TDM 003

[erkumods]

TDM 003: #BEACHBUMS

I. BEACH Welcome arrivals, new and old! The skies on Erku may be perpetually gray, but the weather has taken a sudden turn to summertime heat. Fortunately, soaring temperatures have chased away more of the strange fog that conceals so much of the island, unveiling a charming, sandy cove dotted here and there with rustic love shacks. These shabby little lean-tos are dusty and sparse, but they provide everything one (or two, wink wink) might need for a little relief from the sun. Just don’t wander too far... that fog has memory-loss properties. II. DRINKS The 'bots are very apologetic about the whole fog incident, and they are trying to get on the new arrivals' good sides by giving out fancy drinks. Of course, they still haven't mastered the art of making things properly, so each drink has a little something... extra. Geloso: Has a slightly bitter, yet refreshing herbal taste... and it will make you feel inexplicably envious of virtually anything, to a petty degree! Be it someone else’s shoes or their incredibly muscular physique, you’re jealous enough to tell them about it! Colpito: Fruity and sweet like candy. If you drink this, you will feel hopelessly infatuated with the very next person who catches your eye! Vivace: Delightfully tart, with a flavor somewhere between citrus and raspberry. This summery drink will fill you with bubbly energy. Whether you’re feeling flirty or just mischievous and playful, you’ve never felt more alive! Verace: Creamy, earthy, and a little nutty - the flavor is hard to describe, but delicious. After drinking this, you’ll feel strangely compelled to spill something you’ve been keeping a secret, no matter how incriminating or embarrassing. Conoscere: The robots are especially excited about this flavor! They’ve heard organic beings enjoy chocolate, and hope you like their first attempt (it’s a little bitter, but it is chocolatey). Those who drink this will feel incredibly confident and sensual. Better yet, if you share it with a partner - which the 'bots encourage you to do - you’ll find that every touch is enhanced, and every sensation is shared between the two of you. A lucky few may even be able to sense one another’s thoughts! III. SNACKS Lo! As you ask, the Augur shall provide. Thanks to the efforts of your organic predecessors in restoring the planet’s Eros energy, edible fishes and seaweeds have returned to the ponds and the shores of Erku. If you fancy yourself savvy to basic survival skills, why not fashion up a fishing rod and catch yourself dinner? Just be careful if you happen to hook one of the octopus creatures from the deeper waters - they can be quite forward with their tentacles! Or, if primitive angling isn’t in your repertoire, you can always trade some credits for a tasty catch from one of the food stalls along the coast. Most stalls are manned by 'bots, but there’s nothing stopping an enterprising arrival from setting up shop. No credits? No problem! The robots have also provided a bit of entertainment, and any volunteers to man the kissing booth, get dunked in the wet t-shirt dunk tank, or grill up some fish - among other opportunities - will find credits automatically loaded onto the payment app of their bracelet devices. The 'bots are recruiting especially hard for participants to work in the gloryhole tent! IV. SPARKLES As dusk descends, the white sands of the beach suddenly come alive with glittering lights. It’s as if the darkened waters have carried a thousand shining stars from the depths of the sea to the shores of the cove. In actuality, each little twinkle is a bioluminescent plankton or jellyfish! Feel free to wade among them and admire their shine; even the sting of the jellies won’t hurt you... though they do pack a different punch. The tentacles of the jellyfish elicit a powerful aphrodisiac response, which gets the heart racing and the blood pumping for an intimate touch. The effects come on within a matter of minutes, and last for a few hours. Only time will relieve the symptoms, but a partner will help to make it more bearable. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● N A V I G A T I O N

Comments

[hascomeundone]

[Velvet would've probably said something nice about him managing the fish, except he had to go and make that snide remark so instead all he got was a eye roll.]

Yes. A fish skin umbrella.

[Actually, that might be possible, she guessed? What did she know about umbrella materials?]

But I meant more like four sticks and a piece of cloth?

[crunchtime]

It was a joke.

[He'll workshop it. Jokes that totally flopped count: 2 out of 2, so yeah, he will really workshop it.]

How much viable spare cloth is there to be found? I've heard nothing but disdain for the constructs in charge here.

[hascomeundone]

[Velvet didn't have the best sense of humor. She was great at stabbing though!]

Just swipe some from one of the stalls no one is using.

[She casually gestured towards some of the empty food stalls and their awnings further down the beach. As if thievery was basically no problem at all.]

[She'd spent too much time with pirates and bandits, hadn't she...]

Worse thing that happens is those machines try to stop you. And I assume someone with magic floaty powers can handle themselves in a fight.

[crunchtime]

[Ah, theft... that doesn't help him with step two: actually build a thing, but maybe.]

I'll keep it in mind. [...and. okay,] Magic... floaty powers. You are not especially familiar with the arcane arts, are you?

[hascomeundone]

I'm familiar with arts, though I don't think I've ever heard anyone call them arcane except maybe Magilou when she's being dramatic.

[Velvet finished chopping up the plants and turned to dump them out on a narrower section of the grill. She then used her bare hand to brush them around till they were where she wanted them.]

[Then she glanced pointedly down at his feet.]

But nothing that would let you fly like that.

crawls back in from the heat wave

[crunchtime]

[Essek opens his mouth to object about how It's Not Flying Technically, that's a different spell, and so on and so forth, but you know what--

Perhaps "fly" is better than "floaty powers." Like, from a dignity standpoint. He clears his throat.]

Then you are unfamiliar with dunamancy? [that's a Yes, he figures, so without pausing more than a second,] What manner of arc— arts have you seen?

[hascomeundone]

[He should probably just take what he can get.]

Never heard of that. [She admitted.] Been around most arts, though, by now. Exorcist arts, malak arts, daemon arts...

[She shrugged.]

I used to be amazed by them when I was younger, but anymore they're just normal.

[Velvet you are only nineteen stop sounding old.]

[crunchtime]

[Ah, to be surrounded by so much magic, and consider it ordinary...]

Magic is a part of daily life for most of those who practice it. [He can cede that much; he is, after all, floating around all the time. (In the background, the fish flips over.)] And less of a curiosity to those who do not. I assume, that is.

[And she's confirmed it, more or less, so - hmm.]

Where do your skills lie, then?

[hascomeundone]

Mm... [Velvet held up her right arm, and there was a faint shift of muscles in her wrist before a blade slid free from her gauntlet.] I'm more of an up close and personal kind of girl.

[The blade vanished back into her gauntlet]

I can use a few elemental arts but, always preferred my sword.

[crunchtime]

[Okay, points for the largest hidden weapon he's ever seen, at least. However--]

You do have experience with magic? [gurl] And yet, you consider it ordinary.

[hascomeundone]

I..it's not really the same thing. It's not magic. It's just.

[Velvet wasn't actually sure how to explain why it wasn't. She just knew that it wasn't.]

Like part of my martial arts?

[crunchtime]

Then what— [Mmm, okay-- okay. He will not get indignant on behalf of Magic, that's undignified. Take two.]

A temporary enchantment? Is that more accurate?

[hascomeundone]

I...

[Velvet had never actually had to explain arts before.]

I suppose? It's all contented to my martial arts. So I can launch a fireball with a bunch, or generate a burst of wind with a kick.