TCP session

[1011686]

You are in a completely, utterly dark void. For an indeterminate amount of time, you simply drift, ethereal, ephemeral. Then, a tugging sensation, light at first, but becoming stronger. You are caught in something, bunched up, pushed through some membrane into a form that can feel, and smell, and hear. Your voice, your thoughts are one of many, you can hear them all, until they blur together along with yours. Your past memories and thoughts are pushed to one side, making room for a new awareness as a collaborative entity.

You are a collective…
...
...type TCP.

Well, this seems unusual.
After becoming corporeal, your mind feels both almost empty and cluttered with information, as if everything you know is just on the tip of your tongue but you can't quite grasp any of it. You even feel like you know more about your current situation than you're supposed to, somehow.

You take note of your surroundings.It's still dark, but you can now tell that it’s due to a large, warm blanket you appear to be under. It’s quite soft.
You can’t really tell anything else about what's around you, other than that whatever your lying on is comfortable as well. There are some slight sounds of movement from nearby. Maybe you should get up and walk around, see what’s what.
Or you could consider your own existence some more. You're pretty comfy where you are right now after all, no need to rush things.



(I can't really draw, so this is going to be text only. Hopefully my prose will be easy on the eyes.)

[King-Clod]

Let's get up, walk around a bit, and uh...
Dab.
Let's dab.

[AceOfNothing]

Give the blanket a good push into the air then roll out from under it’s fast as we can

[cosmo]

name!! name!! name!! we need a name!!

[TwistBone]

Name: Dabber
It’s the only name that makes sense

[1011686]

With a quick shove, you lift the blanket into the air above your head, then roll your body out from beneath it, revealing to you what appears to be a lightly illuminated room. Before you get much of a look at it though, your momentum carries you off the bed you were on and you fall to the floor, landing on a carpet with a soft thud.

Slowly, you stand up and walk around the room. The floor is filled with… things. Some small and made of many parts, some are long and flat and hang over each other. You feel like you should really know what these things are, but you just, can’t quite recognise any of them. Through some deep sense you feel that maybe you just need a reminder, just need to get closer and fiddle around with them for a bit and it might come to you. One large rectangular thing in particular has a warm yellow light peeking around its edges, and seems to be the source of those sounds you heard a few moments ago.

Before you get to any of that, though, you feel a need to express your existential confusion, your curiosity at the world around you, and the joy of simply being alive through the only gesture that can convey them all at the same time.

You dab. You really put your back into it, too.

And to commemorate your action, you decide it would only be fitting for others to know of you by such an expression as well. Yes, your name will be Dabb-

>NAME: Tables

Your name is Tables. Despite this not being the case a moment before, the name feels intimately familiar to you, as if you’ve been called it for years. You feel a strong association with the word, and the thought of calling yourself something else now feels a little awkward.

“Oh my gosh you’re adorable!”

A voice rings out, not seeming to come from any direction in particular but simply appearing in your head. It sounds excited. And young.

[King-Clod]

"You are too! ...I mean, I can't see you, but you sound like it! Also thank you for the name! I really like it, it suits me."

...wait shoot can we speak yet

[cosmo]

"who are you?????"

[TwistBone]

I should hope we’re adorable, I’ve yet to see an ugly tcp and I’d hate for us to be the first.
Attempt communication, and if we can’t speak we must communicate through interpretive dance, as we are clearly an experienced dancer already.

[1011686]

You feel curious at this voice, and eager to answer its compliment in kind. You’ve never seen a single other living creature, or even really yourself yet for that matter, but you feel like being adorable is a good thing. Forming a response in your head, you....

You…

...You’re pretty sure there’s supposed to be some way to communicate with other people. That voice said something to you, didn’t it? But whatever it is, you can’t quite think of it, can’t quite work out how to convey meaning from your mind into theirs. You feel like it might be related to sound? You’re not sure how though. Whenever you try making a noise, it sounds like an uncountable number of voices speaking simultaneously, some low, some high, some smooth, some rough, all blending into a singular cacophonous symphony. It’s kinda cool, but you can’t seem to make there be any connection between the sounds you produce and the thoughts in your head.

But even if you can’t communicate any specific meanings directly, you can still express your emotions through your body.

