( TDM | #4 )

[spellbindmods]

IMPORTANT: The weekly update post will go up later than usual tonight to give time for any other barrier quest responses to come in. Nothing major will be affecting how old players respond to newbies on this post, so tag away! Threads here do count for September bonus AC for old players.

TDMs can be used for anyone interested in the game and/or testing out a new muse.

Test Drive samples are encouraged to be used for your application sample, though they are NOT a requirement.

Feel free to use one prompt, multiple prompts or make up your own!

These threads can be considered game canon upon game opening if you so choose.

Telepathy and magic can be used at any point in time on the TDM, from Prompt A to your wildcard prompt. A specific prompt exists, however, that makes sure all characters have an equal chance to use this mechanic within the TDM. You're encouraged to have characters use telepathy and their magic accidentally or even purposefully on any TDM prompt.

If you aren't set on your character's power yet or want to try out a few, you're still able to use the test drive. Maybe your character is a late bloomer and hasn't fully unlocked their intuitive drive yet. In the case of multiple powers, only prompts that contain the power you choose for your application will count as potential game canon threads.

While only one character can be apped or reserved during a cycle, feel free to post with more than one character if you like! This is for those who are uncertain of their first choice or who would like to try out different characters within the setting.

IMPORTANT: This world is low-frequency. No canon powers or abilities are allowed! Also check out the setting information for more info about what the hub island looks like and what can be found there.

You blink and that's all it takes. At first the picture doesn't come in clear, like you're waiting for a screen to fully load -- more aptly, it's like you're waiting for a camera to focus so you can find image clarity. Before you happened to rapidly close your eyes and open them, your life was normal...well, normal for you, anyway. Fighting an alien, making a quesadilla, dying. And then that blurry picture suddenly takes over. There's a lot to take in here -- you feel weird, your surroundings are weird. Everything is just weird. For starters, there's that new piece of jewelry inserted in the space above your chest. That certainly wasn't there before you opened your eyes. A ▢ Your character's first experience here will be waking up in a forest. Specifically, located here. It's up to them to traverse and try to figure out where they are, whether they make it to the beach or the main house area. If this new little signet catches their interest, fiddling with it will result in a bit of a neural vibration in everyone else with telepathy. Nothing painful; it's actually quite pleasant. But if they do decide to play with this new jewelry, they're likely to find some seasoned telepaths (aka old coven members) in their brain space, wondering that's up. A2 ▢ Alternatively, new coven members are notorious for being bad at telepathy from the jump. Their panicked reation to this journey or confused mental state may send out some network messages that maybe they didn't realize they were sending out. Or, maybe what's pushing them over the edge are all the other voices already doing exactly that in their brain. B ▢ Unlike the previous coven members who found themselves on the hub, new recruits won't find as many supplies randomly in the forest they're suddenly in. However, like old coven members, they will come across some wild boars that aren't too happy to see the humans have returned to their stomping ground. Your character may also come across a boar with babies in tow, which means that they're even more likely to be aggressive. If your character has useful magic within them somewhere, now may be a good time to discover how to use it...? C ▢ Whether you've braved a boar encounter or avoided one entirely, there's a lot to do and see in the forest, as well as other areas of the hub! Well, "do" is debatable. But! Coven members before them have discovered some pretty nifty locations that can be stumbled upon, from a phallic fertility shrine to tree homes and passageways.

If you eventually make it out of the forest and aren't devoured by a boar, you'll eventually come upon your new base camp. Someone (Genette) will be there with your introductory letter and a brief description of magic you now have. If you didn't discover it earlier...surprise! One thing of comfort might be that you aren't alone in this journey. There are other coven members here, fresh back from a journey to another world. If your character wants to get the lay of the land or understand what's going on a little better, they may want to hit up some of these folk for information. There's a large, gold, floating caravan hanging around next to a bonfire, and there's a back gate open that reveals something of a space pocket containing lots of different things. Luckily for new characters, the Palai from the previous world didn't want them to go hungry...which also means they'll be inundated with shrimp to eat. Hopefully they like shellfish! D ▢ Many of the old bloods in the coven can be found hanging around this area. Of course, a few of them have gone off on their own to do whatever it is they do, but since they just got back this is a good place to hang out if a new character wants to see a familiar face, ask questions or steal someone's belongings. You never know! E ▢ This will also be the place where they're given their first provisions. In a woven knapsack, they'll find a bag of cooked shrimp, a set of clothes (you pick the style) that may not fit, a toothbrush, and three other random objects -- dealer's choice! It's very likely that your character got something useful in there, but it's also likely you got something that your character would never use in a million years, or that doesn't fit. Time to start trading! F ▢ Finally, there's always the chance for your character to explore the big mansion next to the beach area. Actually, they may be asked to lend a hand. Everyone is tasked with unloading supplies from the caravan to the front foyer of the mansion, and there are quite a few trips to be mad. Or, alternatively, your character can slack off and play in the game room that they have. How good is your character at pool?

