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buttrinthum2024-07-20 09:30 am
TDM #10 OVERFLOW
Whether it be sleep or death, you feel your eyes close, and as your body begins to let go, you see a barn owl that is flying through the darkness, soon sweeping you across the clouded sky. You feel yourself mouth the words, “I wish, I wish..” and utter your deepest and darkest desire.
When you regain consciousness, you’ll find you are in an unfamiliar place with no recognition of how you arrived here. You have the clothes on your back, but nothing else. No weapons and if you had a particular superpower, you’ll notice it is missing. All you have is a satchel with a piece of bread, a vial of water, and a potion. The potion could be red, blue or golden. There are no instructions about these potions other than two words: Drink Me.
Will you drink it or not?
There is a parchment, handwritten in scrawling, jagged lettering that seems a bit... ominous:
You’re in a garden, surrounded by flowers and plants– most of which you cannot identify. However, there are a few that you can make out: Sunflowers and Hibiscus. You’ll soon find out that being around the Sunflower makes it difficult to pass through the already disorienting garden, even with the light guiding you. Where patches of them grow, even if only waist-high, you cannot pass through them, over them, or even destroy them to get them out of your way. In each grouping that blocks your path, there is one that has a key-shaped opening in the middle of the flower. Maybe the key is nearby? (Spoiler: it's probably under a rock nearby that you forgot to check!) The hibiscus offers an entirely different effect - inhaling the pollen grants you the temporary ability to shoot fireballs out of your hands. But be careful, those fireballs are difficult to control and seem to bounce in random directions no matter how hard you try to aim (cannot be used to destroy the sunflowers). The effect ends once you step out of the garden.
Somnius is once again recovering from a devastating blow. Buildings need to be restored to their former glory and the emotional turmoil of the previous weeks surely needs to be alleviated. What better way to lighten the mood than a little fun for the whole family? A new arcade has appeared in town, beckoning residents with its stone doors set wide open.
With multiple levels, a variety of games and even a snackbar, Appl3 Pi Arcade is sure to be a hit!
Of course, as with everything that ever happens in Somnius, the arcades appearance is not without some complications. For one, playing the games inside might see characters teleported into the machine itself, perfectly pixelated to fit the game they're in. Hope you weren't about to fight the final boss, because now you might be fighting for your life! The good news is, if you die in the game... you don't die in real life and are just popped back out into the arcade again.
Strange things happen outside the arcade too. Walking down the road you might suddenly see a healthbar pop up above someone's head. Are you supposed to fight them? Are they going to fight you? Best to be cautious and reach for any trusty weapons you have just in case. Weapons that have become pixelated and can be pulled seemingly out of nowhere like some kind of hammerspace. They are also prone to breaking and shattering into glimmering pixel pieces (your normal weapons are still intact, don't worry).
Boxes and pots around Somnius are somehow more breakable than usual, smashed open with a single swing of those pixel weapons and producing gold coins! What a shame gold coins aren't the currency here. But if you don't want to destroy more things around Somnius, why not try fishing instead? That seems safe - if not suddenly more difficult with the fishing minigame that popped up in front of you. Quick! Keep the fish icon in the green bar or you'll lose it!
All things considered? It's all relatively harmless fun up until-
Vaeros wakes up. For those new to town, this means nothing. For those that were here for the castle raid? They can rest assured that they're in for a surprise. The Overlord of Visium has finally awoken from his Hyalily induced coma and he is furious. A shout echoes from the castle:
A wave of magical energy sweeps through the town, shaking it to the very core. Miraculously, the destroyed buildings and any remnants of the forest onslaught are gone and returned to their usual state. Perhaps Vaeros shouting was just another tantrum, an empty threat?
Not quite.
The town has been restored, but the locals? They are nowhere to be seen - cowering in their homes and fleeing to the sanctity of the Church of the Moon in hopes of staying out of sight of Vaeros and Dreamers both. The once tame video game effects are now far more intense - monsters from within those games are now rampaging through the town. They seem to shift through buildings, but if they run face first into a Dreamer, they will find them very corporeal and very deadly.
Not only that, but the lines are starting to blur between reality and fiction again, the healthbar above your head flickering in and out, the monsters turning from pixel beasts to real, live animals that roam Somnius - both feral and not. One second you are walking through town, and the next you are stepping onto a platform that starts to break under your weight, demanding you jump to the next platform before you plummet into an odd, multicolored abyss.
And strangest of all is that music coming from the labyrinth, growing louder when you approach and fading out when you move away.
Welcome to the labyrinthum TDM! Characters will arrive depowered and with only their clothing, and will be given a satchel with a crystal pendant, a communication device, some water and bread and a magic potion. If they drink the potion, they will manifest an elemental, healing or animal transformation ability.
