TDM 016 & 4th WALL EVENT: NO WALLS BETWEEN US

[erkumods]

TDM 016 & 4th WALL EVENT: NO WALLS BETWEEN US

00. An Arrival and a Broken Wall?! You should be coming out of the water, the Nameless Island's own inherent energy drawing people in. It's like being suspended between realities and abruptly pushed from behind through a rift in dimensions. It may make you sick, or that might be the motion of the ocean, lifting you to the surface and carrying you to shore. Waterlogged and covered in sand, new arrivals should be greeted by robots who welcome them with towels and bracelet devices. The A5 card already loaded up, and if you don’t manage to get away from them quickly enough, they should usher you toward the Laid Bare Spa, where new arrivals will be offered free massages, a sauna, hairstyling, and their clothing may come up permanently missing. But you should be given a complimentary towel to leave with if needed! Should. That’s how things are for newbies - and maybe today, some newbies will arrive the usual way. Others might be surprised to hear that there is another "you"... already here! If and when you finally meet this other "you," there's simply no way to agree on who the so-called real version is. Your histories may be the same or they may be wildly divergent, but those little differences don't change the fact that you are who you say you are. Some islanders might even find themselves running into a much older or younger version of themselves. Duplicates and doppelgangers, you say? People who look and sound familiar but are just a little bit off? What strange anomalies have washed up from the ocean! On the other hand, maybe you’re not new here at all, or so you think. You’ve definitely been on this Island for months already. You can't exactly remember what you were doing here before, but you have the modest home and personal effects to prove that you existed. You’ve always been someone who greets new arrivals at the shore. You know very well how things work on the island, and how many of the buildings are abandoned and in dire need of repair. You know that beyond the city lingers a thick fog that obscures much of the wilderness from view. Wander too far into this fog, and you will find yourself mysteriously looping back to where you began, your memories of what you were doing and how you got there erased. You know all of this. You’ve already claimed a place to live in the now, whether a rundown apartment in the City, a tent on the beach, a bed in the barracks, or your own space at the House of Worship. You’re a veteran at this by now. Aren’t you? ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● I. A WHOLE NEW YOU The fog has thickened off the shores of the Island and in the areas that have still been obscured. So thick that it looks not unlike the heavy clouds of the recent storm. But late into the night and early into the morning, the fog seems to encroach on the Nameless City even more, blinding and catching Islanders traveling through in areas normally free of its effects. Anyone who gets caught in the especially heavy mist might find themselves suffering from more than just the usual amnesia. The fog no longer only takes memories, but can also alter your memories... and you. You may forget your time on the Island. You may forget your life before. But you’ll remember something else. You’ll remember a life entirely different as if you lived it yourself: you are a merperson who has always lived here, in the waters around the Island. Those grand underwater cities look like ancient ruins to others, but to you? You still see them as beautiful and palatial as the day they were built. You are a Native whose memories are fuzzy, but you certainly remember living your entire life here in great happiness and luxury. And once you step out of the mist, you might even find yourself physically changed to match what you recall, with fins or tentacles and gills to allow you breathe beneath the waves. You might be completely transformed, or just enough to make life underwater as easy as it's ever been. Someone else attempting to free you of these delusions will find that the more they try to force you to remember your true life, the more real and convincing your undersea life begins to feel. You must embrace this new (old?) life, embrace this new you in all ways and live it to its fullest. Completing Auspicious Acts will help bring out glimpses, hints, flashes of memory and recognition that perhaps this is not who you once were, and allow you to return to your former self. But the longer you take to embrace this, the harder it might be to let go. Some of these changes could become permanent. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● II. LET XXX BE YOUR GUIDE Things have been strange, not just for the people of the Island, but the robots as well. The typically welcoming robots that offer their assistance in guiding new arrivals or encouraging Islanders to visit the various locations seem to be scarce. There are fewer of them running around the entertainment district and other establishments. To ensure that new arrivals continue to have a pleasant Island experience, robots will be recruiting Islanders as mentors and guides: mentor guides, if you will! Volunteers will lead other Islanders around the Island as a means of helping them become better acquainted with the locations available here for your fun and entertainment, and they will be rewarded with credits for their hard work. Guides and sightseers alike could be someone fresh and new to the Island, someone who insists they’ve been here for years, or even someone that a robot randomly dragged off the street. Mentor guides will all receive a very form-fitting and revealing uniform - no two are the same! - and, of course, a glossy paper map of all of the available sights on the Island. The pictures are big and detailed, and cute sex toy icons point out various key sights such as the recreation center, the bath house, and the library. There are even suggestions for which Auspicious Acts are the best for each location! Strangely, none of the maps list the same suggestions, so each map encourages its own unique experience. Mentees will also find that their mentor’s voice is very appealing. So appealing that just listening to them speak is enough to get you feeling some kind of way. The more they talk, the more of a reaction you have. Your body begins to burn or itch and it’s very hard to pay attention to their words when thoughts about all the things you could be doing to them instead keep coming to your mind. The only way to relieve these thoughts might be to make your mentor stop talking altogether, or follow through with some of those helpful map suggestions. Maybe you need them to mentor you in more ways than one? ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● III. SITCHES GET GLITCHES You’re walking down the road, or in your own home, or visiting a friend and suddenly something happens out of the corner of your eye. There’s a soft pfzzzzzzt and the feel of static on the skin. You turn and realize that the wall is suddenly gone. Or, maybe the glass in a store window disappeared. Perhaps someone’s clothes just vanished off of them in the middle of the street, or the chair you were sitting in at the cafe suddenly poofs right from under you. It’s as if the world around them is malfunctioning - little glitches that can last for seconds, hours, or even days before returning to normal on their own. Nothing that could seriously harm someone, but enough to be quite inconvenient. At least completing an Auspicious Act in the affected area or with the affected person seems to put it to rights immediately. Unfortunately, this doesn’t stop these glitches from happening again. You may be concerned, and the robots understand, but if asked they will insist it’s just the world adjusting as the Augur welcomes so many new people! Nothing to be worried about, obviously. It will take time for fluctuating energy levels to adjust, that’s all. Some robots might even say it’s the perfect time to enjoy having so few barriers between you. Embrace the open nature of the Island and share yourself and your home with others. Walls are only meant for keeping out what you could be letting in! ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● OOC Notes: Enjoy a mini Fourth Wall event, Islanders! As such, this test drive meme is open for anyone to create top levels, not just prospective players. Current player characters, characters you want to play in the setting but can't app full-time, drive-by castmates, duplicates, canon AUs, characters that normally would not be allowed such as fandom AUs and genderswaps (not including characters under 15), formerly dropped characters, etc. are all encouraged to come in and play! As all other test drive memes, this one will be game canon. Characters who fourth wall but do not app will disappear after a few days to a week, along with their home (if applicable) and all of their possessions. Please label your top levels as to whether you are test driving [TDM] or fourth walling [4W]. (Of course, you are allowed to change your mind! But our rules regarding appable characters will still apply.) Since auspicious acts are an integral part of this event, potential and current players can swap one Auspicious Act on their card for one of their choosing, if needed for any of the prompts. As usual, prospective players can use an Act and swap it onto their card if they choose to app into the game. If you have any questions, please ask them below. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● N A V I G A T I O N

