TDM 007

[etrayamods]

content warnings for this TDM include: violence, potential death, body horror, physical transformation, loss of senses, loss of autonomy ⏵ arrival⏴ Arrival does not happen as Aurora usually plans for it. New characters are introduced to the AI, then informed of a mission that they are required to participate in before they can return to their home base of Etraya. A world called Aphaia is falling apart, and while there is nothing they can do to resolve this broken world, they can participate in the Gamerunner's Stratagem. Their mission is simple: step through the glowing purple portal that Aurora creates once they've had time to listen to her, and survive until a similar portal reopens in front of them, allowing them to return to Etraya. The Gamerunner's Stratagem is something they have been working on building for quite some time. She informs all newcomers that they will not be present on this world that long: their exit will appear to them exactly when it's meant to, allowing them to meet the others who have been recruited to save their worlds. She provides each and every arrival with an earpiece, allowing them to communicate with the other Etrayans. Aurora suggests taking a bag full of supplies along with them, which she will fill with a few generic items as well as any specific items they may need: synthetic blood for vampires, protein bars for those who may burn through calories faster, medication for anyone who requires it. ⏵ aphaia ⏴ Aphaia is a neon-lit, chaotic planet. Cameras are everywhere, every action and inaction is judged by the 'audience'. Towering holograms advertise upcoming events while flashing leader boards track the most "popular" players. Contestants are thrown into challenges, many of which are games of skill, survival, and deception all to keep the viewers entertained. Not participating is an option! However, avoiding playing along and not putting on a show will quickly cause participants' score to go down, and scores that reach zero? Well. Unfortunately, there are only so many resources left on Aphaia. Their wildlife has died off, their planet is falling apart, and most others in this galaxy were either destroyed from the inside out, or warring planets trying to gain control of remaining resources destroyed them to avoid others getting involved. Their natural resources are depleted, and only those who manage to keep their scores up are given the luxury of having any supplies. As soon as one steps foot on Aphaia, as soon as they breathe, they intake nanotechnology which tracks their oxygen consumption, their food, everything they do or need. As soon as their scores reach zero? They disappear. There one moment, and completely gone the next. Their communicators go offline, and while everything they were carrying will be left behind, no one will be able to find them. They are simply--gone, erased from existence. This is a death and counts as a death as outlined in the game FAQ! Please keep this in mind. "Points" that go towards their total score will be assigned to contestants from the moment they drop down on planet. This will be visible using the HUD on their earpiece, and will be randomized at the beginning. For the sake of the TDM, we ask that no one be assigned Paragon initially, but you're free to use other ranks! The possible rankings are: 100: PARAGON 99-80: LUMINARY 79-70: CHAMPION 69-50: CONTENDER 49-30: UNDERLING 30-0: SHADE Ranks may change daily, or even hourly depending on the kind of situation one has found themselves in. Are they having a very public break up in which it comes out that they wronged their ex? They may go from a Champion to a Shade before they can even blink. Did they save a defenseless reporter from the big bad villain of the week? They may find themselves quickly elevated up to Luminary and given all the benefits that comes with being upper class. The world is their oyster, they only need to figure out how they'd like to utilize it! Aphaia is broken up into four districts. The Colosseum is a dynamic battle arena where combatants fight for entertainment, with shifting environments controlled by the audience. Victories earn points, while losses depend on performance. The Symposium is a lavish social hub for top contestants, where alliances and betrayals are made under the audience’s watchful eye. The Agora is the public center of Aphaia, where contestants engage with the audience through polls, interviews, and challenges to maintain popularity. It also houses the contestants in high-rise apartments. And Backalleys provide hidden spaces with intentional blind spots for secret dealings, though the Gamerunner is always aware of what happens there. ⏵ st★rlight soirée ⏴ Something special is happening in the Colosseum. Lights flicker as the arena shifts, rearranging itself into a grand, glittering ballroom - if a ballroom had stadium seating, paparazzi drones, and an ever-changing floor plan designed to disorient those within it. Silver chandeliers pulse with artificial starlight, their glow refracted through the crystalline floors. Music swells, but it sounds - unnatural. It thrums through your veins, setting your blood alight with the urge to dance. Why is the ballroom designed as if intentionally put together to throw off one's balance? Well, it's time for the Panopticon Prom, of course! The Panopticon Prom isn't just an adventure in dancing and impressing your most recent crush. It's a test of endurance, cunning, grace, and charm. The floor beneath your feet moves as if it has a mind of it's own, shifting to the beat like a living creature all of it's own. It tilts, undulates, even vanishing in sections to keep dancers on edge. After all, it's difficult to keep up one's pace if they're falling through a hole in the floor to the foam pit below. Drones zip through the air, catching every stumble, every misstep, and every attempt to throw off others on the dance floor. This is a competition, after all; and what fun is a dance battle without having the freedom to thwart someone else on their road to victory? The rules are simple: You must dance with a partner. This can be an ally, an enemy, or someone you intend on using as a stepping stone to victory. It matters not, as long as you have one hand (or limb) on them at all times. The longer you last, the better your chances. Endurance is the name of the game, meaning one must pace themselves on the dance floor. While epic twirls and impressive moves will garner more attention, it may also hurt your chances in the long run. You may