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TDM 016 & 4th WALL EVENT: NO WALLS BETWEEN US
| 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 |
T'Challa / Star-Lord | Marvel's What If...? | OTA | [4W] (cw: potential spoilers)
[Oh, it's that time again? T'Challa notices comments on the network through the day about the new people arriving, and wonders how many the Augur has brought today. With the fog coming in, he's stayed mostly in the hangar with his ship, the Mandela, but decided to venture out. Better to greet newcomers soonest, isn't it? They were all in this situation together.
The beach tends to be very busy on days like this, so he keeps back to not be a nuisance of himself, looking around in case anyone might need help.
The fact that his memories are somewhat hazy about when the last time was he had done this doesn't matter to him, for some reason. All he knows is that this is a typical thing for him to do. Why wouldn't he greet the new people as they come from the ocean and help them get settled if they need it?]
Hello. Welcome to the Island. I'm sure this all must seem very confusing for you.
II. LET XXX BE YOUR GUIDE
[The robots have been scarce in the last couple of days, but that didn't stop one from dragging T'Challa off the street to be a mentor and a guide to someone else. He raises an eyebrow at the thing, which seems to be busy shoving a bag at him filled with "tools" for being said guide, including a map, flashlight--what did they think they would need it for...?--and other items...]
You could have just asked.
[Or maybe they didn't ask because they knew the "uniform" was something he would have refused had he been given a chance to do so. But as he'd already been paired with someone, he didn't want to leave another person without a guide...
Ugh.
He could practically hear Yondu's voice somewhere in the universe telling him his kindness did get him into trouble. Imaginary Yondu can keep his comments to himself.
But he still put the uniform on and waited with as the person he'd been paired with arrived. Because he's foolish, but he will rock this uniform with confidence and congeniality.]
Hello. Before we start the tour, is there anything you'd be interested in seeing first? I have a map if you'd like to look it over.
III. GLITCHES AREN'T FIXES
[One of the wings of on his ship disappeared and that was not the strangest thing to occur that day. It still hasn't come back and T'Challa is currently investigating what else has been effected in hopes of figuring out what to do to get it back. He has a likely idea, considering the typical expectations of this world, but that doesn't mean he's not open to alternatives. So if he happens to see you out and about dealing with a similar situation he might just step up and inquire about how it came about.
If he happens to see you in an awkward or compromising position...well, at least he'll be polite about it? Only a little teasing. Promise.]
IV. NETWORK | VOICE | [un:star-lord]
With how aggressively encroaching the fog is becoming and the even more random fluctuations in the world around us, what is being done to ensure everyone is accounted for and in reasonable health?
[His accent is undeniable, but his tone is soft.]
Welfare checks may not be out of place with the current confusion. If someone is in need of assistance, please feel free to contact me. Even if we did not know each other before now, there is no better time than now for making new friends.
[Translation: Assuage his eternal need to be a nosy helper, please?]
V. WILDCARD
{OOC: If none of these prompts suit you, please feel free to create your own! I'll roll with it.
T'Challa is from the new Marvel What If...? series where he is taken to space and grows up to become Star-Lord. He thus will have spoilers for that alternate Marvel-verse. If you do not want any spoilers besides basics of who he is, let me know and I will do my best to keep things as vague as possible.}
III. GLITCHES
Oh great, I look like I belong to the Village People now. [ He looks around to see if maybe his boots are soemwhee int he vicinity, only to spot the otehr man. ] T'Challa? When did you get here?
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He seems to know T'Challa but he doesn't recognize him. Perhaps he is someone he's come across once before and forgotten? How unfortunately rude of him.]
I have been here for some time? I am sorry if we've met before, but I cannot recall your face.
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He wants to ask about these but there's other issues first, T'Challa doesn't even seem to remember him. Does he really make such little impressions? ]
Some time? I must have been really busy to miss your arrival. I'm Peter Quill, Guardian of the Galaxy, Star-Lord...does that ring any bell? We didn't really get to talk during the battle against Thanos and afterward, during the funeral, it wasn't the best time for a chat but...I was there with the other Guardians.
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This is what happens in this world, isn't it? New people arrive and somehow things stop making sense as they once did. T'Challa has no memory of this happening before and yet it feels as if that is a tradition he is well aware of.]
I do not know if perhaps our...timelines of events are not the same? I know of no Guardians, nor of a battle they would have had against Thanos. If he's starting more fights, I apologize on his behalf. His therapist should be made aware of it so he can work through the underlying issues he's no doubt suppressing.
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While he does so, another glitch makes his jacket disappear, and Peter looks down to confirm that yeah, what was left of his top clothes is gone, and he is now only wearing his pants. Ah, crap. There's a piercing in his right ripple that is now very visible, and Peter has the decency to look somewhat embarrassed because he hadn't planet to flash the King of Wakanda like that on their second meeting. Except this wasn't the same person he knew, apparently. Not like the knew T'Challa whole lot. ]
Thanos snapped half of all life from existence, no amount of therapy is going to fix that. Are we really supposed to be from different universes? I know that had happened with some people here, but this is just too weird. I just..No...No.. Thanos, really?...I...THANOS?... The 'I'm right and to prove a point I'm going to kill everyone who gets in my way because I'm shit at economics'?...THAT Thanos?
[ Please excuse the slightly hysterical tone in Peter's voice. He's really not having a good day. ]
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Here. Take this for now, if you would. I...I am deeply sorry to hear that this occurred in your world. The Thanos I know had such ideals, but when faced with a better argument and another way to achieve his goals, he changed his mind. He agreed to become a Ravager instead and help us help each galaxy we reach. The Thanos I know...he would not do that. Not now.