You start off slow, just bobbing your knees to a beat only you can hear. Before it gets boring, you start swiveling your arms around and shaking your hands at the end of them, sometimes bringing them together with a clap. You slowly lean backwards, before jumping forward and landing with a spin on one foot. You move your body in a wavelike motion while jumping around, throwing a few more dabs in for good measure, before finishing with a flourish towards the sky, and then falling over.

You hope that did the trick. You hear nothing but silence for a few moments, before what sounds like a slightly muffled high-pitched squeal inside your head. Eventually it cuts off. “Wow you really like moving! You have to meet the others, it’ll be great!”

The room’s door opens, and two figures peek in from beyond. One is brown and short with a prominent nose and pointed ears, their hands pawlike compared to yours, while the other is tall and flat, a circular knob protruding from their midsection. Both of them look at you with curiosity.

[cosmo]

hop! up! and! down!!!!!

[TwistBone]

Dab again just to really get the point across. It’s not like we can really do much else right now but dab so dab away sweet child dab away.

[knux400]

Say "apple".

(read: jump up and down)

[1011686]

The short one moves closer, stooping to all fours for a moment before prancing up to you and placing a friendly arm on your shoulder. It says something to you, or at least you think it does? But unlike the voice in your head, all you can make out are slightly quizzical yips and yaps, devoid of any sense. You illustrate the issue by jumping up and down several times, and also dabbing.

“Oh right sorry! I forgot about that! Sorry, I’m still getting the hang of all this.”

>TEACH:
Talking
Suddenly, a Dialoguethought enters your head, or, well, more Slanglike a collection of thoughts, all bundledChat together. They splitLanguage up and make their way Vocabularyto variousComment parts of your mind, slottingTone in, forming new connections Discussionbetween concepts Whisperand altering the way you feel and act. The act of speechListen becomes familiar to you once more, simple and clear in ways youCommunication couldn’t reach before.


It’s a little overwhelming, but once things stop moving you feel fine again, ready to speak your first words to the friendly folk around you.

“Apple.”

The dog-type looks at you, then looks around, as if expecting to find the fruit in question. They fail to do so, but one appears out of thin air and drops to the floor, no doubt the gift of your unseen observer. The dog-type stares at it for a few moments with a slightly befuddled expression, before turning back to you.

“...Anyway, I was saying my name is Cushion, and the one over there is Window, she’s a bit shy though, but I’m sure she’ll come around on you! Let’s go, I’ll show you around.”

They grip your hand and pull you through the door. Outside the room, you immediately step into a field of grass tall enough to hide your legs. Turning back, you can see that the building was more of a cabin, with not much else other than the single room you were in. Window gives a small “hi” as you pass her, before following you and Cushion at a distance.

Around you are a couple more cabins, a pool of water with a slide, a table with cards scattered on it, a playground with another slide, and several small toys and objects you can’t currently recognise the function of. In the distance, the field of grass comes to an end and what looks like a rocky plain spreads forth. The voice seems silent for now, waiting to see what you think of everything.

[cosmo]

proudly state that our name is tables and this place seems really super nice! (punctuate thought with a dab) ask the others if they can hear the voice too.

[TwistBone]

We should definitely introduce ourselves and tell them our type, not that we know exactly what that means for us in therms if ability. Or even what we look like for that matter.

[1011686]

Cushion stops pulling you for a moment, standing still while they try to decide what to bring you to. Their eye catches the table, and they jump and point at it, as if only just noticing it.

 “Oh, there’s a fun card game I know we can play! I’ll set it up on the table.”

“My name is Tables!” You like hearing the sound of your name. It feels good.

“We know.” says Window softly.

“Thanks for showing me around so far, this place seems really nice.” You drop a little dab to express the pleasant atmosphere. “I haven’t really introduced myself yet, have I? I’m a collective type tcp, I’m not really sure what exactly that means yet. I’m not even sure what I look like, although I guess you can tell that, by just looking.”

Cushion pauses doing... whatever they’re doing with the cards, to stare at you for a bit. A strange moment of silence passes, during which Cushion’s facial expression changes several times, before they finally shake their head, grin, and continue moving around cards.

 “You really are an odd one, aren’t you?”

“I am?”

