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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. |
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as for the sheet of paper, he'll rub his fingers along the grooves to see if they make a word, unless they're braille. ]
You do that.
[ he has his little paper to mess with. ]
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which does not have braile—but it feels kind of like somebody might have spilled something on it in places. ]
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he stops, humming in thought between the diary and the sheet of paper given to him. he'll double check the book one last time to see if the slip of paper isn't the one that was ripped out supposedly. ]
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but as he holds it up to the light, something shines through.
the number 12 is stained into the paper.
and blaze just so happens to peek over her shoulder at that moment, observing shadow's discovery. ]
Did you figure it out?
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You must have found something over there to be back already.
[ he offers her the sheet of paper, then nudging towards the window's light. ]
Hold it there.
[ 12... th bookcase? or should he go to that page number in this diary or the listed books. ]
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she'll accept the paper in any case, holding it up to the light just as shadow had. she looks thoughtful, squinting at the number like that, but she'll hand it back to him once she's had a moment to consider it. 12... 12... Could it be talking about pages? ]
I thought that the list sounded like titles, so I was checking the shelves, but only one book matched. Here, that one.
[ indicating a book that's been slightly pulled out of the shelf, but not so much as to fall, titled: The Escape Artist. ]
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[ he'll take the book, flipping it left and right before checking the table of contents. is there a chapter 12, or anything ending with 12 that would stand out.
shadow doesn't have time for these childish games, he has half the mind to break down what they need to go to the next door.
...
but he's trying to do this the "normal" way. ]
Check the time.
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a sock
a dirty sock, for that matter. it's like brown and stinky. blaze is off in the kitchen-ish area looking at the timer. ]
There are 12 minutes left. Did the book have any clues?
[ she's assuming that the diary had something to do with it? ]
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...
[ as for the book, she can see it's being thrown her way without any stinky sock inside. ]
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I'll help.
[ as he dumps out the laundry hamper, all kinds of clothes and bedding fall out for blaze to sort through. there's a sheet, two hoodies, countless socks and three pieces of underwear. two pairs of pants, four shirts, and— and a letterman jacket with the number 12 printed on it. ]
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Check it.
[ leaving this part to blaze means that shadow can return back to the diary just in case there's something else he might have missed. the book, the sheet of paper that looks to have nothing on it, but he's guessing that what's inside the jacket or on it will be more useful. ]
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she'll toss the crumpled up ball of paper she finds in his direction.
if he unfolds it, he'll find that there are 5 small holes punched in it. ]
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That's it?
[ with the diary in hand and this nee slip of paper, he walks away from the dirty hamper to the window once again to check and see if the sheet matches the size of the diary entries. ]
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[ unless he wants to wear it? he can feel free, but blaze is setting it back on the side of the hamper. it is, after all, dirty laundry.
but shadow will find that this page actually fits over the ripped out spot, sporting the inverse pattern and fitting together like a puzzle piece. if he presses the page against the one from earlier, then a couple of non-highlighted letters are circled. bringing that magnifying lass up to them, they read: S M I L E ]
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Come, this must be it.
[ he waits to see if blaze has found anything else, if not, when she comes to the door, he'll allow her this treat. ]
Smile.
[ because this is a foolish game that has them taking turns to reap the rewards so might as well. ]
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[ blaze turns to see where he's going, her eyes wandering to the padlock on the glass door. is that what he's referring to? she knows he's certainly not telling her to do so, though her eyes are drawn to one of the cameras placed in the corners of the room.
but while she had assumed the code would be numbers, she'll make her way over. examining the lock for a moment, luckily, due to being only three feet tall, she doesn't even have to crouch to set each letter on the lock to match the word—smile. she just has to lean in for a moment, and...
click!
it comes off, and moves to set it aside.