sabotage others by throwing them off balance, but keep in mind: everything is televised, and it won't stay secret for long. The arena adapts to the chaos. Expect sudden obstacles, environmental shifts, and sudden changes in the music's tempo. Gravity may shift, walls may close in, but participants can't let that stop them - they must continue to dance, if they wish to win. The audience is watching. Who will make the final cut and become Prom King and Queen? Everyone is vying for the titles: it doesn't matter what rank you started at when you joined the Panopticon Prom. Whoever wins becomes a Paragon until their points drop. There aren't many opportunities to sail through the rankings, but this is a sure way to do it. As long as they can keep up. ⏵ casino royale ⏴ Out in the Agora, another popular quarterly event is being set up! The Casino Royale has been destroyed countless times, but it seems as if the Gamerunner just can't let it go - every time it gets knocked down, it gets rebuilt. There is one rule. One must take a turn at the revolving wheel just inside the door as their entry fee, and whatever the wheel lands on, they must maintain until they exit the building for the night. Sometimes, this is easier: an effect they have no control over and cannot undo even if they wanted to. Sometimes, this is more difficult: an assigned task they must complete. Failure to abide by the wheel once means receiving a penalty. Twice? Certain death if caught by any employee. The wheel's effects are as follows: 1 You must speak entirely in rhyme. 2 Your body has become unnaturally delicate. The smallest injury hurts like a fatal wound. 3 You must avoid stepping into any sources of light. Doing so causes massive burns to appear on any area of your skin where light has touched. 4 You have been transformed into an animal! You can still think as you had before, but you cannot speak or communicate easily. 5 You have been cursed with supernatural strength, but cannot control it. 6 Time doesn't flow normally for you anymore. Each mistake you make makes you visibly younger, slowly erasing your experiences, skills, or even memories. 7 You can no longer form your own words, but only repeat what others have said to you. 8 You cannot meet another person's gaze. 9 You can no longer turn around, physically or metaphorically. If you try to return where you came from, you'll find that the pathway no longer exists. 10 You are given a specific letter that you must avoid using out loud entirely. "A"? Better hope you know enough words without one. 11 Every time you speak, your words come true - but never in the way you intended. Trying to control this is futile; the monkey's paw curls with every new sentence. 12 Within the casino, you lose the ability to feel anything. No pain, no pleasure, no warmth, and no cold. At first it may feel like a blessing - until you realize you cannot feel hunger, or tell if you're injured. 13 Regardless of if you've drunken anything, you still act inebriated. The effect only gets worse the longer you stay. 14 No one can see you. You are invisible, even if you are still able to reach out and touch or converse with those around you. 15 Any special ability you have is gone. You are reduced down to what an average human being is capable of - regardless of if you are human. 16 Violent impulses become impossible to ignore. You are rage incarnate, and you will be heard. 17 Every time you make a decision - to walk into an area, to start a conversation, anything, a small thread pulls loose from your clothing or your skin. Keep making choices, and you may become entirely undone. 18 You may speak freely, but for every syllable you say, your ability to hear slowly fades. You may want to watch your word count - too many, and you may not be able to hear at all. 19 Perhaps you arrived with a friend, or beside a stranger. It matters not: whoever came in either just before or just after you, you feel a powerful urge to protect them to the point of aggression. 20 Love is in the air - at least it is for you. Every time you meet someone's gaze, you feel the need to try and make them fall in love with you, through whatever means necessary. The casino is alive with the hum of conversation, the clink of glasses, and the steady whirl of the roulette wheels. Golden chandeliers cast a warm glow over velvet-lined tables, where fortunes are made and lost with the flick of a wrist. But something feels. . . off. The dealers never blink. The cards never seem random. And the house always wins - always. Maybe it's just paranoia, or maybe this casino is something more than just a den of chance. Tonight, you're not here just to play; you're here on a mission. You've arrived dressed to kill, blending into the sea of bodies filling the casino's floors. But you're not here to win points or boost your social standing - you're here to win intel. Somewhere in this casino is a single flash drive containing information on just how Aphaia maintains their system. The only problem? The House knows someone is coming for it. After all, they're well-aware of the game: whoever retrieves the flash drive will obtain information on how to flip the script, to change the rules of the game to fit their wants and needs, rather than following the current Gamerunner. After all, this is the Gamerunner's Stratagem that Aurora has sent them out on! Many apply for 'employment' within the Casino Royale in hopes of getting insider information on where the flash drive is hidden and what it looks like. However, it seems that even the employees have no clue where it has been hidden. ⏵ NOTES ⏴ This is an extension of our Aphaia Mission! We have included enough information in this post that catching up to current in game logs isn't necessary to play with it, but you are welcome to use any part of the Aphaia setting in your prompts as you'd like. Current players are also welcome to bring the events from this TDM into their in-game threads. This mission can happen outside of time as needed! Incoming characters will find themselves introduced to Aphaia as they arrive. Current characters may find Aurora calling on them to visit Aphaia after the current mission for the Gamerunner's Stratagem. Characters already in game are welcome to post to the TDM, too! Please mark them as current characters in your header. Threads can be kept as game canon as long as both characters get into the game! Please direct all questions relating to this log to our mod queries comment! All other questions can be directed to our FAQ. ⏵FULL NAVIGATION⏴

