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

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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

"No, I don't. Who are you?"

The man does look a little familiar, Felix thinks, but not familiar enough to ring any bells. It does seem weird that someone would make up a story like that. But Felix can't imagine how it's possible.

"Did you once live in our kingdom, somehow? Through magic, perhaps?"

"I..... have been to Faerghus, yes." He can't help but feel uneasy, like he's grasping at straws. What kingdom is Felix remembering, exactly? Is it the Faerghus he knows? Some manner of strange, mystical underwater kingdom, full of merfolk like himself? Is he lying when he claims to have ventured there, if Felix's memories are exceedingly different from reality?

All he can do is hope some of this sparks some memory, any memory. What is he going to do if Felix doesn't remember any of them? No. Don't assume the worst just yet. Just..... try to stay calm. Whatever they can do, he can't just give up before even trying. "My name is Seteth. I trained you and some of your friends in military affairs and governance."

Felix tilts his head, trying to remember if he's ever known anyone by that name. Or had a teacher like this. Details of his education are eluding him right now, but he can say for sure he's never met someone like this. With green hair. Who has green hair, anyway?

"What use would I have for learning governance? You must be mistaking me for someone else." He looks Seteth over and sheathes his sword. "So long as you don't intend to intrude on our territory or poach too much of the wildlife in the area, you may do as you like."

He scans the shoreline quickly with sharp eyes, then plunges back underwater.

"What? The Fraldarius family is extremely well-positioned in Faerghus. As their heir, of course you wou--wait! Felix!" So he doesn't even remember his family, or his station in society? What on earth happened to him? Who does he even think he is, at this point?

For a moment, panic grips him as he sees Felix dive beneath the surface. Who knows what prompted this change, let alone what could reverse it? Will he have to wait it out? Would he be going home to do so? If he does, what are the odds he'll be able to return? If this only lasts for a matter of days, and he drowns when it wears off from being too far underwater.....

No. He can't let that happen. Even if Felix doesn't remember him, he has a duty to make sure the man survives the Augur's whims. For a moment, the water is filled with a pale green radiance as magic rushes through him, form twisting and changing; Seteth takes a deep breath and kicks off the bottom to pursue Felix into feeper waters. He's definitely not made for swimming, even in this shape--still, if he tucks his wings tight against his back and makes good use of his tail, he can manage a fair amount of speed.

Underwater, Seteth can see more than just Felix's upper torso, and what he sees is that the glittering scales continue all the way down his back until they reach his waist, beneath which is a long, scaly fish tail of the same color with curved fins that let him slice through the water swiftly as he swims.

He feels the disturbance of the water and looks up. His eyes widen - what the hell is that? In seconds his sword is in his hand and he's poised to strike as soon as the monster reaches him.

"Stay back, beast!"

Under ordinary circumstances, if he weren't so worried, Felix would strike him as beautiful like this. The long sleek line of his tail, the graceful curve of his fins, the shimmering scales that help him fade into the surrounding water to the untrained eye, the dark cloud of his hair billowing behind him..... It's not an entirely human beauty, but that hardly matters to him.

Seteth slows as he approaches, wings flaring open to kill his momentum in the water; it won't do either of them any good for him to get stabbed, no matter how insignificant a short sword like that is at this size. There's no way to speak normally underwater like this; Seteth's voice drifts into Felix's mind instead. "This isn't where you belong, Felix."

Felix tenses. That’s the human teacher’s voice, in his head. Is this creature…?

“So you followed me. Why? You’re speaking nonsense.”

He’s not even aware that his defensive stance has started to falter.

Edited 2021-08-26 06:51 (UTC)

"I can't just let you leave like this. It's not safe; whatever has happened to you, it can't be permanent."

For the moment, Seteth drifts in place, tail swaying to keep himself from sinking further down. Wide emerald eyes lock onto Felix; even if he doesn't dare come closer just yet, that hardly means he doesn't want to. Felix may not be able to come back onto land like this, but even if he just stays in the shallows, somewhere he could reach the surface before it was too late.....

