( TDM | #1 )

[spellbindmods]

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.

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. Depending on your situation and ability to acclimate, you may not fully understand what's happening. A dream, a hallucination. But when you feel the trunk of the trees surrounding you, it's oddly...real. The smell is real. The moisture on the ground is real. The small grass snake you find slithering close to your feet seems very real as well. There are a few other sensations that also begin to feel a little more like reality with every passing second. Like the fact that your intuition is trying to tell you something that doesn't seem plausible. One is more obvious -- you now have a new piece of jewelry inserted snuggly between your collarbones. Maybe that's when you realize it is real. When you realize that there's no delusion here -- you aren't where you once were. But if that's the case...where are you? 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. There's also a mysterious trail of soft, felt bags, tied off with thin rope, leading your character to what appears to be a specific destination. These items can be as useful as a granola bar to as seemingly useless as a stapler. Let's just say that some of these mysterious objects are pretty out there. They're free to travel off the beaten path, but that comes with its own perils. Maybe your character has a power that could fend these creatures off...? They aren't exactly happy about sharing their territory.

After an hour or so of trekking through the forest, you finally come upon a break in the tree line that reveals to you an area that appears to be inhabitable. Your first stop is the large mansion that sits in the valley of the opening...if anyone is here or there's a way to get out of here, the house makes the most sense, right? There are a variety of rooms in this mansion, and you're free to explore them. You also spy a lot of crates sitting in the middle of the floor in one of the main rooms...are you curious enough to open them? B ▢ Feel free to have your character explore the mansion (the won't find much but you can take some liberties with the TDM), and they're free to open these mysterious crates. In them they'll find edible fruit and bread, modern clothing in a variety of sizes and portable medical kits. Characters who apply using the TDM are free to carry these objects into the game opening. If you want some specifics, there are a few rooms of note: the game room (containing a working pool table, non-electric pinball machines and a card table with supplied chips and multiple decks), the cellar (filled with a variety of liquor and wines, all aged quite well) and a large room upstairs that contains a glass ceiling and a variety of books in a foreign language. One more thing -- if you happen to go rummaging around, you may find tiny pin cameras. They're minuscule...you may not even notice them unless you look hard enough. At this point you notice that you aren't alone -- there are other people in the same boat as you! When they're around you, that signet you feel in your chest tingles slightly. The sensation isn't unpleasant, but instead like a warm tingle is spreading from their neck outward. You instinctively attempt to talk to your fellow kidnapping victims, and that works just fine...but what are all these voices you hear in your head now? Are you crazier than you thought you were? C ▢ Here's where you can play around with the telepathy mechanic. It's likely your character won't be used to it which can lead to accidental broadcasting. If they happen to tap the signet purposefully or try to pull it out, everyone within a radius of 100 feet will feel a throbbing pain in their head. But your character won't know that, will they? For those more inclined to adventure, there's also another building to investigate. From the outside, it looks very circular and unidentifiable, but upon entering you'll discover that it's a fully-functioning bath house. D ▢ Despite containing steamy water and luxury bathing accommodations, the bathhouse is currently being overrun with crabs. The not-so-smart members of this species have fallen into the extremely hot water, flash boiling themselves after being unable to get back out. Others are a little more intelligent but equally aggressive. Characters: watch your toes and be cautious if you really want to take a much-needed bath! They may also want to check twice before using the restroom, otherwise the experience might be more painful than they're used to.