Comments

[unaliveyourself]

[In truth, he doesn't really care about the points, here mostly for the sake of something interesting to do, and a chance to stick his nose into more places around Aphaia, pick apart its happenings.]

Nonsense, you'll do fine. Just follow my lead.

[Perhaps surprisingly, it won't be difficult for her to keep up at all, telegraphing his steps with almost unsettling precision, for how almost lackadaisical his little spins and twists seem to be. He twirls and dips her easily, like he's been doing it all his life, even tossing in a flirty wink or two when they get especially close.

All told, it's going pretty well, until the environment shifts around them, and the path around them is suddenly covered with burning coals. There's a path through, according to the overhead sign, but no obvious explanation of how to find it.]

Ah, a riddle.

[There's some interesting dots on the floor over here, though. Almost like a Genshin puzzle. Two, then two more, then four, and six....]

This should be fun, hm?

[limiterrings]

Mm.

[ his eyes glance over to the mutant, confirming that he's in here with a coward if that noise shook him. with a sigh, the hedgehog turns away from the door because it's not his battle.

it's the other who wants to confront this alien, and that's what shadow will do. rather than take part, scott will see that the hedgehog moves to the other side of the room to begin his search again while the audible slam against the door is enough to make some trinkets fall onto the ground and shatter. ]

[strumpet]

( with a slight twitch of her lips, inara couldn't help but wonder if this was truly the right choice in telling him about her occupation. while in her own world most people were quite respectable of her position and in fact admired the prestige that came with it, there were individuals like her captain who would throw it in her face from time to time.

in that moment— she decided it would be best to just keep this to herself moving forward. )

Not that it's any of your concern, but given your line of work, surely you're more open to such other lines of work. Besides I offer more than just the intimate act of pleasure to clients, there are rituals and the emotional side.

