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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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I suppose Sif would know. She always seems to have her ear to the ground.
[Briefly, Loki wonders if his words might be taken incorrectly. There have been times when he might have said such a thing sarcastically. The Norns knew he’d had his fair share of conflicts with Sif, but the truth of it is, he’s always quite liked her.]
To be fair, it’s hardly my fault that so many tend to believe what I say. Sometimes I am not even trying. [He grins and clasps Thor back in return, gripping his shoulder perhaps a little tighter than is normal. It might not have been so long since Thor has seen him, but the same is not true for Loki.]
Perhaps I will surprise you and do my best instead.
[Loki grins and gets on the board with ease. Thor had put on quite the display, but Loki is a natural when it comes to things requiring balance and agility.]
no subject
He has a theory that besides the obvious reasons of Loki trying to take over the world that Tony disliked his brother a great deal because they moved the same way. But he would never say that out loud to either man.]It's usually Fandral's, if you remember correctly.
[Loki's comment about those believing his lies gets a bittersweet smile from Thor. There's some truth to what his brother says, but Loki's silver tongue has been as useful as it was dangerous.]
You always surprise me, Loki. Sometimes it's even good.
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Perhaps, though perhaps you are selling Sif short as well.
[Loki doesn’t tend to lie as much as he used to. It’s not like it never comes in handy, but one thing the TVA did for him, though painful at the time, was humble him. He likes to think that he uses his silver tongue now more as a means to charm people as opposed to outright lie to them.]
I’ll have you know I’m much better at the good part now. At least much more than how I was the last I saw you. Though I admit, I can tell that is not the same for you. You will have to tell me when last you saw me.
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[Sif is a damn fine fighter and someone Thor has never hesitated to have at his side in a fight. She could have joined the Valkyrie at any time, but instead she chose to fight at Thor's side as he led the Einherjar under Odin's ultimate command.
And, as always, Thor is more than happy to sit back and watch others use their skills in battle. Loki has always been interesting to watch because he has so many tricks up his sleeves. Besides, it is times like this that reminds Thor that Loki learned a great many of his tricks from their mother while they were growing up in Valaskjalf.]
I've no doubt that you are perfectly capable of anything you see fit to do. I never doubted that, brother. As for when I last saw you, it was about a week ago. We had dinner with the women in our lives and I made you watch human media about sparkling vampires.
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[Despite some of the tricks he pulled on Sif in his time, he always respected her. It is why she got just as many pranks as any of the rest of Thor’s friends. Though after her kicking him in the balls about 10 thousand times in that TVA punishment room, he might have a new perspective on her as a whole. She is no one to be trifled with. If he’s lucky, perhaps he will even be able to tell her so, one day.]
You always were oddly supportive, even when I was using my skills to do things you did not like. I’ve always been rather curious about that. Did you ever consider actually cutting me off?
[He wouldn’t blame him if he did. After meeting a few of his own variants in the Void, Loki has a new respect for anyone who could handle him in his more chaotic days.
He pauses then, curious to hear about this other variant Loki met wherever he was before.]
I see. I must admit, I am curious to know about another one of my variants. I should mention that I am seeing someone here too. Though, he is very much not a woman. You should meet him.
[It’s pretty clear from the look on Loki’s face that he is very smitten with his new beau.]
no subject
[Thor's aware of his friend's unrequited love for him, but he's never treated her as anything but a friend. Despite his mother's quiet hints that she would have approved of the match, had it made Thor happy to be with Sif, he could never lead her on. Jane Foster exists and he's never loved anyone quite like he's loved the physicist.]
There was a time, yes, but then Malekith attacked our home and threatened all of the Realms for his revenge upon Great-Grandfather. You asked me why I never visited you while you were in the dungeons. That is the answer.
[He'd wanted to stop caring about Loki, but even if he'd spent two years cleaning up the mess that had been left in the Realms after all the mess, he'd still thought about his brother. As much as he avoided the pain of missing Jane Foster.]
However, you are my brother. And no matter what you've done, nothing will change that.
[Thor has no reaction to learning that his brother is dating a man, but he does find that seeing Loki happy is still as much of a relief and a happiness to himself as it was in Duplicity.]
I would be happy to meet anyone you associate with. As far as I know, in Duplicity you didn't discriminate between genders. Although, it was a place that didn't really care about one's preferences.
no subject
[He chuckles to himself at the thought. It would be the highest form of entertainment, in his opinion.]
I do hope that she is able to find someone worthy of her, if that is what she truly wants. I think she might be just as happy alone and we both know it is beneath her to settle just for a man.
[Everyone is aware of Sif’s unrequited love for Thor, but he also knows that she will find someone who is truly meant for her when the time is right. Or at least that is what he believes after finding someone himself. And though Loki had some nasty and harsh words about Jane Foster after Thor first found her, he holds no ill will and is really just happy his brother found someone special as well.]
I asked you why you never visited?
