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

[shangrilady]

We, uh, talked about war a lot.

[ He's not really chatty, unless it's dramatic, apparently. ]

Just uh...

[ Elle squints, thinking. ]

Titanium-ceramic composite, I think the manual said? But it's a Gundam-style design.

[spacerat]

Well... yeah, that's Heero, he thinks about those kinds of things a lot.

[ so just a normal day for heero. duo tilts his head, listening to what she says, and after a moment nods. ]

Yeah. Gundanium is so rare where we're from, that a lot of designs were tested in the style before they actually built ones made from it, so that tracks.

[ he nibbles on his fish. ]

Mine is one of the Gundams, but believe me, they're a lot of trouble. Even more concerning that it's here because... I destroyed it after we stopped the war.

[shangrilady]

[ Not like she hasn't done some war herself. ]

Mm. We're in slightly different worlds. So like... they call it 'Gundarium' and that was after the first Gundam I think? But it's not as rare as that sounds.

[ It's all just fancy space titanium too. ]

...weapons are trouble. If there wasn't so damn much already...

[spacerat]

Yeah, it sounds like they're both just a step to the side. Gundanium alloy can only be made in zero-g, so it has to be formed in space.

[ it's all very neat and sciency, and duo only knows it's history in order to recognize the alloy on sight should he come across any.

when she says that, he sighs heavily. ]

Yeah. We were working on disarmament when someone tried to start another war... and when we dealt with that, we decided to get rid of the Gundams so no one could use us or them to start more wars.

[ he's not innocent enough to think there won't be someone else trying to make mobile suits, but they proved they could use standard-issue ones if needed. ]

Peace is difficult, and you have to earn it and keep earning it.

[ after a moment, he laughs. ]

I sound like Heero.

[shangrilady]

They make Gundarium on the moon so it's similar, I guess?

[ Only the RX-78 was the only hilariously indestructible Gundam like the ones Duo's used to, and that was long since past by the end of the One Year War.

Disarmament. Sounds like a hell of a dream. ...of course, her Mk-II was already behind the curve when she got it in many ways. ]

Ha, right? 's not wrong but it's a downer.

[spacerat]

Really? Well, good to know that's consistent as well.

[ he learned some things, won't everyone be proud.

and yeah, disarmament still feels like a dream to duo as well, sometimes. but he figures you gotta commit to it without knowing that peace is guaranteed sometimes. at least, that's what he learned from quatre and relena. ]

Yeah, a little bit. Enough about my problems though. [ he turns from somber to somewhat cheery on a dime. ] What's it like where you're from?

[shangrilady]

[ The real education. Not some classroom junk. ]

Ugh. Shangri-la wasn't honestly much better than this, but I spent months on a warship before however the hell I ended up here.

[spacerat]

[ what's a classroom and can duo eat it ]

I'm guessing Shangri-la didn't live up to its name then? [ when she mentions a warship, he leans forward a little. ] A warship? What kind of warship?

[shangrilady]

Maybe when it first went up.

[ A lot of older colonies end up like that. ]

Assault ships. Mobile suit catapults, particle cannons, the whole nine yards.

[spacerat]

[ duo could relate to that, given the sorry state of L2 by the time he came to reside on it.

he makes a small noise of understanding. ]

What were you guys fighting?

[ or rather, who. was this another meaningless war between humanity (oh god he really needs to spend less time around heero) or was it something else? ]

[shangrilady]

Neo Zeon. ...as the name indicates, they were tryin' to be a revival of guys called Zeon. That was when I was pretty young, and I get wantin' to throw down with the Federation, but bullying colonies into bein' a part of it isn't good.

[ And rather than throw down, what if ignore them entirely? ]

...and colony drops are never right.

[spacerat]

No, it never is.

[ when she mentions a colony drop, though, he sucks in a breath. ]

Shit, some idiots had the same idea as one of ours? Did they actually go through with it?

[ his voice softens a little bit. ]

[shangrilady]

Uuuuuuuhyep. A few times.

[ Let's not even get started on that guy who's gonna try a mining asteroid in a few years. ]

[spacerat]

Damn, I'm sorry.

[ there's a beat, and rubs a hand over his face. ]

That was the plan for us, actually. We were gonna drop a colony onto Earth, swoop in and clean up afterwards to "take over". None of us wanted to, though, so I stole my Gundam and went to Earth instead to fight a group called Oz.

But more than once... holy hell.

[shangrilady]

Yeah. I was there.

[ It wasn't as bad as expected? ]

I'm a petty, greedy bitch and I still don't understand it at all. How people do this. ...but you did good.

[spacerat]

Well, I'm glad you made it out alive, for what it's worth. No sense having more senseless deaths.

[ when she says they did good, he flushes a little and waves his hands. ]

We might've done all right, but we made our mistakes too. At least we were trying, though. Sounds like you've had it a lot rougher, though.

[shangrilady]

Same. Being alive is pretty good.

[ Ah, he's blushing. Cute. ]

Hey, both of us saw people whose attitude was "I know I'm right and I'll kill millions to prove it!" so how much worse can we be?

[spacerat]

Holding people hostage to get what you want is pretty much the scummiest thing I can think of. Fighting's one thing, but leave innocent people out of it.

[ on that, they can both agree. ]

And yeah, I guess it's a good thing I've made it out. Be pretty pathetic if the God of Death bit it though, right?

[shangrilady]

[ Elle nods along. Not much else to add to that point.

The other one, that gets her blinking. ]

...oh my god, did you make that one up yourself or-?

[spacerat]

[ nooo elle why he's trying to be so cool. ]

I didn't make it up! That's what me and my Gundam are called. He's Deathscythe, so I'm the God of Death. Or well, I was. Kinda retired now.

[shangrilady]

[ Elle covers her mouth and her snorty little laugh. ]

No, no, it's cool! You're super cool.

[ That's not one hundred percent sarcasm! ]

[spacerat]

Oh, bite me.

[ duo bumps her hip with his, an annoyed look on his face, but he's not actually that annoyed with it, his lips twitching up into a smile. ]

[shangrilady]

[ Elle looks at him, thinks about it. After the hip bump, she leans over and gently bites him on the shoulder, laughing.

...and maybe licks him a little before pulling back. ]

[spacerat]

[ she does follow through on his threat and he turns a little pink, raising a hand to scratch the back of his neck. ]

Well, damn, suppose you've claimed me now. [ he jokes. ]

[shangrilady]

[ Elle's blushing too - leaning in closer. ]

Now you're aaaall mine, Mr. Death God.