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

[photog]

[it's no small motion that Prompto makes, literally dropping his phone into the sand, careless as ever when he's taken by a quick string of emotions he can't process in one fell swoop. the amount of times he's been caught up at night, thinking about how much he completely misses Ignis, wondering how he is, and if he's okay... it's enough to make him almost near the point of teary eyes at seeing him once again.

and as if nothing else mattered in the world, he launches himself forward and wraps both arms around the other man as if he were in a desert and had just seen the oasis of his heart. he has to hold tightly, just to make sure he's actually here. he is! he's really.

okay, okay. he needs to pull himself together a bit. his shoulders are stinging a little bit and Ignis is a proper man, after all.]

Wondering what 5* units I'm missing out on!

[he laughs, it sounds a little pathetic all around, but he's rather cool with being a little vulnerable around the other. these three guys have seen him at his best, worst, and kidnapped naga-son mediums.]

Dude... I've missed you so much. We've been here for two months- Noct and Gladio and me, and it's just. It's been kinda wild? And there's nothing good to eat here, and the Regalia's here too, but there's no gas so it's just a really fancy mp3 player and, like, it's.

[his deeply blue and earnest eyes look happily (and just beyond that, a little sad) at the countenance of his friend.]

It's just.

[calcitrants]

[ ah, trust prompto to be hung up on his games -- that small glimpse of familiarity is somehow soothing, like ignis hasn't completely lost his bearings in this brand new, entirely alien world.

which is also why ignis concedes to being hugged like the man hasn't seen him in ages, which is troubling all in itself when it's been just hours since he'd last seen him and gladio -- and of course, noctis. what comes next is chilling: that they've been here two months without him, and ignis' brows knit. two months? is prompto mistaken? no, he's quite sure that while prompto has had his share of goofing around, he would never make a mistake like this.

that, and the exuberance of that hug pieces together a picture ignis is struggling to come to terms with. ]

Two months? How? I just saw you hours ago.

[photog]

[when there's little comfort in this world aside from the carnal variety, Prompto has to hold onto the little things that he loves and cherishes- and so, so many of those things are wrapped up in his best friends in a way that it's impossible not to feel each of them connected. Ignis not being here was like a hole in an otherwise warm and comforting security blanket, creating a draft no matter how well he burrito-fied himself inside it.

his hands slide down Ignis' back and he breathes in, finally feeling a little bit more normal with the addition of their entourage. he looks, for all intents and purposes, a little hurt, but it's not Ignis' fault or by the design of their meeting like this. it's just... a double edged sword. this is bittersweet, having him here, but also he's afraid of a number of other things too. Prompto's always afraid of things, so that's... really not changed much.

hours ago.

his countenance, his posture, his recollection... Prompto opens his mouth and closes it. it's. actually been almost three, by his point of view. it's not that weird, honestly, but he doesn't know if he's the right person to catch him up to speed.]

It's... man, it's been a while. I would never lie to you.

[he holds his breath-]

What was, like, the last thing you remember?

[calcitrants]

[ of course prompto would never lie to him -- the young man has never really been a proficient liar, which makes him a perfect companion for the prince in all the ways that matter. he gives him a reassuring squeeze nonetheless, sensing that prompto probably needs it, considering the bombshell that's just dropped on him.

so time works differently in this world compared to the other, then -- okay, he can accept that (eventually). when he pulls away, he frowns briefly. ]

Altissia. Noct was unconscious, and the Lady Lunafreya...

[ ah, that's a difficult one to eventually have to talk about. but now, he has to figure things out, and try to find a way to get them all back home. ] And you?

[photog]

[there's a signature frown there, something dragging him down into an uncomfortable position. he tries to keep his demeanor up through it, but it's hard to pinpoint a decent way to know where he should take this conversation. conflicted, his light eyelashes flutter downward and he shakes his head.

Ignis doesn't know what he is yet. hasn't seen what happens to the world, when.]

Mnn. Not... that long after, actually. A lot happened after we left Altissia. But.

[arms across his chest, he treads carefully.]

Maybe it's something you're better hearing from Noct, instead of me.

[calcitrants]

[ ignis can tell. prompto is usually forthcoming and exuberant with most things -- that he is treading carefully in this conversation only means one thing: that something major has happened, and it's affected noctis badly.

a part of him wants to push, to carefully pry the truth out of prompto because he's certain it would be easier, but ignis is not that kind of man. if he says that noctis would be in a better position to explain it to him, then he will have to trust it, even if nothing in this place makes sense to ignis at this moment.

but he has to ask the most important thing: ]

Is Noctis all right?