With the exception of Castle Vaeros, characters are free to go as they please, so feel free to place them in any of the locations available on the map. Yes, this includes the Labyrinth - though characters will not be able to clear the maze.
You can find more information about the game here. Any questions regarding the TDM can go under the comment below.
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... Nah. It's way too suspicious the way that bar moves, like the other guy is gearing up to beat his ass.]
Not sure what the point is lying about having powers. I admitted to having my own, so it's not like I could judge you. I've seen people summon demons and use all types of magic, so I doubt you have anything that would take me by surprise.
[He tries, like he's being comforting.
Jokes on Kazuya. The headdemons would be incredibly new, if he found out about them.]
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[That-
Hits a bit too close to home. Summoning demons and magic go hand in hand with the cognitive world back in his true reality. A place Akechi doubts this guy is from. It would be far too coincidental.
The only thing he knows for a fact is-
He's pissed off at every attempt to unweave the lie Akechi's threading, as if he knows anything.
One hand on his hip, the other makes a half assed attempt to wave the red bar away again. Nothing works, as expected, and it drops back to his side.]
You have, however, captured my interest with your own abilities. What do you mean summon demons?
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[Promise!
Kazuya doesn't mimic Akechi's posture, but he does shove his hands into his pockets nonchalantly. He really doesn't have anything here to lose.
Like sure, his life, maybe. But whatever. Stronger things than this guy have absolutely tried.]
Exactly what it sounds like. [Summoning demons is summoning demons.] I could summon them too... Not anymore, though. That's part of my abilities.
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I'm not - I assure you. [Kazuya's posture-
Reminds him of someone, in that moment. A teenager's whose image appears with crystal clarity over the blue haired menace he's found his way in front of. Hands shoved in pockets behind a cafe bar and-
Waiting by a subway and-
Akechi ignores it all. Everything. The overlay of someone familiar and the comments prior to the summoning statement.]
I see. You'll have to forgive my curiosity - summoning is obviously not common where I'm from and neither were demons. Was it a specific entity or something random?
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He'll let it drop. He's not that invested.]
There's a bunch of different kinds of demons that people could use. As long as they formed a contract, they could summon them. But as for specific entities? The common demons I've seen are Jack Frosts, Pixies, Ogres.... There's really just a bunch of them to choose from. Those are just the common low rank ones. I could name a bunch more, but they're mostly that of mythological figures or deities or legendary creatures or monsters.
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Jack Frost. Pixie. Ogres. Figures and deities of creatures and monsters.
Akechi feigns the barest amount of surprise. Interest. A hand pressing against his chin, as if the thought itself is vexing and unknown.
Another persona user or -
Worse. Another one of him, if he's speaking the truth about being able to contract multiples. The names are too familiar, but-
It's unconfirmed. Worlds overlap, terminology shifts from place to place. A minor coincidence and something to note.
The barista's image seems clearer than ever.]
That's quite a tale, but not the most outlandish I've heard since arriving here. Many people in this reality hold unfathomable and almost nonsensical abilities. In that sense, you'll fit in well with the rest of the captives.
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Hope he gets less self-conscious soon!]
What's the most outlandish?
[Just so he knows what he's up against. Not that it's a competition, but...]
cw: cannibalism lmao
[Neither one are secrets, given his close relationship to the people involved. They talk about it frequently enough in public.
He takes a few steps away from his 'boss bar' - something that seems to work, for the briefest time it hovers in midair, before it snaps back to his body. Furiously. Viciously. It smacks right into his spine, holy shit.
In retaliation, he pushes it down to the ground and holds the health bar under his foot.]
Where was I - Ah, there are an assortment of realities you'll learn about in your hopefully short time here. If you speak to others, most are rather open about everything in their lives, especially their world itself.
kazuya: yeah that tracks
He knows.
They've tried to eat him several times, and he has the scars to prove it.
Which is to say, he doesn't look very surprised at anything he says.]
I think the cannibalistic giants aren't that weird. They eat humans in a bunch of stories, so it's not too surprising to hear about a place where that's real and what happens. The dungeon one kind of sounds like a video game, though.
no subject
[GRIND THE BOSS BAR DOWN. HE NEEDS BOTH FEET. THE BAR IS SO LONG.]
Trapped in a world and held the whims of a supposed madman for his entertainment, forced to abide by a contract most don't recall signing.
[Boss bar cracked in half now. Hell yeah.]
You don't seem bothered by anything happening - if you don't mind my asking, why is that?
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What's the point in getting bothered? There's nothing I can do about it. And if I signed a contract, then I'm bound to it anyway.
[And... It's kind of nice. Having his humanity and soul back. (He assumes.)]