If you're much more of a loner and don't want to follow the flow of things, there are of course other locations that you should probably check out. Travel to your heart's content and find something new...but there are two other points of interest you may want to discover. G ▢ There's that bathhouse that's nearby, for starters. Your character won't encounter any snapping crabs, like last time, though the water for some reason isn't as hot as it once was. Whatever was previously heating the bathhouse seems to have died out, so there aren't any steamy, comfortable pools to take a dip in. There are, however, acrid waters with pond scum floating on the surface. The showers also spew out a greenish liquid, so any hope your character had at having a relaxing bath is gone. However, the lack of heat and many closed off rooms can make for some nice alone time. H ▢ Your character may want to claim a beach house while they're at it. Some characters have disappeared from the coven over time, and some of these few may have left their belongings before departing. This makes it hard to tell what huts are free and which need to be cleared out. Might as well play roulette and see if you picked one that doesn't have an owner or not. (For the sake of the prompt, you might want to choose the former, just saying). I ▢ Wildcard prompt. Go nuts and utilize your own creativity within the setting. This can mean striking out on your own or utilizing a certain location in a different way. The world is your oyster!

GAME NAVIGATION

Comments

Zack Fair | Final Fantasy VII

[activatingcombatmode]

[A]

[When Zack wakes up it is with the same heavy sick feeling in his stomach and aching pounding in his head due to chemical mako poisoning still settling into his blood stream. His vision is blurry and it takes him a moment or two of slow blinking to realize that the space above him isn’t the cracked old ceiling of the ShinRa mansion bedroom he’d fallen asleep in but ... The sky?

He sits up and runs a hand through his dark hair and then over his shoulder. His fingers find the strange new piece of jewelry though the fabric of his shirt in the middle of his collarbone and for a brief moment it sends a panic through Zack which happens to accidentally transmit through telepathy into anyone nearby.]

What the hell is this thing? I can’t get it off! Just what am I going to wake up to have done to me next? Cyborg arms?!

... Cloud- Where’s Cloud?

[B]

[Having got to his feet, Zack wanders through the foreign woods only to come across one of those pesky aggressive boars. On habit alone he reaches up to grab the handle of his large broadsword only to find it ... Not there. Great. No time to worry about it right now...

He sighs and moves into a defensive position and cracks a knuckle into his palm as he gives the angry boar a wary grin.]

Alright, Miss Piggy. Let’s do this the hard way.

[D]

[Alright-! There’s people here! People means information! Zack picks the first friendly face he can find and taps them on the shoulder. When they turn he flashes them a friendly smile.]

Hey there, could I ask you a few questions? I’m clueless about what’s going on right now.

[E]

[The bonfire is a blessing. Zack is more tired than he’d like to admit so as soon as he’s given one of those knapsacks full of provisions and knickknacks he finds a spot to sit down near the fire to go through it all. The cooked shrimp gets snacked on fairly quickly. The clothing is met with a frown because they’re sizes too small and Zack is not a short guy. Everything else? Well... He’s sure he can find use for at least some of it.]

Hrmm. What am I gonna do with a tiny wooden box and a hair ribbon?

[This place sure has a strange ideas for welcoming packages.]

e

[soulcomet]

Mmm ... I don't know about the box, but I would definitely hang on to the ribbon! You never know when you need to tie something together — you could even use it for a splint in a pinch.

[says the tiny pink girl sporting two hair ribbons, as she settles down next to Zack. it sort of sounds like the splint idea is something she's done before.]

[activatingcombatmode]

[Zack has to look a little surprised and curious.]

Really? You think? That's pretty intuitive. I'd think a ribbon would be better for keeping hair like yours up.

[He even holds out the ribbon for the girl to take should she want it.]

[soulcomet]

Well, it's definitely not ideal ... but it'll at least hold a broken finger in place until you can get it healed properly.

[with supplies as limited and often off-kilter as they are, healers in the coven have to do a lot of improvising — and Madoka's own magic is so limited, she's had no choice but to rely on the odds and ends she's scraped together for her own first aid kit.]

[but she seems surprised when Zack holds the ribbon out to her.]

Eh? Are you sure? I mean ... I could trade you something for it.

[activatingcombatmode]

Wow, you sounds like you've got experience with that.

[Which is a little alarming, she looks so young. But not like he can talk much seeing as he joined the military at fourteen.

At her question his smile just widens and he nods.]