Comments

Merman

[scramordie]

[ Not being able to get a hold of Xie is rather... annoying, in a way. Which was cause for a scouting of the city, which included the beach, and finding... him. Except that there was something off. What had the city done to him?

He knows all about that strong body before him and he snaps his fan shut, even as he turns towards that pleasant voice. ]

A-Xie?

[ Whoever had done this had best hope it could be reversed. They loved Xie as he was. Even now he was still loved, but to ask about the world... one that was his own? That spelled trouble. ]

[thescorpionking]

{His tail extends from just below his navel to his feet, which have been turned into the fan-like flippers. The scorpion tattoo remains on his abdomen and, yes, his hair is braided. Only a Disney princess would be able to get away with her hair being loose like that underwater.}

Are you calling for me? {Xie cocks his head and scoots along the rock to get closer to this man.} You are handsome for a human. Why have I not seen you on this beach before?

[scramordie]

[ The immortal is not overly amused. Though, his A-Xie is beautiful like this, even if he can do without the braids. The other looked better without them, after all. ]

You have seen me many times, A-Xie.

[ In many ways. ]

[thescorpionking]

{He frowns and shakes his head, the braids hitting his cheeks.}

Don't play games with me. I've drowned the best of swimmers. Some I let free, but only to shove poison into their veins as they attempted to escape from me.

{This man, however, gets his blood hot. Interesting...}

What's your name?

[scramordie]

I do not play games.

[ There's almost a hard edge to his voice even as he snaps out his fan and lets it waft back and forth, watching the other. Oh, he would find whoever did this... He would need to find his A-Xu for help, as not to fall into the cracks. Run the water red with blood. No one messed with his family. ]

Wen Kexing.