[Especially not when it finally seems he and Nebula may be repairing their relationship. Would Thanos truly throw away such progress and the good they do? No, he believes in him.]
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Thanks. I don't know what's going on with the city today. [ They're more or less the same size, so the jacket fits him well enough. Small mercies. Peter looks on edge, but it's not T'Challa's fault. He's displaying an immense amount of patience, considering...everything. The Guardian lets out a dry, humorless laugh, at the mention of 'The Thanos I know' from T'Challa. ]
Do you know how many people died in my world because of him? How many planets were thrown into chaos? And you're telling me all he needed was a stern talking to change his mind? Not the man I know. Not the monster who murdered the woman I loved in exchange for the Soul Stone. And he had the galls to call her 'daughter'....
[ Peter's voice gets more clinical and rough as he speaks, his green eyes right and wet. He doesn't want to have this conversation here and now, in public and with a virtual stranger, no matter how kind T'CHalla is. He couldn't have imagined that his day would turn like this, and the mentions of the Ravagers have him practically snarling. ]
Thanos, a Ravager. Yondu would have never allowed it if he were alive. He would have killed the purple asshole himself.
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Yondu gone and Thanos having followed is folly of a plan to destroy half the universe in attempts to save the rest. Yondu gone and Thanos gone so far as to kill--
T'Challa takes a breath. Reminds himself this is not his world, not his people, his family. For all that Peter Quill has lost, he cannot take the pain as if it is it too his own. It is both selfish and unhelpful.]
Yondu is...dead in your world? [He says it slowly, pushing it beyond that weight in his throat to add in the last question.] And Nebula? Thanos actually would kill her for his own ends? I am very sorry for all that you have lost, my friend.
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No, Nebula is...fine. Or as fine as she can be after what Thanos put her through. I was talking about Gamora. [ Peter closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath in his attempt to keep it together. He will not cry in front of this man, he will not.
The comfort is odd, T'Challa sounds honest with it, as if he can imagine the kind of suffering they all went through. But Peter doesn't deserve this sort of kindness, and he can't handle it. ]
I don't suppose you have any hard alcohol in there? [ He points to the nearby ship, really trying his best to keep his voice level. ] I could use a drink. Special if we're going to keep talking about the differences in our universes, 'cause it sounds like I've got the short end of the stick.
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Yes, yes. Inside. [He turns and motions, the drawbridge of the ship lowering. A drink really seems like the least of what they both need at this point. Considering the ship is almost identical to Peter's inside, he should have no trouble finding his way to were the alcohol is kept should he want to go looking himself.]
I am sorry this meeting has not been more...easy-going. I had no intention of dragging open such topics for you.
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Thanks, man. [ The similarities with Peter's old ship don't go unnoticed, but instead of bringing any comfort, it only makes him feel more uneasy. He can make a pretty good guess about where the alcohol is stored, but he's not rude enough to go and help himself a glass. He had already taken his jacket, and T'CHalla's kindness is constantly disarming. Peter takes a seat in the first available chair instead, running a hand through his hair and avoiding looking at T'Challa. ]
It's not your fault. That universe is the reality you know, and I'm...happy that things turned to be better for the people in it than in did in mine. It's just heartbreaking to realize I live in a cursed timeline or some shit. [ How many things must have I done wrong? Peter doesn't say, but if T'Challa is really that good at reading people, he should be able to see the thought in his expression. ] So...Thanos is a good guy, Yondu is still alive...how did you manage to stop Ego? All it took was some talking, too?
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I do not believe any timeline is "cursed." There are benefits and consequences to all choices. Perhaps the ones in this timeline have benefitted me and mine more than it has others.
[Being in this place does provide him the time to consider all the other versions of their worlds that might exist and how they may have differed.]
For example, I do not know of this Ego. That is a threat we've yet to face.
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[ The moment the whiskey touches his lips, Peter needs to stop himself from letting out a sob at the absurd familiarity of it. It's not a bad whiskey, but it's not great either, it's just the brand Yondu liked best. It leaves your throat burning and eyes stinging at the corners if you drink too much, but the aftertaste is pleasant enough, and the next day hangover is minimal. Peter takes a long sip without a second thought. ]
True, but some people are handed really shitty options to chose from. Gamora, Nebula...my world wasn't kind to them, and to many others who suffered and died at the hands of deranged murderers like Thanos. Ego is one of those, by the way. Deranged and murderous. Tried to destroy the whole galaxy and leave only himself alive. He got a fitting name, don't you think? Pretty sure he named himself.
[ Peter pauses, and it's not as if he's doing it for effect, he's just taking a moment to entertain the notion that perhaps the Celestial doesn't exist at all in T'Challa's universe. Wouldn't that be lovely? ]
He was my father.
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And as he listens, his mind thinks back, remembers, and suddenly he understands. Now he knows what is so different between their worlds.]
...You are the boy. The one they mistook me for. The one they never returned for.
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Mistook? Did he grab you thinking you were me then? He knew my name already when he first came for me, in my world. And as handsome as we both are, we look nothing alike.
[ The one they never returned for.Wow, that's not comforting to hear in the slightest, and Peter wines at the casualness. ]
So he left me on Earth, uh? I guess that I was that disposable. Good for Yondu. Sounds like that turned out to be for the better for everyone.
[ He can't quite stop the bitterness in his voice. When he was little and the Ravagers had kidnapped him, all he wanted was to go back to Earth, to a familiar place without scary aliens that threatened to eat him at every turn. Turns out he got his wish in T'Challa's world, and yet, Peter couldn't find it in him to find hapiness in that fact. ]