TDM ONE: Like A Prayer

[heaping_mods]

You may hate me…

You wake up wearing a collar. It seems simple enough: It has a display on the front that has an audiograph that moves with the wearer’s speech. It is black and white and the audiograph is blue.

It also seems easy enough to remove, if you wanted to.

Should you, though?

If you were to remove it, the act of doing so would trigger an electric shock through both it and anything else touching it. Yes, that includes you. No, you will not be able to stay conscious through it. When you wake up, you’ll find it around your neck again, just as it was before.

But where are you?

Short answer: in a bunk bed in what seems to be a dilapidated home or abandoned sanitarium. There are many other bunk beds, all of which have their own occupants. Your lovely neighbors.

Long answer: check locations for more information on this house!

This is where you’re going to spend a lot of time, so get used to it.

Everyone must stand alone…

When you enter the kitchen of the house, you’ll find a deck of cards on the table. Next to it is a slip of paper that reads simply:

Play for a prize.
Try to get the old maid. Try not to get pairs, at great cost to yourself.

Let’s explain the rules:

OOC Card game rules:
All queens are removed from the deck but one, an old maid.
If you make a pair, the collar gives you a nice jolt of pain.
If you force a pair on someone, the collar gives you a rush of euphoria.
If you get the old maid and manage to keep it after all the cards are gone, you win a prize.
To get your prize, please put a comment in this thread.

You can determine whether you get a pair in one of two ways: use a coin flipping RNG site or plot it out for yourself or with others. If the former, we suggest this site, set to flip one australian dollar. Heads for pair, tails for no pair.

Down on my knees…
As you try to get situated, you find yourself in the company of a blind man.

He has brown hair and stands rather tall, at 6’5”. He wears glasses but they don’t seem to help worth shit. Will you guide him as he tries to make his way through the house? He will be grateful and treat you nicely if you do.

If you don’t, he’ll just laugh and… treat you nicely. This is the way Jonny is. He treats everyone like they’re worth something, until their walls slowly crumble. Will this happen with you? Or will you somehow avoid his kindness?

He sits you down in the game room and offers you one to play. You can choose from a few, all of which seem to be old board games with crumbling pieces.

(For more information on Jonny, check Allies and Adversaries!)

No end, and no beginning…

As you start to gain your bearings, perhaps you want to explore a bit. This makes sense; the only way you’re going to understand what kind of situation you’ve found yourself in is if you start poking your head into rooms, even ones where you do not belong.

At the end of a long hallway, a large red door greets you. It has an almost classic style to it, with heavy cherry wood and an ornate brass handle.

You go in, and find yourself in the middle of a library.

The colors are warm, there’s a fire burning in the hearth, and everything seems so inviting. There are even plush chairs for you to sit in and relax. Don’t you want to just rest for a while?

If you decide to, you may find that the chairs aren’t actually that comfortable for long. The longer you sit in them the more they feel like pins and needles stabbing into your flesh. The fire sounds are almost a bit too loud. The colors are too intense. All of the books, if you try to read them, come out with nothing but gibberish.

You may even hear shuffling from inside the chairs, like something – or someone – is wriggling about under you, trying to get out.

The longer you stay in, the worse the sensations get. You may start to have wounds develop on your flesh, or you may start hearing voices or tasting colors. You definitely need to get out.

If you try to get out, though…

Please beware the electric shock. This room doesn’t like it when people try to leave, you see.

You can come in, but you can’t get out.

Definitely a strange conundrum, wouldn’t you say?

Eventually, you wake up. The whole thing was a dream. They seem to be so real here… and when you look around at all those companions, their faces betray that they may have had a similar dream.

Don’t you wanna be tough enough…

Or maybe you have a different dream. Maybe you have both, we’re not judging.

You find yourself in a garden. While the outside of the house is all sand and desert, in this dream, it blooms true with many purple flowers of all kinds. If it exists, it can be found here. There’s a slight drizzle going on from the sky, another thing that can never be found in reality.

There’s a dirty figure sitting in the middle of the garden, reclining on a lawn chair. Despite the fact they’re in a full suit and tie, they seem to be sunbathing.

Do they notice you? Do they care? Who knows; they’re not really much for talking at the moment.

There’s even a table with some snacks and tea that you can take a sample of; it’s like they were left out for a tea party. Whatever your favorite tea is, that’s what’s in the pot. Your favorite cookies and snacks are on the tray, and everything is very inviting. Perhaps if you take a sip or even nibble on some, there might be some…reactions.

