ squinting through the bars, she gazes to the dank corridor past their guards' shoulders. ]

Or distract them away. How noisy is your.. idea? Like as not it'd be far easier to lure them in and knock them out, regardless.

[rampager]

[His aura is calm, steady, betraying only an edge of pre-battle tension. Adrenaline is just starting to spike his bloodstream, just starting to make his fur bristle.]

Somewhat. I can break the lock easily enough. The guards, as well.

[No arrogance— well, only a little. He can't help but possess a deep confidence in the power of his own fists. It's what he's grown up with, dedicated his life to. Losing his sword is only a minor setback. Even so:]

That is how I prefer to deal with them. [Open and direct, a straightforward clash of wills.] But I understand the appeal of a more....subtle approach.

[Hm.]

Would you prefer to play dead in a suitably dramatic and distracting fashion, or shall I?

[adelphoi]

[ direct and straightforward is just how she likes it, so she certainly won't be arguing. ]

I'll do it.

[ considering his size and strength it's a simple choice, he'll be able to take care of their captors far more easily than she could, without her weapon. alisaie doesn't consider herself a talented actress, but.. well, sometimes you must needs do what you must needs do. clearing her throat, she straightens, and turns toward him. ]

Make to attack me.

[ with a sharp cry, alisaie backs against the damp earthen wall, banging one arm against the iron bars, rattling them noisily; beyond him, she can see the guards whip their heads around. ]

Please, help - he's gone mad!

[rampager]

[It takes him a second or two, but he's so used to living on the knife-edge of reaction that he adapts quickly, arranging his features into a bug-eyed expression of drooling ferocity, deliberately frothing his lips with spit to add to the illusion. He puts every ounce of his presence into looming, hunched over like a predator ready to pounce. Pointedly not thinking about how Merk would never let him live this down if he ever came out of stasis and heard about it, Vorin lurches toward his cellmate, showing teeth.]

Aaagh! I'm hungry! Meat, give me meat! [A theatrical growl.] Hm...you'll do for a snack!

[He must not look half as silly as he feels, because that's enough to make the guards hurry over in a clatter of footsteps and alarmed shouts. (One of their prisoners eating the other was definitely not in the script.) He can't afford to look over at their approach, though, so he has to rely on sound and any possible cues she can give to indicate when they're safely within punching range.]

[adelphoi]

[ he picks up on it quickly, and goodness if he isn't rather terrifying, despite the overblown theatrics; he is Very Big. any fear it might have struck into her heart, however, is easily cut by just how extravagant it all is - the slavering, flying spittle really takes the cake.

their captors are none the wiser, however, and beyond his hulking frame she can see the scuffling shapes of the guards hurrying nearer. oh, it's just too easy. ]

P-please, you have to help me!

[ gods, she feels just as silly as he might, too - theatre has never been among her interests, and generally speaking she's far too forward and blunt to ever be dramatic about anything, but their ruse is working, which is really all that matters. eyes wide, alisaie looks towards the bars, watching them approach uncertainly - they're big and strong, but her wayward cellmate is bigger and stronger, so it's no surprise that they hesitate a little.

but duty overcomes fear, and they draw near the bars, one of them fumbling with a keyring. alisaie's eyes flit back to him, and she offers a quick, near imperceptible imperceptible nod. time to crack skulls, big boy. ]

[rampager]

[The brief, tiny nod is almost as good as a shout. He drags out the masquerade for a few seconds longer, waiting only to hear the tell-tale click of the key turning in the lock, the first tiny creak of the cell door beginning to open. Timing often meant the difference between ducking a blow and suffering a wound, the margin for error sometimes calculated in runaway heartbeats. Preserving the element of surprise operated on basically the same principle.

When it comes, he spins on his heels (his hooves, really) and bodychecks said door, forcing it open with enough strength to send the guards flying backwards. Which is noisy, but still much less so than his original plan of crushing the lock and breaking the hinges and drawing their fire. No time to let their captors recover, however — no need to give them any chance at all to do something annoying like shouting for help or raising the alarm. Vorin's on them in a few brisk strides, sending his fists cracking into their jaws and ribs with careful precision to make them unconscious, crippled, but not smeared across the floor like so much paste. It's the opposite of what the fire in his blood demands.....and that's why he resists the impulse, why he pulls his strength.

Aiming to incapacitate rather than kill takes greater focus, though, so he finds himself having to blindly trust that Alisaie will do the sensible thing and not get too close, too soon.]