[Yes, out of everything Thor says, that is what takes his attention. He can no longer imagine asking such a thing, it seems rather obvious to him that there are a number of reasons why Thor would not have visited him in the cells. But someone like Malekith attacking and threatening the realms seems much more likely.]
Well, just in case this other variant you knew before me did not say so, I apologize for everything I did and everything the version of me you knew before did. Especially when it comes to Miss Foster. I was in a bad place then, and I have spent a lot of time trying to make up for everything, especially New York.
I have not been a very good brother, but I would like the chance to correct that.
[He doesn’t expect Thor to be surprised that he enjoys the company of both men and women. It might not have been spoken about openly on Asgard, but Loki hardly ever bothered to hide his proclivities, so he doubts he would’ve bothered anywhere else either. Thor might pretend to be stupid sometimes, but Loki knows how much his brother actually pays attention.]
I do not know much about this other world you were on, I can’t recall taking notice of it while performing my work before being brought here, but any place that doesn’t look down on people for who they enjoy their time with can’t be all bad.
no subject
[Any fight involving Sif was bound to be hilarious. For Thor.
As for their friend, well, he does hope that she finds someone who will make her happy. She is a good woman who deserves the kind of happiness that Thor had with Jane, before the mess with the Infinity Stones took over his life. His one regret is that saving the world has cost him time with Jane and he misses her. Though he won't say that out loud.]
Yes, you asked, and I told you that I had spent the last two years cleaning up the mess of the other Realms that happened after your attempt to take over things in New York. That was only half true. I wasn't sure how I would react to being face-to-face with you and Mother kept me updated on how you were handling your confinement.
You are not the only one who failed as a brother, Loki. I said this to the version of you that I met before, but I am not perfect nor have I ever claimed to be. Truly. I missed a lot of the issues you had with Father and I failed to see that you had no friends that were not mine in Asgard. So, we should both start over. It can only help at this point.
[Thor is conflicted about his time in Duplicity and his face shows it.]
That place has it's own down sides that I don't wish to remember right now. A city that revolves around sex in this many forms is actually not all that you might think it is. I found that even someone such as myself or Steve Rogers were not free from the many drugs that were put in certain things. And not being able to control one's actions is not something I'd like to repeat.
no subject
[Loki couldn’t agree more with that sentiment. Even the times he had been the subject of Sif’s wrath, when thinking back on it, he can’t help but understand why it would be amusing to others.
Thor’s answer is actually more surprising to him than he expects. Not that Thor was helping to clean up his mess, that much Loki was aware of thanks to the film of his life Mobius showed him, but he had forgotten that Frigga had kept an eye on him and he didn’t know that she had reported back to anyone about him.
More than that, he’s surprised that anyone would’ve cared to know how he was fairing. Not after everything he’d done. Loki is well aware of how his life was supposed to go on the Sacred Timeline and thus knows that he eventually does come around and redeem himself at least somewhat during Ragnarok, but that happens long after some of the events Thor is discussing now.]
And how did I handle it? I have seen some footage of my time in the cells, but there wasn’t much in the way of details, other than how I lashed out when Mother came. I do very much regret that.
[As much as Loki has put much of this behind him, how Thor had not seen how he was treated differently, or how the truth behind his heritage might affect him negatively, but it is still nice to hear and he has to smile.]
Thank you brother, your words mean a lot to me, but you and I both know how difficult I was to deal with. I still believe I had good reason to be upset, but that does not condone how I dealt with it. Even if it would only have ended up with me in the Void, I should have fought harder.
[Loki doesn’t know for sure if this other version of him told him about He Who Remains plans and how Loki was not supposed to ever be able to do good, but it seems like something that might have happened.]
I’m sorry, they drugged you? Well, I can’t say I condone that. I enjoy sex as much as the next person, but it should never be forced. I am sorry you had to deal with such a thing.
no subject
There's still a part of Thor that longs for the days that the two of them traveled with Sif and the others and weren't always competing, especially when Thor didn't know about the competition. He only hopes that the truce they are starting to make here will hold, because he enjoys fighting with his brother more than against him.]
You took to being imprisoned under Valaskjalf by Father about as well as anyone could. And by that, I mean you were an ass, but I've had time to truly think about the situation and I understand why you lashed out the way you did. I might not have behaved like you, but I can at least understand your actions.
Of course, Father is as much to blame for the way things turned out as anyone, but he is too set in his ways to really be moved to change or repent for what he's done. Sometimes I find it hard to believe that he didn't try harder to keep me in Asgard after things with Malekith were finished.
[Of course, now, however, he's been going back and forth between Earth and Asgard to dig up more information about the Infinity Stones to try and ready the rest of the Avengers to fight against the inevitability that is Thanos. And after talking to Nebula so much, he's not sure they'll ever truly be ready for that fight.]
They drugged everyone, sadly. I admit that I took partners that had very little to do with the machinations of the Creator or the LIERs program, but there were times when I was not in control of myself. And that is not something I wish to repeat. Ever.
no subject
Loki can’t help but laugh as Thor describes what he was like while imprisoned.]
