uhmani | TDM #7

If the main hub and its features don't appeal to you, that's perfectly fine. This is the perfect time to configure your Digitized Technical Friend or your DTF status. A DTF is similar to a dæmon from His Dark Materials in that it is connected to and a reflection of a character's soul. These DTFs take shape accordingly and are projections similar to the NPCs. Think of them as your own personal Clippy except less annoying. Hopefully.

Once that's set-up, there are other locations of the main hub to investigate! You can visit the training grounds, music lounge, library, and onsen. Also, feel free to leave an offering for the resident deity of sleep (Hypnos) at his shrine! You can even visit The Peacekeeper themselves on the second floor. They're always happy to have visitors! They're also conveniently where you might place a complaint about that status of the main hub and its amenities. Even if you do complain, The Peacekeeper will encourage others to set off and find their own place to live out in the simulation.

Granted, the housing market in the afterlife isn't exactly robust. It doesn't help that every place you find has a leaky roof or broken window. No, unfortunately that will need to be fixed the peaceful way. If you'd like more lighting or even cozier clothes, simulation inhabitants are reminded that 'peaceful interactions' are very important!

It might be a good idea to stick close to someone you know, for now, since even the smallest amounts of intimacy might see subtle changes occurring where they're staying. Perhaps that broken window is now fixed, the grime and dust seem a little less, or the floor doesn't creak quite as loud.

Larger changes, however, will only come after demonstrating the more powerful peaceful interactions. If you want new hardwood floors or a fresh coat of paint on the walls, you're going to have to demonstrate how well you 'get along' with others against them first.

A FOUL WIND BLOWS

For the last couple of weeks, The Peaceekeeper has been relatively quiet save for the mandatory greeting of newcomers. In fact, it doesn't even make the usual announcement that it has before to alert inhabitants of the sudden shift in weather. Blue skies and sunshine gradually begin to darken over. The wind picks up to a frightening gale that will see people likely needing to strap things down and fasten their shutters tight.

However, it's not anything physical that inhabitants will likely end up losing. The forceful rain, wind, and ensuing storm will instead strip away their inhibitions if they're unlucky enough to be caught in it.

What was holding you back, anyway? It's hard to remember or seems so suddenly trivial. It's not an issue anymore. that's for sure! Whether this is about something intimate, secrets kept, or things you know you shouldn't say for any number of reasons don't matter. Self-consciousness and doubt feel like a thing of the past and you're free to chase whatever whims you want!

Hopefully, you won't regret it when the effects wear off in a few day's time.

CLEAN-UP CREW

Although not everyone may be in the mood to buckle down and get to work after the storm blows through, the mess it leaves behind is literal as well as metaphorical. Time to get cleaning! The Peacekeeper has graciously provided a whole host of tools to assist inhabitants in clearing the debris littering the beach and floating in the ocean, including...

Inflatable Rafts

Skimmer Nets

Brushes

GET LAID

Liquid-Air Impulse Device

JUST KEEP SWIMMING

All your hard work hasn't gone unnoticed!

The mermaids that live beneath the waves of Taasunni Beach are extremely grateful that the inhabitants have taken the time and effort to clean up their home. To show their gratitude, they've decided to let everyone experience the beauty of the once-again pristine ocean for themselves!

Upon request, one of the mermaids lounging in the shallows will kiss inhabitants to fill them with magic. This gift will transform them into merfolk themselves for about 6 hours, allowing them to breathe underwater, swim swiftly, and explore or play in the depths to their hearts' content.

Those who indulge in this, especially repeatedly, may find themselves feeling unusually buoyant and free--as though a weight has lifted from their shoulders, and their troubles are simply washing away on the tide.

SEXY STAMP CARD

If you're wondering about these 'peaceful interactions' that keep being mentioned or what the kinks of the month are for... Here's your answer! Upon arrival, all characters will receive a digital copy of their very own sexy stamp card.

