dream_station | Dream Station TDM

Entry tags:

!tdm

Dream Station TDM

You dozed off. Or passed out. Or perhaps you were experiencing a more... permanent 'sleep'. Whatever the case, your eyes were shut and now they're not as you awaken sitting on a train. Around you, others in similar situations. At your feet sits luggage. It has a name tag on it with your name. Inside are some of your clothes and small personal belongings.

Out the window you see that the train is rolling into a sration. Cherry blossoms line the track leading up to it. A beautiful, scenic town lay beyond those gates.

Welcome to Dream Station.

Home Sweet Home:

As the train rumbles into the station and stops you step out onto a platform. A perfectly normal looking station, all things considered. There are people waiting. Guides here to help the latest batch of residents. People who live in this world. Either due to being born here or having been brought here sometime before and agreeing to help newcomers.

The guides explain to you the situation you are in. You otherworlders are common here in the city of Dream. Your guide reassures you that it's fine. They have accommodation for newcomers. And you are brought to the Sleep Tight Apartments. While outside it looks a little small, it's actually quite expansive inside. Must be magic of some kind.

Your apartment will be a one bedroom with a kitchen, living area and bathroom. But don't worry. There will be ways to expand later.

For now you are given a cellphone with an app installed on it for the local social media, Sleepr. As well as a Nightmare Tracker that will alert you when Nightmares crop up. And finally a little banking app where you will find you already have an account that has a decent amount of money for you to spend for the month. Don't worry about rent or bills. That's all covered in return for you helping with those Nightmares.

If you refuse to help... well. Best find your own accommodation and a job, friend. They can't help anyone unwilling to help in return.

There's a lot of new faces so maybe you should get to know your neighbors or get a walk around your new neighborhood.

This Is A Beach Episode:

The Dream Beach is open for business! Come lay out a towel and get some sun. Or go splash in the waves! Seashells are a plenty and there are designated fishing spots. Just don't swim too far out.

Hungry? Thirsty? The boardwalk has plenty of delicious options from icecream to fries to ice cold lemonade.

For those seeking something fun to do, there are paddle and pedal boats available for rent. And some diving to see the beautiful coral reefs. As well as a boat that will take you on a little trip out to an island resort!

The Resort:

I mean, you're basically all on vacation from your regular lives already in the wonderful world of Dream! That said, who doesn't love to spend a little time with their feet up in a nice resort?

Come out and stay in an ocean front room with complimentary continental breakfast and free room service. There are lots of little souvenir shops to check out, run by some bipedal frogs? They don't accept money here. But they'll glady trade their wares for any seashells collected on the beach. Lots of fun tropical themed goodies and swim gear galore!

For the adventurous sort, there is plenty to explore including a forest with hiking trails and a supposedly haunted cave. Legend says some tourists got lost in there and never came back out. They were looking for a treasure apparently. But... maybe don't follow their example and get lost in there?

The Nightmare Fuel:

So remember you were told about Nightmares? Seems they're cropping up throughout the city. Some are taking the form of shadowy crabs about four feet tall that are stealing from people and carrying them off in their little crabby claws. Give them a beat down or just trick them into dropping their stolen goods.

Others look like reverse mermaids. Fishy heads atop human legs. These ones are causing problems for the local restaurants and shops by slipping on in and stinking up the place. You can fight them if you want, but they'll be just as easily dispersed by herding them to the beach where they will return to the waters. They don't seem very threatening, just confused.

However while those two aren't very dangerous, there are some very aggressive bipedal seacreatures with the heads of crocodiles and some very sharp claws that have taken to lurking around the island out in the woods. These ones won't leave peacefully. You'll have to fight them or run away from them. Watch out they don't catch you. Those teeth and claws aren't just for show!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I could also say I know of Empires that are not terrible, but I both have none to name that I am well acquainted with and it would not be very funny."

His voice remained level.

"While on the Earth I call home, there are many governments with different kinds of rule, the ones that title themselves 'Empires' do not fare the best overall."

Even Rome did fall, though at least the Romans weren't spacebound.

"And I wouldn't believe it until I saw one either. Not after the one I've seen. But I know we'll stop them. " He said that firmly. "I don't know how or when, but we will. We have to." Which is why he had to make it home. To help.

He shook his head, focusing his attention back on the lamp. "Guess I should check more about here, not rant about home."

... Okay, Webmind did have things to say to that, but none of them felt right to say.