 “Fllif says she didn’t expect you to know all that stuff yet, but it's probably because of your… type, right? You’re a bunch of people squashed together or something?” They shrug.  “Whatever. Nice to meet you, Tables!”

“Thanks! Oh also, can you hear that voice too? Is that ‘Fllif’?”

Cushion responds with an enthusiastic  “Yep!”, but Window grunts frustratedly and crosses her arms. Cushion turns back at her before waving their hand in the air.  “Fllif’s pretty great but, mmm, she surprised Window a bit much when teaching stuff. But that’s why I asked her to let me do the talking when it came to you, so you don’t need to worry about that! Anyway, I hope you’re ready to play!”

The cards are laid out in several piles of varying number, with the top card of each pile flipped face up, along with a deck of the remainders. You don’t recognise the game. Or do you?

 “Oh, she does want to know one thing though. Why do you keep doing that two-armed salute, or whatever it is?”

[knux400]

It's called a "dab". We started doing it because of another thing called "bad impulse control" and now we're still doing it because it's turned into something called a "running gag".

Also I'm not 100% sure, but the card game described seems like Solitaire?

[TwistBone]

Dabbing is the ultimate expression of joy and excitement. To dab is to know you are truly alive! Also the card game almost certainly solitaire, unless there’s some obscure game that is set up exactly like solitaire. I wonder why the card game of choice would be a game intended to be played alone? Seems like go-fish or even war would be more appropriate to play with our new acquaintances.

[1011686]

“It's not a salute, it’s called a ‘dab’. It’s the greatest expression of joy and excitement one can make, especially if you have bad impulse control. Which I do.” Cushion stares at their arms in confusion, then slowly raises them and tries to mimic the action you performed earlier, but they have some trouble. One of their arms is behind their back. You’re not sure why. They don’t seem to be either.

 “Like this?”

“No, you need to, you just,-” You try fiddling with Cushion’s arms, but they shake your hands off. You dab again with them carefully paying attention, just to show them how it looks, but they keep struggling with putting all the body parts in the right position at the same time. It’s quite painful to watch.

Eventually, with an exasperated growl Cushion gives up trying to dab. They shake off the frustration and put a grin back on their face, as they take a seat behind the table.

 “Never mind, you can show me later. Let’s play!”

You take your seat, and look at the card game. Even though you’ve never seen it before, it feels oddly familiar. You feel a need to ask a question.

“Isn’t this a single player game?”

 “What? Did Fllif teach you it already?” They murmur something under their breath, almost unconsciously, though you don’t quite catch it.

“No, I just know this game.”

 “Oh. Well, yes, kind of, but I like to watch other people play, and I can give hints if you’re having trouble, so it’s really like we’re both playing. I guess I don’t need to tell you the rules, sooo let’s begin!”

You inspect the board state, and begin making moves, Cushion watching each choice. A few times they shift in their seat with excitement, but you feel familiar enough with the game that you don’t think you need any help. Unfortunately, you end up running out of possible moves. Cushion looks disappointed. You push aside the lost game.

“Why don’t we play something together, like go-fish, or war?”

 “What are those?

“You know, other card games?”

 “Not really…”

Cushion looks vaguely interested, but they also seem to be getting slightly bored of the cards. There’s still the other cabins and playthings you haven’t looked at. Window has pulled up a stool and book from somewhere and appears to be engrossed in some novel, though you can’t see it very well through the tall grass. You also haven’t seen beyond your current vicinity at all.

What do you do?

[knux400]

Let's head to the cabins! Those seem interesting.

[TwistBone]

The cabins seem like a safe bet. I wonder what Fllif’s domains and motifs are?

[1011686]

After a silence that goes just long enough to become awkward, you decide the time for cards has passed. Cushion takes well to the idea of looking at the other cabins, and runs over to the closest one, near the pool.

The door and outside walls look normal enough, made out of plain, unpainted wood, but the inside is extravagantly furnished in colourful fabrics strewn about many armchairs and couches filling the room. Hanging from the walls and ceiling are several spindles with small hoops and shapes tied to them, fluttering softly in the breeze created by the opened door. Cushion jumps from surface to surface before leaping to one particular sofa, landing with a roll and curling up on it.

 "This is my place, but you're welcome to stay if you want! Fllif didn't really know what you'd like, so there's just a bunch of stuff in your room."

