TDM 003 - SUMMER

[heckinmods]

[ SEE GAME NAVIGATION TO READ UP ON HECK GAME BEFORE PLAYING IF YOU SO DESIRE ]


A: Garden Level - OOPS YOU DIED
[CONGRATS YOU DIED. Sucks for you!! But Abe and Lucy are DETERMINED to get paperwork done and to do that, they need to get to know YOU.

So as soon as you appear, no matter if you're going to heaven or hell, you get slapped with a "HELLO MY NAME IS ____" sticker by one of the sheep. Said sticker has two possible effects:
-The sticker may say your "True" name or a nickname you don't like, or an alias, etc. How did it get there?? Paperwork. There is a chance it's blank and you can write your own name too.
-Whenever they see a person, they will be compelled to shout "HELLO MY NAME IS [their name] AND I LIKE [something they like.]"

We speed therapying this shit. ]


B: SUMMER HELL
[Whether you're a demon or an angel, eventually you may want to visit the HellRaiser hotel below! Hell is where all the HIP HAPPENING THINGS are after all. Want a lava bath? Go to a club? Gamble?? Just get fucking drunk? Hell's your place.

However, despite being the afterlife, even hell is not immune from the heat of summer. And it's taking the whole flames of hell thing literally. So!

-You might be minding your own business, and suddenly part of your body or clothing just, fucking ignites on fire. Good luck with that!
-You may get badgered by demonic vendors, trying to push various summer t-shirts on you.
-You might get roped into some demons fucking EMBRACING THE HEAT. Ever been tied to a giant fire spit oven an open flame?? YOU HAVE NOW. Maybe someone will help you, or you can handle yourself just fine.

Or you might get lucky and none of that happens and you're just vibing. Good on you!!]


C: Heaven is Central Air Conditioning
[Heaven-side, the heavenly hotel is its normal, luxurious self except for one key different. . .A/C. That's right, only the hotels in Heaven have working air conditioning. Fucked up!! So chilling up here might be the right call. You can always go visit the beach too, or any of the delightful coffee shops. Heaven also is the only place to get caffeine. Wack.

Of course, even heaven is prone to wackiness. Newbies may be prone to:
-Like hell, there are plenty of vendors up here, but instead of cash, today they ask for payment in...jokes? Better give your best one.
-Cherubs may be especially pushy and try to get you dressed in extremely stuffy/heavenly clothing. Enjoy your corsets and such.
-At the beach, if you sun bathe too long without protection, oops! You may find your skin (fur, scales, whatever) turning not red, but another ridiculous color.

OR AGAIN, JUST DO WHATEVER. WHOMST CAN STOP YOU?? You have a phone just text strangers do what you want.]



OOC NOTES:
-"Ash this TDM seems kinda half assed" IT'S SUMMER AND I'M TIRED also with July having no themed event I wanted this TDM to be pretty generic so people can hop in without worrying about timelines!
-This TDM is open to all! For now, you do NOT need to join the comm to play in it!
-Post questions for the mods here
-Remember, playing in the TDM does NOT guarantee your entry or app being accepted into the game proper later down the line!
-Apps open!! Be sure to read the rules linked there and check the current taken list!
-For current players: TDMs count as game canon AND threads may be used for AC if you wish!
-Remember regardless of your alignment, you are free to travel to whatever level you wish!

Comments

the Ring-Spirit | YuGiOh (manga/DSoD) | hellraised

[improvking]

[A.1]
[ In the Garden, there is a three-dimensional shadow person. Everything about his is pitch black except for his glowing golden eyes, and the metallic gold medallion affixed to his chest. He's looking around in a clear state of extreme disorientation.

One of the little sheep slaps a nametag on him while he's distracted. It... is blank. The shadowy figure simply frowns down at it before looking around again, this time with a slightly less disconcerted, slightly more critical eye. ]

I don't know what I was expecting, but this seems...

I think I'm in the wrong afterlife. [ Then he blinks, what he just said finally catching up to his brain. ] Wait, afterlife? Why the fuck am I here?!

[A.2]
[ The Ring-Spirit has been skulking around the Garden, trying to get his bearings and also avoid making eye contact with anyone, because every single time he slips up and does lock eyes with somebody - ]

HELLO MY NAME IS SOMETHING PROBABLY I DON'T KNOW AND I LIKE TABLETOP RPGS.