anyway, age before beauty, as they say—shadow can go first. ]
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inside are steps made of glass for them to go up to be met with the next room. there's glass walls at their side so they can see outside showing how high up they are, shadow walks up them without any issue to reach the next door. ]
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her eyes are wide as she looks down at her feet, and to the city below. this apartment is most certainly a high-rise—lights of all kinds flicker beneath her, not all of them identifiable for how far down they are. so it takes blaze a moment—maybe two, to lift her gaze back to the steps in front of her, still capturing the sparkling city lights below and showing just how high up they are, and and take a step.
she isn't so slow that it's largely noticeable to shadow, but she's certainly holding onto that handrail tightly as she travels up, keeping her eyes focused on the hedgehog now. before long, she's reached the next door—is stepping inside, even, if shadow has already handled opening it. ]
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as they walk in, they'll see that the room is in the shape of a box. it's pretty wide, and tall by the looks of how high the unreachable ceiling is. looking at all four walls around them will show no door readily available to them. instead, against the wall is a single flight of stairs that leads up.
following the stairs will show that it stops somewhere in the middle, connected to nothing else, and far up which is hard to see would be another platform that's separate from the stairs.
...
shadow raises a brow as he looks to blaze then to the steps before looking back up at where they need to go. seems simple enough.
the wall is colored blue with drawn on clouds like one would see in a coloring book, the floor is a dark blue with ripples etched into the surface to give it a sea-like effect. on the floor in the corner are two plush toys, one the shape of the moon, and the other the shape of the sun. ]
now you're just being mean to her
she seems to be considering it before she speaks, but... this is a show for entertainment, and watching the two of them solve their puzzles in silence can't be the ideal way to build up their points. instead, picking up the sun to look it over, she makes a suggestion. ]
Is there anything you wish to talk about?
[ her attention wanders back to him, expectant, but firm as she continues: ]
... If you do not pick, then I will be forced to make a decision.
[ and she doubts he will enjoy the topic of her choosing. ]
the saltwater room
with that out of the blue, shadow closes his eyes a little irritated as he tries to readjust to the room after that flashbang. ]
What the fuck are you talking about?
[ he asks, looking towards blaze at her choice of words. "forced", what is that supposed to mean? in a way, it makes it sound like something is wrong and they're only at the third room. shadow walks off to one side of the room, his hand touching along the wall feeling to see if any paint on the wall is wet, or just dry and it's supposed to give the illusion of them being in the sky with water underneath their feet.
sadly, the white dots in his eyes still remain, and that brightness despite gone still bothering him. ]
ok owl city
really, she's focusing her attention more on her challenge partner. ]
What I mean to say, is that I have met Shadow, who shares your likeness as well as your name.
[ she's not so eloquent as to dance around the subject. he's asked what it was, and she will provide. ]
I believe that you have as well?
[ the room itself seems rather plain, and though she glances around to see if there's anything else that stands out—or has changed, she seems to be particularly interested in that platform. ]
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nothing in the room has really changed, but the moon plush that's on the floor still remains lonely that she had taken the sun with her. ]
They share nothing I have.
[ he looks to blaze upon his response, correcting her as though she's confused.
but maria would say different, she would admit that they share her love and happiness, that she'd be there for both of them and care... ]
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first of all: ]
Come pick up this moon. I'd like to know what's up there as well, come with me.
[ there's one plush for each of them—almost fitting, too. ]
In that case, why don't you tell me what he does have?
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as the hedgehog moves over, he grabs the moon from off the floor not really caring about the child's toy. it's heavy. dropping it on the floor to see if what's inside will shatter, instead the impact pushes up against what must be inside causing the light in the room to disappear.
by the steps that stop only half-way, she'll see there's a starry path that connects to the steps and leads in a pretty zig zag pattern, and platforms that go up and down which can take her to the second platform. the worst part, is that within the darkness... they are unable to move, as though something is stopping their legs from moving.
they're stuck to the floor.
shadow groans from the way this room works to the question asked. ]
Are you not attentive or are you just stupid? His movements were as sloppy as yours.
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