You might be better off with the ribbon anyway, but sure, we can trade something.

[Really, he would just give it to her.]

[soulcomet]

[they're about the same, then — Madoka's nearly a week shy of turning 15. but her smile angles into something a bit more knowing ... a combination of unexpected violence and reckless friends has taught her how to tend to all manner of injuries faster than she ever could have anticipated.]

[she doesn't like it, but ... she's just relieved that she's able to help.]

I have some pastries that I brought back from a world we were just visiting! I'd be happy to trade you, just in case you get tired of shrimp.

[activatingcombatmode]

[Poor kid. If Zack ever heard of some of these stories he'd probably get a little protective. She seems like a smart girl, though.

Well now, Zack is not going to say no to some real food. Especially not something sweet and baked.]

I think you got yourself a deal, I'm not turning down something that's not iffy looking seafood!

[He grins.]

d

[compendiem]

[ Minato's might not be the friendliest face, nor does he look very enthusiastic about helping out, but it's just the sad fact that he's not sure he can make things sound any less confusing, even after being around the coven for several weeks already.

The question, at least, he can answer first: ] Sure. [ But knowing he'll need help with his help, he then follows that up with a question of his own. ]

Did you read the letter?

[activatingcombatmode]

Er. [Zack reaches into his pocket to feel the crumpled up letter stuffed there.] Yeah, I skimmed it.

[Though the letter had been informative, talking with actual real people seems so much more logical.]

How long have you been here?

[compendiem]

Two or three months.

[ The exact time frame he's not sure of, with the days blurring into each other after the initial confusion of being brought here, subsequent upheaval into another world, being thrown into wars and babysitting and festivals one after another, and then dumped right back where they all started. There's not much around the island that's changed, and when Minato takes the letter and flattens it out before looking it over, it looks like the contents of it hasn't changed either. ]

...Genette didn't rewrite any of this, huh...

[ Sucks, because then he has to explain things in her stead. ]

[activatingcombatmode]

You don't look that thrilled.

[Zack would think that being swept of to some other dimension to go nose diving into other worlds would be a hell of an adventure with some bigger meaning to it all. But here is this guy looking more exasperated than anything else.]

So tell me, what're we all really here for? And when do we get to go home?

[compendiem]

[ Minato never looks thrilled; all the dimension hopping and magical powers in the world could not change that. But his exasperation is largely directed at the letter this time, handing it back to Zack because he doesn't need a duplicate copy. ]

We're here to do Qri's bidding with no guarantee we can go home.

e.

[armigers]

[ Good to see he's not the only one who got a complimentary gift bag for participating in whatever nightmare this is shaping up to be. He tries to take whatever comfort he can in the company, even if no one is recognizable in the slightest. From behind, he almost fools himself into thinking the spiky-haired guy might be Gladio, but he turns out to be a whole head shorter than his Shield upon closer inspection.

At the guy's question, he can't help but a mutter reply out of not really having anything better to do at the moment- ]

Same thing I'm going to do with a bag of shrimp. Throw it away. Unless you want it?

[ He doesn't know if this is safe to eat, but Noctis also doesn't want to walk around with a bag of shrimp all day so he might as well put that offer out there. ]

[activatingcombatmode]

[He might as well be in the same category as Gladiolus-- tall, dark, handsome, giant ass broadsword... But no, he's not the one Noctis hopes to see.

Zack gives him a friendly smile.] Hey, if you don't want it I'll take it.

[Free food is free food. It might not be the best free food (he's not even the biggest fan of seafood or anything) but he'll eat it anyway. He's learnt not to be picky. And from the looks of this place, that's a good skill to have.]

What's your name, bud?

[armigers]

[ He's got him there. Plus the whole rugged face scar deal.

But anyway, Noctis is glad his shrimp can get a nice, safe home inside this guy's mouth and stomach. He holds the bag out to him quickly, clearly eager to get rid of it. ]

Help yourself. Just don't come after me if it doesn't go down right.

[ It's not like he was the one who cooked it. The guy's question does give him a bit of pause, the "N" sound coming from his mouth before he snaps his lips shut. Even if he hasn't seen any soldiers from Niflheim scouting these parts, it doesn't mean they aren't out there. The last thing he'd want to do is give away his presence or location, so he glances around uncertainly, trying to think up a name fast. ]

...Rock... y. Rocky.

[ That's a stupid name, and he's already mentally kicking himself for him already. Please don't spend this whole time calling him 'Rocky'. ]

How about you?

[activatingcombatmode]

[He raises a curious eyebrow as he takes the bag slowly from Noctis. Alright, he's not the brightest crayon in the box but he can sort of tell when someone's being dodgy. So...]