[adelphoi]

[ alisaie has fought enough battles to know well not to get between a berserker and his prey, so there's little enough for her to do but wait and observe. he certainly knows what he's doing, and that's a fair relief - she's gotten paired with practical civilians in these simulations, so it's quite nice to have a partner she knows she can count on to do his part without requiring supervision. if his veritable bloodlust disturbs her, it certainly does not show.. alisaie has spent a great deal of time around warriors and fighters, and she's felt it herself, the thrill of battle, the surge of adrenaline, the simple, easy freedom there is in it. so even if only to a degree, she can understand.

while he's finishing up, however, she steps a little closer to the bars, craning her neck to peer down the corridor in both directions - she's at a disadvantage without her weapon, but more than likely it's somewhere close, tucked away in a storeroom; these barracks don't seem very big. so retrieving her rapier is first on the list.

.. after he finishes making mincemeat of the unsuspecting guards, at least. ]

[rampager]

[Taken by surprise and knocked for a loop, the guards couldn't be easier prey than if they had lined up in a nice, orderly fashion just to greet his fists with their face. Vorin makes short work of them, not even breathing hard when he straightens up and wipes the theatrical froth from his mouth.]

We should retrieve our gear next. [The sword that was taken from him is rightful property, dammit. It belongs slung across his back, not left inside a storeroom to gather dust. A moment's pause, then he bends down to lighten one of the unconscious guards of their shiny, shiny keyring. He starts flipping through the various keys, trying to identify the extra important ones by shape.] I'll take point, if you choose the way.

[His sense of direction isn't operating at peak efficiency right now, still muddled from being captured.]

[adelphoi]

[ her thoughts exactly. alisaie is decent enough at hand to hand combat, but physical strength isn't her specialty - without her weapons she feels rather vulnerable, despite the fact that, logically, she knows this is a simulation. but that rapier was a gift, and being without it feels like being naked.

by the time he's flipping through the keys, she's already left the cell, and is taking a good look down the corridor. ]

Given the direction of foot traffic, I'd guess we're at the back of the dungeons, and the exit is that way.

[ gesturing vaguely to her left. ]

The storeroom where they've no doubt stashed our weapons is likely not far from here. I don't think this place is very big.

[rampager]

Then their advantage in numbers shouldn't be overwhelming. Good.

[ Vorin holds up the two or three unique keys he's sussed out from the others, making sure that Alisaie has gotten a good, long look at them before (gently) tossing the entire keyring her way.]

I'll entrust these to you. It's best that my hands are kept free for now.

[Naturally, as the one who'll be drawing everyone's fire. And granted, this means he's taking it on faith that her gear is powerful enough to allow priority....but as far as snap decisions go, Vorin's feeling optimistic. "Small" didn't mean "weak", just like "big" didn't mean "invincible".]

[adelphoi]

[ alisaie catches the keyring with a sharp nod, and works them through her fingers like spikes. it'll keep the special keys closer at hand, and serve as a weapon besides, should it come to it; she's trained in hand to hand combat, of course, but only as a last resort. vorin's big, strong, skull-crushing hands are definitely better served to take down any enemies they might find.

hopefully it won't come to that. her rapier is attuned to her aether, she can sense it nearby. ]

In that case, if you would like to lead the way..

[ she gestures to her left, and the door there. ]

My weapons are close, in that direction.

[rampager]

[The appropriately dramatic response would be to crack his knuckles, but this isn't an action movie and Vorin's thoughts are axed upon making it to his sword. He glances at the pile of unconscious guards, thoughtful....then shrugs. They needed to escape sooner rather than later and throwing those guys in the slammer would waste precious time, especially since those guys wouldn't be waking up for several hours anyway. So decided, Vorin heads for the door with a grunt of acknowledgment, easing it open (while peering through the widening crack to check for guards on the other side: a grand total of none) and stepping through. How nice of the guards he's already beaten to pulp, leaving it unlocked like that.

A wide, empty hallway stretches forward, eventually branching off into a T junction. As promised,Vorin takes point, keeping his stride measured so as not to leave his companion behind.]

Your gear. What can it do? [He's curious, but more than that:] We should know how to optimize our tactics.

[Cute as the brass keyring-knuckles are.....nah, son.]

[adelphoi]

[ look she could fuck someone up with these keyknuckles. jump up like a rabid bunny and poke their eyes out. ]

Well, generally speaking, I stab people with it.

[ a quick smile quirks one corner of her mouth. ]

But more importantly, it helps me channel my magic.

[ it was also a gift from someone very important to her, and.. yes, sure, this is a simulation, but still, she doesn't like the idea of leaving it behind, even in fake world. when they reach the junction, she gestures to the left - it's not far now, she can feel her aether prickling in response to its proximity. ]