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

Trahearne | Guild Wars 2

[necrocabbage]

A. BEACH
[This wasn't the Mists. Despite the fog lurking at the periphery, everything he's seen since awakening here and walking to the beach has convinced him that, not only was he somehow alive, that this was no place that could ever exist within the Mists. There is still a part of Trahearne that's excited at the prospect of being somewhere entirely new, but the rest of him is simply weary. His wounds may be gone, but what happened is far too fresh in his mind for anything but mental exhaustion.

Honestly, he's not suffering from the heat at all. It's not quite like the humidity of the jungle, but it's still left his leaves looking perky and his greenish coloring returning to what it used to be.

It seems odd to him that the crowd on the shore is mostly made of humans, and few other types of people that he doesn't recognize at all. Well, he was already well aware that he was far from home. Trahearne does stop to look for the nearest person that wasn't occupied in some other task, approaching with a dimmed, but still friendly smile.]

Excuse me. Are you a resident here? I have all sorts of questions about this place.


B. SNACKS
[Trahearne had been standing off to the side for some time, watching the robots at work at the food stalls. These constructs aren't at all like the asuran golems he's used to seeing, and he's intrigued by how they function. Eventually, after a stilted conversation with a robot that noticed he was staring, Trahearne gets pressed into service grilling fish. It seemed like a good idea to accumulate some of the local currency, at any rate.

The problem is that the food stall Trahearne is working for might be somewhat unappetizing. If it's not the unsettling fact that a plant-man like Trahearne doesn't blink an eye at chopping off fish heads or cleaning out viscera, the sight of his little helpers might. There are two bony little creatures assisting him, each the size of a small dog and hopping nimbly from place to place. One brings him fresh fish while the other takes prepared fish on and off of the grill, allowing Trahearne to continue his own task without needing to stop and wash up.]

Fresh fish! [he calls out to anyone nearby, one of his bone minions clacking its teeth together to make a chittering sound. Now the only question is, are you okay enough with what's handling this food to actually order any?]


C. SPARKLES
[As the sky becomes darker, not only does the ocean light up, but so does Trahearne. His own personal bioluminescence is purple, slowing fading in and out as though in time to a heartbeat he doesn't have. He doesn't produce nearly enough of a glow to be giving off any real light, but it does make it very hard to miss seeing him where he's standing waist-deep in the water.

Trahearne eventually emerges, water streaming harmlessly off of the leaves he's wearing - one benefit of not having to bother with woven clothes. His hands are carefully cupped around something, and if he notices someone nearby he'll offer a peek with a smile,] Would you like to take a look?

[He's managed to catch a handful of twinkling plankton, his stem-like skin helping to keep enough water in his hands to keep the little creatures at least somewhat comfortable. Of course, after that long in the water, Trahearne has most certainly been stung by jellyfish already.]


D. WILDCARD


[Trahearne is pansexual, making him open to 18+ m/f, m/m, and others. Feel free to PM me here or at evilbo if you have any questions!]

Sparkles

[whiteplume]

[It's that fantastic luminance that catches Jingyi's eye as he strolls along the beach. Jingyi has seen many types of creatures in his lifetime but never has he stumbled across such a strange specimen. The creature before him looks as if its completely comprised of twigs and leaves but there's that bizarre glow emitting from within its leaves that suggests otherwise. He cannot help but stare at the creature as it beckons for others to see what it caught.

Unable to quell his curiosity, Jingyi cautiously makes his way towards the water. While he isn't interested in getting drenched (silk robes are expensive) but he's curious to see what this mogwai found. While the creature looks like an evil spirit of some kind, that gentle look within its gaze says otherwise.]

What is that?

[He questions in awe.]

It looks like an insect.

[necrocabbage]

[Trahearne offers him a smile at the question, using one of his thumbs to gently stir the water.]

You could say that it's an insect of the sea. I'm fairly sure that this is a large variety of plankton. They're a food source for fish and larger creatures that dwell in the ocean.

[Since the plankton don't seem bothered by being held, Trahearne leaves them swimming around in their temporary captivity as he gets a better look at the man that had been staring at him. Those clothes are certainly a mark of wealth, but that wasn't the only unusual thing about him.]

I hope you don't mind my saying so, but you have very unique ears. Is such a thing common where you're from?

[whiteplume]

[Plankton, huh? That's a strange word.

Jingyi stares at the little creature curiously before turning his gaze towards the demon. While this man looks like something demonic, it certainly doesn't act it. This is quite peculiar for the spirit medium, especially since he has fought his fair share of monsters.

That's why he's still a little on edge. He's half-expecting this monster to leap at him.]

If this is what fish eat, it's a wonder why they don't glow as well.

