vaeraooc | TDM 001

TDM 001

» arrival.

You were doing--something. Thinking something, walking somewhere, through something, when suddenly you find yourself somewhere else entirely. You've stepped through the Gateway: an empty doorframe in the middle of a large clearing, facing away from the large city known as the Capitol. When you first step out, you're alone. There's the distant sound of a soft tune on the air, like the world itself is humming pleasantly around you. The air smells sweet, pleasant and serene.

A glance around shows a soft, blue barrier surrounding the Gateway, approximately 10 meters away from the Gateway itself, and surrounding it in a wide circle. Attempting to escape from the barrier proves useless, and the moment you step even slightly away from the gateway, it grabs the attention of the Gateway's guardian:

It's difficult to make out her shape, at first. A wispy wind, a few branches swaying in the wind, the sound of breath in one's ear. She phases into existence against the wide of the Gateway, and immediately along with her presence comes a feeling of being safe. Maybe you're more suspicious of it. Maybe it feels comforting. It takes her several moments to fully form, keeping her distance but lips twisted up into a gentle smile.

"Welcome." Her voice is soft, more of a whisper against the wind than sound itself. "I apologize. I can. . I can feel that you do not belong here with us. You are from elsewhere, not quite the Between but not here either." Her head tips to the city, before she continues,

"Please, make yourself comfortable. I will see what we can do regarding your presence."

Her form falls apart, small little leaves gathering at the foot of the Gateway. The blue barrier opens with enough space for you to exit; there's nothing keeping you inside of it, and it will wait for you to exit before closing behind you.

The city's within close enough of a distance to walk to, and it seems to be bustling enough. . or, you could always explore the forest around it. The space between the Gateway and the City. Talk to those who have also walked out of the Gateway around the same time as you had.

» into the city.

The Capitol is bustling. Full of individuals of all shapes, sizes, and colors--beings with four legs, or six legs, or iridescent skin who pay no mind to the newcomers walking straight into their city. It's evident by looking to the buildings within the city that this whole place is new. The buildings show barely any signs of wear and tear, the streets are pristine. The structures are of all shapes and sizes; one may be walking down a block of street and pass by a large skyscraper, and directly next to it, pass by a circular building extremely low to the ground with doors there's absolutely no way someone over two feet tall and with more than twenty pounds of mass would be able to fit through. The signs around the city are in all kinds of languages; some matching those from Earth (English, Arabic, Latin), and several others incomprehensible.

There's some kind of market currently taking place: several stands with miscellaneous items ranging from magical to simple food items line the main street going through the center of the city. Items offered are free of charge; grabbing hold of an apple, or a charmed item will only earn smiles in response from those running the stalls. Stopping a local will get you answers of varying levels of helpfulness: a smile, clicks in a repetitive pattern that sound like it must mean something. The more humanoid members of the crowd may offer a few words, "Ah, you're new! Welcome! Thank you for joining us!" before continuing on their path.

» a particular case. (network)

Several hours after characters are left to wander around the city, they are tracked down by two young, near-identical ( although their appearance keeps shifting, like they can't settle on a hair color, a skin color, a height ) brothers who offer them a sympathetic smile and hold out a YDEX to them, explaining the functionality of it and how to turn on the language interpreter, access the (barebones, new) network they have begun setting up for them and others like them.

They explain how to choose a username, how to access the map functions, point them towards one of the newer apartment buildings on the edge of the Capitol with instructions on how to reach it, and let them know they'll inform the doorman of their situation and that they would be coming to stay in one of the new apartments. They leave with the promise of providing more answers soon, most likely through the network itself.

In the meantime. . it looks fairly empty, there's a few accounts listed as having access to it. Maybe see what's up with the rest of your new pals?

» dreams never hurt so much.

It's one week after the initial batch of arrivals that it happens: something else steps out of the Gateway, something warped. Myra will whisper soft into the ears of newcomers and settles alike: a be careful, she's hurting without offering anything else.

She wanders the city and the construction sites: a young preteen in a massive hoodie and boots, hood pulled down over her face. Get close enough, and you'll hear the sound of her teeth clicking together hard, grinding, before she tips her head back towards whoever gets close and--screeches. The sound is loud enough to hurt, digging painfully at eardrums until all sound around those nearby fades away to nothing, and the girl disappears. Characters will find themselves losing the ability to:

• hear
• speak
• decipher directions / extremely directionally challenged

While they may lose one or more sense, the girl is nowhere to be seen when they turn their attention back to her. Luckily, the effect wears off after an hour and those who were hit with it will regain their senses, as if it had never happened at all.