That, and he was fairly sure he lacked more exact temporal context on Cal's part; no sense giving him inaccurate information and thus falsify hope.

"One thing at a time tends to work best," he agreed, thinking ruefully of how he'd learned that the hard way.

"BD, would you like to sit on me for a moment?" He offered a hand, though he would not be offended if the little bot declined.

While Cal closed his eyes, focusing on the Force Echoes, BD paused in scanning and went over to the offered hand. He looked like nothing so much as a puppy investigating a stranger's offered hand for the first time. Curious, happy, but also just a bit shy. They shyness only lasted a fraction of a second, though, as the little exploration droid had more curiosity than sense, and Webmind hadn't even shown any sign of being dangerous.

And within moments Bd had scampered up, giving an appreciative whistle.

Cal opened his eyes, expression amused. "A couple arranged a meeting here and argued over where to go eat, It got heated, but not actually serious." He shook his head.

It both was and wasn't as much information as the bench. If couples were meeting and arguing about food choices, this place was definitely seeming.. mostly safe. Aside from the Nightmares the guides had mentioned, he supposed. He'd probably find an Echo involving those sooner or later though.

Webmind's expression looked thoughtful, even bemused, as Cal explained.

Letting BD come up and explore his current frame, he said, "That sounds like a scene that could happen in any city."

It was not a con, but its context was too limited to be a pro, in his opinion.

"Are there any other Echo locations in this station, or will we start exploring further to find them now?" he inquired.

Perhaps getting their bearings could be combined with getting any further arrangements... well, arranged. Both in terms of living situation and otherwise.

"Those are the only ones that called me, there are probably more, but I think exploring further would probably help more more than just digging for Echoes here."

BD chirped an affirmative, bouncing from one foot to the other on the top of Webmind's frame, more than ready to find more places to explore and plants to scan.

Webmind held up his phone.

"I have no problems with this plan. Also, if you happen to get any readings from any devices that look like this, please let me know; I may be able to help retrieve information, in those cases."

There really did seem to be something for everyone, here.

Cal looked at the comm link that Webmind held up, or the locals had called it a cellphone when distributing them? "Works for me."

He considered the surroundings as he walked, not just the Echoes but the people. He might not be able to pick up anyone's specific emotions. But a general sense that things were not bad. There was some worry with strange things happening regularly, but no sense of dread.

"This place almost seems like a paradise," he said quietly after a bit, shaking his head. Look, he did not exactly have reason to trust a paradise.

Webmind stayed close, able to multitask in his explorations with delight when it came to delving inside the Network...

It was surprising just how different the Network here was to what the Voidtrecker Express had been operating - hopefully the train hadn't had to deal with something so simplified all its life, but then Webmind himself preferred complexity overall.

Making a post after gleaning just how much there was they could offer each other, he turned back to Cal's conversation.

"Paradise is a subjective term," he stated.

"Moreover, an attitude of acceptance of the strange is not necessarily enough to prevent danger from occurring - why would a paradise have these 'Nightmares', for example?"

That had come up in the briefing, most particularly in warning them to avoid the Nightmare District. (Or at least going in there alone; Webmind imagined the age restriction didn't quite mean the same thing for him as it did for humans, but he could understand the more practical side of such limitations.)

"And even with that it still does." Cal shook his head. Given that before the Empire he'd been a Padawan in the Clone Wars, his idea of paradise and peace might have been... skewed.

"I know it's not without problems. And I want to help with those problems until I can make it home." BD paused in a scan to beep an affirmative.

Everyone had their own standards; Webmind understood that quite well.

"... It appears we don't have to help to stay here in the meanwhile, from what I am reading," he said, summarizing some of what he read on the Network.

"But it is good practice, and I also wish to help alongside going home."

Two identical wishes, even if those wishes would eventually lead them to very different places.

"I want to help. What kind of Jedi would I be if I could help didn't?" He smiled then. "I'm glad we are on the same page with that. What else have you found out?"

Webmind's expression briefly flickered into a frown - he was not going to do a 'please wait' loading icon, nevermind that the effect might be lost on this audience - but it rightened quickly.

"Some of the architecture grows as needed, in our immediate destination. The residents explain it simply as 'magic'."

Very curious, though he's learned better than to simply be skeptic.

"I wonder if there is a particular mechanism for it?"

"Huh. I know a Witch, a Nightsister. I've seen her raise the dead with her magic, but making a building grow as needed is a new one to me."