( with a brief pause, she spoke up. )

'Tell me who made the world'. Did you ever figure that one out Mister Joyce?

[thelightshines]

[Is this exactly what the other went through...? The thought keeps going through his mind while throwing hands with these copycats. The fourth continues their assault, Shadow turning the third to them to use like shield. Their punch lands onto their android companion and Shadow kicks them both back.

Light appears around his left hand as he forms a chaos spear. Seem like a good time to utilize the trick he picked up from the other.

One of the androids Amy was working on crawls out from beneath their partner in time before the hammer comes slamming down. The bounce and tumble away from the shockwave, Shadow come in to thrust his spear into them. The android twitches and sparks from the attack. Their eye screen visibly glitching. This seems to be the play he has to make. Sparks fly from the android caught under Amy's hammer, but it still functions as it claws at the hammer.

Android three and four have decided to switch off and are now coming for Amy. Three tries to grab hold of Amy so the other can land a punch to free their brethren beneath her hammer.]

[laserguy]

[His shoulders rise, that familiar irritation returning to Scott as she calls him a 'sweet darling boy.' It pisses him off, as it feel like he's being demeaned in some way. Maybe she doesn't mean it, but feeling this way is actually not uncommon for him-- being angry that is. Just not wanting to do with anything with the world because he's always felt like an outcast.]

Stop acting like that's actually going to happen to me. [He's not the right Scott--] From what you're telling me, it sounds like I should stay far away from the X-Men.

[He's never heard of the X-Men before and honestly? It sounds fucked up anyway. 'Hope you survive the experience?' What a shitty pitch. No thanks. Scott's head is turned to the side in a scowl, not even acknowledging her codename yet.]

Aren't we supposed to be ordering a drink? [If he's going to be in a bar, then he wants alcohol!! Yeah!!]

[laserguy]

[A rare somber feeling builds in him when he hears more about the one mutant that she wasn't able to help out. Well, rare enough for him, since arriving in this world. Everything's been nonstop and he's been angry for a majority of it. It's just...]

So... the last one. They died?

[laserguy]

[He knows that he's on his own now, so Scott does his best to square himself as the door finally breaks open from the bombardment, the alien stomping in with an agitated roar. Oh, it definitely looks pissed, and it beelines straight towards the mutant this time-- each stomp once again shaking the ground. So, what's the plan again? Right, intimidation.

Well, can't use his size, since Scott is quite a bit smaller. Maybe just... punch him and hope for the best? That it won't go overboard? Or.

He raises his hand to his sunglasses, luckily being able to grasp it without bending the frames at all. He hasn't pulled them off since acquiring them, because he almost killed another student like this, but...

The stomping is coming closer.

Scott stares up at the ceiling above the alien before yanking his glasses off, letting his optic blast fire free from his eyes-- maybe even enough to startle the alien into a stop. Enough to allow the area that he's been hitting to crumble and fall on his opponent with a loud crash.]

[sophielicious]

That depends, do you want to stay far away from me?

(She's definitely tuning him out, and thanking FUCK she came out the test tube perfect and at a less angsty age. Cripes, can you imagine. Also, this is a trap. This is definitely a trap.

With the laugh she gives, her hand raises so someone can come see them. With a nod, they should be here soon.)

[laserguy]

[Is his eye glowing? He can see the subtle light, even through the red of his ruby quartz. Well cool, okay. Maybe on a different day, he'd ask more about that, but he's still dealing with Teen Angst and he can't fully ruin that by being all interested in a glowing eye. The angst is super important.

Although, hearing Nate feel similarly? Unexpected.]