"Stuff?"

 "Yeah, mostly clothes I think? I don't really know what's up with those, I haven't-" They stop talking mid-sentence, seemingly interrupted, before reacting.  "Uh, I don't think-"

A pair of black tracksuit pants poofs into the air above Cushion and falls onto them. They pick it up with both paws and fiddle with it for a few moments before turning it up the right way, and then hold it to their legs. They turn their head back and forth, trying to get a better look, before wrinkling their nose and throwing the pair of pants across the room. They wave their arm in the air dismissively, and turn back to you.

 "Anyway that's my room."

Inquiring about the other cabin, you learn that it is Window's, and is apparently a lot more boring than Cushion's, though they still come with you to it. Window unenthusiastically opens the door for you, asking that you be careful to not make a mess.

In the center of the room is a chair and desk, partially covered by paper and writing implements. Along a wall is a small bookshelf, though you find yourself unable to read any of the titles. In one corner of the room is a pile of small bits and bobs, dolls, pool floats, game boxes, a sword, a little chest with a keyhole, a spade, a sleeping bag, and other things, all next to broom propped upright. Nothing else is in the room.

Cushion places an arm on your shoulder as you stand in the doorway.  "Yup, still dull. Why don't you get Fllif to make you something nicer, Window?"

Window responds in a mumble you don't quite catch, and Cushion shrugs.  "You should join us in the pool later, I bet that'll be fun! Come on Tables, there's other stuff we can do." They walk out the door, and don't look back to check if you follow.

Window looks up at you. She doesn't say anything, but you get the feeling she's trying to tell you something, or ask something. Her expression looks… sympathetic? You can't quite tell.

What do you do?

[knux400]

...Once Cushion is out of earshot (or earnub-shot, heh), we should talk to Window by herself. It seems like Cushion has a habit of bashing on Window's interests, whether that's a conscious thing or not is still hard to say.

"Did you want to show me your room?"

[King-Clod]

Follow up with excitement about something in the room, so she doesn't worry that we're just asking to be polite.
Maybe ask if she could show us what's in the chest, or what she's been writing.
...Or if she wants to play dolls.

[TwistBone]

“Cushion is certainly... excitable aren’t they?”

[1011686]

You take a few steps further into the room, not really willing to follow Cushion's exit just yet.

"Did you want to show me your room?"

"Not particularly. There's not much to show, it's just a room." Her voice mild and gruff, without much emotion.

"What's in that chest?"

"I don't know. She hid the key somewhere else."

"...Would you like to play dolls?"

She pauses for a moment, seeming to seriously consider the idea, before going back to her writing.

"Maybe later… thank you for asking though. You should probably chase after Cushion before they come back and drag you out."

"They're certainly... excitable aren't they?"

"If they ever bother you, just do something boring. They prefer playing with her to anything slow or silent.” She waves her hand slightly, indicating her room and the things in it.

“What are you writing anyway?” You take a few steps closer, looking over the paper, but the scrawls and shapes on it are meaningless to you. She half-looms over the desk, covering a few sheets with her arms, but she doesn’t ask you to move.

“Just some thoughts. They’re a bit weird. I’m still working things out.”

“Oh, well, I can’t actually tell what they say, so don’t-”

The voice sounds in your head again, interrupting your speech. “Oh, here you go!”

>TEACH:
Reading
Another influx of knowledgeNarrate bursts into your head, notions of Quotecharacters and symbols linked into wordsText and sentences, conveying meaning in aWrite multitude of forms. The sensation is not quite asDescribe jarring as it was the first time, and Notethe new concepts seem to slot in neatlyGrammar with what you learned of talking. Still, it's enough to Interpretmake you stagger slightly.

Instantly, Window stands up, shoving the chair and knocking it over. She grabs you by the shoulders and roughly pushes you backwards out the door, her peaceful (if not entirely pleasant) demeanor vanished.

“Just go away! Not here, don’t do this here! Just leave me alone!”

You’re not sure what she means, but before you can reply the door slams shut. Before you were forced out, you glimpsed a few lines of writing, now decipherable.

-motivation about things. Maybe being self-awar-
-help with that. Also that was a completely spon-
-writing this entry (feels weird calling them that-

You're left standing outside her cabin, slightly in shock, but before long Cushion shows up again.

