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

oh my god it's lloyd.............. drinks!!

[711]

[Nobody likes these awful pushy robots and their awful tendency to force strange drinks on people. No one but... Lloyd, apparently? Just– give Suzaku a minute here. A minute to stand here and stare at Lloyd who is, of course, more fascinated with the island's resident robots than any sane person ever would be.]

...I don't recommend keeping one as a pet.

['Sup, Earl of Pudding. Welcome to hell!]

[711]

[Literally no one but Lloyd feels that way about their new artificial overlord and its army of stubby little robots, but to each their own. For what it's worth, Suzaku's pleased to see Lloyd– now there's very little need to be careful with Lancelot. Everyone's a winner here.

Crossing his arms, Suzaku observes Lloyd in what is, quite possibly, his natural environment. On the subject of who he is, Suzaku... well, he doesn't hesitate, necessarily, but he does take a moment to wipe the look of tired resignation off his face. With a muted sigh–]

There is no need for Zero here. [Zero means nothing on this island. Ironic, he knows, and a bit tragic in all the ways Suzaku doesn't care to talk.] ...call me Suzaku for now. Maintaining both identities, at least for now, was Lelouch's suggestion.

[Guess who isn't dead anymore?]

[711]

[Hey, credit where credit's due, Lloyd took the news of Lelouch's continued existence much better than Jeremiah did. You can't keep a good(?) man down, apparently. As usual, Suzaku can't see the humor in the situation, just the unfortunate irony of it all.

A robot approaches Suzaku with some sort of drink in its hands, but rudely, Suzaku nudges it away with his leg.]

What a shame. [Yes, poor Lelouch. He'll need to find another victim to subject to his theatrics.] I'm surprised you haven't found the hangar yet. Gawain and Lancelot are there, and... quite a few other "machines."

[Yes, machines, because Suzaku still isn't entirely sure what differentiates a Knightmare Frame from a Gundam. He doesn't care to know, either.]

[711]

[Your baby is fine, Lloyd. Suzaku digs Lancelot's key out of his pocket and hands it to him. Here's hoping he won't need to punch the guy in order to get Lancelot back from him when he needs it.]

Lancelot Albion is fully functional. It hasn't sustained any damage since arriving here, either. [So long as they're not counting any longing stares from jealous Gundam pilots.] ...do you want me to take you over to the hangar?

[Uh, is that even a question that needs asking?]

[711]

[On second thought? Taking Lloyd to the hangar is a mistake, but Suzaku is nothing if not committed to his mistakes. He'll allow Lloyd a moment to collect himself, sure, though Suzaku expects he won't be seeing much of him once he's set his sights on all the high-tech eye candy in that hangar.]

We?

[Oh. Oh no, Suzaku doesn't like the sound of 'we.' While there's a healthy amount of reluctance in Suzaku's question, that isn't stopping him from heading out in the direction of the hangar with Lloyd in tow. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, they're not terribly far from it.]

I can help you with that, I suppose. [Don't ask Suzaku how he's so well equipped to meet that thinly-veiled demand. It's, uh. Shameful.] All I'd have to do is ask the Augur for a lab of some sort, but wouldn't you rather have a place to live first?

[Suzaku's generous enough to set Lloyd up with a lab, should his heart truly desire one, but please don't tell him that a glorified toybox is more important than a proper house.]

snacks

[canceller]

Lloyd Asplund.

[So few syllables, ultimately, yet each one said with such enunciated force and accusation. He's had some practice, only where rage used to preside in his voice, there's only mirth.

Jeremiah stands but a stall's length away, his coat and a few other layers tucked in it draped over one arm, still removed from his impromptu shift. For sweating over a barbecue as long as he did, he's managed not to smell too strongly of smoke, hair back to presentable if not impeccable. In his hand, he's got a paper take-out box of some of his earnings, as it were.

Lucky. Too bad these are his, right?]

I certainly hadn't imagined I'd see you in this place.

[For his grand entrance just to see if he could get a rise for old time's sake, his surprise shows. He's smirking, but there's a perplexed knit to his brow as he really takes in his presence. It's actually nice to cross paths once more, just... not when it's here.]

[canceller]

Please, as if I had a choice on the location. [Jeremiah raises the box higher, not by so much that Lloyd couldn't still reach it, but what he hopes is enough to deter him. It likely won't be, but his reflexes ought to still be fast enough to compensate.] The beach is rather nice, at least.

[It's been an eventful day already, and he hasn't even had his lunch yet. Can't this be easy?]

This is part of my earnings. I was given an opportunity to work for credits, then exchange credits for food. You know how this works.

[Go ahead and be blasé, he's heard it before. It might be comforting to hear, even when irritation settles more firmly on his face, at his usual bad behavior and little else. Just par for the course.]

[canceller]

[Persistence isn't helping the half-life of Jeremiah's tolerance, scowling in earnest as he lifts his food above his head, dodging one way or another as needed. Taunting him and barely fending him off with his other forearm is no way to resolve things, but he won't push him off properly. Very mature, indeed.

He has missed you, Lloyd.]

I might, if you'd lower your hands and deign to use your words properly. [Does he know "please" and "thank you?" Let's find out.]

[canceller]

I do, but I prefer those people to be a little less ill-mannered with their demands.

[A lost cause. He knows it's a lost cause, he's already tried before. Jeremiah resorts to brushing him aside after all, arm braced against his chest at his center of gravity as to carefully not topple him over. Taking a chance, he lowers his arm and steps aside to the nearest stall, stopping to grab an additional fork and some more napkins. Put upon as ever, he turns back to his old friend.

He clearly gives, even if he won't say it. Better than letting Lloyd continue on and try to find sustenance from a less trustworthy source.]

Where would you like to sit?

sparkle beach

[regalfluff]

[He'd been watching the man for a while. Sesshoumaru could be discrete in his stalking when he chose, but it apparently made no difference to the human currently in his sights. The man was completely oblivious once something caught his attention. It was . . . interesting. He also spoke out loud, apparently to himself, often.

Sesshoumaru stood back, watching the man watch the sparkling water. The things he said! It really made no sense at all!]


The beauty disappoints you?

[regalfluff]

They? What are you speaking of?


[The man truly made no sense. Sesshoumaru glanced at the water again, then back at the man. Was he suggesting the sparkles were actually glowing creatures? That wasn't as outlandish as some might think. The demon lord had seen plenty of things stranger than that. But Sesshoumaru hadn't been close enough to the water to check for himself. He'd just assumed that was simply the way the water was, which made as much sense as most of the other odd things he'd seen.]


Do you mean to say the lights are really creatures?

[regalfluff]

[There were a great many words in there Sesshoumaru had never heard before, and he could all but smell the man's derision. Not a good idea with someone like him. Thus far, he hadn't minded so much having to deal primarily with humans, but that could easily change. He lifted a brow slowly, a threat woven through his tone.]


Perhaps you'd be best served in using a bit less condescension when you attempt to explain things. I gather you're saying the light creatures are an indicator of the health of the environment? An unfavorable one I suppose?

[regalfluff]

[Sesshoumaru always meant to insult a man when he did it, though he'd generally refrained with so many humans crawling all over the place. Unless he wanted to indulge in wholesale slaughter, it was easier to simply be polite. More or less. And the man he was currently speaking with wasn't so annoying he felt the need to be rude. He gazed out at the water again, frowning slightly.]


Do you suppose it was the humans who did this? It always seems to be humans who cause the death and destruction of the environment.