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upcyclingmod ([personal profile] upcyclingmod) wrote in [community profile] pedalbike2020-08-29 10:30 am
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First TDM: Sterile Blues


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Arrival



Not all characters (known as Wickie, singular or Wickies, plural) arrive at the same time, surprisingly enough! That’s life for you. Some Wickies find their way to the island at a pivotal (or very mundane) point in their life, or even after or during their death.

Wickies who were standing or walking often find themselves entering the town South Sister, located on Lighthouse Isle, through an open doorway. Those that were laying down, or sleeping, tend to be found lying prone in beds, bathtubs, showers, couches, and similar places within the cottages on Cottage Row. There’s no rhyme or reason to it all! To Wickies familiar with the era, they will realize that everything looks as if it’s come from the ‘90s.

The house which a Wickie finds themselves within could already be occupied. This includes walking into a fellow Wicke, waking up in the same location, or accidentally scaring a room full of people with their sudden appearance.

Oops.


Sterile Blues


After arriving, Wickes will find that food and water are easy enough to come by, as they can be readily found in the various houses which populate Lighthouse Isle. Medical supplies, on the other hand, are not so easily acquired. Bandaids and other simple trappings can be pilfered from the odd medical cabinet, but otherwise you’re on your own.

Thankfully, if a Wickie or their friend are in need of medicine or a pair of trauma shears, while you won’t find a full-fledged hospital on the island, there is a clinic. The clinic, named Sister’s Helpers, is like the rest of the buildings in town. Its appearance is well kept, and the doors are unlocked. Whether the Wickie goes in through the windows (because they can), or through the front door like most would, they’ll find that the clinic’s interior is crisp, clean, and orderly. There are plastic chairs, a desk where a receptionist would sit, white walls, but then—

There’s a sound. It could be mistaken for a breeze, at first. But as the sound goes on, it becomes more obvious that the ‘breeze’ is an exhale, prolonged and forced. At the end, there’s a murmur, professional and assuring.

“That’s good. Breathe.”

And with that, the clinic becomes awash in shades of blue. Sister’s Helpers itself hasn’t become warped in any way. There is only monochromatic coloring which, upon further realization, is not truly in the building, but a problem with their vision. Leaving without investigating further will mean having blue vision for the next twenty-four hours.

But for Wickies who choose to stay and explore, there is a chance at clearing their vision. This is is especially difficult for those who have a history of not taking care of their injuries. Gradually, it becomes more difficult to walk, as if there are weights on their feet. For Wickies are especially guilty of not tending to their wounds, their movements will become even more sluggish, and weight will settle on their arms and chest, forcing the worst of offenders into a crawl as they explore from room to room.

Laying on the patient beds will alleviate the situation for a short amount of time. The cure, however, will come from characters taking the supplies which they need for themselves and not for others.

If the Wickie fails this, over the course of an hour they will be crushed to death, and will eventually wake up outside of the clinic. Their vision stuck in shades of red with a weakness in their limbs for the next twenty four hours.

The Wickie’s only cure for that is either taking medical supplies for themselves or by doing some form of self care.


Ashes, Ashes


It’s the middle of the night when all the Wickies are jarred awake from sleep by the blare of a broken siren. Wailing into the dark, the siren functions as a foghorn might, warning of hazardous conditions to come. Beneath Wickies feet, the ground trembles, pulsating once. Twice. Three times. And again, and again until—

The world changes, and it is no longer the foggy island the Wickies knew.

Ash falls steadily from above, blanketing the ground, and at first glance it can be mistaken for snow. Whether by scent, by touch, or even by taste (an option for the brave, the bold, the few), the truth of the ‘snowfall’ can be easily revealed. It is strange, though, that there are no signs of fire in the vicinity. In fact, there doesn’t seem to be much of anything at all. There’s still no sign of the mainland. There are no buildings in this desolate place, either.

Lighting in this new landscape is hazy and sullen, but still conducive to exploring despite it being the dead of night just moments ago. But while Wickies walk, there’s a growing feeling of foreboding. There’s something… something else with them.

And it conceals itself in the ash.

It attacks by lashing out to grab at the ankles and the calves, attempting to drag the unsuspecting victim down, to somewhere far deeper and hidden by billowing piles of ash. It’s easy to save a Wickie from the pull, so long as they’re quickly freed from their assailants grasp. Retrieving someone out of the ash itself is nigh impossible, though.

Grabbed Wickies who lived to tell the tale, may find themselves bitten. The stalkers in the ash sink their teeth into the foot or calf of their prey, leveraging the force of their bite to take down their target. And once there’s blood, more of these creatures will be attracted to the smell.