OOC Guide to reactions:
Pink cookies: Sweet cookies that make you feel sweet.
Honey tarts: Heavy and syrupy, but they make you buzz with gossip.
Lemon candies: Tart candies that make you feel bitter. Time to Trauma-dump.
Peach crisps: Peachy and crunchy, these make you very touchy-feely. You want to hug and touch others in either a platonic or amorous way.

Welcome to the first TDM! Please check out our docs, or play around!

Reserves open October 1, Apps October 6, and the application can be found here.

Comments

QUESTIONS

[heaping_mods]

Questions about the tdm go here!

Re: QUESTIONS

[wereperrito]

Does Jonny have a shock collar too, or not?

[heaping_mods]

Yes, he does!

The figure in the garden, however, distinctly does not.

Item Rewards

[heaping_mods]

If you won a prize in the card game, comment here with a link to the thread! You may win up to three prizes.

The Knight | Hollow Knight | Post - "Dream no More"

[wanderingvoid]

Enter the Void

It regains consciousness slowly.

Like a trickle of water dripping on the floor, it coalesces, binds together, and then recognizes sensation and sight as it 'opens' its 'eyes'.

It is awake.

It is awake in the physical world, even, lying on its stomach -- such that it is -- near what looks to be the strangest bed it has ever seen. No shells, no carapaces in sight; it looks to be made from wood, not unlike what the Mantises used for their homes but with a completely different look to it. The walls are broken and barren, sunlight streaming through the holes and reflecting off the darkness on its 'skin' and its 'eyes'.

It has its shell; the white 'face' stares blankly ahead and its cloak wraps around it like folded wings.

Its nail is at its side, pristine and beautiful as it was when it fought its brother in the Temple of the Black Egg.

Slowly, it sits up and takes nail in hand.

To a human, it looks no larger than a human child and stands at a good three feet tall.

It looks around, before turning its attention to the collar around its neck.

What a strange place this is...


---

Greenpath


Dreams were curious things.

They were creations of the Light, made to hypnotize and seduce innocents under the thrall of the Radiance. With thought, bugs were able to dream, but they were dangerous things.

It dreamwalked many times, but it never had a dream itself.

Or perhaps it was in another person's dream?

The garden was beautiful, remniscient of Greenpath or the Queen's Gardens in Hallownest. Everything had such a pleasant scent -- smell, it could smell here -- and the colors almost burst from every corner. It could spend an eternity here if it wished, simply basking in the peace and watching the leaves bob to and fro.

But there are things on...what looks to be a table.

It's a bit too short to reach, so it pulls up a chair, standing on it as it gives the...things a once-over.

What are they?

They smell good, whatever they are.

It extends a little black hand and...pokes at one of them. It doesn't do much, simply tilting its 'head' to the side and observing it like a cat would a new toy.

enter the void - i don't have any beast mode icons yet so just pretend

[mercy_killer]

Major is on the floor next to the bunk. He was in the lower bed, but then he decided to mess with his collar, and - well. Let's just say that didn't go well.

Now he's sitting there in the aftermath, breathing hard and trying not to go into 'beast mode' - aka full zombie. His eyes are darkened and his teeth are bared. But when he notices a certain Knight about to mess with its collar, he calms down just a little. Because he has to help someone.

"Don't. Don't do that."

His voice is heavy with a growl.

[wanderingvoid]

It removes its hands from the collar, and glances up at the creature that addresses him.

Its voice is strange; not unlike one of the larger bugs he'd run into during his treks in Hallownest, but there's a gutteral quality to it that is very unfamiliar.

It approaches the bug-creature, nice and slow in case it will get aggressive at the last moment or attack it. The bug doesn't seem unfriendly, but it's clearly distressed.

Tired.

Breathing heavily.

Even in creatures it doesn't recognize, it knows pain when it sees it.

How can it communicate...?

Experimentally, it points to itself.

Me? Are you talking to me?

Logan/Wolverine | MCU

[educated_wish]

aces high ;

[ Logan is sitting in the kitchen, shuffling the deck of cards. It's obvious he's been around the card block a few times, as he's doing a dealer's shuffle. Every so often, he puts the cards down to tug at his collar, but doesn't actually take it off. He knows better, having tried this earlier and totally fucking passed out.

