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

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!tdm

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?

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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.

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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?

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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!

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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.

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N A V I G A T I O N

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Manuela wasn't desperate for that attention-not yet, at least-but she did take the glass and enjoy a long sip before sighing with satisfaction. "So clothing first. Then a drink. And then a place to live-I assume you're about to offer me one," she held up a hand as if to cut him off- "which I appreciate, but I wouldn't be comfortable with that until I've spoken with Edelgard first." And depending on how that conversation went, she might not be comfortable with it at all... but it was impossible to say beforehand.

Ferdinand was about to offer, if not a room of her own, assistance in finding one elsewhere, but he was pre-empted by Manuela. Of course she knew him well enough to correctly assume his next course of action. But she was right: it wouldn't be fair of him to make an offer without discussing it with Edelgard and Constance first, and he definitely didn't want to cause a situation where tempers flared. Sure, the Manuela he remembered was one of Edelgard's most trusted allies and a valued confidant, but he already knew that she remembered things a bit differently than he did.

"Perhaps not the exact order I would choose, but yes," he agreed, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "There are places where we can find clothing, so long as it hasn't all disappeared. Here, allow me—"

He reached out for the faucet to shut it off so as not to waste water, but as his hand neared it, there was a faint crackle, and then the faucet simply faded from existence. The water that had been flowing into it began to spray out from the new hole in the kitchenette's sink.

"—Oh, rats."

Just when they'd more or less solved one glitch, another occurred. Of course. Things couldn't be simple with the Augur, could they?

"Here, I-" Downing the rest of her water quickly, she tried to use it to cover the hole-but no amount of bailing the water was going to keep it from flowing, and while she could perhaps hold the glass in place to redirect the flow, there was certainly going to be plenty of water wasted in the meantime.

"Is there some other way you can make it stop?" Manuela assumed that this water wasn't exactly unlimited, considering Ferdinand just didn't have it running at all times. And of course, she knew of one way to fix it, but she was hoping she wouldn't be forced to give up on avoiding intimacy with her students so soon (even if, admittedly, there could've been few better-suited for such an eventuality than Ferdinand.)

Ferdinand was utterly determined not to impose upon Manuela within mere hours of meeting her on the island. Sadly, he didn't have the best grasp of how the plumbing in this building actually worked, so it took him a second or two to realize that he couldn't just cover the hole with his hand. The water pressure caused it to jet out into his face and chest, drenching him in a most undignified manner. "I-I have it all under control! Everything is fine!" he sputtered, taking his hand away so at least the water wouldn't spray up any more.

Remembering something, he ducked down and opened the cabinet, and sure enough, there was a shut-off valve. Before the sink could make too much more of a mess, he managed to turn it off, and the flow of water slowed to a halt within a few seconds.

"...I suppose I will be going down the hall to make tea for the time being," he lamented, taking a seat on the floor and draping his arms on his knees. His upper half was soaked, but at least they'd kept the room from flooding.

"You've got somebody you can 'fix' it with, haven't you?" He and Edelgard had survived here-thrived, even, if what he said about this building was true-and while fixing some plumbing wasn't necessarily the best reason to have sex, surely, he had some sort of established partners?

"And in the meantime, can I get you a towel or something? In the closet?" Considering just how defeated he looked, she was already moving to the closet where he'd gotten the bathrobe out. Manuela herself had gotten a bit of water on her, but nowhere near as much as Ferdinand.

"Ah, there's a towel hanging in the bathroom, behind that door, but..." he began, turning his head to look at her with a quizzical expression on his face. Sure, Ferdinand had understood that Manuela's disappearing clothing would probably get fixed by the performing of an 'Auspicious Act,' but he hadn't really considered that approach for his own problem. "—Oh. Er, yes, in time, I should be able to... fix this."

He became quite red-faced at that, as it essentially meant he was admitting to having sex. To Manuela. She probably had already figured it out, but for some reason, the very idea of her knowing it and starting to put names and faces to it was embarrassing. What did that say about him?

If Manuela were asked, she would say it made him a gentleman, albeit perhaps a prudish one. Nonetheless, she entered the remaining door and gathered a towel, shaking her head slightly at the sight of that tub. Typical enough of their hosts-and when she returned, she offered him a hand-up from the floor.

"There's no reason to be embarrassed about it, Ferdinand. Least of all now that we're here, instead of back home." In a monastery or at war or any number of places all less... 'encouraging' of intimacy than this strange island.

"I am glad to hear you say that," he confessed, managing a grateful smile as he took her hand. He rose to his feet, averting his gaze and accepting the towel once it was offered. "You know, a few months ago, many of us who came from Fódlan all came together and played a drinking game. 'Never Have I Ever,' I believe it was called."

As he spoke, he dabbed his face dry with the towel, though it did little to take care of his soaked dress shirt and jacket. "The idea was that one person would say 'Never have I ever...' and then say something inappropriate. Anyone in the room who did such a thing would then take a drink. You can imagine my embarrassment when I ended up drinking the most out of anyone in the room."

