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

[He turns at the voice because it's familiar it's the voice he grew up listening to over and over it's—

It's Dave. It's Dave.]

So this is a dream bubble. I wasn't sure I was gonna actually die.

[There's like. A hint of relief in his relaxing shoulders. Because being alive forever while everyone else was dead is sort of suboptimal.

Wait, shit. This is how he has to meet his alternate universe brother for the first time. Dave called him. Bro? He should do that in return.]

Hey, Bro. Uh. Nice afterlife we have here. [He. Thinks?

Also Dave stop worrying about looking stupid, Dirk is in pantaloons]

Don't we normally keep powers in dream bubbles?

[

ok not sure how to take being called bro so let's just ignore it and roll with it and focus on the immediate weirdness that isn't...bro weirdness.

he squints at dirk's shades, but not because of who they remind him of; it's the reflection, and while he might reach out to snatch them off dirk's face if he were at all comfortable with the guy, dave isn't.

he's equally thrown by the like, questions. why is bro asking questions. so there's a moment of silence and narrowed eyes and focus on the shades before dave comes out with: ]

My eyes ain't dead. [ he can see the red in the reflection. hm. HE...can't check dirk's because that would involve asking bro to remove his shades. ] So imma go out on a limb and say it ain't a dream bubble. I can't hack it like I can those, anyway, so that was kinda obvious. But also maybe not the afterlife. Or not the right one.

[ great. cool. this is information! we're cooking with fire now. ]

Edited 2017-06-18 01:55 (UTC)

[Oh yeah, dead eyes.]

Could you check mine?

[Just in case. He lifts his shades up for Dave to see. Please tell him if he's dead.

Also enjoy your alternate universe Bro's bright orange eyes. If Dave can manage to actually interpret them, he'll find they're a little unsure and confused, kinda down. But also... like. Expressive? Dirk's eyes have expressions.

Try not to faint, Dave. At the moment Dirk is worried about the way Dave is acting but isn't sure how to talk about it so. He'll focus on the situation and try from there.]

[ holy shit the guy just took off his shades of his own free will. give dave a few seconds of blank silence. ]

Orange. [ his gaze flicks to the side, and dave's at least kind of clearly uncomfortable about making eye contact though that's going to be a thing with mostly everyone until he acquires replacement shades.

he hadn't known bro's eyes were orange. ]

So, not dead. Probably.

[He sees the way Dave looks away and there's a flicker of a frown (hurt, honestly) as he knocks his shades down.]

Are you supposed to be? I wasn't sure of everyone, just saw the planets destroyed.

Oh, yeah. [ a shrug, and he kind of looks back but he's keeping his line of sight sort of unfocused and down. ] Dunno about everyone else, only saw Jade bite it and then two semipotent dogs skewered me when I was tryin' to reverse that.

[ a shrug. ]

I think that unfortunately qualifies as a godtier death, probably. Even if I'd argue the point. [ "planets destroyed", though. fuck. what the hell happened to rose? john at least disappeared before all that, but rose and karkat and terezi and kanaya were all there still.

and gamzee, but dave literally doesn't give a fuck about gamzee. god, what about the mayor?? ]

It's Dirk, right? [ he only heard the name once, over a year ago, yelled by someone else entirely so like. dave's not sure he got it right and while he regrets the question immediately after asking it, he may as well fucking ask it. ]

[You know what's fun? Your distant, mysterious, sociopathic Bro actually wincing when Dave describes himself being skewered. It's slight, as all of Dirk's expressions are, but it's distinctly there. The idea of Dave being skewered hurts.]

Yeah. And you're Dave. I tried to contact you before shit turned flipways but the message got glitched up.

[ that. sure was an expression he only half-caught while engaged in visibly being discomforted by the lack of shades. although it might be hard to tell that's what's seriously wrong here (among other things) until dave reaches up to shove his shades further up his nose and meets. his nose.

there's a flash of frustration before he crosses his arms, which flickers into confusion. ]

Wait, the weird orange glitched message? I thought that was Davesprite.

No, it was me. Arquiusprite told me to try to talk to you—

[Wait]

Are you supposed to have shades?

[He had expected them, had grown up wondering what colour the eyes behind them were, but when Dave had shown up without he assumed it had been a mistake. He recognizes that gesture, though.]

[ for the first time there's something other than neutrality and careful casual calmness in his tone as a small note of genuine distress creeps in: ]

Can't find 'em.

[ he has LOOKED. he tries to tamp down on the unease that comes from simply not having shades on his face, which is compounded by the unease of talking to bro, even if so far nothing too unpleasant has occurred. ]

Do I wanna know what the base components of your - I assume? - sprite are?

[Dave looks uneasy. Dirk hesitates, unsure what to do.]

Probably not. He's worth takin' a miss on if you can. [Which... they probably can. Because they're dead.

Dirk looks at Dave again, and remembers the little distress in his voice.]