Trying to touch her proves to be futile, her body phasing through any attempt at physical contact. Trying to chase her down proves similarly pointless: she will walk around corners and disappear behind them, turn around and simply fade into nothing. Her appearances are random, appearing through the Capitol, inside houses, restaurants, only resorting to deafening those who she senses has intentions of moving towards her.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Disappointing but I can live with you being pretty shit.

[ most would say that he was pretty shit too so they were a good pair. not that damon's going to admit that, of course. oh no, damon's going to think that his shit doesn't stink for as long as he can.

he winks in aidan's direction before starting to walk, waving him to follow along. ]

What's your name? Or should I just call you Pretty Shit?

Aidan.

( keeping his ID under wraps here won't benefit him at all. no point to it. he'd thought they were heading off to the weird ass crochet bullshit he'd passed earlier but whatever. damon can lead him wherever, he doesn't give a shit. so he answers the wink with a grin of his own, hands shoving down into his pockets. follows along easy enough. )

But I'll accept Pretty Shit.

Pretty Shit it is, then.

[ but don't worry, he'd remember your actual name too, aidan. maybe, possibly. but encourage damon even a little but and he's going to run with it. ]

You figured this place out yet? Because I'm in the market for not being here longer than I need to be so if you've got an in...

[ please let him know. ]

I've got nothing.

( not even any of the useful shit he had at home, because the last place he got stuck at took all that shit away from him.

unfortunate. but manageable. )

But thanks for letting me know you're just as useless as I am.

Rude.

[ but unfortunately true. he does feel useless right now and he absolutely hates that feeling. he's very good at making it seem like he was born to be here but this wasn't in his plans.

and he hates it. the only good thing is there are people to bother and bend to his will because he needs something to enjoy if he's going to be here. ]

I will have you know that I'm a man of many talents, some you might see, some you definitely will not see. But, useless is the last thing I am. Was anyone else inviting you out before me? Doubt it.

Are you? 'cause being pretty isn't a talent.

( just saying. but he doesn't mind being led around. this is new territory, aidan doesn't know what he's doing here, and as damon helpfully pointed out--a 90 year old spinstress could probably push him over if she really wanted to. if damon's going to lead him around--well. there's worse shit he could be getting into. )

And there's plenty of people around I could've gone with instead.

Did you just call me pretty?

[ that's what he's going to take from that statement. nothing else, he's going to decide that pretty shit think he's pretty and run with that. everything is just...well, nothing. ]

Is there?

[ and yet, here you were with him, aidan. ]

So, why'd you choose me? It's cuz I'm pretty, isn't it?

'cause you're bored, and I'm bored. And I'm hoping you've got something slightly less boring up your sleeves. ]

( what are you up to, damon. who are you, where do you come from, what's going on behind that pretty face and those dark eyes?

also he's just fucking with damon because it's mildly entertaining and passes the time. )

That's true, I am.

[ and no, he doesn't have anything less boring up his sleeve because he doesn't know what the hell this place offers and what all he can do. he doesn't like feeling so completely off balance.

so, he leans on what he does know and that's being a dick to everyone around him. ]

I need a drink. Do you drink? You look a little young. Would I be just enabling you if I let you drink?

I drink.

( how the fuck old does damon think he looks? not that he asks, because it's a stupid fucking question and he probably doesn't want to know the answer. instead he gestures down one of the side streets with a hand. )

There's a bar down that way.

Scoped it out, huh? Good, let's go.

[ aidan, you're a trooper for even sticking around this long. damon starts walking, expecting aidan to fall into step with him or at least stick close. ]

So, what do you think's going on here?

[ he gestures to their surroundings, trying to indicate the whole thing before he glances over. ]

You don't seem like you're panicking.

This isn't my first rodeo like this.

( well. the means of arrival is definitely new but at least it was explained outright and not some weird ass question that took people forever to figure out. )

Gates to other dimensions isn't my area. Honestly, it's probably best if I don't sit here and contemplate whatever the hell's going on. Eventually, someone'll figure it out. Probably. ( so for now he'll just stick by damon. he looks sturdy. hasn't killed him yet. maybe safe. )

Gates to other dimensions, huh? That's a little too science fiction for my tastes.

