spellgrinders | ( TDM

Entry tags:

!tdm,
npc: brie

( TDM | #1 )

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?

here

its own perils.

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?

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.

Claim your hut, please!

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Shibuya." [An alternate plane of existence in Shibuya, but Shibuya nonetheless. It was the easy answer, the one which avoided all the power plays and manipulations that were his existence. And of course, the whole dead people thing. He was not in the mood to play exposition bot, frankly, and also he didn't really trust the stranger he had been partnered with, eve if he found him somewhat amusing.

"What about you?"

Same. [ a beat, and he thinks to correct that with. ] Technically Yongen Jaya.

[ it doesn't really matter too much, which part of tokyo it is. he's been to shibuya more times than he can count and he figures not too many people know the sleepy neighborhood he's been calling home. there's not that much out there, anyway. ]

[Not like Joshua would ever go there anyways. He had his territory and stuck to it. Still, he was the type to enjoy knowing his technicalities. Always nice to have precision.]

"I see. Still, your Shibuya and mine are different, given that this is probably another universe we're in right now."[Might as well make sure he knew that.]

Edited 2017-06-19 11:36 (UTC)

[ Akira pauses mid-step, just enough so he can look ahead towards Joshua with a complete expression of confusion. ]

You sound certain. [ he begins walking again, shades of suspicious and curious. ] ... You have experience with other universes?

"Yes." [Usually just parallel versions of his own, not anything on this scale before. Which was what made this all the more odd to him. So he assumed Akira didn't, just from the confusion and the earlier information. Oh boy, he might have to pull out some explanations on that. Maybe.]

[ likely!!! ]

... Are they really made by variations in timelines? Changes in decisions? Or are those just rumors. [ for someone talking about other universes, he sounds exceedingly calm about the idea of them, head pivoting to the side as he tries to fall in line beside joshua as they walk. ]

"Some, though do note that it's not exactly easy to discern what those changes are. It's not like in the movies, where you can travel to another universe and said change is broadcast to you." [Letting his knowledge loose about other universes wasn't exactly compromising to him. He could speak freely on the subject, so long as he didn't reveal why. "Although if you want to be technical, those are more timelines rather than full on universes. There is a distinction."

"Then there are universes which you could say run on different... rules, so to speak, but contain the same general locations." [Though he'd never been to any of those himself, until now, that is. Assuming this did run on different rules, which it could.]

"We also have universes which don't resemble ours, or do only in some basic ways, but that's not really my area of expertise."[Then again neither were universes in general. if there was any dimensional knowledge he could be said to specialize in, it was more related to the nature of planes and inter-planar interaction, but that wasn't really relevant.]

[ it's only natural that his mind immediately jumps to playing out fantasies, ideas, of other universes. where his decisions hadn't created a chain-reaction, where certain people hadn't chosen certain paths. it's more painful than it is exciting to dwell on. ]

Your area of expertise. [ akira nods, slowly, nose wrinkling. ] ...I have the honor of meeting a kid genius?

[ since he's clearly too young to be a scientist. nonetheless, akira tosses him a toothless grin. ]

[The moment he. That's right, he looked younger in this form,. Younger than his current companion, in fact. He held in his laughter, hiding his face from Kurusu. God how was he supposed to respond to that? His first reaction was to shoot him down, but then again... it was best not to raise any more suspicion than he might have already.]

"I suppose I qualify as one." [He said smoothly. Yeah, he'd just roll with the kid genius angle. Nothing could go wrong there.]

[ nothing whatsoever could go wrong.

akira hums ruefully, eyes behind his glasses twinkling with a mix of mirth and mischief. ] Cool. You can help me with my studies, then. [ a pause, and another moment of reflection, ] .... Probably don't have those here, actually. So maybe not.

[ so he presses on, unfazed. ] Do you just like science?

"I suppose so."[Huh, that was a good question. His memories of his human life were rather fuzzy, if he was being honest with himself. He had a general sequence of events but, not much else. What his personality was like, what his hobbies were. All of them were washed away by the stream of time. And as the Composer, he usually was far too busy with his job to really ever take a break and do something for fun. In fact, arguably his job was his main entertainment source. So he didn't know, but he would just go with a somewhat unsure yes for now.]