Felix scowls and lifts his sword properly again. Yes, he's angry that this beast is trespassing on their territory and trying to fool him with ridiculous lies; but a part of him wants to listen, and even to move closer to the dragon, and his rebellious temper flares as he fights the urge.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Go back to the surface where you belong, before I slice your head off and leave it for the scavengers."

"You aren't going to hurt me, Felix. You're not that sort of man." He's certain of that, come what may. Even if Felix doesn't remember him, even if he's defensive and angry, he isn't a cruel or vengeful sort. He won't attack unprovoked.

Seteth drifts closer, eyes fixed on Felix, voice low and insistent. "This isn't where you belong. Don't you remember your king and comrades? Dimitri? Sylvain? Ingrid?"

Felix can't deny that the dragon-man is right; he wouldn't actually attack unless he was given a reason to. But how did Seteth know that?

The voice keeps going, purring into his mind, and he finds it hard to look away from those green, green eyes. The names he speaks sound...familiar...until they don't at all, his fog-induced memories pushing them deeper.

"No. I know none of them."

...but he doesn't leave, or even back away as the dragon comes closer.

"Why are you going out of your way to tell me this? Why bother with me at all?"

None at all? What in the Goddess' name..... He doesn't even remember his best friends? The prince he had been sworn to all his life? The utter lack of recognition in Felix's eyes is..... unnerving, frankly. What..... what is happening? Why would the Augur steal away memories of loved ones, when that would theoretically decrease the chances of intimacy? It doesn't make sense, considering its goals.

"I don't leave comrades behind, whether we remember our time together or not." After all, Felix hadn't dismissed him, even though he hadn't fought alongside him, even though he hadn't given himself to serving Dimitri, even though he didn't remember their time together. Doesn't he deserve that same consideration now?

"Tell me about yourself then, if you can. What do you remember?"

The longer he floats here conversing with the dragon, the less he feels like fighting. By this point, his sword is down at his side and his posture has relaxed a bit. Seteth calls him a 'comrade,' and he just feels...confused. Why doesn't he know this man, when this man clearly knows him?

Usually, he'd reject this question, tell the dragon it's none of his business what he remembers or who he is. Now, though, he finds himself just answering it.

"I'm the captain of the king's guard in my kingdom." He gestures vaguely into the depths. "I was on patrol when I saw you. There's not much else to tell."

Seteth's chest is starting to ache, for more than one reason. He'll need to surface soon, if only for a moment--but he can't help but hurt sympathetically as well. On whose behalf, though? Felix's? Dimitri's, and the other Faerghans? Felix doesn't seem much changed, at least in demeanor--but the way he glosses over the whole of his life so easily.....

It's hard not to wonder. What exactly does Felix remember? How detailed are those memories? What pieces of his heart has he lost, estranged so completely from his friends that he wouldn't even be able to recognize them? Does he remember Rodrigue, or Glenn? Is he--would he be, all things considered--happier this way? "And how long have you stood at your king's side? What is his name?"

Is he going to say Lambert? Perhaps in this kingdom under the sea, nothing like that horrible Tragedy ever occurred.

Felix feels a frustration building inside him like a pot of simmering water. Why can't things just stay simple? Everything was fine, everything made sense, until this dragon teacher showed up. And he doesn't understand why he feels so conflicted. He should be banishing Seteth from their territory and going home to report in. Bringing back reinforcements, if the dragon refuses to leave.

Instead, he feels drawn to Seteth, like he wishes the man would...do something, he's not sure exactly what. Touch him. Talk to him. Maybe give him orders. He doesn't know.

At least, if Seteth told him what to do, he wouldn't have to deal with all this confusion and uncertainty that's giving him a headache. He could just do it, and things would be simple again.