Sexy Stamp Card

Issued by: The Peacekeeper

1 2 3 4 ♡

6 7 8 9 ♡

❤

<div style="width:100%;padding:10px 10px 0;font-family:garamond, georgia, serif;font-size:20px;font-style:italic;letter-spacing:2px;text-align:left;">Sexy Stamp Card</div>
<div style="width:100%;padding:0 10px 10px;">Issued by: The Peacekeeper</div>

<div style="width:100%;display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;justify-content:center;align-items:center;gap:10px;font-size:16px;font-weight:bold;color:#13336b">

</div>

</div>

</div></div>

<div style="max-width:300px;width:100%;margin:-10px auto 0;text-align:right;font-size:10px;"><a title="code credit!" href="http://10billionghosts.dreamwidth.org" style="text-decoration:none;color:#eee;">❤</a></div>

</div>
</lj-raw>

Completing peaceful interactions (i.e. kinks) will reward characters with stamps that they can turn in for re-gains and many other things! While the example one here is the standard issued card by The Peacekeeper, players are more than welcome to customize it how they see fit. Have fun with it! NOTES

★ The effects of all the influences can, as always, be as heavy or light as you'd like! It can be chalked up to differences in resistance, non-humanity or not, etc. etc.

★ Please thank Love Bug Infy for helping out with this TDM!

★ Make sure to dunk your questions/feedback in the thread below!

★ The locations page is undergoing a revamp! While originally I wanted to have it done in time for this test drive meme, that didn't quite happen. But it is coming soon, I promise!

★ Due to moderator error meaning we are over the player limit already and repeated requests, the player cap has been increased to 50. We are currently at 47/50 slots taken! Anyone wishing to claim a character must have an invite and follow the proper rules in place to be accepted into the community.

★ Also in light of that announcement and since I totally forgot the monthly meme due to being sick... Why not check out the ATP/EMP Meme now up? See who others want to try out, enable your friends! Fun all around!

NAVIGATION

F.A.Q. ★ RULES ★ CHARACTER CLAIM ★ LOCATIONS ★ MAIN NAVIGATION

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Well, I'll be damned! I guess that'll teach me to judge. [He gave a chuckle of his own.] Well, hey, for somethin' you pulled together after bein' on the run, it ain't so bad! It's awful cozy. If it'd be alright with you, I don't think I'd mind shacking up in one of them rooms you mentioned for a while.

[A short pause, and then a snicker, before he continued. With his inhibitions gone, it seemed like he had very little reservations about chatting people up. A more reluctant Arthur may have taken his drink, shot the breeze for a short while, and saw himself out, but here he was, leaning comfortably against the counter, looking to go nowhere any time soon.] You know, I been goin' on all this time, and I don't even know your name!

Oh--- you know, I hadn't realized, either. I'm Anders. Just Anders, no surname.

[From beside the largely unused register, he produced a book, opening it to log the newcomer's stay.]

I'll need your name, as well. Both for manners' sake and for the ledger.

Name's Arthur. Arthur Morgan.

[He took a moment to finish off his drink, making a face at yet another crack of lightning outside, the rumbling thunder coming shortly after. The storm was right upon them, it seemed.]

You know, it's funny. I can't remember the last time I been in a place where I could put down my real name without worryin' about gettin' killed or snatched up in the middle of the night. I imagine you know how all that goes, what with you havin' been on the run, too.

[Anders nodded, writing down his name in the book.]

Well, it didn't really help that by nature of how I was born, it was impossible for me to truly stay hidden. I don't know if you had magic in the world you came from, since everyone comes from very different places and versions of the world, but unfortunately I was very, very easy to track. Thankfully I was able to destroy the thing that made that possible, but it was still pretty hard to be discreet.

[He produced a room key for Arthur, which was large, steel, and old fashioned.]

You're in room 2, by the way.

[That seemed to catch Arthur's attention, thick brows lifting in what was immediate, unmistakable interest, even as he took the large key, hooking it onto his belt for safe keeping.]

Magic? I mean, I knew a feller who was a magician. Knew all sorts of tricks n' such. I'd hope that folks weren't hunting you down for a couple'a parlor tricks, though. Then again, some people got their strange notions about things that don't really matter, I s'pose.

No, no, not like sleight of hand. I mean proper magic. Like so.