Exploring the mansion and the bathhouse was fun and all, but aside from the crates they didn't prove to be very useful. When you came into the clearing, you also saw a row of very colorful buildings down near the beach. It makes sense that this area may be more beneficial to any escape plans you have, and taking a dip in the ocean might be nice! It's not until you reach the beach huts that you realize that murky blue color you spied wasn't the ocean. It's outter space. There goes any hopes you had of swimming to safety. E ▢ Time to explore the beach huts! Most of them are abandoned, but your characters will notice they seem to be more livable than the mansion somehow. This is in part due to a little note tacked to the door of each beach hut that reports in scrawling script "Claim your hut, please!" Will your character listen or reject the sinking feeling that they may not be leaving anytime soon? Some huts are also bigger than others, and a few even contain small sinks and softer beds. Grab these while they're available! Even though it turns out the ocean was a lie and you're precariously close to falling off the edge of the world, the area around the huts is decidedly beachy. Sitting on the beach is a lobster trap, though about 10 times the size of any you might have seen before. Inside are more felt sacks, though larger. The weirdest part is that peering through the bars, you notice each has a nametag attached. The reason you know this to be true is because you just spied your own name written on one of the labels. There's also something else underneath it. The descriptor may not mean much to you yet, but it will soon: it's the title of their newfound magic. In each felt sack is a sort of starter kit: a set of dated and drapey plainclothes, a bag of dried boar jerky, a leather flask filled with water and a small tube of sunblock (the writing is in a bizarre pictograph language, but the giant picture of the sun on the tube should explain the purpose). There's also a rolled up paper tied with a string that reads as follows: "Welcome. Things will be explained in due time. For now, understand that you have been blessed with a gift of magic. Look into your brain and feel the instinct for both. Practice makes perfect." F ▢ Here's the official prompt for playing with newfound magic (and telepathy if you want more practice). It's likely characters have already accidentally broadcast their thoughts, utilized the C prompt or used their magic inadvertently, but maybe this new information and small explanation has motivated them to try and see what they're truly capable of. Don't worry. If they're lucky enough to stick around, all will be explained. ...What if you're a wildcard, though? Someone who doesn't play by the rules and follows a different path, no matter what direction the world may be guiding you in? This island is large and contains many areas of interest, from crystal streams to hidden locations. Maybe you want to do something different...so break the mold and explore! G ▢ 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

Ada Vessalius | Pandora Hearts

[remitting]

( a-1 )

[ It had been such a perfect day — clear skies, warm sun, even a light and refreshing wind that blew through the trees and made the leaves sway along. Had, of course, being the key word here. All too suddenly, Ada finds herself far away, in the midst of a forest the likes of which she's never seen before. The air feels damp, and when she lifts her head, she can't make out any kind of sky through all the green above. ]

... Huh? What is... where did everyone go...? Uncle! Brother! [ She waits a few minutes, but no response comes. Taking a deep breath first to try to steady herself, she squeezes her eyes shut and shakes her head a few times, but when she looks again, the view before her hasn't changed. Panic is starting to set in now; not only are her surroundings strange, she herself feels... different. Since the collar of her dress covers her neck, she hasn't discovered the signet yet, but she still gets the feeling that something about her is off, somehow. But what?

The sound of movement near her feet grabs her attention, and Ada leans down, curious. It takes her a moment to recognize what she's looking at, but when she does— ]

Eeeek—!

[ — she jumps back at once and lets out a high-pitched cry. She's always been bad with snakes... ]

( a-2 )

[ On the flip side, she's always loved animals! She also happens to have no idea whatsoever what a wild boar is or how dangerous they can be. So when Ada catches a glimpse of a baby boar through the trees, the only thought that crosses her mind is how cute!, and without even a tiny bit of caution, she breaks away from the path to follow after it. It's only when she finds herself lost and surrounded by a bunch of decidedly larger boars with a very aggressive glint in their eyes that she realizes this... may have been a bad idea. ]

Um... I didn't mean to bother you all, really! I, well, I thought... I-I should probably go now! I'll just... I'll just leave... [ She starts to back away slowly, but as soon as she does, one of the boars charges straight at her, with such speed that she almost doesn't realize what's happening. By complete accident, she trips over a bit of tree root and manages to avoid the attack by falling to the ground, but now she's been thrown off balance and the rest of the boars look like they're preparing to go at her.

... This was definitely a bad idea. ]

a-2

[parodeity]

[ yeah that was maybe a bad idea. dave will reach down to hook a hand onto her arm and drag her to her feet as gently as he can with his free hand (his right) as his other hand holds his sword out in front of him towards the boars. ]

They ain't the friendliest sort, are they? Not really interested in attackin' them all, so maybe if we just, like...back away slowly, I won't have to kill 'em.

[remitting]

[ She barely manages to register that someone else is here now (and is that a sword?) before she feels Dave tugging her upwards off of the ground. Shaken as she is, Ada still makes an effort to stand on her own and not lean on him too much, but she can't stop her legs from trembling a bit. That was scary...! ]

R-right... right, that seems best. [ They may be unfriendly, but she'd rather not see them killed, too, so she nods her head along to his words. ] I'll... try not to trip again, and, um— thank you, so much.

[parodeity]

Don't mention it. Let's just go as slow and calm as we can, and not like...run or give 'em our backs for now?

[ he's never had to deal with wild boar? he's sure he can deal with them if he has to, if they attack, because they're just animals and he's fought worse. but dave doesn't really like fighting and killing if he can avoid it, so his first option will be to try to...avoid that by getting them out calmly. ]

And we can, uh, talk after we're...maybe out of their rage zone.