He's so distracted by these two things that if you were to try to sneak up on him, you might actually manage it, despite his keen hearing. ]

spiralling around ;

[ Sitting in the garden, Logan considers the snacks, but doesn't actually partake of any of them. After other things in this place, he's a bit suspicious that these might be poisoned. And considering they actually managed to make him pass out before? He doesn't know that this poison wouldn't actually affect him.

He's looking to see if anyone else dares to taste some of it. If someone's stupid enough. Maybe then he'll actually risk it, if he sees that it's fine.

network ;

UN: Snikt

who the hell else is suspicious of this jonny fellow

he's way too damn nice

Aces High

[wanderingvoid]

[It does not recognize those things that are in the large being's hands. They look like flat pieces of slate, but they bend. How curious...

They're white like nails, but they don't have the same sturdiness.

Silently, it moves to stand in front of the being -- how curious! Definitely unlike any bug it has ever seen -- and watches the movement of its hands.

It tilts its 'head', curious.]

[educated_wish]

[ Logan gives it a level gaze. He notices immediately that it's curious, but isn't talking. He lifts the cards up and flashes the suit side at the Knight. ]

You want to try this? You know how?

spiraling around

[metempsychics]

[She's aware this is some sort of dream. She's in her mind or maybe someone else's? She isn't sure. The nightmare felt so real that she is sure this might be the same thing. Jean is leery at best, apprehensive to most when she tries to put her hand to her forehead to get any semblance of this place. None of it makes sense though.

And then she sees him. The man she'd run into a few years back, wires around him and half naked. He looked so much like a caged, scared animal then, but Jean had known she could help him. Now? Now she's drawn to him again, but she isn't caring about the garden or the food around him. She's just walking until she finds herself in front him, remembering the way he flew out that door and into the half frozen wilderness.]

Are you real? [Is he somehow there, too?]

[educated_wish]

[ He looks up from the snacks and spots her. He immediately recognizes her, of course. There's no way she'd ever escape his memories, especially after losing her in such a way. ]

Jeannie?

[ He shouldn't use the old nickname. There's no way to know if this is his Jean or another. But it just slips out. ]

Network | un: iheartnyc

[the_amazing]

Aw man, can I change my username? I wanna be Thwip now.

[educated_wish]

go ahead?

not that i fucking know how

Network, text, UN Perrito

[wereperrito]

There is nothing wrong with being nice, is there?

[educated_wish]

there's something sure wrong with being too nice. fuck.

Spider-Man/Peter Parker | Marvel 616 | OTA

[the_amazing]

Know When to Fold 'Em

This isn't Peter's first time waking up in a strange place with no memory of how he got there. He tries playing with the collar and stops immediately once Spider Sense warns him that's a bad idea. So downstairs he goes, stopping in the kitchen to see the playing cards laying on the table.

There's nothing different about the deck, and it's set up properly to play Old Maid. Peter takes a seat, peeling off his gloves so he could shuffle them more easily. When someone else enters, he holds up a five of hearts between two of his fingers and addresses them in the worst attempt at a Cajun accent ever. "Fancy a game, mon amie?"

Mad Tea Party

Is he dreaming? It's not really clear. This garden doesn't look like anywhere else he's explored in this weird place so far, and he knew the figure laying out in the grass was probably not as inconsequential as they first appeared. So, Peter pulls his mask up over his nose and mouth, but not all the way off, and takes advantage of the freshest air he's smelled in a while.

The cookies and snacks do look extremely tempting and it has been a hot minute since he's eaten anything. (In fact, what was he doing right before he got here? So he's about to reach out and snag a treat when he notices someone else reaching for it at the same time.

"Oh, sorry," he says, taking a half step back and pulling his hand away. "You first."

Network - un: iheartnyc

I've never been much of a fashionista. Anyone have any tips for accessorizing with a vintage shock collar?

mad tea party

[alsocolourcodes]

"No, you." Matt eyes the person in front of him, taking stock of him and trying to decide how to rate him in his head. He doesn't appear to be dangerous - especially because he's just so polite - but that suit is a bit questionable.

"What's with that fashion?" he adds, not able to help himself. "Looks like you're Mister Webs."

Jack Russell | Werewolf By Night (MCU)

[wereperrito]

I. Arrival

Jack sits on the sagging bed running his finger around the inside of the collar, feeling sick. He's already tried to get it off once, and while it didn't knock him out, it left him feeling just plain uncomfortable, muscles aching and skin prickly.