...Really? [Some of that agitated anger fades, replaced by curiosity and maybe some hope that he's not the only mutant around here stuck feeling like everyone knows him but not really. Not quite an imposter, but just. He doesn't know. But it would be kind of nice not being the only one with this stupid feeling.]

Parallel universe too? [It doesn't even feel weird to suggest that anymore.]

[futuremessiah]

[She misses him so much. He'd been her whole world for so long, and then just as they were joining the others, he was taken from her. She'd been left with no one to help anchor her in her new life.

The tears that had threatened to fall start, and she can't stop them.

Hope throws her arms around his neck and just lets it all go.]

[laserguy]

[For a second, Scott almost assumes that Cable didn't hear him. Uh, doing okay there, old man?? But he does eventually answer-- with a name that the young mutant accepts without much thought. Okay, Nathan. Cool. Or he wants to be called 'Cable,' sure why not. He likes cable TV too.

Or maybe he's just telling himself that because Cable looked at him earlier with a certain expression, like he was sizing him up. And only after he gave his full name. He can't help but jump to a certain conclusion after it's happened to him like 6 times now. He doesn't bring it up yet, partly because he doesn't want to. He just wants to have a regular conversation for once.]

What, is it not planet Earth for you? [Yeah he's going to sass this giant man with the metal arm. What of it!!]

[limiterrings]

[ it's like an explosion when he does so. this entire time, it's something the mutant has hidden that the monster has yet to see, and the unknown is always scary. it's when everything crumbles away that the alien doesn't notice everything falling down on top of him and the rubble covering him entirely.

the hedgehog caught sight of everything, and even that ability is questionable, but it's interesting why the other didn't use it before. all of this could have been avoided with just a show of he wasn't someone to be dealt with. however, curiosity remains for only a moment until he drops his gaze back down at the paperwork then to the unmoving pile of roof and wall on top of the monster.

...

shadow makes his way over, staring at the pile and seeing there's no blood or anything saying that the creature is dead... then at the other.

normally, always, shadow has something smart to say to downplay anyone's attempt, but by seeing that he only walks past the group of rubble and back out into the hallway. ]

[limiterrings]

"...."

Whether she's right or wrong, he doesn't say as his eyes drop down to where her hand is touching. One arm lifts, his gloved hand wrapping around her wrist to remove her touch from the patch of fluff on his chest.

"Enough."

He starts with, bringing her hand down between them, and letting go to confirm her suspicions. "I know you can handle yourself, Rose."

Don't try and fool him, she'll find a way out always, but considering where they are in a new world with new possibilities, she... is right that staying together and moving forward would be best. However, Shadow doesn't care for that at all.

[limiterrings]

Your... claws.

[ immediately his eyes are going towards her hands to see if there are claws there. not shocking if so, but he'll follow up with something else. ]

Where you're taking me, do they have a good weapon selection?

[restingstitchface]

[Crane digests the nature of her occupation, considers the required intimacy, the necessity of putting yourself in a vulnerable position, and offers neither praise nor judgement. He tilts his head with the grace and manner of a bird and listens.

His answer is immediate. His opinion was formed before she had finished.]

That depends on your definition of the word, doesn't it?

[His eyes are staring, intense and curious.]

Perhaps the world is still making itself.

[strumpet]

Our worlds are different it seems, I wouldn't expect you to understand.

( for what little information she managed to get from others prior to dancing with crane, she was well aware people were drawn in from different places and situations. given the wooly mammoth and hedgehogs running about, she deduced as much.

she continued dancing with him, still ever polite and attentive. )

Perhaps it is, I wonder if I'll find those millionaires here....like the Machiavellian girl that I am. Perhaps though...I might just behave.

[restingstitchface]

Never be the person you were. Never be the person people want you to be.

[Crane dances slowly, moving through steps while his mind follows other trails. His voice is calm and thoughtful, carried with the same tone threaded through their conversation.]

Misbehaviour is good for growth. Teenagers are renowned for rebellion for a reason, after all.