John. [He grins widely as he tucks the bag of shrimp into his bag.] And don't worry, I'll blame whoever cooked the shrimp if I end up hugging the porcelain.

[Can he really blame the guy for being distrustful? Not really. After all, they were all whisked away to this Brave New World against their will.]

Hell of a place, this place, huh Rocky?

[armigers]

[ Yep, here they go. He's committed himself to this bad idea. There's no turning back from 'Rocky' now. All effort goes into avoiding trying to openly cringe as he nods in agreement. ]

You sure there are even toilets in this place?

[ He hasn't seen one in a long while, but luckily, he's used to the great outdoors and roughing it. Sort of. Roughing it with high-end camping equipment mostly.

With no Regalia in sight nor a top of the line grill, the potential lack of indoor plumbing would pretty much be the icing on one very crappy cake. ]

You wouldn't happen to have a map in your bag, would you?

[ Since he gave him all that shrimp, it's only fair. ]

A

[argenteums]

[ Holy bloody HELL, he's about to scream in a panic. Wait, no, that's some dude's voice. Not cool, some people are trying to sleep here, man. He groans, sitting up a short distance away, before his reply shoots off without him realizing he's doing it. ]

In the sky, where the heck else, dude?! What d'you even need clouds for?!

[ Give him a moment. He grumbles under his breath, trying to focus as he looks around himself, eyes widening when he... doesn't recognize where he is. ]

Woah, who stole our tent?!

[activatingcombatmode]

[The sudden voice in his head has Zack yelling in surprise and grabbing at his hair with both his hands. God, is he going crazy on top of the obvious nausea of the mako poisoning? Is this part of the symptoms? Why is the voice in his head gotta sound like some weird guy who's more confused than him?]

What the actual...

[Trailing off, he realizes that voice sounds from nearby and Zack stares.]

Don't tell me you're the guy in my head.

Ack never got notified

[argenteums]

[ It takes him a little while to really come to, staring in shock at the man next to him. Yeah, he might be gawking at that fabulous mane of hair, but- focus, he should do that, yeah. ]

... only if you're the guy in mine. This is a bit too intimate for me, dude. Can't we at least have dinner first?

[ Er. Yeah. He rubs the side of his head, trying to figure this out. ]

What's even happening? Am I dreaming? I don't even know about why I'd dream about a guy with a 'do like yours...

B

[dawninglight]

[in a feat of Perfect Timing(tm), Yona stumbles her way through the forest behind him and stops right before she runs straight into his back. he's taller than her, but she only has to step a little to the side to see what the hold-up is.]

Are...you going to fight it like that?

[she's not gonna stop him if he really wants to, but she nocks an arrow into her bow all the same. backup never hurt anyone.]

[activatingcombatmode]

[There's a bit of a grunt when a tiny read headed girl bumps into him. It throws him off of the dramatic moment and he takes a startled step back from her as well.]

Whoa- Where'd you come from?

[As for the question, Zack glances back at the aggressive boar who is digging angrily at the ground with one hoof.]

Well, yeah. I've got plenty of hand to hand combat, I'm sure a boar would be no big deal for me to handle. Plus, I can't find my sword!

[dawninglight]

I have no idea where I came from, that's what I've been trying to find out.

[she certainly knows that this isn't the place she was before, forest or not. but those sort of things can wait until after there isn't an angry boar staring them down.]

I didn't see a sword lying around when I was walking over here...It isn't the right size for you, but you can borrow my sword if you'd prefer that.

[keeping one eye on the boar, she puts her arrow back in her quiver and uses her free hand to tug a short sword out from under her cloak and offering it to him hilt first. it is way too small of a sword for him, but better than nothing?]

[activatingcombatmode]

You too, huh?

[So he's not the only one showing up in random places. It's a little concerning and confusing but at least he's not alone in this weird circumstance.

He has to let out a puff of laughter and grins at her when she offers him that bitty sword. Alright, he's used to things about twice her own size...]

What, you don't want to see someone wrestle down a boar with his own two hands?

[Joking of course (even if he's confident he can do it), he'll use the sword and takes it gratefully. The movement seems to make the boar agitated and it starts to charge. In one fluid movement Zack takes the weapon and charges in to meet it upfront. With a slash upwards and push of effort the boar wails in pain and staggers back but it's not over yet.]

[dawninglight]

W-well—

[look she might be a little interested to see if he can wrestle a boar with his hands, but the situation doesn't call for it if they can settle it quickly and figure out what's going on.

when he charges the boar she takes up her bow again and aims, but doesn't fire; he's close enough that she doesn't want to hit him if he suddenly moves, and after his first move she is confident that he can handle it on his own. she's just backup if things take a turn for the worse.]

It's probably not the best time for showing off, that's all!