[ - that. happens. He blurts out that at high volume. ]

[B]
[ The Ring-Spirit finds himself surprisingly comfortable with the heat down here. He even looks comfortable in the long black trench coat he's sporting... though that is probably more due to it being shapeshifted into existence rather than a truly unholy heat tolerance.

He is however starting to look a bit overwhelmed by the sheer volume of assorted extremely insistent vendors. ]

If I wanted a stupid tshirt I sure as fuck wouldn't be paying you for it. Go away...

[ Another vendor closes in and the Ring-Spirit finds himself raising his hands defensively as he tries to back away from... well, they kind of have him surrounded. Shit. ]

[D]
un: DarkMaster
why are there ouiji boards in the afterlife, who the fuck are we talking to?


[[ OOC: feel free to poke me at MomeMordrid if you wanna plot something - or just wildcard me! ]]

text. un: hotlocaldad.

[applesolutely]

Me.

[ this is not true. he's just being a gremlin. ]

<DarkMaster>

[improvking]

so ouiji boards are the afterlife's version of "hot singles in your area"?

[ Look, he has no idea who this is. But that handle... ]

[applesolutely]

It'd be a more productive use of their time than constantly asking me to curse their enemies or whatever else it is they usually deign to bother me about.

[improvking]

people still want other beings to curse their enemies after they've died? that's just lazy, do your own haunting.

[applesolutely]

Not everyone has power just because they died! Hell's got a weird power structure. Don't even get me started on Heaven, hah!

[improvking]

sounds like a skill issue. or perhaps a lack of imagination... that one's sadly common.

Mae Borowski | Night in the Woods | She's def going to hell

[begaydocrimes]

[Garden]

[There isn't too much of a reaction at first - not at being told she's dead. Not at the name tag slapped on her shirt. Everything is just one weird... blur. She can't even process the idea of being dead.

She doesn't.

Maybe it's a dream she's going to wake up from. She's had weird dreams like that. She stands off in the corner of the garden, not realizing she's staring at whoever's nearby.]

... oh geez! Sorry, I totally spaced out there.

[Hell]

[As soon as the elevator starts going down, Mae doesn't... exactly remain calm. The only noticeable change is the goat-like horns, and the teeny tiny bat wings that pop from her back.

As she's dropped off in Hell, her earlier dissociation starts to become real panic. Also it's really fucking hot down here.]

Oh god. Oh god oh god I really did die and go to Hell my neighbor always told me this would happen.

That's a sweet-looking T-Shirt.

Oh god this is really bad.

[Heaven]

[Somehow despite being cursed to Hell she's... able to visit Heaven too? She doesn't get that part, but she'll take the break! It's nice and cool up here! She tries to buy and ice cream cone (effing sweet she can eat ice cream up here). But just as she's about to ask how to pay, she's... asked to tell a joke.]

Oh yeah I know tons of jokes! Like this one:

What's red and bad for your teeth? An effing brick!!

[The vendor frowns.]

... What, not funny?

A.2, this will go well

[softspokenlandlord]

[Sometimes Ryou visits the Garden to see new designs. Sometimes he visits for snacks.

Whichever he's up here for though, what he didn't expect is a familiar voice, shouting at the top of their lungs how much they loved TTRPGs. The spirit hadn't made eye-contact with him, but Ryou seeks the source of it out to confirm because he could never, ever forget that voice.

His wings draw tightly to his back as he approaches the shadow, and his snake tail does something very rare: it hoods, along with opening its mouth in a threatening gesture.

For his part, Ryou doesn't really look so much like himself, not with the goat face and legs, but the hair is unmistakable.]

...It's you.

[improvking]

[ The Ring-Spirit whirls around when Ryou speaks, his expression going wide-eyed and stunned. He thought he'd never hear that voice again. ]

...You still exist?

[ Sure he doesn't look very much like himself, but there's no mistaking Ryou's voice. That's Ryou.

That's his host.

How can he exist, even in the realm of the dead?? The Ring-Spirit watched him... ]

[softspokenlandlord]

[Oh the snake doesn't like that. Now it's hissing!

Ryou, in the meantime, looks irate at that comment. So then, the Ring really did intend to get rid of him when it made that Mani guy send him out of his proper dimension, then.]

Sorry you didn't succeed.