He scowls, visibly perturbed. His hand tightens around the hilt of his weapon, but he doesn't raise it. "Stop...stop asking me pointless questions. Why do you care? None of this has anything to do with you."

Edited 2021-09-01 21:07 (UTC)

It's clear Felix is starting to be shaken somehow. But..... how? Why? It doesn't seem as though he remembers any of the people or things Seteth is talking about. It isn't as though there's anything there to tug at his heartstrings. (Is there?) But if he can capitalize on that, keep him talking, maybe draw him back in..... It's not guaranteed to work, but maybe he can keep Felix from going somewhere he can't follow.

The voice in Felix's mind gains an edge of steel, stern and authoritative even if he doesn't raise his voice. "That's not for you to decide. What happens to my friends will always be my business; whatever your feelings on the matter, I am not turning my back on you."

~~He will care about you whether you like it or not, you little shit. Let people love you!111~~

A shiver goes through Felix as the dragon's voice seems to curl around him with an iron fist. His eyes widen, his pulse quickens. Depths help him, there's a part of him that likes this. Wants Seteth to make him obey, or pin him to the ocean floor - augh, stop.

Another part of him desperately wants to fight this, because it's terrifying and it makes no sense. This teacher is an intruder. Trying to pull him away from his friends and family, his home. And how exactly is he supposed to live on land?

But as he stares into the dragon's eyes, the former part starts to eclipse the latter. He clears his throat and tries to say something sarcastic and dismissive. What comes out instead is, "Then what would you have me do?"

~~It's not even his fault this time!!~~

Edited 2021-09-03 08:12 (UTC)

What is he doing? Why would Felix of all people ask a question like that? Stubborn as he is, he's far more likely to dig in his heels and argue than--than..... Wait..... Wait. Is this.....?

Felix is susceptible to the Augur's gift--that strange, foreign magic that had been interwoven so tightly with his own. He hadn't realized at all--the onset had been considerably slower, this time. More of an insidious erosion of Felix's will, rather than how quickly and powerfully he had eclipsed Zechs'. Or is that simply because he hadn't intended to do so now, but had turned the full force of his will on Zechs immediately? It's an intriguing question, but one he doesn't have time for now. Maybe later, if Felix actually has any interest in such things?

For now, though? He's not above using this to his advantage. He may be a saint, but he's used dubious methods to save people from themselves before, whether they understood his intentions or not. Seteth's head dips to nuzzle Felix, voice radiating the effortless confidence of a man who knows his word is absolute. "Stay with me. Be mine, until I can set things right."

It seems to Felix, in that moment, that there's something unbearably tender about the way the dragon touches him; he wants more of it.

Be mine, Seteth says, and Felix wants that, too. It feels like a weight off his shoulders to simply give in. He sheathes his sword and reaches out to touch the dragon's scales with one hand.

"All right. Consider me yours."

Edited 2021-09-03 09:29 (UTC)

He can feel it somehow, that subtle but profound shift in Felix's mind and heart, the release of tension as he stops fighting. How long has it been since Felix hasn't felt the need to rail against something? If only for a little while, he deserves to rest, and let someone else relieve him of the weight of his burdens.

Zechs had been a treasure, in his mind--a pretty little thing to possess and display, to admire and enjoy at his leisure. But he doesn't mean to keep Felix for long--and unlike Dimitri, he has no need of protection or fealty. All he needs from Felix, all he really wants..... is just a steadfast companion, trustworthy and strong, someone he can count on to see clearly and cut straight to the heart of things.

Felix can touch as much as he likes; Seteth rumbles low and deep in his chest, massive tongue flicking out to caress the merman. "Then I will. Leave everything to me, my shining sword."

[Felix closes his eyes briefly, letting that rumble travel through him from his ears, down his spine, to pool in his core like human fire. He shudders as the velvet warmth of the dragon’s tongue glides over his skin and scales.

