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etrayamemes2025-03-28 09:16 am
etrayamods) wrote in etrayamemes2025-03-28 09:16 am
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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. |
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Shadow's explanation of why she could have been chosen, made her smile a little against his fur, but it was a sad expression.] Well...I'll do what I can to help. I don't want to see our world destroyed. [She would do whatever she could in her ability. She wasn't a fighter or very physical, but she had her mind and she was intelligent enough with a strong spirit and sense of will. She would endure.]
I'm more curious about this 'Echo' that was mentioned. They appear to be the mastermind of all this. I can't say whether they are a threat or not because of lack of information however. Aurora said that this 'Echo' was the one responsible for bringing us all here from the different universes. [She wondered where Shadow was taking her. Did he have more chances to explore than she did? She trusted him implicitly though and knew that he would find a safe place.]
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[ shadow would rather take it upon himself, even though that is the world that maria loves, and of course, she'd want to offer a helping hand.
he doesn't want her to push herself, even if it's for the earth she had spent years yearning for during her time alive. something about the thought of her working extra hard when sick doesn't sit right with him, it gives him worry, and even though she seems stable now...
what if something goes wrong? ]
...I'll eliminate them if they are.
[ there's an "if", he knows if they're not then he'll try to abide by the rules, but he's wary and cautious when he's with her.
shadow finds a location where there are less people than before, little foot traffic is what matters to him as he lowers himself down to the ground. there's an empty bench that he proceeds to set her on, and once he does will shadow take a step back to assess the situation. ]
Are you hurt? Hungry? Thirsty?
[ he noticed the points that he accumulated through that reunion, as much as he hated that they took advantage of his emotions to do that... he can spend what he's gained, get her something to eat... ]
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She closes her eyes briefly so she could work on calming her heart and breath. Already much improved since Shadow had scooped her up and whisked her away from the square. She still felt a little lightheaded, but she felt a lot safer. His questions caused her to open her eyes and regard him. He was standing in front of her, clearly concerned about her well being.]
No I'm not hurt. Just a little dirty....[She reassured quickly, looking down at her blue dress and sweater that was soiled in some places. She tried not to think too hard that it was alien blood.] Ah, right. I was given this before I was sent here. [She unslung the small backpack that was on her back and placed it on the bench.] I am a little thirsty. Maybe there is some food and water in here. [The girl proceeded to unzip it and look around inside. There was what looked like some bars and a couple bottles of water. What looked like a first aid kit and a blanket. There was some other random small objects but she honed in on the water and pulled out the bottle.] Here we go!
Were you hurt? I think there's a first aid kit in here.
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he's done good in not allowing his ears to draw back and rest on top of his head, withholding his emotions is the easiest thing he can do at the moment. especially his sadness, his feelings like anger rush from him like a running faucet, but those more sensitive ones like sadness.
it's easy to lock those away. ]
No, I am not hurt.
[ she has something to drink and that's more than he could ask for. instead of leaving to find her anything else, he sits down on the concrete to look up at her. ]
You should save it for yourself.
[ knowing her, she'd probably choose to give it to someone who needs it more in her eyes. sometimes he wishes she was a little more selfish like him, but... it's surreal to look at her like this, to know she's here again.
but the duration of how long? ... that is what scares him the most. ]
...
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The girl relaxed visibly when he said he was unhurt. She knew he was pretty resilient, but she cared about his well being just the same. She uncapped the water bottle and had a few sips of the refreshing liquid. She didn't know how easy to come by water was on this world, so she was careful in how much she drank. She lowered and capped the bottle, looking down at Shadow who had sat on the concrete. She smiled and patted the bench next to her.]
Come up and sit by me. There's plenty room. You don't have to sit on the ground. [She invited, putting the bottle in her bag and moving it out of the way.] I'm just so relieved and happy that you are here...I thought I was alone in all of this. [She made a gesture with both hands, encompassing their surroundings. She was still coming to terms that this was happening at all: Waking up in a strange hospital room and then after hearing the most fantastical story she'd ever heard outside of a sci-fi novel, she gets sent here to another planet. It was all so much.]
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he pulls himself up onto the bench to sit right next to the young girl, briefly his tag wags about twice, a small thud against the bench's backrest, and then the motion stops as he looks forward to see that this spot was perfect, no cameras (he thinks) and no aliens to question them.
just him and her, together. ]
You are never alone; wherever you go, I will follow.