....Better than me. I only like the explosions in chemistry.

[ ha ha ha, truly a joker, akira. ]

Any video games or movies? [ he's used to getting to know people this way: gently asking questions until their interest is sparked by one of them. after that, he's usually just a quiet observer, listening in and offering a shoulder to lean on. it had worked well so far, after all. ]

"No time for them." [And that was also true. He had only one game he played, and it was a game he created and ran. So he wasn't actually playing it, merely watching other people play it and laughing at their suffering like a real bastard. Ah, the life of a pseudo-deity.]

[ calm down, mini-jesus. akira blinks ahead at him. it's not the first time he's heard something like that, but still. it isn't any less sad. ]

You that busy with studying? [ it isn't accusatory - merely conversational. ]

[Studying isn't a part of mini-jesus' schedule, he's too much of a workaholic for that. And whenever he isn't working he's busy watching stupid youtube videos or reading Nietzsche or something.]

"Most of my time is preoccupied with business matters." [That didn't really clarify anything. In fact it arguably raised more questions but well, Joshua can't help but give cryptic sounding answers.]

[ come on, there has to be an equivalent to Tin Pin around here somewhere. ]

Business matters. [ akira quietly laughs but quickly catches himself so as not to offend his new acquaintance. ] ... Back home, I know someone like that. He's always busy with something.

[ he wouldn't ... necessarily call him his friend, because who can be friends with someone you know fully well has it out for you? it's complicated™ ]

You should take a break, sometime.

[He can't play tin pin with himself. He has more pride than that.]

"When I'm gone, everything falls apart. I could only leave for, at most, a few days." [This he says after he just spent most of an entire week in another universe playing Tin Pin until Hanekoma picked him up like his dad picking up his son from school. Except with more world ending stakes.]

[ but dibs on rainbow, am i right. ]

I think everyone tells themselves that, sometimes. [ it's softly spoken, as if he's not completely used to talking for this long. ] They don't want to be the reason that things go wrong. [ that it's human nature to feel guilty if something goes poorly. akira shakes his head, though. ]

...I wasn't talking about a vacation. Just something small. [ ah! a thought! ] Do you like coffee?

[When in Joshua's case that is actually true. I mean you saw how the Reaper's game went for Neku.]

"Yes. Why? [Well according to his food growth rates he does. But he does stop by Hanekoma's shop, if only out of the need to communicate with his producer about business and it being a convenient meeting place. Really his relationship with Hanekoma was just a series of back and forth power plays to see which of them came out on top. It was fun, he would give it that, but probably not what Kurusu was referring to.

[ listen. details. ]

The person I'm staying with was teaching me how to brew before I got here. [ a tiny shrug and he feels self-conscious all of a sudden, despite the fact he's used to talking to strangers on the daily. ] Not quite a barista yet, but I could give it a shot.

"Well, I might have to take you up on that offer." [that is, if there even was any coffee here. They would have to find some. or he could just make Kurusu do it, that was also an option.]

[ he is not!! your new!! errand boy!! ]

Mm. [ akira nods, noncommittal, and then glances on ahead at the thick cluster of trees. ] None of this makes any sense.

[He can just make someone else be his errand boy then.]

"Indeed it doesn't." [But he wouldn't give Kurusu a lecture on that. He was tired of giving people lectures at this point. But he'd probably get some sort of explanation for all of this insanity later on, maybe. Hopefully. And if that wasn't satisfactory well then... he'd get to that when it came.]

[ that's a fair point. ]

You're calm, though. [ which also is telling on his end, too, that he hasn't freaked out yet. then again, with the past six months he hardly could color himself surprised at anything anymore. ] ... Usually my cat has the answer.

[ is that ... a joke? ]

[I mean it isn't but Josh's reaction is less "are you fucking serious" and more "you know what I just won't question this anymore. Other universes are weird man."]

"Huh. Your cat?"

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