His worst nightmare: trapped and collared. At least there's not a cage-- yet. Even worse, he's still in the robe from that stupid hunter cult, rather than his proper clothes. How embarrassing!

He looks over when the person on a bed nearby tries tugging at their own collar. He warns, "Be careful. The collars give electric shocks."


II. Blind Men and Games

Of course Jack helps Jonny. He has nothing better to do. Though he'll ask him questions, because he's asking pretty much everyone the same questions. "Do you know who put these on us?" he asks the much taller man, tugging at his own-- not enough to make it shock him, but enough to pull it just a little away from his skin.

Once Jonny leads him to the board games, Jack picks at them curiously. "I was never very good at these," he admits to Jonny, or whoever else is already at the table.


III. Dreams - Library

Jack is not in fact particularly fond of libraries. He'd rather be outside. And when a cursory glance at the books show them to be in no language he understands-- or possibly no language at all, it's hard to tell-- he tries to go back out again. And gets zapped for his trouble.

"Okay," he says to himself, looking around. He tries tearing pages from the books to stuff into the collar and only results in setting them on fire and having to hurriedly yank them away from his skin. He tries prying at windows. He even tries stamping out the fire to peer up the chimney, without much success.

"This is very unfair," he tells the room at large.

And should anyone else show up at the library door, he'll hastily wave his hands and try to ward them off. "No, no, don't come in!"


IV. Waking from the dream

Sitting bolt upright wherever he'd nodded off, whether back in the bed he'd first woken up in or in a chair or curled up in a corner somewhere, Jack looks around wildly in confusion before slumping back. "Of course there would be nightmares in a place like this," he grouses, mostly to himself, but also to anyone who happens to be nearby. "Por supuesto."

arrival

[alsocolourcodes]

Matt is both surprised and completely unsurprised that if they were to be collared, of course it would hurt you if it was taken off. He drops his hand from messing with it.

"How do you know? Did you get shocked?"

He sounds concerned about a stranger. Of course he is.

II

[heaping_mods]

"I have suspicions," Jonny says. He reaches out to try to gently take Jack's hand away from collar. "Don't mess with it." He worries about those he watches over here, and it shows.

"Don't worry about being bad at it," he says, then, about the board game. "What counts is you're having fun."

He knows where each board game is by heart, and he picks out an old Monopoly. "Since you like danger," he's referring to messing with the collar, "Let's try this one."

He can't actually see the pieces. But you don't mind helping him unpack the box, do you?

Katie 'Pidge' Holt || Voltron

[cutelilbayard]

Harsh Wake up

[Why was there some kid here? Who knows. What is known is that they're not even 5 feet tall and are dressed in some baggy clothing with a short haircut, making it hard to tell if they were a boy or girl.

A loud yelp can be heard followed by a small thud as they fell out of the top bunk of one of the sets of beds. Ouch. Yeah, the collar has knocked them out cold.]


Books!!!

[There was no way around it. Pidge was a nerd. While her preferred method of being nerdy was computers, she had decided to take a look around the library. Books were still nice. She's going to wander the shelves and grab a book or two.

Big mistake. She was good at sitting still, after all, she had been able to sit just fine in long space flights in the green lion. Why couldn't she sit still here?

And why couldn't she focus on the pages? She made an annoyed sound and snapped the book shut.]

What's wrong with me today?

Wildcard

Want to do something else? Hit me up at plushietaco!

Harsh Wake Up (I'm so sorry I'm so late!) (Danganronpa Spoilers)

[cloversandcranes]

[Makoto opens his eyes with a start, his heart hammering as he stares up at the ceiling in surprise. He is alive? The last thing he remembers before darkness, was the pain in his chest from Munakata's sword piercing it. Then chaos and Hinata's worried and sad expression.

Hinata-kun... Before he could fully delve into his last moments, a loud yelp interrupted his thoughts. Startled, he turns just in time to see someone fall from the bunk and onto the floor. Ignoring the pain from his injuries, Makoto rushes to the fallen person, holding them in his arms as he tries to shake them awake.]

Hey, are you okay? Wake up!

[When there's no response, he looks around for any cause and sees the still smoking collar on them. Reaching to touch it, he swiftly yanks his hand back when a leftover shock sparks out.]

So that's what happens if you mess with the collar...