If a Wickie is clever or strong enough to draw the stalkers out of the ash, they will find that the attackers are shark-like people. Most of their head consists of oversized jaws housing an impossible amount of teeth, and lacking any eyes. Their bodies are covered in ashen chitin and bone, with elongated feet and thin, taloned fingers. These Ash Sharks do not like being exposed, and will respond accordingly.

Ash Sharks cannot be reasoned with. Trapping one in ropes, magic, or other means will elicit angry shrieks which will attract other Ash Sharks, either to eat the trapper, or trapped, or both if they can. Being dragged completely under the ash will start a feeding frenzy, and the Ash Shark will proceed to rip and tear chunks out of its prey.

In dying, Wickies will reset to a random location within the ash filled fields, completely intact but for a purpling bruise where the initial bite took place.

Good luck.


Network Time: The Heart Game


There’s a beeping alert on all Wickie’s smartphones that refuses to stop until a particular notification is read. The notification is for something called the Heart Game (which, yes, looks annoying, overly bright, and cheesy). And surprise! The game opens up automatically with a loud ping!

The game begins (and ends!) with a question, one which will not go away even if you try to close out of it or shut off your smartphone. It reads:

It’s time for everyone's favorite game! Confession! Heeeeere is today’s question which you must confess!

What is… the scariest thing you’ve experienced? It can be anything!


code bases by tricklet
binghua: (1)

[personal profile] binghua 2020-09-05 03:46 am (UTC)(link)
Surely winter must come. It is the way of the world that the seasons take their turns, is it not?

[Oh, now this is interesting. Xingchen isn't sure if his companion is being literal in her self-identification or more metaphorical, but all the same he intends to show her respect.]

Indeed that is true. And how lucky I must be to stand in the presence of one so esteemed.

[Xingchen sweeps his arms out and brings his hands together, bowing toward this dragon.]
nowi_wins: (he ceased his fearless roar)

[personal profile] nowi_wins 2020-09-05 03:46 am (UTC)(link)
Yes!

[He'll never guess that she has chosen 'dragon.' So creative. ]
incinerators: (t2DK2nH)

[personal profile] incinerators 2020-09-05 03:47 am (UTC)(link)
Right, of course.

[ she manages a nod -- it's a little weak because of her exhaustion, but it's there. ]

If we stay here any longer -- well, I'm sure we both know what'll happen if we do.

[ she doesn't have to say it. it's fairly obvious, at this point. though by lying on this bed, she does feel better, and she's gaining her strength back little by little. ]

There's something about lying down on this bed, though, isn't there? It's almost as if it's...healing me.
whiteshroud: (shroud - casual)

[personal profile] whiteshroud 2020-09-05 03:50 am (UTC)(link)
[He turns his head when he hears her voice....and then has to look up because dang she's tall. The front of the hood still conceals most of his identity, but she'll be able to make out from her vantage point that there's at least definitely a person under there.

He pauses as he tries to figure out how much to say. Stuff's supposed to be secret, but this is an unusual situation and hiding information wouldn't make practical sense.]


A parallel world to reality. But this place feels different.

[Also you know, nothing's tried to eat them yet. Which usually happens by now in the Eclipse]
plasticasshole: (◎ i'm at the back of the club)

[personal profile] plasticasshole 2020-09-05 03:50 am (UTC)(link)
[He doesn't want to shut down. It seems likely that he would if he stayed here, though.]

Me too. It makes no sense.

[Resting isn't a requirement he has. He doesn't get tired. So why? His LED flashes red briefly, then back to yellow.]

I've never felt like this before. Have you?
nowi_wins: (And Puff that mighty dragon)

[personal profile] nowi_wins 2020-09-05 03:52 am (UTC)(link)
Y-yeah...

[There is a hint of a whine in her voice. That hurt! But as soon as he's on her back she takes to the sky. Once above the ash she does send a jet of fire spitefully at the ground. With all the ash in the way it's hard to tell if she even hit anything, but it's the principle of the thing.]

Hmph. Dumb monsters...
abruptfulmination: (♪Will I awake)

Heart Games

[personal profile] abruptfulmination 2020-09-05 03:52 am (UTC)(link)
He hadn't been expecting to be addressed - the constant ping of the device was something he had grown accustomed to ignoring, for... reasons. Possibly his own was beeping quietly in the pocket he'd thrust it into, leather muffling the sound pretty well. In fact, he almost didn't realise who was being spoken to at first. When someone holds a phone near him, though, dark brown eyes slide to it, then back up to Leanne.