[Anders gave a wave of his hand, producing a ball of fire, floating just above his palm. He extended his hand to Arthur.]

[Without thinking, Arthur let out a baffled laugh, leaning closer to get a better look at it. Fire-light danced in his eyes, and it warmed his face - that sure was real fire alright. Before he'd get himself burned, he leaned back, but with immense enthusiasm, grinning like a madman.]

Now that's some fuckin' magic right there! That's somethin' else! How in the hell did you do that? [He laughed, tilting his head one way or another, as if doing so somehow helped him process the sight better.] You mean to tell me that you got powers like you wouldn't believe, where you can make fire outta nothin', and folks hated it? Were they out of their goddamned minds?

I was born with it. [He seemed proud to announce it.]

The reason people hated it is because they thought I was dangerous. They thought all mages were dangerous, to be precise. "Magic is meant to serve man, not to rule over him." That was the line the chantry, our church, told everyone, and apparently that meant that people with magic were meant to serve, as well. So they kept us all locked up in a tower, just for being born the way we were.

Now, to be fair, an untrained mage can be very, very dangerous, for obvious reasons, but they could easily have trained us without penning us like cattle. I think the chantry wanted us weak and isolated, to keep us down. But that's just me.

[Seemed Anders was happy and even eager to rant about this to anyone who would listen. Some things never changed.]

[Arthur listened, clearly fascinated, folding his arms across the bar as Anders went on. He'd heard tales like these time and time again, and it didn't seem like they were exclusive to his time whatsoever. What a shame - he'd hoped other worlds would have been kinder, but when there's a will to get up to some bullshit, there's always a way people will do it, isn't there?]

Now what a load of--- what in the hell were they thinkin'? [He gave a scoff of a laugh - vanished inhibitions and reservations came once again, this time in the form of outspoken outrage for a fight that wasn't his own.] I mean, sure, I'm sure somebody can use that for all kinds of shit, but can't anybody do that with anything? I mean, shit, give a crafty fella a knife and a couple of hours, and he'll raise all kinds of hell!

[He sat a bit upright, clearly joining Anders in his ranting, gesturing with his hand as he spoke. He was getting very into this.]

And--- I mean, hear me out--- and can I get another drink real quick before I get to carryin' on and forget? That aside, though, wouldn't they mean magic servin' man as y'all usin' it to benefit everybody? Including the people usin' it? I think you're onto somethin' 'bout them choosing to keep y'all locked up! Why couldn't they have trained everybody to use it like you train anybody else for anything they gotta use that's dangerous? You don't go givin' folks guns who don't know how to use it, I don't see how it's much different than that!

[At the "knife and a couple of hours" comment, Anders slapped the counter enthusiastically.] That's what I've been saying this whole time! Finally, someone gets it!

[He was quick to pour Arthur another glass of whiskey, making himself a shot as well, which he quickly knocked back. He nodded along to the rest of Arthur's rant. If he hadn't been sure of wanting to get into the man's pants before, he certainly was now.] Exactly! Exactly! Wait, what's a gun?

[Arthur took a long swig from his glass, before he sat it aside, looking as enthusiastic as ever. At the question, he seemed to pause, furrowing his brows with thought, before gesturing with his hands to about the size of a gun.]

Think somethin' about ye big, got a handle and a trigger, and a lil' metal piece packed with gunpowder. Gunpowder gets struck by a switch in it, in a way, and shoots out the metal piece faster than you can imagine. You ever seen the lid of somethin' explosive get shot off it? Imagine that, but smaller, and you're doin' it on purpose towards somebody you want to put holes into. Bet I could draw one for ya if that don't make sense.

Gunpowder... that sounds like the gaatlock stuff the Qunari people invented back where I'm from. Black powder that explodes when set on fire? It sounds like a---- miniature fireworks launcher.

Yeah! You got it. I don't think I'll ever get to show ya one, but that's probably for the best. They're not too good for... "peaceful interactions" n' such.

