❪ 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

[coolerjunpei]

[Please god just let someone be nice to Junpei. Someone besides Carlos, and Akane 3 times out of 10. Please??]

Oh. Uh... [ha ha this is more embarrassing than he thought it would be? fuck] That's... that's great.

[Eloquence level: idiot]

[ripvanwinkled]

[What a dumb boy... If Snake has any thoughts about his terrible response, he's actually keeping it to himself for once. He'll just detach himself from Junpei's arm so they can hold hands again with a little self satisfied smirk.]

My opinions will change if you let me starve, however. I was promised space Oreos.

[coolerjunpei]

Right— space Oreos coming up! [Junpei's response to delicate hand holding is just to hold tight to Snake's like he really might get lost (!) and speed up, pulling him along to look for a vending machine.

Which they need to find to stave off his shame, so here it is: a space vending machine. This prolonged silence is Junpei staring at it critically.]

Well, they... have a vending machine. I don't recognize anything in here except for powdered donuts.

[ripvanwinkled]

[Snake is just forced to stand here wondering in this silence, crossing his arms as he awaits the highly anticipated news. He's been waiting for like, half an hour now? Tell him there's Oreos.]

Powdered donuts. [He repeats, but it's... oddly impressed?] It's not a balanced meal, but I don't think I can really complain. Would you buy them for me?

[coolerjunpei]

[Let the record show: Snake is impressed by donuts. Junpei doesn't even have to try.]

Yeah, yeah, hang on. [He'll poke at this machine for a bit before he realizes he just has to press a button, so wait another few minutes before the sweet sound of mechanically-dispensed donuts falling out comes.]

Mission accomplished. [He wiggles the package so it crinkles. Helpfully.]

[ripvanwinkled]

[This lunch date could be significantly better than just standing around waiting on a vending machine, but it's fine. Snake still humors him with a clap because they're celebrating space, or whatever dumb thing he's said.]

Good work, Junpei. This may have been the hardest mystery you've solved yet. [But like, hand over the donuts, he's so hungry. He's reaching.]

[coolerjunpei]

[He's going to have to wait, since Junpei is holding the donuts out of reach and, daring surprise of surprises, intercepting Snake's hand with his free one instead. It's because Snake was rude. This whole time, he was rude.]

Thanks, I'll remember that the next time you wax poetic about my mystery skills. Come on. [No food!!! Just kidding, food will happen as soon as he finds them a sweet space bench to sit on.]

[ripvanwinkled]

[What the heck, give him the food?? Snake's actually pleasantly surprised by this hand touch, though. Points to Junpei.]

Are you holding my meal hostage so I'll keep accompanying you? [Like he wasn't going to anyway... Still, he'll follow him and maybe squeeze his hand a little.] Very clever.

[coolerjunpei]

[Junpei gets a single point, Junpei is on the board. He's taking both the sass and the hand squeezing as signs of encouragement, for the record. It's Snake's fault for having so much attitude.]

Speak for yourself. And technically it's our meal that I'm sharing with you.

[Let's say there's a... space lounge... Here they are, take a seat.]

[ripvanwinkled]

I believe I asked you to retrieve my meal? There was no discussion about sharing. [Like, he was going to, but don't make these assumptions?? Ugh.

He is going to sit on this nice space couch and just pout until it gets him what he wants, like a spoiled rich boy.] Well, go on.

[coolerjunpei]

[Is this guy for real? More like 12/M/space with this attitude. Junpei just stands there and looks at him for a moment, like he can't believe he's in space and arguing- barely- with Snake of all people about powdered donuts of all things.

Then he sighs, tearing open one end of the donut package as he sits down and nudges Snake with his elbow. Here, crinkly donut package, please enjoy.]

I know you're doing this just to be a pain in the ass. [Mr. I Can Run Backwards Down Stairs]

[ripvanwinkled]

I don't know what you're talking about. I'm being the fairest I've ever been. [Ummm, listen here, shorty. Snake is a model citizen who is going to enjoy his first donut... and hold out the donut package so Junpei can take one.]