“Hey Tables, you good?”

[cosmo]

wow.... window REALLY hates fllif, huh? enough to kick US out because fllif was interacting with us at the time. i wonder what happened.... I would rather give window her privacy though, if she dislikes fllif so much we shouldn’t go blabbing about it where fllif can hear it. we should pretend everything is fine for now, and greet cushion as cheerfully and nonchalantly as we can muster.

[King-Clod]

Uh...yeah. Yeah, I think so.
You mentioned other activities earlier, are there any activities we could do that wouldn't require much teaching?

[1011686]

"Um… yeah, I think so… I mean, yes! Totally, I'm good." You dab for additional reassurance.

 "Great! So, what do you want to do?"

"Well, is there anything that wouldn't need much teaching?"

 "What? Well, I guess there's probably some stuff, but that's a bit of a weird ask. Learning new stuff's great! Don't let Window tell you otherwise, I bet you she'll come around eventually. Now come on!"

They pull you to the pool, before climbing up the slide and riding it down, plummeting into the water with a large splash before popping up again and floating on their back. You've got to admit, it looks pretty fun, and you follow their lead.

You hit the water in a burst of bubbles and spray, feeling your descent slow until you almost reach the bottom, before kicking off the floor and…
…
You don't know how to swim.

It doesn't seem like it should be that hard, you can see Cushion above you and all they're doing is moving their legs and arms, but you just can't seem to coordinate your limbs properly.

Being underwater is still kind of nice, though. Everything is slow and kind of weightless. Cushion retrieves a few objects from the side of the pool, and you end up playing a game where they throw things into the pool and you try to catch them before they reach the floor. You even start to get the hang of kicking your legs a bit after watching Cushion for a while.

Eventually, you signal you're getting a bit tired, and Cushion helps lift you to the pool's edge.

 "That was great! You want to take a rest now?"

"Maybe, not sure yet."

 "Fllif wants me to try some clothes, but everything she comes up with is so plain." They give a small laugh.  "I want something that really fits me, you know? She also said that her friend told her about this 'adventure' kind of thing we could do? Don't know much about that, but it could be fun."

[King-Clod]

"I'm not sure I'm ready for that sort of thing yet, I really haven't been here long. I'd like to see a bit more of home before I see what's beyond it, you get me?"
Oh, also
"Could you ask for a clothing... book thing? Something that has drawings of outfits, so you could point to ones you like."

[1011686]

You don't know exactly what they're talking about, but you get the feeling that this 'adventure' would be quite an ordeal, and not something you’d want to undertake right now.

“I think I’d like to see a bit more of home before I see what’s beyond it. I haven’t really been here very long, after all.”

 “Fair enough, I suppose. Although, there isn’t that much else to do to be honest, at least not without Fllif. But I only told her to keep quiet so you wouldn’t freak out, and you seem pretty cool, so I probably don’t need to worry about it so much.” Cushion’s voice drops out awkwardly towards their last word. They pause for a moment, and you catch a quiet  “yeah, sure.” under their breath.

“TablES I LOVE YOU!!” The voice in your head isn’t loud, but it feels like it’s supposed to be, and makes you jump a little. “UM SORry, sorry, sorry about that. I was just excited. But I promised Cushion, so, I’ll try not to bother you too much. I just really like your dabbing, it’s so cute.”

“...Thankyou.” You aren’t sure how else to respond to the compliment. But now that you’re on speaking terms, you might as well bring up an idea you had. "Hey Cushion, could Fllif make you a clothing book kinda thing? With a bunch of pictures for outfits so you can choose what you like."

Both of them respond with eager agreement, and a... fashion magazine (you think???) pops onto the ground in front of you. Cushion lies on their back and begins rifling through the pages. On the cover is a creature you don't recognise decked out in a fancy shirt and skirt, under the words "Luxson Vogue".

 "Hey Tables, you could pick something out too. Do you think Window would like any of this stuff?" They shuffle over to show you the various garments and dress wear being displayed. The pieces are mostly long and loose, covered in simple but colourful shapes and patterns. Fllif would probably make you something different if you wanted it, though.


(You can suggest something for Tables to wear here, and also Cushion or Window, though they won't necessarily agree with your choices.)