Yeah, that's probably not going to be too useful in a place like this. Violence is kind of discouraged. [Anders laughed bashfully despite himself.] I hope being "peaceful" isn't too difficult for you. Some people struggle with being so cavalier about it.

[Ah, he'd nearly forgotten, but his laugh reminded him easily. That was right - this place sure was something else, wasn't it?]

Well, I won't lie to you, Anders, it ain't somethin' I been up to too terribly much. [Arthur gave a bashful laugh of his own, taking a moment to knock back the rest of his glass of whiskey.] But I sure ain't afraid to do what I ought to, or see what's what when the moment strikes, you know what I mean?

I understand. I had to earn this place, and I didn't come here under the best circumstances. But I've always been a tramp in every sense of the word, so I suppose I have that going for me. [He laughed it off.] Well, let me know if you need help. You can stay as long as you like, fix up one of the broken places around here, or I can point you in the right direction as far as earning some stamps and you can earn yourself a proper home.

[At calling himself a tramp, he joined him for a laugh, giving an understanding nod.]

Well, wouldn't you know it, me n' tramps have quite a history together! [Another short laugh, and a bit of a grin shot his way.] I ran with a gang just about all my life, so I'm well acquainted with the life style, don't you worry none. I'll probably stick around here for a while, if that's alright by you. If I'm bein' completely honest, I ain't had this kind of long-term roof over my head in nearly twenty years, so I sure as hell ain't complainin'. I could even lend a hand here n' there, if ya like. [A short pause, and a playful look was shot his way, brows lifted.] And besides! I ain't in no rush. Maybe I'm findin' myself fairly pleased with the company I'll get to keep?

Is that so! Well, make yourself at home, serrah, my tavern is your tavern. [This obscenely handsome man was flirting with him. Oh, sweet Andraste, Anders needed another shot.]

Thank you! I won't make no trouble. [A delighted chuckle, before he passed his glass back over.] Now, don't think me a mess, mister, but if you'd be so kind, I'd love another drink. Whatever y'all got back there is a hell of a lot better than anything we had back home!

Of course! That's what bars are for, isn't it? [He chuckled, pouring Arthur a drink.] It's dwarven whiskey from Orzammar in Ferelden. Or at least--- it's meant to be a replica, I guess. Nothing around here really is from anywhere, I don't think.

[He gladly took the drink when it was offered his way, giving another short nod of thanks.] I didn't figure so, but I sure ain't complainin'! Most of what we had back at home tasted like the shit, but it got the job done. Anything better than that, and you'd be payin' an arm n' a leg for it.

Well, the whiskey and the wine are probably our only half-decent drinks, to be honest. The ale tastes like piss. But it's part of the charm. [He laughed.] What is the place where you're from called? I'm from a place called Ferelden, though I spent some years in another country called Kirkwall.

Well, the country was America, but I roamed around here n' there to all sorts of different states. Like smaller countries in the bigger one. [He replied, ever-casual, taking a drink.] What was it like, in either of 'em? Considerin' you already got magic there, I'm willin' to bet that it was somethin' else.

That doesn't sound too different from the Free Marches. It's technically its own country, sort of, but it's really made up of a collection of independent city-states that have collectively decided to self-govern. Kirkwall is one of them, but it's dreadful. It's a horrible stone monstrosity where all the buildings are so stacked on top of each other that you'd have to walk at least a mile from your house before ever seeing a blade of grass. Plus, it used to be a hub for slave trade, so all these dour, miserable-looking statues are everywhere. Ferelden was a bit better. Muddy, and full of dogs, but it had some lovely countryside. Mountains, lakes, rolling hills, woodlands. The whole package.

Never seen anywhere like Kirkwall, and quite frankly, I think I'm better off for it, goddamn. Ferelden sounds 'bout like I'm used to, though! There's plenty of lil' towns back where I came from that were muddy n' looked like shit. Nice people, though, n' a step away from the most beautiful land you ever seen, so I'm willin' to bet Ferelden weren't much different. Where were you from? It sounds like you were a fella who got around!

(no subject)

rebeljustice - 2022-09-07 09:55 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

mister_morgan - 2022-09-07 11:06 (UTC) - Expand

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only