See? Kindness of my own heart.

[coolerjunpei]

[He's going to get powdered sugar all over his completely black outfit... But for space donuts, he'll make the sacrifice. Give him that.]

Sharing the donuts I got for you is the kind of sharing they teach you in kindergarten, Snake.

[ripvanwinkled]

Really? I must have skipped it, being as intelligent as I am. [Bragging about kindergarten... he's reaching new lengths of being absolutely unbearable.

Mr. Probably A Smart 6 Year Old is in the middle of getting powder on his nose. It's not his best moment.]

[coolerjunpei]

[Snake that was like 20 years ago... let it go, man. Junpei, who was not smart in kindergarten, won't rise to this bait. He won't. He's learning.

But, ah-] Hold still, O Genius Among Men. [He will helpfully reach over and brush off that powdery sugar with his thumb. Hey.]

[ripvanwinkled]

[Snake stills, furrowing his brows with a bemused smile.] You could have just told me, Junpei. Always going the extra mile. But you've missed a spot, right...

[He raises one of his sugar covered fingers, aiming to boop Junpei on his nose. He ends up landing on his cheek, but mission still accomplished.] Here.

[coolerjunpei]

What are you... oh. [That's a sugary Snake finger. On his face. For the first seconds it's odd, but then he can't help but smile. Goddamn it, Snake.]

That's, uh, not my nose. Getting there.

[ripvanwinkled]

Shall I keep going? [He knows it's not your nose, cheeky boy. Just for that, he's dragging his finger across his cheek to tap him right on it. Take that.]

Are you smiling, Junpei? Don't lie to me, I can always check there as well.

[coolerjunpei]

[This sugar smeared on his face will go great with the gentle dusting of sugar he's getting on his lap from his own mini donut. This is going places.]

Come on, I didn't grab any space napkins. [Now he's trying to stop smiling and the awkward twitch he's developing as a result is probably tangible. Look what you did.]

[ripvanwinkled]

Maybe you should have thought of that before getting your meal. [Snake is laughing because Junpei is smiling, now. And he has to realize he's still touching another dude's face before he finally drops his hand. It's all very terrible.]

Are you just going to put space in front of ever object now? Space oreos, space napkins? Space donuts?

[coolerjunpei]

[This is his meal! Snake!! Junpei manages to frown convincingly enough until Snake drops his hand, and then he can't help smiling again, but he still hides it behind his hand while he wipes sugar off his face. Just in case.

Snake is getting away with this, is the point. His reign of terror won't last long.]

Working with what they give me here. As long as we're in space, why not? It gives it a little charm.

[ripvanwinkled]

[His reign of terror will never end? Junpei has no way of beating his wit and charm. As a pity offering, Snake takes his second donut from the package to offer one of the remaining two.]

What all does it apply to? Is my new codename Space Snake? That would make you Space Star, which seems rather silly, Junpei.

[coolerjunpei]

[He'll accept this donut, but only because he (didn't) pay for it so he might as well get his money's worth, as if he had spent money. Shut up Snake.]

No, that's... It's telling you what kind of star it is. Like... not a pop star! You've really got ideas here, Space Snake.

[ripvanwinkled]

You'd be a terrible pop star anyway, Space Star. No one would assume that.

[Snake's just going to shove his donut in his mouth to keep from laughing again, ignore this. He shouldn't be having such a good time over something so stupid?]

Here's an idea. Next time, we have a proper lunch, and we'll figure out a better name for you than Star. I hope you weren't going to use that.

[coolerjunpei]

You never know! [Don't be rude, rich boy. Just appreciate him and his donuts and get used to this life. Lord knows Junpei needs an adjustment period to space life.]

Oh—sooo you're not gonna call me Star? I feel kinda dumb for thinking you were into it now...

[Right in the feelings, man.]