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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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[The lockdown was... so much.
But he will get up, and dust his pants off.]
I can cook and clean too, if that helps. Who's your friend?
[:3???]
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[ Sorry, kid. It's not his castle to give away rooms in, and the last thing Vash needs right now is anyone else potentially making his life hell. They have a very, very delicate ecosystem going for their favorite little depressed plant-void-alien. ]
That said, the people here are incredibly friendly. You'll connect to others in no time. I wouldn't recommend trying to fight them right off the bat though... You might even find someone with as high of a level as me!
[ Ha ha! Jokes. If he could break that goddamn level bar in half he would. Embarrassing. ]
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[And also a little rude. Let him leech? Obviously it's working well for Maruki, and he can also cook and clean!]
And don't worry. I wasn't actually going to fight anyone. People back home would be upset at me if I did.
[Even without his powers, surely. But still, he gestures to his own little HP and level bar. Certainly pathetic in comparison.]
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Instead, Maruki only raises his eyebrows in mild, amused surprise. ]
You weren't actually going to fight me? You seemed pretty gung-ho about it...
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Not seriously. Even if I was at my full power, like I said, people would be upset.
[Well. Some people would be upset. Other people would tell him to kick this guys ass, and that just isn't fair, he thinks.]
Besides, you'd definitely win right now, I'm pretty sure.
[Which is to say... He doesn't believe for a moment that this guy would win if he was at full strength. Cocky little bastard, isn't he?]
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Why would they be upset?
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[There's more to it than that, obviously. Such as them not wanting him to be an evil demon overlord despite his lack of humanity. And honestly? He's doing his best out here.]
Or maybe your friends wouldn't care. I don't know them. But mine would. [Pause.] Most of mine would. [Another pause...] ... 75% of mine would.
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He supposes he'd be upset if Adam started hurting people, but more so because it would mean he was likely to get hurt himself.
It's likely he and Kazuya are coming at this from two different places, though. ]
Please don't take this the wrong way, because I'm really not trying to encourage you to fight anyone, but... Are your friends here? In this reality, I mean.
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I don't know. I haven't seen them yet, if they are here. They'd probably be the same level as me, if they were. Or, no. Atsuro might be stronger? [For a shut-in nerd, he's got a mean right hook for some reason???] Kaido definitely would be stronger, since he's the leader of a gang.
[He's mostly talking to himself. How do you correlate your friends power levels? What about Naoya? He's just a lanky albino, but he's Full Of Knowledge, and fast as hell besides.]
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[ Which may not sound like it means much, but if someone isn't on Maruki's radar, they don't exist. That's simply the way of things in Somnius. ]
But I suppose what I'm saying is that– well, if they're not here, will you still act with their opinions of you in mind?
[ Because if so, that's... new. ]
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[They're who he cares about the most, and to be honest, to the exclusion of most else. His friends come first, though perhaps it's a good thing he tends to make friends fast to begin with, isn't it?]
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[ Huh. What a strong moral code. ]
It's entirely likely that they might show up here, so it's probably for the best to operate with their interests in mind.
[ He... guesses? That's not how he's operated for even a minute in this reality. Not a way of living that he ever even considered. ]
And I suppose I should be grateful for it, if it keeps you from trying to fight me in the streets.
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[Kaido. And maybe Keisuke, if this guy did anything he vehemently disagreed with. Who knows? ]
They're definitely the minority though. So I guess you get let off easy this time.
[He's joking.... But he says it with an incredibly straight face...]
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Well, if you intend to regain your abilities, perhaps we can see about that one day.
[ And to contrast Kazuya, it's said with sincerity, but he doesn't mean it at all. Azathoth isn't entertainment
akechi dniand he's not going to fight some Tokyo punk who he hardly knows, no matter what. ]I'd hate to leave you on your own, but I do have to return to work. Will you be alright?
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[He's not going to mention that "see about that" would probably end with this guy on the floor. Is it necessarily true? Maybe, maybe not. But one does tend to feel maybe a little cocky about their ability when they've tasted ultimate power.
but for now, he's just a silly little guy :3.]
... Actually, do the houses at least come with pillows and a bed? If not, do you think maybe I could temporarily borrow at least a pillow from you, since you're rich?
[#priorities]
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[ Finger air quotes and all. ]
You ought to have one of these in the satchel you arrived with.
[ Maruki produces the shitty Nokia brick knockoff phone from his own pocket. ]
Ridiculous for people like us, right? I remember when these models first came out... Ah, anyway. Let me send you a map that will help. The housing district isn't too far from here, and you can take your pick of any empty building that catches your eye.
[ So curious about what he'll choose. He seems like a mushroom or treehouse kind of guy. Gross. ]
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It's not like he probably wasn't going to follow in Naoya's footsteps and move out soon enough anyway.
He'll look at that brick, and kind of blink a little. It's not too dissimilar from his phone back home...? He'll pull his own phone from his bag, and inspect it a little closer.]
... Aren't these relatively new models?
[HEY GUESS WHO IS FROM 2010.]
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Have you never had a real smartphone before...?
[ Unfortunately not beating the Rich Guy allegations, Maruki produces one from his other pocket. Think of it as a nice iPhone knockoff. Yes, he has two phones. No, this one wasn't even expensive. No, don't ask why he has two. It's stupid Vaeros bullshit and he hates it. ]
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Sugoi.... so rich and cool with your two phones, Maruki-sensei.Kazuya leans over to inspect the other phone, but he just shakes his head.]
I had a flip-phone back home. I think most people did? Or do?
[Surely nothing has changed in the month and a half he's been gone, right?]
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die ♥]A flip phone, huh? What year was it back in your reality?
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[Weird! Time is fake. More so in alternate dimensions, he guesses.
Does this mean he has a chance to learn about new tech before Atsuro...? He could absolutely rub it into his face if he is here, or if he isn't and later shows up. It's him. He could be the new tech geek...!
Too bad he doesn't care about that.]
Are time discrepancies common here? I'd guess so, if everyone is from different worlds.
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[ His non-Akechi best friend is a glorified medieval peasant who is currently obsessed with a Polaroid camera. It's endearing. ]
And Akechi-kun and I aren't that many years ahead of you, but I guess technology did evolve rapidly during that time...
[ A flip phone in 2010... Sad. ]
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What kind of mythological figures?
[He needs to know. He cannot handle getting a hole put in his chest by a Loki again if he can help it...! Or having to deal with Immortal BDSM Vampire God Beldr.
Those would be two of his least favourite encounters, though there are other demons that he'd also like to avoid where possible.]
How many years ahead of me are you anyway? Anything cool happen?
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[ Easy to brush off! ]
As for the mythological figures, let me think... There's Loki, as well as Thor, although I've not spoken with him personally. Possibly others? There's also the moon, but she's different. [ ??? ]
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Different worlds and all, and yet... The name is connected to a mythological figure. Along with the name Thor. Both are demons he knows about. And one he'd rather not know about.]
Noted. [He will be avoiding both demons! Thanks! The last thing he needs is to get a hand through his chest cavity again.]
How's the moon different?
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