[The sudden question catches him slightly off-guard. Jingyi stares at the plantlike creature with an arched brow.]

You've never seen an elf before, have you?

[Curious. Most curious.]

My kind doesn't hail from the mortal realm.

[necrocabbage]

[Trahearne's brow lifts at hearing that one. Elf? Not mortal? That earns the man a quizzical look before Trahearne asks,]

Just a moment? Let me return these creatures to their home.

[With that, Trahearne turns to kneel briefly in the surf, releasing the plankton back into the water. He's starting to feel strange, and it has little to do with their conversation. He's too warm, and his sap is starting to flow far quicker than it should be. When he stands to face Jingyi again, his movements are stiffer than before.]

To answer your question, you are the first elf I have met. If you're not mortal, does that make you a servant of the gods?

[The sylvari didn't have their own gods, but the human gods certainly existed in Tyria before they drew back from the world and went silent. It was less a matter of faith and more a matter of proof, as far as Trahearne was concerned, and there was enough proof to make it fact.]

And do you know which realm we're in now?

[whiteplume]

['He's a gentle one.' Jingyi can't help but admire that gentleness. More often than not, people are harsh and uncaring of the environment around them. While Jingyi knows not everyone is like this, he sometimes cannot help but feel that most mortals simply don't appreciate the beauty of life.

Momentarily roused out of his thoughts, Jingyi pauses as he ponders an answer. Should he be forthright and answer truthfully? Maybe. So far the creature before him doesn't seem like the type to become hostile towards him. Some of the people of Jian weren't very welcoming of his kind.]

I suppose you could say that. [He answers with a slight grin.] The winged-elves serve as messengers for the gods.

Although, our numbers have waned since the coming of the Mist.

[Jingyi cannot help but sigh a little. He's nowhere near the last of his kind but the winged-elves are in jeopardy.]

This seems to be Jian, the Mortal Realm, but it feels...off.

[necrocabbage]

A mist? [Trahearne echoes him, torn between being intrigued by his statements and the sheer beauty of the man before him. It was becoming harder to concentrate on this new knowledge while he was distracted by both the reactions of his own body and the fall of the elf's hair around his ears.]

How curious. The world I hail from has a number of religions, but the human gods were at one point more active until they retreated from the world over two hundred years ago. What we call the Mists is where souls return when they die, for it is said that all forms of life originate from it.

[The similar name could be a coincidence, of course. That's all the more reason that Trahearne finds it interesting that the two of them might have some few things in common.]

If you could pinpoint what feels off to you, I would very much like to know. I am absolutely certain I'm supposed to be dead, yet this is nothing like any afterlife I've ever heard of.

[whiteplume]

[Seeming oblivious to Trahearne's gaze, Jingyi unconsciously tucks a few of those long blond strands behind his ears. His ears are considered rather short in comparison with other elves. That's because he's a halfbreed but it's not that noticeable. His ears are pointed enough to peek out through his hair.]

Human Gods? Interesting.

[He cannot help but arch his brow. Just the thought of a mortal achieving such a status worries him but he doesn't dare voice it. Instead, he focuses on what the other mentioned about the Mist in his realm.]

The Mist of your realm sounds oddly similar to how we Seekers purify souls. We wash them of their past sins using our own chi before releasing them to the Heavens.

[He mutters once they finally make it back to dry land. With a sigh, he settles down under the shade of a nearby palm tree. It's terribly hot out here today. A bit too much for the elf judging from the beads of sweat dripping down his brow. The poor thing looks miserable but he wears his misery with such grace.]

You're supposed to be dead?

[The surprise in his tone is telling.]

If it eases your worries, your chi still burns.

[necrocabbage]

[Trahearne follows him over to the tree, opting to kneel next to him in the sand, close enough to reach out and touch. He has the benefit of being unable to sweat, and is quite enjoying the heat, but he doesn't mind getting out of the sun for a while. Trahearne has some vague hope that it might slow his sap back down and make him feel less antsy.]

I am not sure what chi is, but I'll take that as a good sign, [he replies with a note of humor in his tone.] Between grievous injuries and an overload of magic, I can't explain how I still have a body at all. Yet here I am, as though none of it ever happened.

[And that disturbed him quite a bit. Whether or not sylvari even had souls at all was debated on by scholars even before his death, given that none of his people left ghosts behind even after traumatic deaths. It's possible he couldn't be a ghost at all, and yet Trahearne has no explanation for the restoration of his physical presence and senses.]

I can't say I know where souls on Tyria are shepherded after they enter the Mists. Much of it is still shrouded in mystery, if you'll forgive the pun. Each religion has their own theories.