And on the off chance my wish could be granted, then I'll do whatever is necessary.
no subject
He's stupid stupid. Someone that believes a false idol's promise and a contract done under duress. Ridiculous. He's always baffled by these types.
Voice light and airy, he folds his hands together and lets them rest against his torso. Boss bar wiggling under his heels.]
Oh, you believe that at face value? I'm surprised and a bit jealous - it's difficult for me to trust someone's words like that. Perhaps that's a side effect of my job in my world.
[Ah, more idiots for Somnius.]
Your wish must be very important to you. I certainly hope it's fulfilled someday, though I can only hope it's by your own hand and not due to the whims of a madman.
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[Sure, it may be a cop-out as things currently stand, but having his humanity back, his soul back, isn't something to dismiss so easily. What remains is his abilities, that of the Bels, which he knows he needs to very much keep, lest they roam free and destroy anything they please.]
Sometimes there's things we can't do on our own. There's no shame in admitting that. And if it ends up giving me back what is most precious to me, then it's worth it in the end, because it's not something I could do on my own.
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[The other shit? Complete and utter drivel - all he sees is a compliant fool with a level 5 bar over his head.]
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[His humanity. Both are precious things that he gave up. The hope is that he can keep them, even if he gets his powers back. That would be the most ideal situation, but even if that's not the case, then maybe he can at the very least learn to appreciate what he'd simply taken for granted.]
no subject
I see. I won't press you on the details of it, but I suggest you reconsider what has or hasn't been given to you by Vaeros. There's no confirmation he was even involved in the restitution of your soul and even so, would you truly accept a life that could be held hostage by another?
[Grind, grind, grind - his foot digs into the health bar. It finally shatters.]
My apologies - I nearly forgot. You have my name from this bizarre effect [Another heel crush into the remaining red line.] but I haven't gotten yours.
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Well, I owe someone something for it either way. And until someone else can come and prove it was them, he's the best I have.
[But... To be held hostage, like he says? There's an obvious line to be drawn there. No, he wouldn't accept it. Even if it'd cost him his soul again, there was no point in having it if there was no freedom to be found anyway.]
Kazuya Minegishi. And either way, there's nothing I can do right now to stop anything that's going on, so I'm here either way until I get my abilities back or I get told I'm free to go.
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Minegishi. It's a pleasure to meet you.
[It's not ♥]
Have you been able to find a place to stay? As you said, you're trapped here for the time being and our captors are kind enough to provide housing for us. If you haven't found the area, I can guide you to it so you can claim a home.
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[He's not a very honorific-y person (thanks game and manga).
Also it lets Akechi be rude.]I haven't looked yet, no. [But he has heard about them by now! And he's very glad that there is housing and he doesn't have to sleep on concrete anymore in a cemetery.] If you're feeling nice enough to play tour-guide, I'd appreciate it.
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[No first names. Thanks.
The second half of the bar doesn't shatter, so he uses his foot to scrape dirt over it instead.
And with that out of the way - he moves from the spot he's been stuck at for some time.]
I'm happy to assist - I've been here for some time and enjoy showing others around the city. [It's what a prince would do.] It can be a jarring experience to get your bearings in.
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[And since getting his powers back on the table is apparently within the realm of possibility... Well, surely there'll be something he can do for Akechi at some point in the future!]
It is kind of jarring to be suddenly where you're not supposed to be. [Even if he's taking it in stride. Like, what else is he going to do, panic? Like that'd be helpful.] But at least it's... Semi-calm?
[Just ignore the monsters he's seen and run from. It's fine. Just an average day in Tokyo.]
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[He starts walking ??? somewhere! Towards the shitty little mushroom home area - enjoy peasant life, Kazuya.]
It tends to get worse during certain points of the month. Please keep your wits about you.
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I'm from just outside the Yamanote Line in Tokyo, if that means anything to you. So I think even if where I'm from can be pretty chaotic... It's definitely nothing like this.
[Mostly just exceptionally crowded and exciting in a much better way.
Minus the whole demon invasion thing.]
cw: murder
[Except he wasn't. Face down in his bed, with the memory of a corpse all consuming.
But he doesn't like that - especially given the previous discussion of demons.
No, he doesn't like that at all.]
There are a couple others here from the city, actually. [BIZARRE CONCIDENCE. WEIRD COINKYDINK.] Though only one other person comes from my particular Tokyo. Perhaps someone here is from your reality.
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[Even if from parallel world Tokyos... Maybe it's just a fan favourite for cosmic deities? Anyway-]
I'm pretty familiar with the Kichijoji area. [He's spent god knows how many hours trapezing around through it during the black out. To say nothing of how many times he's visited before with his friends when it wasn't infested with demons.] Is your Kichijoji also full of shops and arcades?
[Surely there must be some differences, right?]
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