"I do not know how this place would feel about raising the dead."

But that's beside the point.

"There do seem to be a wide variety of specialties for working magic out there. Many of those wielding a type that I have encountered used it for weaponry."

Or, in one special case, communication; he considered this the ultimate tool - but again, that was beside the point.

"Still, this doesn't seem a place where openly wielding weapons is the norm, either."

Edited 2023-06-10 18:54 (UTC)

"I know I certainly didn't appreciate it. That was back when Merrin and I were still enemies. She is very good at using her magic offensively." Admiration made it into his voice.

He looked around, considering. "You're right about that. I'm used to most people around me carrying blasters. I... hope my lightsaber isn't worrying anyone." He'd never cared about it before. But most people who hadn't bought what the Empire was selling didn't feel threatened by a lightsaber in the hands of a Jedi.

"I guess if you encountered combative magic where you were before, weapons were a bit more normal."

"What caused you to stop being enemies?"

Webmind felt he could well know this answer, but it never hurt to actually ask, sometimes.

"So long as you are not actively cutting up the scenery, I doubt the general populace would have reason to complain," he pointed out.

As to the last remark, Webmind shrugged. "Many people I worked with had lost access to their weapons in the process of being pulled onto the Voidtrecker Express. Most found ways to bring them back."

Either for general self-defense, because of the missions, or simply because of how they dealt with the world.

These categories were not necessarily mutually exclusive.

"She'd been tricked. All I had to do was convince her I was not a threat and was trying to help. And who can say no to a face like BD's, I mean really?"

Cal chuckled. "I'll try to avoid that."

When pulled onto, so, very much like this place, huh? "What about you?" Cal didn't get the impression Webmind was the sort of droid to run in proverbial guns blazing, but he had no interest in assuming. And besides, even if he wasn't, by asking, Cal could learn how he'd helped on the missions or whatever they were.

"He is quite something," Webmind said, smile as bright as ever, and reached up to offer the little bot a pat.

As they kept walking, Webmind took half a moment to look around while composing his response.

"I'm far from used to weapons, and prefer to use conversation to better understanding... but I also know not all people are that way."

Or, depending on the world, most.

"Not all missions we were on required fighting, as well. Sometimes it was what you would call 'fetch quests', or it was about renewing a shrine's flame, or venturing to an abandoned location to recover data."

BD gave a happy trill at the pat, bouncing from foot to foot on his perch.

"Gotta say, I like the sound of those missions better than having people shooting at us." Cal said with a laugh. "BD and I have gotten to explore some old ruins and crashed ships before. Though lately it's been a lot more fighting." And he didn't want to admit to himself he'd reached the point that was generally his first reaction.

"There was some fighting even on those missions, but we were divided up such that people who weren't suited for fighting still had something vital to do."

There were many such multifaceted situations... except the particularly dire ones.

"There was a mission where our main purpose was to deflect an asteroid, and chase away some criminals seeking to mine on a world that was all nature preserve."

Though mining what had never been quite clear to him.

"Huh. How many of you were there?" Cal was used to functioning with his family, and on missions that usually meant BD-1, an occasionally Merrin. Cere mostly managed computers, though she had left the ship to save him from a tight spot a time or two, generally only if an Inquisitor showed up.

"While the distribution of team members changed from month to month," Webmind explained.

"When we are asked to split up, we can be in units of fifteen to thirty or more, though splintering off to groups of three or four was also common."

Especially if there was a particularly niche task to handle.

"There were four teams for categorization; the total roster had exceeded one hundred persons at my last check."

Cal considered this. That was more of an organization than he'd considered at first. "Anyone in particular you connected with or were teamed up with more frequently?" Cal looked around as he spoke. Some of the possible echoes were close enough to others he might be interrupting their space, so he opted to skip those for now, looking for others instead.

"If I recognize any of them here, I'll be sure to tell you," he says.

Then starts the list.

"Conan Edogawa, Curufin, Glorfindel, Fëanor, Kitty Pryde, Danny Fenton, Eva Iden'no, Quatre Raberba Winner, Seto Kaiba, Dairine Callahan, Daia, Devero, Orisa and SXT-246-029-256-062 are some of those I was particularly fond of," he related.

"Not all of them were still aboard the last I knew, but a few Voidtreckers were known to have been picked up twice - or for multiple versions of them to arrive."

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Total characters submitted for AC in the month of Webmind being dropped: 104. (I wanted to be Sure)

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