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

Lio Fotia | Promare

[burnishingmad]

1. Beach

[Even with the heat, Lio doesn't feel it. He's never seen a beach, but it's... Nice. It almost reminds him of the desesrt. But the ocean spray is new, the smells are new. If he focuses on that and not everything else surrounding his arrival, then it could easily have just been that he drove to the coast.

Of course he's sticking more to himself, and not near those little shacks. He's still in his full leather getup with full boots and all. He must be hot, but he doesn't seem to be breaking a sweat. Strangely, he's not going anywhere near the water. Not even the edge of the shoreline. Lio's staying as far back from it as he can for now.

Eventually, he does have to go in one of these little shacks to get out of the sun.]

Excuse me. I just need to get my bearings a little here.

[Sorry if he walked in on anything unseemly.]

3. Grilling It Up

[He was told if he wanted anything, he had to either catch his own food, or pay for them with credits. Despite living in the desert scavenging for years, catching his own food like that isn't anything he's skilled at. And besides, it may be beneficial to try and do things... legally. So he offers to help cook some of the fish. His Burnish flames should be enough to cook them quick.

Lio's taking orders and cranking them out but.]

Sorry. I'll make you a new one.

[He's never cooked before. What's worse is making him do it in a frilled apron with a speedo underneath. This is actually the worst and he's really distracted. So chances are high he burned your fish.]

Wildcard
[Anything within reason goes. o/ Lio isn't going to be too into intimate interactions but if you wanna work something out let me know. He is in his 20s though so for anything sexy, I'd really prefer 18+]

3!

[spacerat]

[ duo was using his newly-gained dunk tank credits in order to try some food. he had caught fish, earlier, but it was a pain in the ass so - why not allow himself to be lazy.

but yeah, what he was watching got pretty burned. before he can even say anything, though, the cook apologizes. he blinks because the cook is cute in that apron, even if he looks a little uncomfortable. ]

You're fine, man. First time?

[ there's a lot of people doing this for the first time it seems. ]

[burnishingmad]

[Lio looks up from his pink flame before pulling the fish off. Is it... even cooked at all this time?]

Is it that obvious?

[spacerat]

[ the pink flame makes him lean in just a little bit because what the hell is that. but then lio asks if it's obvious and duo starts a little, leaning back. ]

Uh - well, not exactly. But there's no humans who are native to here, just robots. So you must be one of us.

[ but he looks back to the pink flame. ]

Are you... making that?

[burnishingmad]

Ah.

[At the question though, Lio looks at Duo, then at his flame. He's trying to figure out just the right amount of heat to cook the fish without burning it.]

Yes. It's something from my world.

[spacerat]

Well - you don't wanna cook the fish too hot, or you'll burn the outside like what happened earlier. Just let it have some heat from the flames for a bit until the flesh isn't so soft or see-through.

[ he tries to be helpful for the fish part, at least - fish was an easy thing to catch on earth, and he'd done some here as well. ]

[burnishingmad]

[He feels like Meis and Gueira definitely tried to tell him this before too but he didn't get the hang of it then.

Lio stares at it and lowers the heat of his flame a little more.]

You do this often, then. [Statement, not a question.] How long have you been here?

[spacerat]

Here? A few days, not long at all.

[ he tilts his head a little, waving a hand off to the side. ]

Buuuut back home, sometimes we'd end up scavenging for food. Learned how to catch and cook fish back then too, cause it's a pretty decent meal when you can get a hold of some.

[ because, you know. he was a terrorist who sometimes camped out in the middle of forests. ]

[burnishingmad]

Hm.

[Okay thaaaaaat's one side that's sort of cooked. He flips it over, keeping the flame focused there.]

My people scavenged back home, but there wasn't enough wildlife to catch anything.

[spacerat]

[ mental thumbs up lio you're doing amazing sweetie. duo listens to him speak, though, giving a little nod after a moment. ]

I grew up on a space colony down in the slums - there wasn't really anything to hunt unless you wanted cat or dog [ duo's tone said he did not ], but we got good at scavenging what food we could. When I got sent to Earth, I learned how to hunt and fish. We were considered terrorists, so it's not like we could just walk into a store and buy something.

[burnishingmad]

...Your world made it to space?

[He'll come back to the everything else but right now, space travel is what he's picking up on.]

1.

[whiteplume]

[Dripping with sweat and twice as miserable as he ought to be, Jingyi offers the newcomer a curt nod. While the elf does his best to retain his regal bearings, it's quite difficult under such uncomfortable circumstances. It never gets this warm in his homeland. The sleepy forests of Plume are usually moderate at best. Unable to cope with this heat, Jingyi finds himself sweating worse than a stuffed boar. It's embarrassing, to say the least, but at least he hasn't succumbed to heatstroke. Yet, that is.]

You are excused.

[He states with a faint curl of his lips. Even though he looks miserable as hell, he's trying his best to remain amicable. It's a difficult task but Jingyi tries.]

Is it always this hot?

