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etrayamemes2025-05-30 09:20 am
etrayamods) wrote in etrayamemes2025-05-30 09:20 am
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TDM 008
content warnings for this TDM include: gambling references, mild horror themes and suggestive content  ⏵ arrival⏴ Arrival does not happen as Aurora usually plans for it. Newcomers generally find themselves waking up within the hospital, are given a brief overview of their situation, and sent on their way. Now? They wake up immersed in a game within The Gold Saucer. But it doesn't quite feel like a game: whether it's snowy mountains, riding a chocobo as you listened to the wind quickly pass by your ears, or in the middle of a battle with a beast, it feels utterly real. It's only after the game concludes - either by winning or losing - that you find yourself back in the main game area. A bot, dressed as personnel in this lavish playground, approaches each arrival with an earpiece allowing them to communicate with those in their same situation. It also serves to inform them of their goal: collect enough gold saucer points (or GP) by playing the games to acquire a card fashioned to their own likeness from the game counter. Then, they must trade it for someone else's. Seems simple enough, right? Hopefully the cards aren't too expensive...  ⏵ the gold saucer ⏴ The Gold Saucer is an ode to the very idea of fun. It’s huge, labyrinthine, colorful, and lively. Everywhere you look, there’s something to do. At the same time, it’s also impossible to tell what time it is. There are no windows to the outside, there are no clocks. This place is beyond such a thing. There are games everywhere you look, ranging from the pseudo-gambling to sports to pixelated video games in cabinets. Yet no matter which boxing game, pinball machine, or skeeball machine you look at, the same creatures and themes arrive. Cactuars, chocobos, the fiercest Behemoth, the cuddliest Moogle… For those from the realms of Final Fantasy, this will feel natural- homey even. Everyone else will simply understand that there is a fairly strong central theme here about magic, machines, and monsters. It’s hard to tell how long you spend here, and it seems to sit outside of the very concept of time. Still, there are many restaurants, lounges, and vending machines. There are shops and costume rentals. There are even little pharmacies with headache remedies if the partying gets out of hand. And when you grow tired, there is a hotel- though it is made up like a haunted house, you can count on getting some semi-restful sleep.  ⏵ playtime ⏴ At first, stepping through to play any of these games may make participants wonder if they have been teleported somewhere else entirely. But on closer inspection, all the skies above are merely well-constructed interiors with painted ceilings. After all, it always seems to be daytime during these games. Snowboarding - Race to the bottom of the mountain, but avoid obstacles and complete as many tricks as possible! Chocobo Racing- Race on Chocobo-back around a treacherous outdoors race track which can either be taking place in a desert, a swampy forest, or upon an island beach. Work in tandem with your rented bird and against your competition by throwing hazards in their way or utilizing buffs garnered on the track. Different colored birds will yield different advantages. Yellow - Good All Rounder Red - Fast, but hard to steer Blue - Slower, but very easy to steer. Much easier to pick up items from them. Green- Resilient against traps and sabotage Colosseum Battle- Face off against the fiercest beasts around. Pair up with friends or rivals to Collaborate or Compete to do the most damage and deliver the final blow. These battles are synced to the comparative power of the one entering the competition. We wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt unnecessarily, after all. And indeed, no one will get seriously, gruesomely, or permanently injured in these battles. Those without fighting capabilities can rent weapons outfitted Materia to assist them in their trial. These will allow anyone to cast spells, though not guarantee any better wielding of weapons. There are a hundred rounds, starting with fairly simple Spriggans, ranging all the way up to blood-thirsty Behemoths to challenge even the most battle-hardened hero. Leap of Faith- Players are presented with an obstacle course that stretches a hundred feet into the air upon floating platforms and islands. Both are held aloft by magical crystals. Powers are entirely nerfed, though falling and hitting the ground is strangely painless. Those who collect the most silver and gold statuettes of cactuars placed at random throughout the course will be awarded proportionate GP; though there is a bonus for those that reach the very top first. Triple Triad- Everywhere you look, people are playing this game on little 3 by 3 boards, or any surface with enough space. You will be given a loaner deck to play with. Are you clever enough to defeat your fellows. Fashion Report- Theobold, familiar to some, stands by himself in a little booth with a dressing room and an incredibly expansive walk-in closet. He is a robot of distinguished fashion and strong opinions on those fashions. Do you dare subject yourself to his scrutiny? Come prepare in his wondrous closets to make the best outfit for the chance to win a prize. Please submit your fashion here! There are Arcade Machines and activities galore. If you can think of it, it’s probably there- Just with that Final Fantasy pastiche on it, of course.  ⏵ the beehive lounge ⏴ There are other places to eat at the Gold Saucer, but the vending machines and cafés all pale in comparison to the dinners at the Beehive. For all the rave reviews, there is a dress code at the Beehive, and this is literal. If you step inside and are not currently wearing a dress, you will be ushered into a sideroom and appropriately made over. However, this is only for those trying to go in through the normal doors. Around the side there happens to be an employee entrance, manned by a bot. He will only allow those in who seem like they intend to work— and therefore must be wearing at least one piece of the Bunnysuit Collection to trick the guard. Once you are made over or have snuck in, you are free to relax inside with drinks, dine on a fine meal, watch the dancers, or participate yourself if you feel brave enough. Why would anyone ever dance here? Well, that’s simple. It pays really well. So if you’re sick of games, or terrible at them— you can always come dance for a shift. Though, don't get any unseemly ideas about freeing yourself of your clothing, this isn't that kind of establishment!  ⏵ haunted house ⏴ When you grow too weary or drunk from a day of games, you may be directed to somewhere a little quieter to sleep. Up the elevator, and through the doors reveals a modest walk through some woods until a quaint, victorian hotel appears. It is always nighttime here, and the stars and moon twinkle above. The receptionist, a bot in a rather bedraggled-looking chocobo mascot costume checks you in and shows you to your room. You can sleep here, especially if you can tolerate the hokey haunted decorations strung up around the place. Though sometimes, late at night, there will come a vigorous thumping on the door to startle sleeping patrons awake- Only for the culprit to vanish and be impossible to locate.  ⏵ ticket counter ⏴ The prize counter is manned by a bot and has a sign posted overhead. Most prizes will be handed over inside an appropriately sized wrapped box, as the contents are a mystery.
This TDM may be treated as a mini-Mission. Time will not pass inside of it in relation to the world outside - meaning, this can be happening at any time between late May into early July! This Gold Saucer is a bit of a mix between that of FF7's and FF14's, but it also has some things that neither have as well. Any inaccuracies are entirely intentional, aimed to make this rest within a space of uncanny valley for those who are familiar. While otherwise being a bit of a chaotic fantastical funhouse for everyone else! If there is something unlisted, chances are it will exist if it is in either of the other versions of the Gold Saucer. 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 to our mod queries comment! |
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He understands his existence is a drug to the Dessendres. It is why he can't stand to be in front of the real Renoir. He doesn't know how much he can see through the projection of the Curator. The fact the man lost his voice and could only speak in single, fragmented words. It hurt to see him in that state, but how much did it hurt Renoir to see him?
However, Clea has not been allowed to grief like the others. She has had to shove her pain away to move forward, but Verso would want her to take time for herself. He hears what she says and smiles in a soft, sad way.
He'll know before she does when she's gone too far. They can have that talk, then, if it ever were to happen. A painful, sad talk if she ever stops seeing him and sees a dead man in his place.
When she steps forward, he tilts his head in mild confusion. He waits to hear what she might stay but surprised when she embraces him. His shoulders drop as he lightly wraps one arm around her frame, lightly rests his hand on the back of her head.
He hears how she thanks him but doesn't quite believe it is for him. All but the part of how she's sorry how he was made. Yes, he's sorry about how he was made, too. A ball-jointed doll that is too fragile to be able to move without shattering all his pieces.
He loosens and lets his arms fall away when she steps back. He pretends not to see her tears and keeps his same, sad smile. ]
I know.
[ The Gommage has already happened. He's already dead. He's an echo of an echo. Even though he is himself; even though he was taken just before he vanished from the Canvas; he is still an afterimage of someone already gone. ]
No one will know what you've said to me, Clea.
[ A small sigh. ] You can share whatever you like... you deserve that much for yourself. [ Consider him just an imaginary friend. ]
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Good. Ordinarily, I would threaten to murder you if you told anyone, but I want to discourage that behavior. You're so difficult; everything has to be different and special for you, doesn't it?