[He's becoming distracted again, watching the beads of sweat forming against Jingyi's skin. Trahearne reaches out to swipe some of the sweat off of his temple, briefly marveling at the feel of his soft skin. He has little body heat himself, his stem-like bark cool to the touch as a consequence.] Are you well, my friend? You seem to be leaking.

Beach, please!

[vegalthon]

[For once, Oran feels like he's not the tourist in a town made all of humans. He blinks, looks back at Trahearne, and returns the smile with a warm one of his own.]

I guess as much as any of us are 'residents', yeah.

[He's prepared for the awkward to come, by nature of being generally steeped in it at all times. Case in point: others are dressed for the beach, either sporting the ridiculously skimpy bathing suits that the robots have provided as though they had owned them for ages, or keeping their repose classy under the shade of the trees and near the robot-run stalls. Oran has rolled up his sleeves and pant legs (even the one over his tail) and has his leather boots tucked under his arm, but he's not only ashen grey, he looks pasty, as though he hasn't seen good light in months. Oof.]

What do you need to know? I'm game.

[necrocabbage]

[Trahearne can hardly judge what anyone is wearing, considering he's only in the leaves he grew himself. Those weren't exactly the beach-going style either, but plucking his leaves would mean waiting days before they grew back. He very much wanted to know the lay of the land before attempting to mimic the local fashion trends.]

Surely someone must live here, [he comments, looking with particular interest at the other man's horns. Trahearne finds it quite unusual to see those on someone who wasn't charr. And - did he have a tail, too? Fascinating.]

What is the name of this city? And the region? 'Erku' is all I was told, and I'm afraid it's completely unfamiliar to me.

[vegalthon]

It's more like... a tourist trap... I guess. [Oran notes the sylvan creature's gaze wandering up, and flushes faintly despite himself.]

I've never actually heard of anything for the city... but who knows, maybe if we ask the Augur nicely, she'll let us know what it used to be called.

...I'm sorry, I guess I don't know as much as all that. This place is... some people think it's a pocket dimension, or a different plane! Nobody's been able to figure out what the Augur really is, but some folks say she's like the constructs... or the "robots".

[He leans forward a little, conspiratorial.]

I think it's probably magic.

[necrocabbage]

[Trahearne listens thoughtfully, his head tilted a bit to the side. The lack of information isn't promising at all. He's willing to believe that he was no longer on Tyria, but there simply had to be answers somewhere. Given the empty city, though... was this, too, the remnants of another dead civilization?]

Why couldn't it be both? [he asks, out of genuine curiosity.] Holograms are widely used in asuran magitech systems. Yet it doesn't match well enough to what I know of it, and these constructs look nothing at all like golems built in the asuran style.

[At the reminder, Trahearne lifts up his wrist where the bracelet device was put on him, briefly fiddling with it.] There may be something to this place being a tourist trap. Performing sexual acts for good fortune seems very much like encouragement for vacationers to enjoy themselves, does it not?

[vegalthon]

[That first hypothesis perks the tiefling up, but the second puts paid to the initial excitement.]

Well... maybe. Only, it's not all things people do to enjoy. And there's the matter that she won't let us go home until we finish every last square... or at least that's what most people believe, though I haven't heard it from her directly.

[Oran shrugs, frowning.]

A few people here are kind of... well there's a mix. People who are really uncomfortable or unhappy with being coerced. And there's some people here that are a little young, so if she's trying to be good to vacationers, she's going about it in a way that's not very... um... good.

[He scratches the back of his neck, nervous.]

Does that make sense?

[necrocabbage]

Is that so? While we may have arrived here under the power of a magic connected to the hologram, there may yet be another way to leave. Magic does tend to leave traces, if you have the instruments to look for them.

[While the man before him doesn't look entirely human, Trahearne has to stop and remind himself that other races had certain hang-ups about sex that his own didn't share. Not many others had the benefit of a more open society via empathy - or the sheer inability to create children.]

Are there consequences to not participating? Some change to our fortunes if we refuse?

[vegalthon]

Uh... you know what, I don't know. I think... the way the Augur sees it, there's not a lot to do to punish us except to keep us here. This all, [he waves at the sunny beach, the beautiful waves, the tasty looking food and drink in the stands beyond] It's nice, but this isn't how it's been, you know?

Most places are worn down, it's hard to find a nice place to live, and this is the first clear sky I've seen in... um... [he counts his hands, loses track after about sixteen.] since I got here, I think.

[He paces a step or two from Trahearne and then turns around, curious, a little more intense and focused than he had been.]

When you said you might know other ways to leave a place like this, what did you mean?

[necrocabbage]

[Trahearne takes a look out at the beach, with a hum of assent. This place was quite different from the war-torn jungle he'd arrived here from. Still, lacking obvious signs of battle didn't mean that there weren't other problems to be had.]