Just a second or two of staring, and he takes the thing to... well. Hopefully answer her question adequately. The phone's a little newer than he's used to, but they still work pretty much the same.

"... It's telling you to answer it with a confession of what the scariest thing you've experienced is. Here." His voice is a little... dull? Not uncomfortably, but notably. Maybe he's just tired. Tapping a large finger on the screen to pull up the keyboard, he pauses over the list of keyboard languages. "... What language do you read?" It... occurs to him that it's weird that she can converse with him, but not read the phone.
syntech: (♫And maybe I could say now)

[personal profile] syntech 2020-09-05 03:53 am (UTC)(link)
Alright. Is it a mammal?

[Just the most creative dragon, she is. He'll be even more baffled when she finds out that's what she is.]
incinerators: (you fail to save them)

[personal profile] incinerators 2020-09-05 03:54 am (UTC)(link)
[ she's very tall, indeed. she keeps her distance from him still, but the fact that he explains himself helps somewhat. it gives her the impression that maybe he can be trusted, and knowing that there is a person under there helps as well.

but she can't say she understands what he means, still -- a parallel world to reality? like an alternate dimension, maybe?
]

Well, it's different from anything I've ever experienced, too. It feels a little... [ how does she put this nicely? ] old-fashioned...?
song_princess: (Are you sure?)

[personal profile] song_princess 2020-09-05 04:00 am (UTC)(link)
Her ears twitches a little as she hears the sound of his own phone pinging and found herself a little jealous of how he was able to muffle the sound so much.

She found herself wanting to fidget out of nervousness. Leanne was still scared of them... Of humans but right now, all the death surrounding her was scarier than the human before her.

A small and light breath leaves her when he finally speaks and answers her question. "Thank you... My lord." She felt a little guilty for waking him if he was sleeping. But then, he goes to ask her what language she can read and she goes to blush and fidgets even more.

".... I can't... I don't know...." She just whispers as this was a huge blow against her pride. To admit that she doesn't know how to read.
whiteshroud: (jun28)

[personal profile] whiteshroud 2020-09-05 04:03 am (UTC)(link)
[He looks around, scanning the area with her assessment in mind. She does have a point, there has been something strange about this place and at the same time...familiar.

...

Oh. Wait. He knows.]


Mm. Like the set of a 90's movie.

[Yeah. The weird hooded guy has seen 90's movies. Go figure]
incinerators: (u12XkcE)

[personal profile] incinerators 2020-09-05 04:04 am (UTC)(link)
[ she shakes her head, and she catches a glimpse of that light. red turning to yellow. she can't be entirely sure of what that means, but she hopes that's a good sign. ]

Not like this exactly. This heaviness is entirely new to me.

[ it's unlike anything she's experienced. back to the light, though. ]

...This may be a little strange to ask, but that yellow light -- it was red before. Was that always there, or is that a result of being brought here?
plasticasshole: (◎ or replaced)

[personal profile] plasticasshole 2020-09-05 04:04 am (UTC)(link)
[Connor takes a deep, entirely unnecessary breath once he's in the air, because he's on the back of a fire breathing dragon and it makes no sense. He holds on tight, not wanting to fall, and assesses the damage done to his leg. Thirium drips down his calf and onto Nowi's side, and he mentally swears to himself. Could he even find thirium here if he bled out too much?]

Are you okay?

[Even if he's baffled by the situation, he does care that she's hurt.]
plasticasshole: (◎ but i have to squint)

[personal profile] plasticasshole 2020-09-05 04:06 am (UTC)(link)
[Connor reaches up to briefly touch at his LED, which is still yellow.]

I've always had this. It's my LED, to let others know that I'm not human.

[His hand flops down beside him again.]

It changes colour depending on my physical and emotional state. It would usually be blue.
incinerators: (u12XkcE)

[personal profile] incinerators 2020-09-05 04:09 am (UTC)(link)
[ 90's...movie...? another thing she doesn't quite understand. guess who's not from planet earth? ]

I'm sorry -- I'm not sure what you're referring to, though I can still guess what you mean.

[ we don't even know what year it is in rwby, rip

this place is strange, though, and it seems like a good idea to try and gather their bearings. so pyrrha puts a hand on her hip and gestures behind her with her head.
]

In any case, do you want to look around? I think we should try to learn more about our surroundings.
abruptfulmination: (♪Will I get a ride with you?)