"It sounds like you should've waited until I arrived. Do you want a new shirt?" Manuela imagined that she'd have been by far the one drinking the most-though perhaps she underestimated just how much they'd done together on this island. It also probably would depend a lot on how much of it was sexual versus simply inappropriate in general; while she wasn't certain she'd done more 'auspicious acts' in her life than Ferdinand, the songstress was quite certain that she had him beat in most other categories. He was a noble, afterall, and a quite upstanding one at that.

"Ah, yes, please," he responded, smiling sheepishly. "I have a clean one hanging in the closet." That shirt wasn't one like he typically wore in Fódlan. Instead, it was a plain, white dress shirt, though impeccably pressed, as all things he wore were. More importantly, it was dry.

As he began unbuttoning his jacket, he started thinking about how much more eventful that evening would have been had Manuela been there. She certainly would have made quite the impact on the festivities, and since everyone was placed under an effect where they were compelled to tell the truth, it might have given him some intriguing insight. But then, he remembered how someone had stated never have I ever fantasized about one of the professors, thus prompting him to take a drink, and he realized that he was probably alright with her missing that particular class reunion.

Considering she would have had to have taken a drink for that particular round, well, it might have embarrassed Manuela as well-but the past was the past, and unless they played another such game again, Ferdinand would have to do without that particular insight. Gathering up the clean-and dry-shirt, Manuela draped it carefully over the countertop, well away from any remaining wet spots.

"This reminds me of something we might wear in the theater. Not quite as intricate as what I've normally seen you in, but easy to spot, and still nice." Really, standing out was the goal of such a piece of clothing, at least in her mind-while it was plain, there was no way not to be seen while wearing it, and it allowed a performer to stand out on the stage. "Are there any here-theaters? Or any other performance spaces?"

He nodded at her question, shrugging his way out of the jacket. "Those machines put on a performance at the amphitheater a few months ago, if you can even call it a performance," he noted, his tone making it clear he gave no ringing endorsement. "Everyone was invited to attend, but I found it so boring and lifeless that I left before the first intermission. It certainly did make me miss seeing you on the stage, but it honestly could not even compare to a true opera." There was also the issue with the concessions having a strong aphrodisiac effect, but that was another matter entirely.

He set his jacket on the counter for the time being and began to undo the cufflinks on his shirt. If she were of a mind to peek, she'd see that it was thoroughly soaked through, the damp fabric clinging to his form. Despite the relative tranquility of the island compared to Fódlan, he had maintained his strict training regimen, and it showed.

Manuela allowed herself a short peak-not for any reason beyond mere professional curiosity, of course, he was her student-before averting her gaze once more, turning her attention instead back towards the door, imagining the world outside. "If they are keen to perform, perhaps that's one way I could get what I need besides... the obvious. Teaching them to perform better."

If their production was truly so bad that Ferdinand had been compelled to leave before intermission, well-as much as Manuela might have enjoyed thinking herself the sole reason for him not missing a single one of her own shows for five years, if Ferdinand was not an enjoyer of the art surely he'd not have been nearly so attentive.

"That's a wonderful idea," he stated in response, his eyes lighting up at the idea. "Or perhaps you could even organize your own group of performers. This island is full of people who have not had the privilege of hearing the Divine Songstress herself perform." He stood there for a second, still wearing his drenched shirt and holding the clean one in his hands, smiling broadly before realizing that he wasn't moving.

"...Ah, pardon me," he quickly blurted out before turning and heading for the bathroom door and slipping past it. "I am still listening!" He figured it only polite that he spare her the sight of him disrobing, even if it was just his shirt, though he was leaving the door open just a bit so that they could continue their conversation. He began prying that wet shirt off of his body, though the wetness of it made it cling rather stubbornly to his chest and shoulders.

Considering the Augur had given Ferdinand a chance for a view of Manuela, it was only fair that it had given her the same, certainly. Though that was hardly an appropriate thought-it was one that, finally, gave her an opportunity to blush again for the first time since donning his robe. Nonetheless she averted her gaze while he entered the bathroom, only to continue the conversation once he had.

"Perhaps you would even like to-perform, that is. Or at the very least write, if acting doesn't appeal. You always have had a way with words." A talent that Manuela herself lacked-for all she could recognize good writing when she saw it, and take another's text from the page to the hearts and minds of her audience, writing wasn't exactly her forte.

AFter a bit of a struggle, Ferdinand managed to pry the soaked shirt off over his shoulders. If Manuela stole a peek through the open door, she would certainly get an eyeful. He was in peak physical condition, his chest broad and muscular despite his lean build. There were a few minor scars here and there, earned from minor cuts and wounds earned during the course of the war, but nothing that hadn't healed properly.

He grabbed the dry shirt and began to put it on, distracted somewhat by her praise. He felt the tickle of a blush on his cheeks, and he couldn't help but smile. "From the very first moment I first saw you at the Mittelfrank Opera Company, I dreamed of being on that stage with you," he confessed, starting to close the buttons on his shirt one by one. "I dare not pretend to be even close to your level, but performing alongside you... it would be a dream come true."

