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

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.]

[sleepinglyra]

Not particularly. We're guests, albeit involuntary ones. [Sheliak's eyes sharply flickered with that last part.] As long as that remains the case there is no reason to poison us.

[He calmly explained as he took a bite of a honey tart.]

Poison is a common tool for nobles who want to shift the blame onto someone else. It's a cowardly strategy, but a useful one at times. However one wouldn't dare break the rules of hospitality. Poisoning your target before or afterwards is another matter.

(danganronpa spoilers, suicide mention, killing game)

[cloversandcranes]

That's true I guess...

[Sheliak had a point even if Makoto didn't feel like a guest at all. Taking a deep breath, he looked back down at the snacks. Gulping down some of his uncertainty down, he reached for some lemon candies. Slipping one in his mouth, he startled when Sheliak continued. Nobles? What did that have to do with anything?]

Useful?

[He whispered in shock. Memories of his classmate Ogami's dead body and the subsequent trial after filled his mind as he took in Sheliak's words. Seeing Ogami's peaceful expression when they found her body, Hina's breakdown and the near death they nearly all faced before they found out the truth. The truth that Ogami had poisoned herself after helping them one last time, after all the abuse she had suffered from them.

He felt bile rise up in his throat, before he forced himself to take a big gulp of tea. It did little to sooth the burn in his throat or his heart. Gritting his teeth, he glared at his cup as he tried to reign in his anger.]

What if our captors break those rules? Enoshima wouldn't let an agreed upon rule stop her from killing people.

[Or making others kill each other. She loved doing that.]

[sleepinglyra]

[Sheliak didn't know what he said to make Makoto so upset. What he told him was common knowledge back home. No one ever admitted to poisoning but everyone knew regardless. He didn't know why he told Makoto but it was still a truth he had grown to live with. Still, his reaction irritated him so he spared him the details of how such a method could be useful.

His brow furrowed slightly with a sharp spark from his eyes at what Makoto was suggesting.]

That would complicate things.

[He didn't want to show how shaken the thought made him so he looked at it from a logical perspective instead.]

Although what purpose would poisoning us serve? Our captor has gone to a lot of unnecessary effort if their goal was to simply kill us slowly.

(Danganronpa Spoilers) ( hints of murder, killing game, terrible states of humanity)

[cloversandcranes]

[Taking another harsh gulp of tea to calm himself, he carefully put down his cup, before opening his eyes to glare at Sheliak.]

What if they wanted us to poison ourselves so they could enact some kind of twisted game where we had to do something horrible to get the antidote? Like there's only enough for one person so we had to fight for it. Maybe even to the death? The poison doesn't even have to be truly lethal to cause so much suffering. We could still do terrible things under that lie of death. Or even just cause untold pain or consequences.

[Closing his eyes at the images that swarmed his mind, he took a deep breath. Why was he even saying this? It was all true but he didn't usually don't just dump on people his fears and experiences.]

Even just for entertainment. Sometimes that's enough. She sure loved watching her classmates kill each other for her Despair. And she definitely put a lot of effort in setting it up.

[Before he could continue, he bit his tongue to force himself to stop. Even his usually complicated feelings for Enoshima felt less out of reach than usual. He couldn't stop himself from spouting such venom. He felt so bitter.]

[sleepinglyra]

[Sheliak's eyes steadily sparked brighter as Makoto spoke. Clinging to the rules he grew up with let him keep up a façade of calm despite how his world had fallen apart recently. Makoto's irritating examples cracked his careful wall that kept that darkness at bay. It was even more annoying because he couldn't argue with the logic in his words either.

He stifled his frustration into a short chuckle.]

It sounds like you've experienced something worse than the malicious court back home. I didn't think such a thing possible. You have my sympathizes.

(Danganronpa Spoilers)

[cloversandcranes]

[Some of the bitterness faded at Sheliak's words. What did he have to complain about? He was one of the few people who survived that and found safe shelter. Even when he disobeyed the Future Foundation to save the Remnants from death, he had Togami and his friends to help him. He even still had family unlike most of the people he knew.