[ In truth, Clea isn't sure what she wants to share. Her sincerity seems to make a part of him uncomfortable. Or so she assumes, but she can never be sure if her assumptions are accurate when it comes to this Verso. If he were her Verso, it would obvious: That too breezy stance, the way he contorts himself to be what he thinks others need like a liquid being poured into a mold.
But this one, she cannot be sure. Aline is used to the world bending to her will. Does she see Verso doing so? Or does she assume that's his true self?
She doesn't know what to say. Does she talk about her anger? How she wants Renoir out of the Canvas and also wants to slap him across the face? Does she talk about wondering what would have happened if she had died or burned, about wondering why she is the one spared the permanent pains? About how she worries about Alicia but also sometimes despises her? She'd told the girl over and over not to be so credulous, had pushed her to understand the world. She'd continually refused and her actions had cost them all.
There is one thing.
Something she would not have told her Verso, but can voice to this one. An errant thought that sometimes assaults her like a pickpocket during the most mundane of tasks. ]
I don't know if I can stay.
[ It feels like giving voice to something forbidden. Clea's life had been shaped around her parents' expectations and needs, but now that mask is broken. She doesn't know if she can put it back together. ]
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[ To threaten to kill him, but he only smiles. He understands how difficult that this must all be for her. Verso doesn't know if things have to be that way for him, but everyone he knows is different and special to him.
Even her.
His eyes close as he tilts his head away; his shoulders lift and lower in a small shrug. ]
Perhaps.
[ But he does feel the shift in energy, in the room. It seems like she does have something that she wants to tell him. His posture shifts and he focuses on her; all of his attention as he waits for her to speak.
"I don't know if I can stay."
Verso wonders if she means in the manor or around him. He can't imagine how difficult it is for everyone else to be allowed to mourn while she has to carry on everything herself. Of course, he would say that she could grieve, but grief itself is selfish.
It is what he told her and believes she has the right for that selfishness. Although, perhaps, that is simply how he is made. Because while his existence will hurt her, it at least won't be the cause of her death. It may be a cause for some other hidden wound in her heart, but he believes she will find the way forward.
He has hope in those he loves and as complicated as their relationship is, he does love her, too. Perhaps, that is some cognitive dissonance that the memories cause in him, but -- ]
You don't have to if it's too painful.
[ It is what he says finally. ]
You have your own life, too, and you can experience some of it now.
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[ Of course. That's who she is, isn't it? Especially for him. Maman... he tries so much to be his own person, but he can't, can he? None of them can.
They exist as a mirage to bring Aline succor, and part of that mirage, that fantasy, is that everything can return to how it had once been, and that none of them could hold grudges against one another. That they all would be perfectly content no matter the circumstance. Verso should have attacked her when she'd come to him the second time. Refused to listen. Or run. Those would all have been normal reactions to the end of 'Expedition Zero'. If that had been real.
And yet he did not, because he does not have his own soul, and the soul inside of him loves and cares for her. Because he knows the truth of the things she tells him, and because Verso's soul still loves them. What he should feel for her is hatred. For the mistakes she's made, for the fact that the situation had degraded as it had. For the fact that she couldn't stop it, for the fact that she's the one alive and whole.
The soul of a child in the body of a man. How torturous that must be. What a conflict between heart and mind that must engender.
Hearing the words is a relief and Clea releases a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, closing her eyes and exhaling. Allowing herself to relax, even if only for seconds, her shoulders drooping.
Only for a moment, however. Then she draws in a breath and squares her shoulders back, posture returning to its usual impenetrable perfection. ]
Should I take Alicia?
[ She wants his opinion. He has seen her the most recently. Would it be more harmful for Alicia to be left with Aline and Renoir, who might abandon her, or to be stuck with only Clea for comfort? Who is a poor option indeed.
What would harm her less? ]
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[ He breathes out a little laugh through his nose.
But the conversation has turned to something more serious. He can't rely on easing it with jokes. It wouldn't be sincere or honest. The most that he can offer is a little honesty.