"I can't necessarily speak for your singing voice-but acting, at least, is a talent that I promise can be entirely learned. With the right tutelage, you would surely belong by my side." Manuela's singing had been a gift from the Goddess herself, and while that had been her key to joining Mittlefrank, the rest of her craft needed learned.

Having successfully resisted the temptation to peek-despite what a grand temptation it was-Manuela had seated herself on whatever furniture was available by the time Ferdinand re-emerged. "It's decided, then. So long as I'm here, away from a continent about to be torn apart by war, I'll make it my goal to teach the people-and even the strange creations-to perform."

There was a small kitchen table with two chairs as well as a small couch, not to mention the bed against the wall. So there was no shortage of places where Manuela could make herself comfortable while waiting for him. As he emerged from the bathroom, he used the towel to dry off his hair, his shirt now blissfully dry.

"What a wonderful idea," he remarked, positively glowing with excitement. "Your performances brought joy to countless people, myself included. Perhaps that is exactly what we need to take our minds off of... well, the way this island toys with us." As much as some part of him had thoroughly enjoyed the glimpses of her he'd gotten, he was still somewhat livid that she'd had to deal with it in the first place.

Knowing the Augur, it was entirely possible that they'd find a way to pervert the performances-but Manuela didn't, and as such she couldn't image the ways in which her efforts might be thoroughly perverted. And even if she had, it wouldn't really have stopped her, even if it might have slowed her down.

"I'll have to figure out how to use this, then." Raising her arm for a moment, Manuela shook it gently as though the bracelet was more of a bangle. "It can be used to communicate, right? Once I get established..." Like a home, and some clothes, and a drink.

"That is right," he confirmed, walking toward her and showing her his own bracelet. "From what I understand, it is some sort of advanced technology. You can use it to send voice or text messages by using these buttons here, or, if you are so inclined, see what 'Auspicious Acts' the Augur would like for you to perform."

He was careful not to accidentally show her his A5 card, though. The poor woman had already been subjected to so much. He wasn't about to subject her to his sexual history on top of all of that. ...Though come to think of it, most of the sexual activities he'd done hadn't even counted toward his card. Perhaps that said more about him than he cared to admit.

"I suppose I'll have to look sooner or later... but perhaps not now." Perhaps in privacy, really. Presenting Ferdinand with a list of sexual acts that might be advantageous for Manuela to perform hardly felt appropriate, her hesitation matching his perfectly.

"And I should go find clothes. But if it's still an offer, I'd appreciate a cup of tea first." At least some little time to relax, presuming that her clothes wouldn't disappear again.

"Of course! I would be delighted," he exclaimed, glad for the opportunity to present someone he thought so highly of with a cup of his finest tea. It was a socially acceptable way for him to show his regard for someone, and he wasn't about to turn down the chance to spend more time with Manuela Casagranda. She could probably keep him fascinated even while they watched paint dry together.

But then, he frowned at his misfortune, looking at the missing faucet. "...Ah, but I will need to go down the hall to fetch the water." No princess of his would be drinking bathroom sink water, not so long as he had breath in him. He grabbed his kettle from the cabinet and turned back to her, managing another smile. "Can you wait here? I will only be gone for but a few seconds."

Hopefully, during that time, no more articles of clothing would disappear. It might be a more interesting tea party than both of them generally preferred if that happened.

"Of course."

Thankfully, they were left unabused by glitches for at least a few minutes longer, and by the time Ferdinand returned Manuela was still fully clothed. She'd clearly been fiddling with her bracelet, and was even blushing slightly-either she'd encountered something lewd on the network, or looked at the auspicious acts card. Regardless, she offered a smile to her student upon his return.

"Is this tea from home, or do you have something more native?" Hopefully, any native tea didn't come with side-effects, but she had the utmost faith in Ferdinand when it came to judgement on that particular subject.

Thankfully for Manuela, Ferdinand wasn't always the most observant person in the world. Sure, he noticed that she was blushing in a most attractive manner, but he hadn't a clue as to why. So, thinking nothing of it, he smiled warmly and walked to the stove to put the kettle on the stove. Come to think of it, this was probably her first time seeing one of these electric stoves.

"While these leaves are native to the island, they were grown at a greenhouse where we could ensure that they were free of any aphrodisiacs," he assured her. "There are indeed plants that have that sort of effect when ingested here, but I would not dare use them for tea, never mind serving them to anyone else." He really didn't need much help in that regard anyway.

"I expect that whatever else they're doing on this island to rile us up hardly needs your help." In fact, it led Manuela to suspect that tea served just about anywhere else on the island would include aphrodisiac-as, perhaps, would drinks of a more alcoholic bent. But that was a problem to deal with later.

"Besides the whole 'auspicious acts,' it sounds as though life here is relatively nice, at least. Peaceful." It had to be a sharp juxtaposition with the world he'd come from, if it was after five years of war. Speaking of- "How did the war end, for you at least? If everyone has different experiences, I assume the war is much the same."

00. An Arrival and a Broken Wall?!

I. A WHOLE NEW YOU

II. LET XXX BE YOUR GUIDE

III. SITCHES GET GLITCHES

OOC Notes:

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