Whether it's a punishment or not, finding some way to return home of our own power seems more reliable than depending on the Augur to decide to do it for us.

[At that question, Trahearne offers him a little smile.]

The chaos magic that mesmers wield make it possible for them to open portals, for example. Those are normally short-range, but that is one form of expertise that could aid us here. I'm afraid that my own studies focused on necromancy, which is far less useful in this situation.

Snacks

[humanbody]

[The smell of the fish nearly has him turning away but the little creature that clacks its teeth together for its master to get the attention of passersby piques his curiosity. Despite not wanting the fish, it certainly gets V's attention.

V watches the two creatures working for a moment.]

Interesting helpers you have.

[necrocabbage]

Do you think so? [Trahearne asks, perking up more at his interest than at the idea of a potential customer.

He makes a gesture at the counter, and the minion that had been carrying raw fish stops what it's doing to hop up on the counter instead, standing there placidly for inspection. It's not breathing because it has no need to, but the little minion's tail is still sweeping back and fourth, and it looks around itself as though there's some instinct left over from the creatures it resembles.]

This is a bone minion, originating from the Underworld. They're constructs created to explode, but I find them more useful than other minions for delicate tasks.

[humanbody]

A bone minion from the Underworld? [V echoes his words as he tilts his head to get a better look at the creature.]

Constructs? [He looks past the creature to give Trahearne an inquisitive look.] They're created?

Do they have independent thought or are they simply little machines doing your bidding?

[V also had 'minions' but his were much more independent and sometimes even unruly.]

[necrocabbage]

Yes, that's right. The human god Grenth rules over the Underworld, and though it's not my personal religion, many necromancers believe that is the true origin of the minions we summon.

[Luckily for V, Trahearne quite enjoys sharing his knowledge. There's also the fact that such unappealing minions tended to attract more negative attention than positive, even though the practice of necromancy was generally accepted on Trahearne's home world.]

They're much like machines, if you prefer to use that comparison. They will do nothing without direction, and require their caster's will and magic to exist. Without either of those, they crumble to dust.

[And then the bone minion stands up on its hind legs, pressing one little arm to its chest and giving V a very human-like bow.]

[humanbody]

Your home sounds quite different from my own. The Underworld I'm familiar with is both populated and ruled by demons of all shapes, sizes... and intelligence levels. [He leans in a little closer as though he was about to share something he didn't want to be common knowledge.] It would seem a few of my own 'pets' also arrived with me. Although they have nothing to do with necromancy.

[He watches the little creature before giving Trahearne a nod.]

Lifeless bones reanimated by your magic? It would make sense that it has no thought or free will then.

[His own minions aren't quite alive but they're not dead either. It's complicated.]

[necrocabbage]

[Hearing that makes Trahearne frown thoughtfully.] Ruled by demons? I hope they're not the ones who judge souls where you're from. [Hopefully they're two different underworlds in that regard. Whether or not Grenth judged all souls or only human ones was enough under debate as it is.

Its little show over, the bone minion hops back down from the counter to return to the now-empty fish bucket it had been retrieving from. It knocks the bucket over onto its side to roll it away, off to ask a robot for more.]

And what manner of pets did you bring with you? [Trahearne asks him, intrigued.] You don't strike me as the type to be an outdoorsman.

[humanbody]

Judge souls? You and I likely have very different Underworlds. The Underworld is like... a realm, where demons live. And then there is the realm where humans live. If a demon wanted souls, and was powerful enough, they'd push into the human realm and devour them.

[Simple, right?

The corner of V's lips twist upward at the question and he turns to look at the ground, an inky black shape slowly appearing. The ground seems to turn into something almost liquid-like, black and viscous. The liquid shifts and takes shape, building itself into a panther. Once its shape is formed, the liquid, wet sheen seems to disappear, leaving behind an animal that could almost pass as natural. The panther's ears flick with curiosity and it seems to smell the cooking fish which has its padding closer and trying to peer over the counter at the grill.]

Shadow is one of them. The other is far too big and... destructive... to summon on a whim.

[necrocabbage]

I am starting to get that impression...

[Eyes widening, Trahearne leans over the counter to get a better look at the pool of liquid as it twists itself into a familiar shape. He's seen panthers kept by rangers as hunting companions, of course, but this made it very clear that there was no simple nature magic involved in this kind of 'summoning'.]

Remarkable! That's like no magic I've ever seen before. Does it work like an ooze? Absorbing its prey rather than eating it?

[The bone minion at the grill grabs one of the cooled fish fillets nearby and drags it on top of the counter, dangling it over the side for the panther-like creature. Trahearne did have a soft spot for cats, even the large ones.]