[ he can't even say that's stefan's thing because stefan tends to go for the deep philosophical things that are more boring than helpful. thinks it'll help him atone or something.

it's just a bunch of words, though, and the only thing that's gonna help his brother is letting loose. ]

You think that's what happened? We've been kidnapped to another dimension? Well well, that's a first for me and I've been alive for over a century. Thought I was out of firsts.

Kinda what it was the first time this happened. Buncha gods, one died or some shit. Then--there I was, a whole different dimension.

( totally makes sense and is well-explained, right? )

At least this time there was a door and not a shitton of drugs pumping through our system.

( wait. )

How old are you?

Gods.

[ damon scoffs at the thought of that, rolling his eyes. it's not that he doesn't believe but he's long past the point of going into churches and crossing himself. still, he's not at all surprised there's people running around pretending to be gods.

if they're actually gods, that's a different story but again, not touching that. ]

Oh, me? One hundred and seventy years old. [ he gives aidan a quick waggle of his eyebrows. ] I've got a great moisturizing regime. I'll give it to you if you wanna keep your face wrinkle free.

( jesus. he's seen old, but not usually someone who still. looks like damon. )

You think they'd still have your shit way out here?

( well. not that he knows where damon comes from anyway, but. )

Only one way to find out.

[ and that was to find his way out of here. but, damon's kind of surprised that aidan doesn't react...in a bigger way to his age. points to him for being hard to ruffle. ]

Does that mean you do want to keep your face wrinkle free? I can see the start of some crow's feet here and some laugh lines there.

[ he raises his fingers and points to different spots on aidan's face, stopping short of actually touching, though. ]

Nah. 's way too late for me. I'll be wrinkly and leaning on a cane by the time I'm forty. If I even live that long.

( also: already wrinkly apparently. no point in hiding it now, is there? )

And unless it's plastic surgery, skin care isn't going to get you that far. So what'd you do? Cryostasis? Secretly a ghost?

[ damon can hear his naggy brother in his head, telling him not to share the secret because it's only going to make things worse. but stefan isn't here, is he?

he can't be because he hasn't seen 'sold out' signs for journals everywhere and all the fun hasn't been sucked out of the city. ]

Robot.

[ he doesn't give a crap about keeping a secret, he just wants to see if he can make this guy believe he's a goddamn robot. ]

Very sophisticated robot. I have free will and everything. And no, I don't have an on/off switch that you can play with.

I'm rejecting that possibility based off the fact you're calling them robots rather than ai. The ones I know're all pretentious as fuck and usually hate walking around in stupid, shit, humanoid bodies. Something about bipedals being real inconvenient.

( close though. you tried your best, damon. )

You want to try again, or?

You know other robots?

[ the hell do you come from, aidan? whatever, guess he hadn't watched enough science fiction movies to get the whole thing right.

so fine, he's not a robot. or an ai, even. ]

Fine, fine. You caught me. [ he holds his hands up in surrender. ] Vampire, then.

[ he says it lackadaisically, wondering if that's going to get another incredulous look or if he'll be believed this time. ]

( somewhere with asshole ais who like to bitch about how stupid humans are, where else. for all he knows, damon could have been an exception to the rule he's noticed. or something slightly different than the ai back home. but damon doesn't argue his point, just. throws out something that's actually ridiculous.

not that aidan reacts to it aside from. lifting a shoulder in a half shrug. )

The "I'm hungry so I'm going to take a bite out of you and suck you dry" kind, or?

There's a different kind?

[ his brow furrows because the only other kind of vampire he knows is the stefan kind, the one who swears off blood and decides that drinking from bambi and thumper is going to be good enough to last him.

the vampire equivalent of a vegetarian. ]

Man, I have been missing out. Somewhere out there, there's a vampire guru who's helping others get in touch with their plant based diet sides.

( you never know. could be energy vampires out there somewhere, that suck the life out of people. or whatever. )

Sounds about right for me, to be honest. Find the guy on the network going on about how stupid pretty he is, only to find out he's a bloodsucking vampire.

[ he smirks, shrugging a shoulder. ]

We all have our things, don't we?

[ and his is being a vampire. ]

Don't worry, I'm not planning on draining you. I had a full meal a little while before this place decided it needed me. You're safe for a few hours.

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