[thescorpionking]

{The harder edge entices him and he bites his lip as he waits, dark eyes reflecting the sea. A shiver runs down his spine and he is perplexed. Kexing. He raises his arms and reaches for the man, beckoning him closer.}

I like that name. Will you stay for an hour or two, Wen Kexing? I have seen no others of my kind.

[scramordie]

[ His name should not feel wrong to be heard from the other, yet it was. It felt wrong to have Xie call him by his name. He had gotten used to either Kexing or A-Xing.

If the merman does reach out for him, he should be careful. He's liable to catch a part of the fan and it is quite sharp. ]

I will stay a while. As for your kind, you are the first I've seen.

[thescorpionking]

I wonder what became of the others... {His eyes are unfocused as he gazes at the fog. Then he returns his attention, gladly, to Kexing. Just in time for his finger to catch the edge of the fan. Frowning, he retracts his hand and sucks on the digit.}

Why does it bite?

[scramordie]

I have never seen others in the few months that I've been here.

[ His A-Xie would have never reached out for the fan. The other knows very well what it could do to him. ]

It bites to protect me.

[thescorpionking]

Why do you need protection from me? {Xie ignores the first bit, glancing at the water. He will search there for them. Later.}

I never harm beauty.

[scramordie]

Who said that I needed protection from anyone?

[thescorpionking]

You said your fan protects you. {He looks down at his finger and the dark blood welling on the tip. A darker expression shadows his features.}

But I'm not afraid.

[scramordie]

It also protects those that I love and care for.

[ Not just himself. ]

What makes you less afraid than others?

[thescorpionking]

A little blood won't deter me.

{Xie grabs a fistful of fabric at Kexing's waist and he grins, revealing his fangs.}

I want you.

[scramordie]

[ Those eyes narrow even as he reaches down with his free hand to grab the hand grabbing at him. ]

Tsk, A-Xie. One should never grab someone they merely think mortal.

[ Even with the fangs showing, there is no fear there. ]

[thescorpionking]

{The skin on skin contact makes him shudder and he quickly hides his fangs behind his lips.}

I'm sorry. You're just too tempting.

[scramordie]

[ This weird, interesting, mermaid version of their A-Xie thinks him too tempting? That gets a laugh out of him. ]

What is so tempting? Surely, all mortals are tempting to creatures such as yourself.

[thescorpionking]

There is magic flowing through your veins. I can feel it. {He licks his lips until they are rosy, struggling for a moment to...stand? Glancing down at his tail, he gives his head a shake.}

I don't think you're mortal. At least not a normal one.

[scramordie]

Can you?

[ There's almost a hint of amusement out of him and he steps a bit closer, eventually releasing the merman's wrist, but the fan stays open. ]

I'm an immortal. What more could I be?

[thescorpionking]

Then you're like me! {He reveals that his finger has already healed. Mermaids and mermen are like that. Ageless unless they are dragged out onto dry land for too long.

Xie's fingers seek out Kexing's pale hair and his handsome face, caressing, teasing in places he knows must be sensitive.}

[scramordie]

Like you? No, not exactly.

[ Kexing, despite this being a different form of their A-Xie, has determined not to treat him much different. Which is why the top of the merman's head gets tapped. ]

You should be careful who you touch, A-Xie. Otherwise might decide that they want to cause you harm instead.

[ Though, different species or not, he enjoys the feel of those fingers. ]

[thescorpionking]

Mm? {Xie hums at the tap, blinking. Something fuzzy swims in his mind, fighting to break through the fog. But he can't see it.}

I'm choosing to touch you. Are you going to harm me? {He raises himself with the strength of his arms and falls into Kexing with a small grin.}

[scramordie]

What if you choose to touch, but they do not want it?

[ He closes his fan so as not to harm the other when he is suddenly fallen into, an arm going around the other so he did not fall. Where the hard edge was there earlier, there's a softness there now. ]

I could never harm my A-Xie.

[thescorpionking]

{His insides recoil at the idea, sickened by it and the color drains from his face.}

That would be wrong. {And unforgivable. He balances himself - and not well - on his muscular tail, but he definitely has to rely on Kexing to keep him from face-planting in the sand! Like this, he isn't so vicious at all.}

I'm yours? When did you claim me? Are you a sea god?

[scramordie]

It would be wrong.

[ He would not allow his Xie to face-plant into the sand. Though, now? He did not look vicious in the least bit. ]

You have been mine for some time.