He sighed and looked away from Sheliak in guilt. What was wrong with him? Taking out his frustrations on this stranger? Shame temporarily silenced his sore tongue before he quietly replied.]

Not...Not really. I am one of the lucky ones.

[Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath before continuing.]

I survived. I can't say that about most people. Or...I did survive. Until...

[Memories of the trial as he tried to convince the Future Foundation that the Remnants had changed. The hope he had felt at first, then the resigned acceptance of his fate. The beating he faced from Sakakura and the betrayal he saw in his fellow Future Foundation members faces was imprinted on his body and mind. The helpless faces of his friends as they tried fighting back. His last moments...]

[sleepinglyra]

[Lucky? It felt like Makoto had twisted a knife into his soul and Sheliak's flawless mask faltered with a flash of guilt. The sharp glow in his eyes softened as he quietly continued.]

I may not know your circumstances...but I know how that feels. My apologizes, I did not mean to upset you.

[His haughty tone softened with a rare hint of honesty.]

[cloversandcranes]

[Makoto pulled himself from his recent memories when he heard the soft reply of Sheliak. Turning to look at him, Makoto stared at Sheliak in quiet surprise. Shouldn't he be the one to apologize? He's the one who's been lashing out at this stranger. Wiping some wetness from his eyes, Makoto offered a apologetic smile to Sheliak.]

No, I- ...I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to just spill this all on you. And in such a way. I guess...I guess this situation has me more on edge than I originally thought.

[Chewing on his cheek in hesitation, he finally offered a soft smile to Sheliak.]

Let's start over, shall we? I'm Naegi Makoto. Family name Naegi. It's nice to meet you.

[The bitterness was still there but it simmered quietly in the back of his mind.

[sleepinglyra]

[Ah that kindness is annoying but his irritation helped him reclaim some semblance of the calm lake in his mind. At least enough to ignore the cracks in his armor that Makoto created.

He politely waved his apology aside.]

It's alright, I don't usually say as much about my home either. It's all true but one doesn't usually talk about so I apologize for burdening you with it.

[He could have left it at that but their shared circumstances made him pause and his eyes flickered sharply.]

Still, I would caution you to be more careful in the future. There are those who would try to take advantage of your genuine nature.

[Himself included, however he hoped it wouldn't come to that and he introduced himself with a polite smile.]

Sheliak Saarela, of the noble house Saarela. It’s nice to meet you as well.

I don't want to let this game go... T_T

[cloversandcranes]

[Makoto chuckled weakly at Sheliak's warning, knowing exactly what he meant by that. He has been burned by his belief in good before, and he was certain he would again before his time on this earth was done. But the day he gave up on people was the day despair won. He couldn't let that happen.]

Noted.

[Makoto blinked in shock at the man's intro. No wonder this guy gave him Togami vibes. He's a noble! Flustered by this info, Makoto blushed in shame at his behavior and bowed respectfully to Sheliak.]

T-Thank you Saarela-san!

lol same, I don't mind continuing

[sleepinglyra]

[Sheliak might've argued that despair had already won in his case, but he refused to acknowledge those feelings. It was easier to bury them behind arrogance. Besides, blindly believing in the good of others was foolish. People were selfish creatures, whether it was wrapped in kindness or manipulation it made no difference.

Sheliak appreciated Makoto showing him the respect he deserved, however being addressed by his family name stung. His eyes narrowed with a subtle stab of pain for a moment before he hid his moment of weakness behind an amused chuckle at Makoto's flustered response.]

You may call me Sheliak.

[cloversandcranes]

[Makoto looked up at Sheliak's correction and offered a sheepish smile.]

Right! Then Sheliak-san...

[Makoto hesitated for a moment before asking.]

Do you remember how you got here? I don't know about you but this isn't what I expected to find when I woke up.

[He had died after all. Hinata-kun was amazing but he had been stabbed in the heart by a katana. There was no saving him there...right?]