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etrayamemes2025-03-28 09:16 am
etrayamods) wrote in etrayamemes2025-03-28 09:16 am
Entry tags:
TDM 007
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:
 ⏵ 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:
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. 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. |
heather continues her lucky streak ⭐⭐⭐
[She is escorted [tugged] onto the dancefloor. His grip is gentle, certainly something you can escape out of, but not necessarily something you want to escape out of. His voice rolls from one word to the next, like he enjoyed her remark, as they weave through the crowd.]
I promise that, no matter your performance, I will not call the police.
[He is a gentleman.]
wheezes.....heather needs a break from these men lmao
though his little comment does bring out a bit of a snorted laugh from her. )
Yeah well there's no police in this world or Etraya, so I'm not too worried. Dance a lot back home? Like this?
( in the meantime she's following his movements, keeping up the pace. )
no subject
Not at all. But I have unfortunately found myself needing to attend events like this once or twice.
[His thinly disguised look of disgust suggests that, yes, he literally means once or twice.]
no subject
in fact she actually found herself a little less stressed out, finding it distracting to be with someone she didn't have to worry about; and while she didn't find that to be a burden, she just knew she was spent. )
Oh yeah? Big corporate parties or trying to seduce rich ladies?
( she isn't sure what other context his need to dance would apply in, but hey, she's being a little silly. )
no subject
[His words are spoken gently, formal with emotional distance. But he closes that distance by hinting at wordplay. Civil suggests polite interactions but also implies upsetting people with rude behaviour.]
But what does all that matter if I was there to have a good time?
[Such a wonderful time. When you never concern yourself with others.]
no subject
( don't mind her, she's impressed really. as they swayed and moved around, she thought about his words a bit more closely before she realized something. )
You know, I know we just met but I've been in this stupid world for a few months now since October of last year. What about you? Are you new here?
( she'll get around to exchanging names shortly. )
no subject
Enough that I feel out of my element.
[He looks relaxed, not even batting an eye at the admission. His gaze switches to the crowd for a while, everyone dancing like a singular organism, with few signs of data that separate individuals from the whole. He pretends to catch himself and closes his eyes in consideration.]
Sorry. Dancing is hardly my passion. Sometimes I wish they would make these events more lively. I can only imagine how bored you feel.
[Given the general age of the crowd and all. How many people of her age are here?]
no subject
she swayed along, silent for now as her eyes watched him and she simply shrugged at his words. although she would normally agree, unbeknownst to him she had been avoiding the others of her age. the paparazzi outside the colosseum had been pestering her, driving her mad with their assumptions she was dating any of the other teens. given her trauma....well that made her feel gross. )
While I agree with you on dancing not being a passion, I uh actually don't mind. This beats some of the other stuff this place has put us through you know?
( or other people have put her through. )
no subject
I hardly want to dredge up bad memories. You can keep whatever happened a secret if you want to.
[The world can be difficult, he knows. There are facts he hides about himself. That led to him forming the opinion that what can truly wear you down is people.]
All I can advise is that the one thing you can control is yourself.
no subject
wasn't it her duty to warn others about some of the people here? naively she didn't realize the man before her probably was an entire warning all on his own. )
That's true, especially here. We're not in Etraya, we've just been sucked here for a mission after all....but back in Etraya....you have to be careful too.
( she'll stop there for now, letting him ask his own questions if he wanted. what she did want to get out was this— )
I'm Heather by the way, Heather Mason. I've been here some time you know?
no subject
[His words convey a gentle agreement: an understanding of living in a dangerous place. Fear prevents you from believing the sunlight will ever penetrate the depths. But that fear has only as much power as you are willing to afford it.
And he did know.]
Dr. Crane. I haven't been here some time. Clearly.
no subject
( she got it, after all her father, harry mason had been one of the biggest worry-warts on the planet. considering all he went through in silent hill and the cult, he had more than enough reasons to be.
what that meant though, is that his fears and worries were instilled in her over time. )
I kinda figured, I don't think I've ever seen you around. Sorry―
( 'that you were brought here', she thought but didn't quite say. instead she shrugged and gave an apologetic look. )
On the bright side we're not here on this world forever. We've all technically been brought to another one called 'Etraya' which is actually a lot more peaceful than this one surprisingly.
no subject
[He wrinkles his nose and frowns in disapproval. It is a waste and a shame to lose one's subjects - a feeling he understands more than most.
It is something he easily overcomes. He adjusts his shoulders and collects his hands across his stomach once again.]
But please don't worry. Caution isn't something I generally throw to thw wind.