[He mutters as he keeps fanning himself.]

[burnishingmad]

[It takes a minute for his eyes to readjust to the shade. He stands in the doorway for a moment before looking at Jingyi, then for somewhere to sit so he's out of the way.]

I'm not sure. I've only been here today.

[whiteplume]

Likewise.

[He answers with a distraught sigh. Still uncertain what to think about this whole development, Jingyi settles on not fret about it. Surely there must be some way to return to his homeland. He just hasn't found the right incantation yet.

After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, the elf asks the following.]

Where are you from?

[There's a hint of curiosity in his tone.]

[burnishingmad]

[Silence for a few moments. Taking in having someone else close by in his space. Not that Lio's unused to crowds; packed trucks and the settlement with too many Burnish and not enough space means everyone gets comfortable. But he knew them. He knew all the people he was leading.

Here, he's alone.]

Earth. The desert.

[whiteplume]

[He gives the youth a curious glance once he mentions the desert. There's not many who would brave the deserts willingly, not even in his realm of Pang Gu. While the Flowing Sands is always described as a magical and mystical place, Jingyi never saw the desert in person. All that he knows stems from books.]

The dry heat is probably more comfortable than this.

[burnishingmad]

[He nods quietly.]

It was. I don't feel it though.

[The worst thing here is the sun, and that's more just for how it's starting to give him some sunburn on his cheeks. Something he doesn't remember experiencing back home, but then he usually had a helmet on in some form.]

... What about yourself?

[whiteplume]

I'm from Pang Gu.

[Even though the bracelets can translate their conversation efficiently enough, the bracelet can't seem to translate that word.]

It's a world that's divided between the three realms.

[He explains while wiping the sweat off his brow.]

Between Heaven and Hell lies Jian, the Mortal Realm. The temperature is always moderate on Jian but sometimes the winters can be harsh.

3

[fireflag]

[ All things considered, Galo is probably a man who is best friends with half the food delivery people in town. This man not only refuses to set fires, he would probably end up charring anything he attempted to make. Sure, it means he eats like a bachelor, but he works out enough that it doesn't seem to affect his health TOO much.

His reaction is less surprised than it should be. Maybe it's because this place is just bizarre from the start and his thick head can only process so much at once. He was expecting to grab a snack here, but instead, look!

Friend! Or... something like that. Ally? Rival?

Lio! It's Lio. It's at least very much a bonafide Lio. Even if it's him, it's still a relief to see a familiar face? He's got no reason to be aggressive when 1. Lio seems to be behaving and 2. They're both stuck in some kind of fever dream here.

Wait, maybe he is dreaming? He's gonna have to question why Lio's dressed like THAT in his dreams, though, oh boy. ]

Yo, Lio! Haha, oh, do all you guys use your fire for cooking, too? [ When they aren't burning down buildings and the like. ]

[ ooc: just as i was gonna slap him back on the tdm haha. ]

[burnishingmad]

[Something in his nerves steel when he hears that voice.]

Galo.

[There's a little bit of relief. But also a bit of confusion. He can't tell if Galo... remembers anything? He didn't think that'd have to be anything to worry about, but he's heard a few whispers here and there of disparaging timelines.]

Where else would we have gotten the fire?

[Back home, he means. The Burnish. Here, who fucking knows, or cares?]

[fireflag]

[ That's him! ]

... Uuhhh...

[ That is a good question, huh? They were out in the desert roaming around and in that encampment, huh? He never really considered there'd be no... stoves or ovens.

And there's no point in lighting a fire if you ARE fire.

It takes more than a minute for all of this to come together into an expression of understanding on his face. ]

Ah... right, right. I guess that's the handiest thing for you guys, huh?

and then I died for a few days

[burnishingmad]

[Watching Galo try to piece this out, really think it over is almost painful. While his flames don't get bigger, they do get progressively hotter the longer he watches this try to happen.]

Yes. It was very handy.

[GOD.]

3 - feel free to stay in actionspam if you like!

[tobodlygo]

Jim can't help but laugh, this dude's almost as bad as cooking as Sulu is.

"It's alright, honestly, the fact that you're cooking with- I mean are those flames that you're making?"

[burnishingmad]

Lio's still focusing on not overcooking this second plate. He can do this! Meis and Gueira would be laughing their head's off watching this massacre of meat take place. That alone is enough to make him a little self conscious, but the outfit they made him wear here, and knowing people are watching don't help matters.

"Yes, they are," he says it absently. It's just every day life for an arson terrorist leader trying to save his own people, nevermind the thong and frilly apron this place is making him wear.

[tobodlygo]

"Huh," Is really all Jim has to say about that.

He hasn't personally met any Prokinetic races but he knows they exist, it's just really cool to see it all in action.

Jim notices that he might be good with his flames, but he's probably not all that great with cooking.

"Use less heat, if you can. You're flash-cooking the outside and burning it," he suggests. He knows this place is weird and tries not to comment on the frilly apron, though the contrast between the aesthetics is pretty funny.