[remitting]

[ Oh, she's definitely going to mention it — later, anyway. For now, she just nods again. ] Okay!

[ Ada completely lacks experience in situations like this, but she can tell that Dave doesn't, so she'll follow his lead. She takes one small step after the other, as carefully as she can, and after what seems like a very long time where she can only hear her heart thumping away loudly, she finds that she finally can't see the boars anymore. ]

Do you think we're safe now...?

[parodeity]

[ dave is definitely experienced in monsters attacking him. when they're out of range of the boars - seeing them, at least - he nods, but only briefly. while he'd dropped her arm once she could stand alone, he did stick close since she seemed to lack. weapons. ]

I think so, but we should work on gettin' out of the woods as fast as we can. There're probably other animals that aren't gonna be thrilled about a couple of humans invadin' their space, you know? Even if we didn't intend to do it.

[remitting]

[ As much as she doesn't want to trouble anyone or make them worry, she really appreciates that he stayed close like that, as well as how calm he's being overall; on her own, she'd have been a nervous mess. Granted, she's still pretty nervous, and she'll probably remain so for a while even after leaving the forest, but it helps a lot to be with someone who seems to know what they're doing. ]

Getting out of the woods... I'm not sure where they actually end, but, um, I think the path was back that way. [ Cue a point to the left! She's been trying to remember where she came from, and while she's not completely sure she's got it right, it does look rather familiar. ]

I never knew animals would attack like that...

[parodeity]

It's as good a guess as any...I kinda lost track. But I think there were like...bags hung around the trail, so if we find one of those we can just course-correct from there.

[ maybe. look, he's sure he can keep them alive but is more ??? about navigating out of the woods. still, there's nothing to be gained from standing around awkwardly, so he'll head left. ]

Animals don't always, really? Possibly they got spooked because we appeared out of nowhere, or they had babies, or just...well, I guess actually I have heard that wild boar are like, legitimately just kinda assholes? So it could be any of those things. Better not to risk it, though, since like. While defendin' ourselves is an option, with that kinda situation we'd have to be lethal to discourage it and that would just be...mean?

[remitting]

Oh, that's right! I saw those, too! [ Ada hadn't looked at the bags too closely before she wandered off so she'd forgotten about them until now, but now that Dave mentions it, she'll keep an eye out for them! That's pretty handy, having something to mark the trail like that.

She walks after him, listening quietly while he talks. Wild animals aren't really a problem where she comes from, so this is all new information for her, and she feels a pang of guilt as it dawns on her how badly she'd messed up here. ]

I agree... I'm glad we were able to get away without... um, without it coming to that. I-it sounds like it was my fault for upsetting them, so... they shouldn't have to be punished for that.

a-1

[unendured]

[ Ada's shriek is heard loud and clear, enough that it makes Yuri jump and her skin crawls with unease. It's obvious that the voice reaches so high out of fear and, despite initial frightfulness, she can't stomach the thought of leaving a person behind.

She never could for the girls that came with requests, or with Hisoka, and she won't stop now. ]

You—! [ She rushed over to the other girl's side as quickly as possible, heart beating quickly against her chest. ] Are you alright!?

[remitting]

[ She's so focused on the snake in front of her that she doesn't realize someone's approaching until Yuri's right there, and in her surprise, she almost screams again — but she manages to stop herself in time. It's another person... knowing that she's not alone here, wherever this is, helps to calm her down, but when she actually looks at Yuri and sees how worried she appears, Ada's immediately flooded with guilt. ]

I'm- I'm okay! That is, I'm not hurt or anything like that... it's just that, um... [ She looks down, feeling completely foolish for making such a loud noise over such a small thing. ] There was a snake...

[unendured]

[ Yuri is still the midst of catching her breath, her eyes quickly scanning Ada from head to toe in search for any physical injuries. She's no medical doctor, but surely she could scrap up something if the situation called for it.

Fortunately enough that won't be necessary, and there's a breath of relief from Yuri's end when she's hear that it's just a snake. ]

A snake... [ She looks to the ground, noticing the creature still slithering and using the earth as camouflage.

Yuri finds a nearby stick and uses it to scoot the reptile away from Ada. Of course it's after she's gripped onto a vigorous amount of bravery that she makes this huge leap, finding a tinge of pride in her efforts of directing something possibly dangerous from the other girl. ] We should move. Are you able to walk? [ Because that dress looks awfully difficult to walk in. ]

[remitting]

[ Ada watches her deal with the snake with wide eyes, impressed at how effortless that looked. She's very glad when she sees the snake head off into the forest, away from them, and very grateful that Yuri didn't laugh or yell at her for being afraid of it. ] Oh, thank you...! And, um, I'm so sorry for causing you any concern! I didn't mean to scare anyone... I really am sorry!