I think you and I both know that it hardly takes me being imprisoned to behave like an ass. But it is good to hear that I wasn’t any worse than I can be normally. I am sure I was not in the greatest of moods to say the least.
[Meaning he’s surprised he was only a bit of an ass. Though Loki is well aware of how strong those cells are and how he never could have escaped on his own.]
In hindsight, there is no excuse for what I did, but I still feel like I had every right to be upset. I still cannot understand why Odin thought I would be okay with discovering such a thing about myself, especially considering all we heard about the Jotun growing up.
[He believed himself to be a monster and had acted accordingly. Though he can see the error of his ways now, it wasn’t something he could easily understand at the time when the hurt had been so fresh.]
Speaking of Father, did my variant speak to you of Sylvie? In her timeline, her adoption was not hidden from her. I am very curious to know how that could have changed things. Her memories of our parents was not strong, she had been taken from them when she was too young, but considering how I felt after being lied to about my very being, I have to think that would change things greatly.
[And it isn’t lost on him that it could’ve been part of her original nexus event.
Loki looks honestly horrified at what Thor is telling him about this Duplicity place. He’s done many terrible things in his life, but nothing ever when it came to sex. That is a line Loki has never been willing to cross. Strange, considering he was okay with murder, but still true.]
I am truly sorry to hear that. If I ever make it back to my throne, just ask and I will see what I can do about changing that place.
no subject
His friendship with Padmé Amidala probably did a lot to keep that wound open, if he's going to be perfectly honest, but he did enjoy talking to the politician when they met up.]
I would like to point out that neither of us take much prodding to fall into our lesser selves. Especially when it comes to being around Mother and Father. Or each other. As for mood, what sort of mood should you have been in after being controlled by some creature from space to do his own reconnaissance for Earth and then being tossed in Odin's jail without any affection for the centuries spent together?
And I cannot answer for what Father was thinking. I might have been his "favorite", but that doesn't mean that he told me everything. I imagine there is a great deal he has left unsaid that will come back to punish us all.
I met Sylvie. She was... odd. She found it difficult to speak to me and avoided coming into contact as much as possible. Which, I suppose is for the best for her in the long run.
[Thor thinks about all of the people he met in Duplicity and he shakes his head.]
I do not think that city will survive in his current state with the people they have kidnapped. It will come back to haunt them and their power structure. Many of their captors are Avengers and very like them.
no subject
No, I suppose that is true. We are both known for being a little hot-headed, as it were.
[Loki smiles at that, but as Thor continues to speak, his words hit Loki in his very core. Startled, he looks away as he tries to put a mask of indifference in place. It's been a very long time since he's thought of such things, how it had been to be under Thanos' thumb after his fall from the Bifrost Bridge. If asked, he'd say he was over it, but the truth is, he simply hasn't really had the time to think about it. In quick succession, he's gone from being arrested, to escaping with the Tesseract, to being captured by the TVA and having his whole life ripped apart to sitting on the throne trying to keep the multiverse from falling apart. And now he's here, trying to put his past behind him, even if he hasn't truly dealt with any of it.]
I still do not know how I feel about all of that. I had known for a long time that I was different, even before finding everything out, but somehow I still had hope that Father did care for me, and I suppose he did, in his own way. But it never fails to hurt when things like that happened.
[In some ways, it hurts more now that he knows that there is nothing he could have done to make things better for himself, not while He Who Remains was in power. It was only after all that, after he met real friends who didn't just see him as an obnoxious god on a power trip, that he was able to change at all.]
Yes, it is hardly surprising that Father would hold his cards close to his chest. I am certain not even Frigga knew all his plans.
You saw Sylvie? Yes, she is one of the most unique variants I have had the pleasure of meeting. I am sorry she did not give you more of a chance, but to be fair, I'm sure she hated me more. I doubt she will ever forgive me for my betrayal.
[For the record, Loki does not feel like he betrayed Sylvie, he just recognizes that she feels that way.]
They must think themselves very strong if they have decided to take on the Avengers. I am sure that will be their undoing.
[Loki isn't just speaking from his own experience, but also from the knowledge he has about the Avengers beating Thanos and more.]
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[Thor sighs before reaching out to clasp his brother's shoulder again. He finds himself reassuring Loki a great deal since leaving the Nine Realms. It's very odd. Especially since Loki has always been the one who no one worried about his ego. Thor only now realizes how much his brother concealed under his smiles and tricks.]
Father's love is complicated. I realize that now myself after learning what it takes to be a good leader and that I am not really ready to lead Asgard, nor do I want to truly do so. It is too restrictive for me. Especially when it comes to those he loves. He tells us only what he thinks we need to know.
I think I know something about being betrayed by you. And if I can forgive you, perhaps there is hope with Sylvie as well, Loki.
[Thor frowns at thinking about the Creator in charge of the LIERs program.]
I just hope others will not suffer. There are innocent native people to that world who might end up paying for any rebellion that will happen.