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TDM #7
Welcome! Everything is fine.
Uploading. . . Complete!
The Lobby.
- When you open your eyes, there is quite a lot of beige to take in. The unassuming walls of the room you've found yourself in are barren save for a single motivational poster directly in your line of sight. An illuminated sign above an open door on the far wall reads 'lobby exit.'
"Welcome," chimes a polite, synthesized voice. "I'm happy you're here." A moment later comes the clarity of the situation: you have died and so has the world you came from. "This is Amani, your new reality," continues The Peacekeeper. "Everything will be fine."
At least you aren't the only one here, you'll soon find out, as others who are just as confused and concerned as you are mingling on the main hub's first floor. Hopefully, you find a familiar face among the crowd. If not, that's all right. You'll get to know quite a few people very well soon enough.
- If you're one of the unlucky few whose death required a bit more intensive re-coding to maintain stability in the simulation, you'll instead awaken on a bed in the infirmary. Everything is strikingly white save for the occasional string of vines with lavender growing in bursts to help keep people calm. Whether or not it works seems to be on a case-by-case basis.
While there is active medical staff, the voice of The Peacekeeper is also there to explain the situation in a more delicate manner to these individuals. It's already stressful enough having to have gone through such a violent death, after all!
If characters want more questions answered, they'll need to speak to The Peacekeeper directly. But first, it will encourage socialization in the main hub and hopefully, you'll find someone you recognize to make taking things in a little easier.
- Throughout the main hub where everyone congregates, a light chiming echoes through the first floor. "Hello, everyone," comes the synthetic voice from when you first arrived. "Please, seek shelter from the typhoon here. If you'd like, there is cake and some refreshments."
WHAT
The seventh Amani TDM!
WHEN
August 24nd, 2022
KINKS OF THE MONTH
★ Bloodplay
★ Sensory Deprivation
★ Rimming
★ Overstimulation
★ Sex-toys/Strap-on
★ Sensory Deprivation
★ Rimming
★ Overstimulation
★ Sex-toys/Strap-on
WHAT'S YOUR DTF STATUS?
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.
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 » For those who would prefer to clean the water instead of the beach, these boats can comfortably fit two people in them--or one person, should they choose to lie down. Better grab a partner, unless you want to be rowing in circles!
★ Skimmer Nets » These long-handled tools can extend up to five meters, with nets strong and deep enough to scoop up a substantial amount of debris from the water--or capture most people from the waist up, should you feel more inclined to messing around than picking up the pieces.
★ Brushes » These broad brushes come in a variety of materials to help scrub mud and sand off any buildings that got blasted, from stiff nylon bristles, to soft silicone that might not feel bad being used for a massage. You've earned it after working so hard, right?
★ GET LAID » The state-of-the-art Liquid-Air Impulse Device boasts an impressive number of features, all in a handy dandy device you can wear as a backpack. Not only can its hose serve as a pressure washer, high-powered vacuum, or water gun, but it can also be used as a jet pack! The sky is the limit--just don't forget to land occasionally and refill its tank with water, or you may find yourself in free fall.
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.
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.
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
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!
★ 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
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He glances over his shoulder. "Regardless, he is only one member of the group I stay with, and perhaps the one I'm the least familiar with. He has a number of devoted partners who live with him - one of them, Genesis, has far more in common with me than I had ever imagined possible. We have become..." Kuja finds himself, unexpectedly, unsure how to describe his relationship with Genesis to Zidane. Or perhaps he's merely reluctant to. But he's not quite sure why. He's never shied away from positively preening about Genesis before. "...involved," he concludes. "He invited me to stay with them. One of the men is a good cook, and enjoys making food for people; if you are indeed hungry, I'm sure he would make you something."
As for fun...well, he avoids that question for now. Sex certainly makes up a significant chunk of this world's entertainment, and he finds himself almost awkward about the subject in front of Zidane.
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"Hmm...I don't remember whether I ever did, either, but it's better that way. I'd rather meet him for the first time the way he is now."
Zidane tilts his head this way and that to peer at Kuja when he hesitates about this Genesis person. When the answer finally comes, Zidane brightens, although he can't help a faint twinge of sadness at the reminder that after everything he went through to get back to Garnet, here he is, separated from her again...but it's brief. He knows it's not forever, and he's not alone here. He finally has the opportunity to get to know Kuja for real, beyond their shared history of tragedy and grief and conflict, and he's going to seize it with both hands and his tail.
"A home-cooked meal? I'm in. And congrats!" His smile widens into a grin. "You gotta tell me about this Genesis guy. Is it serious? Moving in with somebody is a big deal, you know! Gimme the whole scoop."