When he opens his eyes again, they’re tinged with a hint of awe. He didn’t know he could feel this light; giving himself over completely to Seteth is a freedom he’s not sure he’s ever known. And when the teacher calls him his shining sword, it feels so right. He can and will swim by Seteth’s side and guard him from any he calls foe, any who would dare challenge him.

He reaches out his other hand, too, running both along the dragon’s face, and then presses his forehead against the scales there.]

I will. Wherever you go, I’ll follow.

Thank you.

[It would be hard not to feel lighter at that promise himself, the weight of his fear slipping from his shoulders like a shed cloak. Felix will stay. He'll follow him--anywhere he goes, at least until this madness has passed, Felix will be at his side. That pledge is one he'll have to answer with his own dedication--for now, he needs to protect and care for Felix in his own way, to mend whatever this change has done to his memories.

There's no way Felix can live on land like this, and no way he can live underwater for long. They'll have to stick to the shallows for now, if there's any hope of making this work. He won't be able to let Felix out of his sight, but..... no, it's fine. He can ask someone else to either mind Pebbles, or at least let him out of his stall so he can come stay on the shore with them. He doesn't mind living like an animal for a few days, if that's what needs to be done.]

Come, then.

[Seteth moves to coax Felix with him, back closer to the shore. The arrangement to stay with him should be simple enough, but that still leaves the question of what to do. How is he supposed to fix this when he knows so little of magic? Linhardt is gone, and he would have been their best bet to unravel whatever the root cause of this is. Mercedes, too, might have been able to grasp at the heart of whatever sorcery this is. So..... hmmm. Who else could handle this? Flayn? Constance?

Or maybe he's overthinking this. Is this something that might simply fade with time, or need..... well. Intimacy? It wouldn't surprise him, in a place like this.....]

Felix may not remember anything about his true life, and he may have fallen under Seteth's thrall, but if there's one thing that never changes about Felix, it's his devotion. To his beliefs, and to people he judges worthy. Nothing short of death could pry him from the teacher's side now, even if he has to drag himself onto land to follow.

As Seteth ascends toward the surface, Felix keeps pace easily. There's no practical need to keep one hand pressed to the dragon's scales as they swim; Felix is sure he could outpace Seteth in the water. But he does it anyway. He craves the teacher's touch in any way he can get it. Perhaps he can persuade Seteth to...oh, that's something he can't even fully think to himself without blushing. But the dragon said be mine, and he wants to be...

But would Seteth find these desires distasteful, or ridiculous? Would he turn Felix away if he knew about them? Best to keep them to himself, at least until he can quell them somehow.

They rise through the water until they break the surface. The light makes Felix's scales glitter and warms his complexion somewhat, but it also makes him squint for a few minutes until his eyes adjust.

"What now?"

It's a comfort to have him so close, honestly. Reassuring, to know that something as simple as a hand on his flank can ensure he doesn't lose Felix to the dark, cold depths. Felix may be upset later, but he can deal with that when the time comes. For now..... for now, is it wrong to enjoy this, just a little? Headstrong and proud (and prickly) though Felix may be, there's no questioning his loyalty once it's been earned, nor his passion or dedication, nor the strength and earnesty of his convictions. If he had to choose someone from their own ranks here to hold as his own.....

In spite of everything, he's pleased that it's Felix.

His lungs are burning by the time they breach, drawing a deep breath of relief and turning to look Felix over. What indeed? He can't use his bracelet like this, but he suspects trying would be pointless. After all, how likely is the Augur to give him a straight answer over this? No, they'll probably have to figure this out themselves, with or without cryptic hints. "Now we decide what to do with you. It's possible waiting a few days will be enough to help you remember. But it's also possible the Augur will demand..... tribute, instead."

Just when Felix resolved to say nothing about wanting...certain things...Seteth has to go and say something like that. 'What to do with you.' He folds his arms.

"I don't know who you're talking about, but who are they to demand anything of us? What kind of tribute?"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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

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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whoops just realized I randomly switched formats last time skjfg

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