[ But now that the snake problem's dealt with, that still leaves them with the bigger problem of this whole thing in general, doesn't it? Ada doesn't see any issues with her dress since she's always worn clothes like this, so she gives a quick nod in response to the question. ]

Yes, I'm fine! But... where should we go? I don't even know where we are...

[unendured]

[ Any normal person would offer a comforting smile, but for Yuri that's near impossible. Not because she's completely emotionless, but because they're still stuck in an unfamiliar location and an early celebration night be the smartest idea. ] It's fine. [ But despite her expression there's something soothing about her tone that make her words genuine. ] I'm just glad to see that you're alright.

Honestly I'm... not too sure myself.

[ This isn't Mount Hikami, which was slowly becoming a twist of vines she was growing familiar with, but a completely different location. However there are paths for them to follow and Yuri wants to make the assumption that they'll arrive somewhere safely through there. Brown eyes look beyond one of the paths, noting a bag along the way, and strikes it as different from the others.

Then she hesitates, instinct telling her to grab hold of what could be the only person here but emotions raging like fire to keep her distance. It's a moment of conflict within her thoughts that causes her heart to bounce up into her throat, leaving her speechless when she initially turns back and lifts her hand for Ada. ] But it's probably best if we stick together. [ And she doesn't want to let go. Not like she did with Fuyuhi.

Her face remains neutral but her eyes translate to something else, a silent plea: Please. ]

[remitting]

[ Even without a smile from Yuri, Ada can still feel the kindness behind her words, and she's visibly comforted by them, as the tension and anxiety in her shoulders and stance melt away significantly. ] Still... thank you very much.

[ She doesn't feel up to smiling yet either, not in the full and bright way she usually does — but she does offer a small almost-smile. Maybe it's wrong to think this way, since they don't know anything about how they got here or what kind of situation they're in, but she really is thankful that there's someone else here with her. It makes her wonder if there are more people around, too, just out of sight and just as in the dark as they are...

In the middle of pondering that, she notices that Yuri's fallen quiet and glances over to look at her. She seems troubled, but whether it's because of their current circumstances or something more, Ada can't tell. But when Yuri holds out her hand, she takes it immediately, even before she notices the look in the other girl's eyes — because despite being lost herself, Yuri had come to help her and been worried for her, and so Ada has no doubt in her mind that she's a good person and feels no hesitation in choosing to follow her. ]

Okay! ... Um, I-I know this isn't the best time for introductions, but... my name is Ada Vessalius. I'll try not to be any more trouble for you...!

[unendured]

[ Just registering that Ada was moving and advancing forward made Yuri suck in a small breath, the gentle pad of the other woman's fingers touching her skin causing her fingers to flinch. Even if she had made the suggestion of them holding hands for safe keeping there was still reason for her to pull back—but she doesn't, adjusting quickly to the warmth in the palm of her hand.

She mostly refrained from physical touch because her own power remains spontaneous despite Hisoka's guidance. Touching someone could cause to look into their past, both an invasion of privacy and an exhaustion on Yuri's part because of how it can be so emotionally draining. However, as fate would have it, she is met but nothing but the sound of Ada's voice, current and real, which allows her to confidently hold onto her hand. ]

I'm Yuri Kozukata. [ She blinks once, and for the time being she offers a small curl to her lips. The closes thing to a smile that she can muster in their current situation. ] It's fine, I'm a little used to protecting people now.

[ Or trying to, at least. And she wants to try to find some place safe for both herself and Ada now that she's put her trust into her. ]

We'll figure a way out of here together. [ It's light sounding, but the confidence that rings from her voice is firm. ] I found a path earlier that had a bag, maybe that's a hint on where to go.

[remitting]

[ She notices that flinch when their hands meet, and for a moment, concern flickers across her eyes; but then Yuri's hesitation seems to fade, and she lets Ada's hand stay with hers. While she's happy Yuri didn't pull away, it leaves her a bit curious. This sort of contact comes naturally to her, having grown up with an affectionate family, but perhaps that's not the case for Yuri? Which would mean that she pushed past that in order to offer her hand to Ada — and that thought makes Ada feel even more secure in trusting her.