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He's not saying this as any sort of discouragement to Zidane meeting Sephiroth as he is. Indeed, from what Kuja has seen and experienced, Sephiroth as he is now is a man who may well be worth knowing. It's more...a gentle warning. He and Zidane, more than anyone else, are likely to go back to the same place and time. It's only fair to warn Zidane for what he might be in for if and when they do.
...not that Kuja cares to think about that too closely. Not when it would mean leaving Genesis behind.
At Zidane's congratulations, Kuja feels his face heating up slightly. He's never quite been in a position like this before, and he's not certain how to react. "I...yes, it's serious." He's glad that walking and facing forward gives him an excuse to not look at Zidane; the words are somehow too intimate for him to want eye contact while he says them. "He and I share an uncanny number of things in common...even things one would imagine are far too esoteric for someone else to have lived through. Being discarded by those who sought to use us and found us lacking, for instance...or becoming violent upon the discovery that those who sought to create us to their specifications had ensured we would die young." He pauses(in speech, if not in movement), lifting a hand to look down at it. "At least, 'young' as those whose bodies age might define it. We understand each other...in ways perhaps even you and I cannot. And, for all my flaws...he loves me."
no subject
Wait...wait, wait a minute. Is Kuja blushing? Zidane expected to find that adorable, and he does, but it's also...well, Kuja looks really pretty like that. Not that he isn't pretty all the time, but seeing him look a little vulnerable in a positive way gives him a different kind of beauty. Softer.
...whoa, where did all these thoughts about Kuja come from? Literally while he's talking about his serious relationship, too. Zidane's gotta dial it back, sheez.
"Wow, that is a really specific thing to have in common. Is he a Genome, too?" Zidane hadn't thought there were any more of them, but there's a lot he didn't know and, he's sure, a lot he still doesn't.
He smiles. "Good. I'm glad. Everybody's got flaws, and everybody deserves to be loved - not despite their flaws, but for the whole package. Sounds like you're pretty happy here."
no subject
"But no, Genesis isn't a Genome. He's from another world entirely, neither Terra nor Gaia. This place has one thing in common with the gods' war - it draws people in from any number of worlds, many bearing no resemblance to each other whatsoever. Which truly only makes the similarity of our experiences all the more improbably miraculous...or disheartening, perhaps, depending on how one looks at it. To have found in each other someone who understands so deeply is certainly a blessing...but it's quite the mixed one, when one considers that it's only possible if some cruelties are universal."
He glances sidelong at Zidane as the other man speaks of being loved for the whole of oneself, flaws and all, and there might be a flicker of a smile on his lips. In his old life, Kuja would have dismissed such words as sentimental nonsense; he'd never been loved back then, and he'd been discarded over a singular flaw - one that wasn't even truly a detriment to the work he'd been designed for. As a tool for fomenting war on Gaia, he'd certainly not disappointed; even now, Kuja isn't certain why Garland thought he needed Trance as well. (Perhaps he'd thought to turn Kuja, and eventually Zidane, into weapons of mass destruction instead...) Surely there could be no reason to tolerate imperfections in others, except perhaps that least desirable of emotions, pity.
But now...someone does love him. And there are others who like him, as well. And not even his flaws turn them aside. Instead...they continue to look on him with those same fond gazes, inexplicably.
Kuja had thought he understood human nature quite well, after decades of manipulating people as he desired. But the truth is that he'd only ever understood the worst of them...and had in fact convinced himself that was all there was. Zidane, however, knows things about human nature that Kuja had never even realized there were to learn. Only now, having experienced some of them firsthand, can Kuja recognize he's right.
"I've never truly had the opportunity to be happy anywhere else," he replies, looking forward again. "But...yes. I am happy. Not just with Genesis, but...there are a few others." Mostly Cloud, but Kuja is coming to appreciate Angeal, and has smatterings of fondness for a few others.
no subject
"Yeah..." He's thought about it often - that Kuja never got to have a childhood, or friends, or even a found family like Tantalus. He was alone for such a long time. Is it any wonder he would have done anything to take the reins of his own life? Not that there's any excusing the terrible things he did, but...well, Garland wasn't wrong when he said that Zidane and Kuja were alike. Zidane's sure that if their positions had been reversed, he could easily have walked the same path Kuja did. After all, he hates being told what to do, too.
I wouldn't want that kind of power...if I only had a place to call home...
His own words echo back to him. Kuja seems to have found a home of his own, and Zidane's so happy for him. But Zidane's home is back on Gaia, with Dagger and Tantalus and the others. If only there were some way to bring Kuja and the things that make him happy back with him...then it would be perfect. But they're two worlds removed from Gaia now, and Zidane has no idea whether going back is even an option. If they left this place somehow, would they just go back to the gods' battlefield again?
...they'll find a way. No matter what.
"Don't worry, soon you'll be able to add me to that list, too." Zidane jabs a thumb at his own chest with a grin. "We're gonna make up for lost time and then some."