[ that's how it seems to be, he follows after her all the time, but he's simply never able to catch up. it's like they run a complete circle, but he's on the outside and she's in the inside and despite going the same path... he's never able to grab her. ]
In this new world, don't stray too far from me. I'll watch after you.
[ but this may be his chance, much like he thought in that white space was clearly his chance as well. he shouldn't push his luck, but what if... ]
If you need anything, I'll use my points for you. Make sure to keep yours.
[ now the question would be how many does she have? ]
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The pose reminded her of all those times on the Ark. When they would watch the Earth down below together. Sometimes if he was particularly tired after testing, she'd cuddle him while he napped in her lap and she would read a book or stargaze. The safety and peace she felt now, was the same as then.]
I know. [She said softly, when he assured her she wasn't alone. That he would watch over her.] I definitely feel a lot better now than before. [Safer too. She felt like nothing could touch her right now, and the sense of safety and quiet enabled her to finally relax. Something he said, caused her to blink curiously. She lifted her head and looked at him.]
Points? Oh...I think I remember some numbers showing next to my picture when....when I first appeared. But I don't remember what they were. [She frowned slightly. She didn't think it was a very large number.] At the time I didn't think much on it with everything else that was happening.
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it's just this time, there's something he should be doing. he can't really sit here and do nothing, right? there's a threat looming, something that wished to do great harm... or in reality, at this moment, that isn't the case.
can he really enjoy this after everything he's done? maria may have closed the distance, but that worry inside of him still dwells. he wants to say he's dangerous, that she shouldn't, as well as not wanting to dirty her more, but...
he can't say that either because he wants to be with her, he wants her to depend on him, and he wants this to last forever. his ears twitch slightly, the warmth of her hand near his own palm. ]
It's fine, I'll figure it out for you. [ his words sound genuine enough as though he'd leave right now to figure it out.
but he doesn't, he remains right by her side as the tips of his gloves twitch only slightly because of her hand there.
he can't take it, not right now. ]
I don't want you to strain yourself here, and if you need anything, please let me know.
[ sometimes shadow must sound like a broken record, one that won't leave the tune of his worries and concern over maria. if she needs anything, he'll do it. she doesn't need to do anything at all but exist. ]
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She smiled a little at Shadow's words, resting her head to his contentedly. It was okay if he didn't take her hand. Just leaning into his warmth was a comfort. Knowing he was really here.]
Don't worry, I will. I'm just happy to get a chance to sit in some quiet right now. [She gestured at her backpack.] It seems like I have what I need in here for now. [She considered with a thoughtful frown.] Aurora did say we won't be here for long so there is at least that. This place is....well there's something creepy about it.
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[ maybe that's what stands out to maria, for someone who has always looked at planets from a distance in hopes that she could visit them.
earth especially. it's this sort of ending that he tried to finalize when he had awoken fifty years after the incident. ]
If you mean the creatures here, I'm no different from them.
[ he's also part alien if that makes her feel any better to remember, no matter what, he'll always be connected to black doom and his efforts. ]
Maybe that fact will help you feel better.
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[She frowned a little, not understanding how the natives of this world could do this. If it was in full knowledge that their world is ending, that just made it worse somehow. Shadow's suggestion that maybe it was because the creatures here weren't human, and reminding her that he was like them made her smile with a small huff of a sound.]
Oh, no. Aliens don't bother me at all! [Her tones held soft humor in them as she nudged into her dear friend with clear affection.] Seeing all these different forms of life is quite interesting actually.
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[ as if that's strange to him, but shadow doesn't have a preference towards alien kind. at this point, they're probably below humans to him with how annoying they tend to be.
maria likes them though, then again, aren't humans meant to learn what's beyond their understanding so this world being so different must be why she's so curious.
also why it's so frightening at the same time. ]
Don't show too much compassion towards them, they'll take advantage of your good will.
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[And she considered herself blessed that she was sitting with her best friend too.
Shadow's words of advice caused her to look over at him with a nod.] I understand. I'm not so fascinated that I'll blatantly put myself in danger. [She reassured, leaning her head on his, snugged against his side.]