[But he doesn't sound sorry at all. He doesn't sound entirely courageous though, because he's really not.]

Heaven

[softspokenlandlord]

Well I think it's funny. It's literal humor, so fair payment, right?

[There's a goat guy behind Mae +1-ing her joke for two reasons. One, he wants ice cream as well, and two, she's right and she should say it! Bricks are bad for your teeth, and often come in red!]

[improvking]

[ The Ring-Spirit's expression morphs into hurt outrage at that. ]

"Didn't succeed"?! "DIDN'T SUCCEED"?! I wasn't TRYING to blow up your soul, I was trying to get you out of the game, you dumb fuck! YOU'RE the one who...

[ - and then the outrage crumbles a little, because this just happened for the Ring-Spirit, he has not had time to process much yet - ]

How are you here?! How are you ANYWHERE?!

[ Oh good, now his voice is breaking, he definitely needs that to deal with too. ]

Heaven

[bestcupid]

[Just the weakest smile!]

I think most people know better than to eat one though. [Overthinking it? Yes. Of course. The goddess way too dressed up is fairly at home here which makes sense. But she offers two jokes to the vendor for payment for one for Mae and one for herself.]

Q: How do you dish out ice cream on Valentine’s Day?
A: You sCupid out.

Why is lettuce the best vegetable?
Because it's all heart! [Makes a heart with her hands!]

[softspokenlandlord]

[Yeah you know what? Calling him a dumb fuck is not the way to go about this. Ryou's wings now flare and he takes a few deliberate steps closer to the Ring-Spirit, even though he's intimidated. He can't keep being frightened of his past!

So, he stands up for himself!

...Sort of.]

I don't know what you're even talking about! Th-this wasn't a game, what happened to me! You...you shouldn't have ever come back, I thought...I thought you were...

[Yeah, he's kind of lost his edge here. The wings stay flared, the snake still looks pissy, but Ryou himself is already balking.]

[begaydocrimes]

See? He thinks it's funny!

[The vendor rolls their eyes and hands them both ice cream. Better than trying to argue with customers.]

Aw shit yeah got some free ice cream. Heaven rules. Did not know Heaven existed until now!

[Mae turns to Ryou, mouth smeared a bit after taking a big bite of her ice cream. Honestly Mae isn't sure what to make of all the Heaven and Hell creatures up here, but at least Ryou looks like someone from her world - sort of.]

How is yours tasting? I mean... can't go too wrong with ice cream, right?

[improvking]

[ The Ring-Spirit reacts subconsciously to the nonverbal agression, taking a couple shaky steps closer as well. ]

Don't give me that! You deliberately threw a Shadow Game for - for what?! It's not like you even knew them, you'd just met! It was all just to spite me, wasn't it? All because - because - why?!

[ He grabs fistfuls of his hair and tugs in frustration - and maybe just a little hysterically - gritting his bared teeth. He needs time and space to process what had just happened before he woke up here, and now there's even MORE emotions and information to sift through, and - aaAAAAA,, ]

[begaydocrimes]

Well they don't eat it, they get smashed in the mouth with a brick.

[Aww those jokes are cute. And successfully gets them ice cream!]

Thanks for getting us ice cream. It's crazy hot up here. I'm like drenched through my fur!

... I'm actually surprised they let me visit!

[bestcupid]

Hahaha???

[Oh dear. Cupid has to quell the bubbling panic, it's fine. She's feeding the demon kitty, so they won't be too hungry. And also, if they do let hellions up here, they must not be a threat to the gods and the like? She's just going to focus on her nice pink strawberry ice cream.]

They're pretty um... usually pretty confident that nothing can hurt them. [But seeing as everything is out of whack now, who knows if that's true.]

I guess it's even hotter in um... down closer to the volcanoes and everything, huh?

[softspokenlandlord]

[Ryou is still upset, but something...something's not right here. They're not talking about the same thing. The Ring speaking through Aigami's friend had been very clear about what Aigami should have done to Ryou. There was malice there, whether it was because Ryou had ultimately "betrayed" the Ring somehow, or the remaining bits simply had no allegiance, host or no host.

He steps back, protectively curling his arms around himself.]

You...

You're talking about...Monster World? Why would you ask me about that, it was so long ago.