[strumpet]

( there's not much for her to say in regards to his first comment, simply opting to continue her focus on the dance. it's that second part that draws out the more analytical side of her.

he was certainly something— obviously he was lying about who he was, but there was something else there. she just wouldn't quite pinpoint it but the one thing she picked up quickly was he was clearly trying to analyze her. she decided to not give him much more. )

I'm far from being a teenager, I'm a very grown and adult woman I should have you know. Now, are we going to continue pretending you're James Joyce or will you grace me with the honor of knowing your real name?

[restingstitchface]

[Crane considers releasing their hands, leaving him free to analyse her from a distance, to return to distancing himself physically. There is little to discern about his confidence, honed over years of experience of being at the bottom of the pack. But there is something awkward in his manner. The nervousness of a man who prefers books to building friendships.]

I am tempted to call myself Alduous Huxley. But I appreciate the need to consider you seriously.

[There is a point where humour stops being appropriate and stops being professional. He also takes himself seriously and expects others treat him respectfully.

He releases her fingers at last, slipping through her grasp like they hadn't been holding hands at all.]

Doctor Crane. Jonathan, I suppose. Though titles hardly matter when it comes to this place, do they?

[He prefers being called doctor, obviously.]

[vexant]

Oh, come on. It's not going to happen, I'm already here.

( what are they going to do, send just julian back? yeah, no. but the little punch has a dumb little smirk growing on his lips, and instead of shoving back, he just pulls her in closer. )

I wouldn't leave you.

[strumpet]

Polite and intelligent, I have a feeling we'll get along just fine.

( perhaps it was a way to provide him some kind of comfort but really she just found him to be a pleasant enough person to be around. he reminded her quite a bit of a certain shepherd from her world but as much as she enjoyed finding comfort where she could, she decided to focus on the roulette before them.

she finally stopped momentarily, still providing some support for harold as she thought about the task they had been given. )

I should imagine so, I just wonder what part this roulette wheel plays in assisting us with our current task at hand....

( she hadn't quite seen the miserable prizes at stake, but she was intrigued by it all nonetheless. )

[fireboost]

[ she catches that surprise, scott.

but she'll let him live it down, ignoring it in lieu of a proper introduction. ]

Scott Summers, it is my pleasure.

[ she holds out her hand for him to take, a little higher than she's used to but he should be able to reach it without bending down or anything. ]

I am Blaze the Cat. Thank you for your assistance earlier.

[ not that it was much, but for a girl with very little technology in her own world, who's only experienced it secondhand in sonic's, anything is appreciated. ]

[strumpet]

Well consider me grateful for your consideration.

( there's a bit of a bite in her comment, but the moment he slipped from her grasp she lowered her arms to her sides. inara took a gentle step back, giving him a quick glance before simply gazing off to the side. what a strange man— were all doctors this stiff and awkward?

he wasn't quite like the good doctor on serenity though, this man came across as almost menacing behind his polite cantor yet the bit of humor he offered left her perplexed on his true intentions. she wasn't sure if she wanted to explore or know more but for now she decided to simply take the loss of points [now being mentioned in her ear through the communicator]. she could dance with anyone else with ease after all. )

I don't know about that, I find people are similar no matter what world they're in. So with that, I suppose I should bid my adieu and hope you aren't lying about that name as well.

[fireboost]

[ nothing of the sort. instead, as blaze continues: ]

It's about the other Shadow.

[ his favourite topic, she's sure. ]

You handled him well in that puzzle room, but you were too quick to attack. I want to know why.

[ give him a chance to explain himself, at least. ]

[strumpet]

Well I suppose I should be grateful our 'hosts' are generous to allow us a moment of respite.

( with a shaky breath, she released jayce from her touch and ran her hair through her long dark locks. it was rare for inara to be this emotional towards anyone outside of what she considered her crew now, but with a deep breath she almost became a different person.

soon her the hand that she brushed her hair back was presented towards jayce for a handshake. )

I appreciate your kindness in answering my questions, but it seems I've been rather impolite. I'm Inara Serra, who might you be?