[Generally. Because he knows can be impulsive on occasion.]
no subject
( she won't comment on it, but if they ever spoke on a more frequent basis, he'd come to realize she wasn't echo or aurora's number one fan [even if she was softening up on them considering aurora did her a 'solid' recently].
when he finally let go of her hands, heather could hear in the device in her ear that her points had dropped due to not lasting long dancing, but she simply shrugged it off for now. )
Well good to hear, but you can always rely on a good number of us around here. Sure there are some questionable people about―
( especially now that claudia was here. )
But most people here are just trying to live a normal life despite the chaos of everything.
no subject
He taps his wrist with his fingers. Something seems to bother her. He could pull on that thread and unravel it - but not today.]
Sometimes one finds extraordinary people in the most ordinary settings.
[He glances around the room at everyone struggling to dance. Sometimes the game stops being fun and one must choose to change or leave.]
And you seem to be living despite the chaos of everything. [He mirrors her final words.] Take credit from that.
no subject
which is why she nodded at his words and began to change the subject just a little bit. )
You're right, I am and it's because that I am, I've actually been working hard to educate myself further. Kinda got plucked from my world right before graduating high school you know? So that brings me to my next question...
( she leaned back and placed her hands on her hips, figuring out how to spring this on a stranger. )
You said you're a researcher right? I know I'm kinda imposing here but if you're ever painfully bored....do you think you could give me some stuff to research and study? I'm trying to educate myself during my time here....even if it doesn't matter in the end.
no subject
[Rather than paid. The university had believed that gave them power over his career. Their donors had believed that gave them the right to his time.
Fools.
But will she prove herself incapable of critical thought? Will she fall behind?]
You are eager but I have to say it depends on what fascinates you. What do you have in mind?
[It's a fair request. He is specialised in psychopharmacology not sociology.]
no subject
( while she couldn't offer payment, nor sought to control him in exchange for his help, she would make sure to have a sandwich for him at the bodega when everyone returned to etraya.
for now though she seemed to have a deep focus on him, concentrating and waiting for his response. she was genuinely interested in this after all. )
no subject
Forensic psychiatry with a speciality in psychopharmacology. Other than lecturing my class, I steer research in developing cutting edge medication.
[He angles his head.]
A little difficult to reproduce the latter, but if should you like to learn why people do what they do...
no subject
( he certainly was impressive and while she wasn't sure how beneficial any of that would truly be to her goals, she did notice that last little line he said. oh she absolutely wanted to learn that. )
Actually I do, I wouldn't say my goal is to get into therapy or anything like that currently but....wouldn't hurt given the world we've been dragged into.
no subject
[His soft voice suggests he is comfortable with her taking the lead. He leans in slightly as though inviting her into a conspiracy to gossip, content to allow her to borrow his control over the situation, because he knows he can take it back.]
I am more than aware that you might struggle to share your thoughts a stranger. Might I suggest you consider what you are comfortable with sharing? Take your time. You can contact me when you're ready.
cw: murder/cannabalism mentions
( had she perhaps let down her defenses again? probably and she could certainly benefit from being more wary over this stranger but for now she simply shrugged her shoulders and chalked it up to it being his nature—
after all, the line of work he did she imagined influenced the way he spoke to people and tried to bond with them. she certainly found herself doing the same now that she was offering listening services to people here. )
I guess the only thing I can share with you now is that this place...is a little lawless I guess. So be careful, because if someone does something to you, there won't be any justice. At least unless you tell one of the superheroes here, they might help but they weren't around when he....( hannibal she means— ) when we had some guy going around killing people and eating them.
no subject
Vorarephilia. I can only imagine how difficult that was for everyone. I've encountered a few in my work.
[The state of this world is no surprise to somebody from his city. When one comes from Gotham, one has seen the worst kinds of people.]
They're nothing special.
no subject
she immediately began to laugh a bit at his words, a big wave of relief embracing her. she had been angry about that and most people sort of dismissed given death wasn't permanent here but....
to hear someone have that point of view was a nice change. )
Yeah you're right, he's just some loser with a fetish. Thankfully he's long gone, went away one day and hasn't been back since then but he was something....intense.
( by now their dancing had come to an end and while they didn't out dance anyone else, it seemed at least heather's points hadn't dropped. )
Listen, I should probably get going before this place punishes me for not dancing longer. Good meeting you Dr. Crane, you seem....cool if that means anything to you.
no subject
[On his face is a flicker of discomfort, the natural inclination to refuse to accept a compliment. Perhaps because of humility. Perhaps a fear of being placed on the spot. He seems to watch the other dancers for a moment to center and ground himself. Then his gaze flickers to her after a second, a polite smile on his face.]
Then perhaps this has not felt like forever for you after all.
ending this one here ♡