But even so, I had to stop you. Did you think you were helping by doing what you did?! You weren't my friend...you were never my friend, you just needed me so you could achieve your goals! They wanted...they wanted to be friends with me, even knowing what happened to the other people I played with.

[His clawed fingers curl around his upper arms, digging in hard enough to make the eye at his left arm ache, while the one on his left hand opened to glare at the Ring-Spirit.

Ryou can't help the way his breathing quickens. The memories flooding his mind are like a crushing, paralyzing weight.]

Why don't you tell me why for once? A real reason, not a lie to make me accept you!

1/2

[improvking]

"Long ago"?! It just happened!

2/? actually this got long

[improvking]

[ Ryou's following question finally jumpstarts the part of the Ring-Spirit's brain that knows he doesn't want to do this here, with witnesses. He takes a hissing intake of breath through his teeth and untangles his hands from his hair, pressing one to his forehead.

...He can do this. He's just gotta. shut everything down until he can have a panic attack in private somewhere. He can't hide inside the Ring here, but he'll handle that later. He needs to handle this first. He can't think, so he needs to do - do what? Well, he was just asked a nonsensical question. Yes, start with that. ]

"Why" what? That's too open ended. You can't just ask - why am I here? I lost a Shadow Game! I guess I died! That tends to happen when you lose one! Why do you think I didn't want you playing!

[ Following this stream of consciousness style is helping organize his thoughts, make the information make more sense. What is Ryou trying to ask? What else had he said? That those randos with the Puzzle wanted to be friends, and that overrode... ]

Why would you assume people you'd known for two days were more... fuck, you couldn't hear me all that time.

3/?

[improvking]

[ A short peel of unhinged laughter escapes him. From Ryou's point of view, he'd actually known the randos longer than the Ring, than the guy who lived in his head, because he'd never been able to hear the guy before! After all those years - oh this is hysterical. ]

H-hahahaha, h-hahaha...

4/4 ok done

[improvking]

[ No, no time for hysterics, he's wasted enough of his response time already. Fuck fuck fuck, is this even salvageable? He needs to fix it. ]

I was going to let you keep them! I didn't want to kill any of them, things only went so far because of that other spirit, it's all his doing! How was I supposed to know the Puzzle was inhabited? Most things aren't haunted! Everything would've been fine if I'd been the only Shadow Gamer at the table, I don't play to kill, it's just other people's go-to penalty because they have no imagination.

I need the Puzzle, and... I just... [ He still doesn't know why he needs the Items, he just does. That's enough for him, but he knows it doesn't make for a convincing argument for anyone else, better take a different tack. ] ...That's why you could finally hear me, right?

I know you, better than they ever could - I've been there, even when you couldn't hear me - do you even know what happened to the others you played that game with? I was going to tell you, I just needed the Puzzle, and then everything would've been fine, we could finally talk, AND you'd still have all your little friends!

[ His tone has turned into bargaining, and he's vaguely aware that's... not a good tone to take in this situation, but that's what this is, isn't it? Bargaining to be given a single chance, after years of looking out for this kid?

...Why does Ryou have an eye on one hand, that's - oh. Right. The castle. Hm. That's going to be counted against him, isn't it. (He thinks to himself, unaware of all the other things he's ALSO managed to do by Ryou's point in time.) ]

[softspokenlandlord]

[Ryou does the Ring-Spirit the courtesy of listening, if nothing else. But the more he does, the worse he feels. And when the spirit laughs, Ryou exhales so sharply that a burst of bright green flame emits past his maw. His teeth seem to sharpen and elongate, while his claws grow longer. The color of his wingfeathers subtly darkens as every single eye on his body opens jjust as wie as the one on his hand.

Maybe it's a threat response. Or maybe it's a fear response. It's definitely something.]

You don't know me. You don't, you're the thing that PUT ME HERE IN HELL!

[Ryou shakes his head and finally, he backs away, though he does so while speaking.]

My memories aren't reliable. But I know that it's well past that Shadow Game for me. I survived it because of how much of me was in my character. If Yugi hadn't been there, then I'd have been lost completely. He didn't try to kill me, he saved me, and it's a poor repayment I gave him...by trusting you...keeping the Ring despite everything, until the very last moment...

[Ryou nearly stumbles over his own hooves backing away more fervently.]

I can't do this again! I'm not the right host for you, don't you understand?!

[He insists this, even with his snake-tail and Diabound's wings on his back. He insists.]