[personal profile] abruptfulmination 2020-09-05 04:10 am (UTC)(link)
For his part, he doesn't even register her ears; the life he leads sees such odd details often enough - but the honourific is enough to earn a little exhale of a laugh. Oh, if Onamuchi-sama could hear that.

"You don't have to call me that. I'm pretty much nobody." He hadn't been sleeping, by any means - but he also doesn't have a clue where her worries lie. Thank the Heavens he's sitting down, though, because Donar is nearing seven feet tall. Her blush and fidgeting, on the other hand, earns more of his attention. Did he make her nervous? Well, he'd just... try to keep on her level, then. "... That's alright. I'll help you."

That statement is a little more warmly given, and he reaches out - very slowly, such that she could back away with plenty of time to spare - to pat her gently on the head. "Do you want to answer it honestly, with what your scariest experience is? I can write whatever you want to say." It'll require a bit of trust, but... well, it'll stop the noise for her.
incinerators: (25352 25_zpsgo0yy62g)

[personal profile] incinerators 2020-09-05 04:13 am (UTC)(link)
Oh-! You're...

[ not human, huh? pyrrha looks surprised by this, but not upset or afraid. she can take a guess at what he is, but that seems rude, so she simply nods. ]

Well, I would've never guessed. You seem very human to me.

[ which she hopes isn't a rude thing to say, either. but the more she talks, the more she's realizing she's catching her breath again. her breathing isn't nearly as shallow and the heaviness she'd been feeling is dissipating. ]

Does the yellow light at least indicate that you're feeling better than when it was red?
Edited 2020-09-05 04:13 (UTC)
nowi_wins: (he ceased his fearless roar)

[personal profile] nowi_wins 2020-09-05 04:17 am (UTC)(link)
[Her eyes widen. People... don't usually show her respect. Fear, curiosity, amusement, greed... those she's familiar with. But he just bowed to her like she was Tiki or something. It's a little weird and she can't help but blush.]

Oh, I'm not an important dragon or anything. Just a normal one.
plasticasshole: (◎ we are not)

[personal profile] plasticasshole 2020-09-05 04:18 am (UTC)(link)
[If nothing else, CyberLife did a good job with making their androids look realistically human... to the point they then had to add the LED to prove that they weren't.]

Yes, yellow is better than red. Yellow often means I'm heavily processing something, or that something is taxing on my body. Red means I'm upset, or that my body is damaged.

[There's a pause.]

Are you human?

[It may be rude to ask, but Connor is curious. And in this place, he's learned that appearances aren't everything.]
whiteshroud: (shroud - neutral)

[personal profile] whiteshroud 2020-09-05 04:18 am (UTC)(link)
[She didn't know what a 90's movie was? Huh, that's weird. Then again maybe she just grew up somewhere super isolated like he did, so maybe it's not that weird.]

It's not important.

[The movie reference, he means. At the suggestion, he pauses again briefly, before giving a nod of the head.]

That'd be a good idea.
nowi_wins: (Pirate ships would lower their flags)

[personal profile] nowi_wins 2020-09-05 04:21 am (UTC)(link)
Nope!

[She's very confident in her victory.]
incinerators: (m0H7hTt)

[personal profile] incinerators 2020-09-05 04:22 am (UTC)(link)
I understand, and I'm glad to see that you're feeling better. I think I'm starting to feel better, too.

[ she can manage a little more of a genuine smile, now. it's definitely not wry like the first one; this one is more relieved. and at his question, she nods immediately. ]

I am, one hundred percent. No LED lights here. [ she's joking, of course. ] I'm Pyrrha, by the way.
syntech: (♫And I know we go deeper than skin)

[personal profile] syntech 2020-09-05 04:24 am (UTC)(link)
[On question three, even! The sneaky devil. He might even just be having a tiny bit of fun with how excited she sounds. A tiny bit.]

Does it have fur/hair?
nowi_wins: (A dragon lives forever)

[personal profile] nowi_wins 2020-09-05 04:24 am (UTC)(link)
It bit my tail!

[She's not happy about that. Tail biting is cheating.]

I'll be okay though. What about you?

[She tries to crane her neck around to see how injured he is.]
plasticasshole: (◎ they're gonna eat me alive)

[personal profile] plasticasshole 2020-09-05 04:27 am (UTC)(link)
[Her smile gets one from Connor in return.]

My name is Connor. It's good to meet you, even if the circumstances aren't ideal.

[He likes meeting new people, at least.]

When we feel better, we should leave. I really hope we won't have blue vision forever, though.