[cosmo]

could we submit outfit suggestions by drawing over the tcpdex bases? (i know there isn't a base for collective type but the others!)

[1011686]

Yeah sure, thatd be great.

[King-Clod]

"I think Window would like some of this, but I'm not sure if I know her well enough to say what exactly she'd like. Do you mind if I bring this book to her after we've picked our outfits?"
also, outfit wise, I'd say we point excitedly to clothes without rhyme or reason

[Lilium Mortem]

We should wear a glowing mosaic trench coat over a pinstripe vest.

Also questions to ask whenever: Why is our name Tables? Is it possible to be something different? Is teaching stuff without consulting us a violation of free will? do we have free will? do we have a soul? Do I, a single voice amongst the collective, have a soul? also can I have a churro?

[1011686]

Looking through the magazine, you make an interesting discovery: you have no sense of fashion, or at least not the usual kind of one. You pick whatever looks flashiest, or coolest, or most comfortable for one part of your body in particular. You have a few ideas of your own as well, which Fllif willingly fulfills. By the time you’ve finished, there’s a pile of colourful clothing next to you, and Cushion is staring at you with a slightly perplexed expression on their face. You begin talking to them as you go through your choices, picking out items that appeal to you in the moment.

“Window might like some of this stuff, I don’t really know her that well though, I think you’d probably have a better idea of what she’d like.”

 “Mm, I guess that’s true, just thought, you know, you might have some ideas to help bring her out of her shell?”

“Oh, I could make something really fancy for her! There was this dress I saw once, it went out really far-”

 “Fllif, I don’t think she’d really like that. Just let me and Tables take care of it, okay?”

 “Okaaaayyyyy….”

 “...I could bring her the catalogue once we’re done.”

 “Yeah, that might work.”

You finish up your selections and step back, simply considering your appearance for the moment.

(i used the typeless tcp as a base, your physical body looks mildly different under all the clothing)

It feels… more or less right, for now. You might change it later. Cushion picked something much simpler than you, just a checkered woolen shirt and a pair of yellow socks. While being worn, the trench coat glows slightly, apparently at the cost of some of your internal fluid, though it’s so slight you can’t really tell.

 “Tables you’re so funny, what are you even wearing!” You can hear giggles in your head, strangely muffled by something. You suppose you do look a little humorous. While she’s here, you decide to ask Fllif some random questions that popped into your head.

“Hey Fllif, why did you name me Tables?” 

 “Oh, because none of the other commands work if you don’t have a name. And I couldn’t really think of anything else. Coming up with names is hard…”

 “Could it be something different?”

 “What? Um, maybe? I don’t really know, I could ask my friend I guess. Do you want to change it?”

You can’t currently think of any names you would prefer over the familiarity you have with Tables, so you drop that question and ask some others.

 “Hey, do I have free will?”

“Huh? I, what do you-”

 “Is teaching me unexpectedly violating my free will? Do I have a soul? Do I...” You stop for a moment, considering your next question. You don’t know much about, well, anything, but some innate awareness tells you that your mind was not particularly singular in its formation, not that you have much to compare with. But at the same time, looking around the inside of your head, you can’t find anyone other than you. Your actions and thoughts, disparate though they might be at times, still feel like they are all yours, just from different facets of you. While there might be complex interactions that you aren’t entirely consciously aware of going on, different layers changing places, you identify with that whole process. It’s all you. 

 With that sorted, you ask the final question you had.

 “Can I have a churro?”

 This time however, there is no reply. Fllif is silent, and Cushion is staring at you in utter confusion.

 “...What the heck?”

What do you do?

[Lilium Mortem]

I asked for a churro. wait ok, you meant the other things. I just want to understand. ever since I was created things have felt weird. I want to figure out who I am, and what the world is, because I already have ideas of what I think it should be, and it doesn't line up. So I'm asking questions, trying to make sense of things. Sorry if I'm freaking you out, but I'm kind of freaked out a bit myself.

[ಠ_ಠ]

churros are from mexico

[cosmo]

remove lobster slippers. make them hold claws. they are friends.

[King-Clod]

Ah, this is awkward. Let's just say we saw churros in the catalogue. No one will suspect a thing.

[Dzib 9001]

sorry about that, our thought process can go to weird places. also we're hungry.