[Wincing, he looks down at the person in his arms and frowns. Fidgeting anxiously as he contemplates what to do, he looks around at their surroundings. This isn't the future foundation base he was in before. Did something happen after his supposed execution? Touching his chest with one hand, he closes his eyes to try to reign in the turbulent feelings racing through him.

He always knew there was a chance of his death after saving the Remnants but he thought... He sighs and opens his eyes to stare down at the unconscious person. He couldn't think about it right now, he needs to help this person. Taking one last breath, he carefully lays Pidge on the ground.]

I'm going to see if I can find someone who can help. I'll be be back, okay?

[With those words, he runs out of the room to search for help.]

Sheliak Saarela | OC

[sleepinglyra]

You may hate me

[Waking up somewhere unfamiliar wasn't strange for Shelikak, although he couldn't recall using too much magic. Also, what was this dreadful thing around his neck? He stifled his cry of pain from the electric shock that followed.

When he woke up he reached for his collar again.]

How dare they collar me like some dangerous beast.

[Instead of listening to the warning, Sheliak embraced his fury. His eyes that seemed to ripple like water glowed brighter as his emotions resonated with his magic, pulling his consciousness over to his magic side. His human senses became an afterthought under the weightless embrace of his magic, allowing him to ignore pain. Despite the way his body shook from the shock, Sheliak showed no sign of pain as he tore the offending collar from his neck. It would take more than that to control him.

Unfortunately his body was still partly human. Even if he couldn't feel the pain, his body still suffered from the electric shock. He could feel his body failing him and he lost consciousness again.]


Everyone must stand alone

[Sheliak preferred chess to playing cards but he was curious about the purpose of this game. Was it merely a means to entertain their prisoners? His glowing eyes flickered sharply with his scoff as he took a seat.]

How thoughtful.

[He looked up expectantly when someone else approached the table.]

Well? Do you wish to play or not?


Down on my knees

[It was his sacred duty as a mage to help others. Even after learning the dark secret about his magic he still stubbornly clung to that lie. He needed a purpose to keep himself from feeling completely lost and he gladly helped Johnny.

Sheliak's hand was unnaturally cold but it became warmer as he focused on his human memories so he would feel less like the magical corpse he secretly was. As a mage, a magical being tied to a human soul, everything felt like a memory instead of the real thing. The more he focused on his human memories, the more human he felt, but it was never quite the same.

Johnny's kindness and the way he treated everyone like they are worth something reminded Sheliak of someone precious to him. The thought made his soul ache. His eyes softly burned brighter as he was drawn to a damaged chess board. His eyes narrowed sadly as he instinctively picked up a black knight.

His eyes flickered as he struggled to hide his heartbreak under a mask of calm, like a still lake.]

Do you play chess?


Don't you wanna be tough enough

A.)

[The beautiful garden wasn't the same as his secret sanctuary back home but it still managed to thaw some of his iciness. The bright glow in his eyes softened as he laid down in the grass and closed his eyes as he enjoyed the rain.

His brow slightly furrowed when someone interrupted his peace and quiet. He kept his irritation out of his tired voice and he answered without opening his eyes.]

Can I help you with something?

B.)

[The tea party was a bit suspicious but the rules of hospitality were sacred to nobles back home. You could backstab, poison or murder anyone outside of the host's home but not while they were guests.

It was also a huge insult not to accept the food and drink the host had prepared so Sheliak helped himself to some tea and one of the offered snacks.]

Are you not going to try anything?

[A hint of confusion slipped into his polite tone.]

((OOC: the snacks are dealers choice! Feel free to choose which cookie would be the most fun for you.))


Wildcard

[Surprise me with your own prompt! Feel free to talk with me on plurk Nicholaj, Discord@25thNicholaj, or PM, whichever is easier for you. Enjoy! Sheliak is an OC, if you want more details here are his Permissions and Character Info]

Don't you wanna be tough enough (B.) (slight danganronpa spoilers)

[cloversandcranes]

[Makoto stared at the table in front of him as he fidgeted in his chair. He was a bit hungry but the thought of eating right now...]

...I'm not really feeling like eating right now, thank you.

[Still, he continued to warily watch the stranger at the table with him. There was something about his posture that reminded him of his friend Togami. The way he ate with immaculate manners... But the Togami he knew wouldn't just eat food from their captors without testing it.]

...Aren't you worried about poison?

[Perhaps the result of his trial had damaged him more than he thought, that he was already expecting the worst of their captors.]