The corner of his lips lift into a sad smile when she breathes. He sees the moment of vulnerability, but keeps his eyes on her rather than look away this time. Someone should see this much of her; someone should know she felt this way. Even if he is going to fade to nothing, someone should've have seen this much so she knows that she is not alone.
His chin lifts slightly before she asks him a difficult question. ]
That will have be to be up to her.
[ He can't make that decision for her; he's already made one for her. It was a decision that Alicia didn't even know existed. He doesn't believe he has the right to make any more.
But does Clea have that right? His eyes search hers for a second before smiling; she has always been the one to advocate Alicia make her own choices. Or at least, that is what his memories has told him. His gaze shifts to something melancholy, but he blinks and it is gone. ]
She might choose something different than what any of us are thinking.
[ His fingers twitch at his side; he curls his hand into a lightly held fist. Alicia, what will you paint? ]
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For making him look at her that way. She's done something wrong.
Alicia is an easier topic.
He's right. It needs to be her decision. Clea 'hmms' in a neutral tone, shifting her weight as she considers his words. ]
You're right. I'll leave her.
[ It should be Alicia's decision and while her sister is young and naive, she isn't stupid. Clea knows what choice she will make. Why would she leave her home and her parents, useless though they may be at the moment? They've had a taste of what Alicia's life is like with only Clea for support, and it is woefully lacking. Could she have done a better job looking after Alicia after the fire?
It's her fault. What 'it' is, Clea does not know, but she knows it happened because she had not been good enough. Skilled enough. Aware enough. The fire? Verso? Alicia's injuries? Yes. ]
I hope that she does. We deserve the surprise and she deserves the freedom. I would welcome it.
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[ With each little talk, each little step, he believes she'll be able to live without him. He believes in that more than anything. He hopes for that future that he'll never see for himself. Is that how he was made?
Of course, he ended up forsaking his own sister in the process. His chin dips as he thinks of his Alicia vanishing with no one at her side. Even though she says she has come to accept whatever will happen, he still feels he should have been there to say something to her, to say goodbye, to see the end of everything with her.
But he knows if he saw her, he would be unable to carry through with everything he planned and sacrificed. He fears he would have given it all up for her.
Inhaling slowly, he tips his chin back up as he gives a faint smile. ]
Anyway -- [ Verso doesn't have any forgiveness for himself. Living with the guilt and pain of what he's done until he returns to nothing suits him. ] -- if ever you need someone to talk to, I'll be willing to listen.
[ A beat. ] I won't use your secrets to hurt you. [ He promises and it feels true. There are so many secrets that he knows, but he intends to hold onto them to protect those around him. He Who Guards Truth With Lies.
His mouth quirks a little more into a wider smile. Perhaps, he is really becoming Verso. ]
But if there's nothing else... [ He tips his head as he feels he needs a walk. ]
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[ Clea nods her head and steps to the side, watching him depart with her hands folded elegantly in front of her. Neither of them know what is happening, and spending more time together will not get them any closer to understanding.
A lot can be acknowledged in two words.
'If ever you need someone to talk to, I'll be willing to listen.' Of course he cannot help himself. That he would listen. Clea feels a sudden and strange surge of awareness. She should have said nothing. He had not truly wanted this conversation; he'd had no choice but to listen to her. To want to. She'll need to avoid him unless something of practical import arises.
'I won't use your secrets to hurt you.' Of course she knows the unspoken conditions. Hurt, no. Manipulate her? Inform his actions? There are so many things that can be done with secrets outside of hurt. Clea does not blame him.
Of course there's nothing else.
She needs a distraction. Something that prevents her from thinking about this encounter and how weak it makes her feel. How she feels like something is sloshing around inside of her and threatening to overflow. Like she wants to find someone private and scream. ]
no subject
There's so much that is already broken that he can only smile at the concerned statement. He inhales; the air filling his lungs hurt but he does step back to head out the door.
His steps halt just before he crosses the threshold. ]
Still, try to have fun while you're here, Clea. [ A slight pause. ] You deserve that much for yourself. [ He points to the side. ] There even is an arena.
[ Like the Gauntlet.
His mouth twitches again into a sad, little smile before he finally walks through the threshold. He intends to walk through the casino, unsure where his steps will take him, but he feels a restlessness in him. ]