I don't know what kind you wore, if they were the same as mine or different. You can borrow mine if you want until you find yours.

[ the offer is unexpected enough it causes dave's gaze to snap over to dirk's immediately, because what the fuck (although he'd taken them off, too, without prompting) and dave...

automatically tries to find the trap in the offer even though it seems pretty innocuous. he ends up saying, blankly: ]

But then you wouldn't have them?

[ and then goes "wait fuck that was a stupid thing to say" because.

duh? presumably bro realized that? but then what's the reason behind the offer, because it...sounds like something made entirely just because dave's being a baby about not having shades. um. ]

There really isn't any need for keep them right now. I've turned off the computer functions until I can be certain there's a reliable power source.

[He takes them off and holds them out to Dave. His expression is genuine, for all that it is there, an offer meant well. And then his eyes widen a fraction and his arm retreats back and he's just.]

Unless you hate the design and don't want them. Or whatever. It's cool either way.

[Yeah he's nervous.]

But to...wear them?

[ okay that still sounds absolutely stupid and he'd started to reach out a hand to take them despite himself but then dirk. pulls them back and dave freezes and uh.

okay this is awkward. ]

Wore 'em for thirteen years. [ those exact shades. sans computer functions. he has no idea what the fuck is happening right now maybe this IS a dream bubble. ]

[They can both stand here weird and frozen and awkward. Seeing that Dave reached out, he holds them forward again.]

If you want?

[ he should say no because bro without his shades never happens and there's a trap here somewhere and he hates the pointy kamina shades anyway.

but dave hates even more the sensation of simply having nothing on his face to block out the world and when dirk holds them out again this time he takes them despite a thousand objections and unfolds them to shove up onto his nose.

he relaxes only by a hair even as he waits to see if this is in fact the prelude to some kind of attack or something.

when dirk presumably proceeds to Not Attack Him, he will say: ]

...Thanks. [ and then fail to explain why he's so weirdly attached to having shades on but. ]

[He doesn't attack. He just stares, confused and nervous and very unsure. And without sunglasses]

No problem.

Um.

[um]

So.

So.

[ SO ]

Are you sure you're ok with this?

[ lmao no nevermind we're going back to the topic we supposedly just left god ]

I... Yes?

[The iconic line.]

I'm okay without them?

[ WEIRD AS FUCK. but he seems. genuine.

anyway, this makes it a little easier to read dirk and a little harder to read dave. which is what he prefers.

still wants his fucking shades back, though, but at least one half of the issue is solved on a temp basis. ]

...Ok. [ ...........................

fuckdamnit he has no idea what to say. this time when he pushes the shades further up he has shades on to push up, though, so. improvement. ]

I'll be honest. I have no idea what the fuck is goin' on here. [ between them and IN GENERAL ] So priority one is probably findin' Rose.

[ so she can tell dave

what the fuck is going on.

alternately, just so rose is Located. ]

Pyrope might also be a good bet. Any Seer would be more use than a Knight right about now. Or just...leavin' this forest is also a good idea, I think?

[ he feels weird suggesting anything. why isn't bro coming up with a plan. ]

Not super thrilled at the idea of campin' out here so...

We did a bit of campin' in our session [fun fact his accent is going to get stronger throughout this conversation!] but never in a forest. I'm down with prioritizin' locatin' the other members of our group.

[The "our" comes out thoughtlessly. Of course they're a whole now.]

[

?????????????????????????????????????????? ]

I'm not incapable of campin', survival's like, whatever - but given a choice it seems a stupid idea. [ if he can hazard the opinion without anything happening although so far there's been. absolutely no real backlash to anything he's said.

it is lowkey wigging him out, but matters less than finding literally anyone else. ]

All right, then. I'm gonna go that way. [ he will just. pick a direction mostly at random but partly on instinct, uncertain if dirk plans to. fuck off, as bro does, or come with, as bro does not.

he is not sure he wants to ask but also he isn't going to start walking immediately because he's not completely comfortable leading the way with his back to the stranger danger bodysnatcher (who is only stranger danger because he seems, so far, completely fucking innocuous). ]

Can I.

[A pause.]

Come. With?

[GOD hE'S AN IDIOT he wANTS TO DIE]

If that's okay. We should maybe have a way to keep in contact before we split up and we—don't.

I...don't have one if wifi ain't workin'.

[ or well maybe he does but. HE HASN'T EXAMINED THE WEIRD THING STUCK ON HIM TOO CLOSELY EVEN IF IT'S not visible with a knight's outfit actually. thanks knight class. ]

If you want??

[ to come with. shit. fuck. but he has no idea what to do with the idea of giving bro permission to do anything this is the twilight zone and he did not die for this? ]

Yeah that'd be cool.

[It's a little rushed with his monotone eagerness as he picks up pace to walk alongside Dave. Nervous, holding his sword awkwardly, and not having shades on. Sorry Dave.]

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