She hesitates when Yuri introduces herself, wondering if she should say 'nice to meet you'. It's the polite response, one she's been raised to respond with when someone gives their name, but it's rather out of place in this situation, she thinks. So she stays quiet and listens to Yuri, nodding at her resolution. ]

Yes...! [ The way Yuri says it, it really does make her believe that things will be okay. ] A bag... I think that sounds like a good plan. There might be something inside it, too! [ She gives Yuri's hand a small squeeze, a silent way of saying 'lead on, I'll follow'. ]

a-1

[imsorey]

[When he hears the shriek Sorey comes running, worried that someone's in trouble. It's almost a relief to see it's just a snake to be dealt with instead of something much bigger. He grabs the closest stick that he can find and uses it to give the snake a nudge further away from her.]

It's okay, they won't bother you as long as you don't get too close. Just give it some space.

[remitting]

[ Someone coming between her and the snake puts her at ease somewhat, and since he seems to know what he's talking about, she takes his advice and backs up even further. She's still a little hesitant to take her eyes off of it, though. ]

O-okay! Thank you for helping me... I know snakes aren't... bad or anything, but I just can't help it when I see one... [ Ada feels rather silly for screaming like that now, especially since he doesn't seem bothered by it at all. She's about to apologize for making a big deal out of something minor when she realizes, hey, wait a minute — this is another person! Maybe he knows where they are or why she's here! ]

Oh! Do you— are you— I mean— do you... live around here?

[imsorey]

[It takes him a moment to respond—he makes sure that the snake is busy slithering off into the bushes before turning his full attention towards her, almost apologetic]

I was going to ask you the same question, actually. I just sort of woke up here, and I've been trying to find a town or somewhere to ask around. I'm guessing you're in the same situation, right?

[She must be, or she wouldn't have asked him in the first place. He can't think of any other reason she would be wandering around the forest if she isn't fond of snakes.]

[remitting]

[ As she sees the snake depart, she breathes a small sigh of relief and gives him her full attention now, too. Her brows furrow a bit as she realizes he doesn't know any more than she does — not in disappointment, however, but concern. Just what was going on here? ]

Yes, that's what happened to me too! That's... really strange... I've never heard of something like this happening before. [ Her brother had been cast into another dimension in the past, but she's pretty sure he'd been aware of it as it happened; it wasn't instantaneous like this. Besides, this definitely can't be the Abyss. ]

Um, what about you?

[imsorey]

[He shakes his head, just as much at a loss. He's had plenty of strange things happen on his world, but nothing like this.]

I didn't think it was possible for something like this to happen. Maybe if we were all brought here while we were asleep or something, but even that doesn't explain much.

[With a sigh he hooks his sword back onto his belt and scratches the back of his head, concerned but doing his best not to let it show. The smile he gives her is a little too big and a little too full of a forced confidence, but it's no less sincere for the effort.]

But we won't figure out anything by standing around here. Shall we stick together? We're bound to run into someone that can give us some answers if we keep moving.

[remitting]

[ Ada's perceptive enough to be able to tell that he probably isn't quite as calm about this as he appears, but she appreciates it regardless. It's an admirable effort, and more than what she can muster in times of crisis, to be honest.

She bobs her head in agreement at his suggestion; it sounds like a pretty sound plan, and she'd much rather have someone with her than be on her own. ]

Right...! I think that's a good idea, too. [ She glances at the forest around them, but nothing really stands out as a good place to start. ] Which direction should we go, I wonder...?

[imsorey]

Hmm...

[It takes him a few seconds of looking around before he looks up at the trees and lights upon an idea.]

Oh, I can go up and take a look. I should be able to spot something up there, whether it's a building or some other kind of landmark. Wait here a minute, and holler if you hear anything.

[And with that he takes to the steady task of climbing up the tallest tree he can find. It's a few minutes worth of effort before he manages to reach a place with a view of their surroundings, and even then it's mostly covered by trees. The colorful peaks of the beach huts stand out though.]

I think I see something!

[remitting]

[ She follows his gaze, although she doesn't realize he's thinking of going up until he actually says it. It makes her a bit nervous, honestly, but it would be easier to find a point of reference from up high, and he sounds sure enough, so hopefully it'll be okay. ]

I will, and, um, please be careful!

[ As she watches him begin to climb, she can't help but be reminded of her childhood, and how her brother used to love to do this. He'd bring her with him occasionally, and Gil, who always waited on the ground, would get so scared for them. She'd have been scared, too, if she'd been up there on her own; but when she was with Oz, she always felt safe.

Sorey's voice brings her back to the present, and she calls back to him. ]

Really? That's great...! Can you tell what it is?