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

wildcard

[hello_again]

[As Val is walking around the booths primarily manned by robots they would spot one with a woman in what appeared to be bronze armor behind it instead. When they approached she would smile at them.]

Hello, would you like some fish? I caught more than I needed so you're welcome to them. I also caught an octopus that tried to attack me, but I admit I'm not exactly sure how to cook it.

[There was just a genuine, earnest kindness to the young woman. If there was any ill-intent she was exceedingly good at hiding it.]

/pretends you caught her before the glory

[videnije]

[ she's intrigued by the robots, admittedly, but the woman stands out like a sore thumb. she stops when she smiles at her, giving a small smile back. she seems earnest enough and not a threat. ]

I would but.. I am a little short on credits at the moment. [ that is to say, there's zero credits to her name. ] I could come back later, or we could work something out.

[hello_again]

Oh no, I'm not asking for any payment. I'm giving away my extra catch for free. We should help each other where we can in this situation, right?

[After a pause she adds,]

If you really want to trade though you could tell me about yourself?

[Realizing she hadn't introduced herself she quickly says,]

I'm sorry, where are my manners? I'm Pyrrha Nikos, it's a pleasure to meet you.

[videnije]

[ she seems a bit surprised that the other woman is offering to just share it, but she's not in a position to turn her down, either. when she introduces herself, she quirks her lips up a little bit. ]

I am Valentina Romanyszyn. A pleasure to meet you as well. [ she says the last name like romanishin. she raises her fingers to tap her chin, thinking. ]

As for about me... I am simple. I want to enjoy my time here on this planet before the world ends.

[hello_again]

[The answer clearly surprised Pyrrha, taking a second to even come up with a response.]

I hope you forgive my saying so, but that seems like a pretty bleak outlook.

[All the same she prepared a plate of grilled fish for Valentina.]

Is it alright if I ask where you're from? Mistral? or judging from that suit maybe Atlas?

[She had met more people from her world than not so she still wasn't quite grasping the range of worlds people were from yet.]

[videnije]

I may have been swayed into trying to save the world one more time.

[ she offers it like an olive branch, watching pyrrha move about. when she asks where she's from, she tilts her head. ]

I'm from Ukraine - but more recently over in America helping the Polity Vanguard.

[hello_again]

[That gets a smile from Pyrrha. She wouldn't rub it in, but she was satisfied that there was more to Valentina than pleasure-seeking.

Her expressions shifts into one of confusion when she answers where she was from,]

I'm guessing that made as much sense to me as Atlas and Mistral made sense to you?

[videnije]

I suspect so.

[ valentina offers a small shrug of her shoulders and a little, apologetic smile. ]

I do not know of Atlas and Mistral outside of creatures in fairy-tale books. But you are not the first person I've met who does not know what I talk of, either.

[hello_again]

I'm sorry you're only the second person I've talked to that wasn't from my world so I think it's still just setting in that there really are other worlds.

[It was fascinating really, if a bit of a culture shock.]

Mistral is where I'm from, it has a reputation for being a center for the arts. It also has quite the lively party scene so I'm told. I've never been particularly good at those sorts of parties though.

[She always felt so awkward at them. Realizing she should probably actually set the plate in front of Valentina she does that right away.]

Dig in, I think I managed to get rid of all the bones, but this is the first time I've had to prepare raw fish like this.

[Her cooking wasn't anything to write home about, but it tasted good enough.]

[videnije]

Hmm.. I would have liked your Mistral, I think. I am always fond of parties, as long as they're a good time, and a city with a history of art tends to have good parties.

[ she gives a little smirk. she doesn't offer that she's fairly sure pyrrha wouldn't have been happy in russia or fighting a war against a hopeless enemy. that can wait for later.

she waves a hand. ]

It is all right. Do you want to sit, take a break? Since we are talking.

[hello_again]

I thought you might.

[Valentina exuded a certain confidence that made Pyrrha think she'd be comfortable at a party where she really wasn't.

At the offer she perks up.]

Oh sure. I don't think anyone's coming over anyway.

[She moves out from behind the counter to take a seat beside Valentina.]

[videnije]

[ there was truth to her earlier statement and why she'd opened with it. she had given up defeating the union, before dr. weller reached out to her, and had simply wanted to live out her days as she could.

the man had convinced her to try again, unfortunately. ]

I get the sense you would not have enjoyed where I am from, however. Unless you enjoy fighting against failing odds.

[ she takes a bite of the fish, and hums gently. ]

This is good.

[hello_again]

[Hearing the vague version of the situation Valentina's world was in caught her off-guard]

That's... not something I'm entirely unfamiliar with,

[This was all she would say for now, instead focusing on Valentina's compliment,]

Thank you, I'm really not much of a cook but I do know how to do some things.

[videnije]

[ best to leave the sad discussions for later. valentina is definitely more focused on her food and enjoying it, and smiles at the young lady. ]

Well, it is quite delicious. Better than the robots by far. You said you caught it yourself?

[ fishing is admittedly something valentina knows more how to do in theory than practice. ]

[hello_again]

[She's happy to focus on lighter topics for now. Getting to know people here was going to help her in the long-run. Especially if what that AI said was true about what they needed to get up to here.]

Yes that's right. I did some spear-fishing earlier, though I found out the waters are too rough to really swim in. They're also home to some sort of Octopus that tried to attack me.

[videnije]

Did you catch it? I'm sure calimari would go over quite well with the people here.

[ if pyrrha catches it, considering her thick russian accent? she pronounces the japanese syllables of calimari quite easily in comparison to some of her english. ]

Also, spear fishing? That is quite impressive, Pyrrha.

[hello_again]

[Pyrrha did pick up on the fact that Valentina said it with a great ease, though with Remnant being a more hodgepodge of cultures it only stood out to her a little.]

Yes though I've never cooked octopus before so I'm not really sure how to. At least with fish I had some idea.

[She smiles at the compliment,]

Thank you. I'm familiar with fighting with a spear so it wasn't too hard to make a wooden one to work with. My own is unfortunately in need of fixing or replacing.

[Pyrrha pulled out what was once a complete spear, but had been apparently melted and broken into three pieces.]

[videnije]

Ah, octopus can be a delicate balance. It's not something I'm familiar with either.

[ when pyrrha mentions spearfishing, and pulls out a spear, she tilts her head, reaching out a hand to look at the damage. ]

It was... burned, or melted? What were you fighting?

[hello_again]

I'll have to see if anyone knows how to cook it before it goes bad.

[Pyrrha had spent a long time just looking at the damaged weapon when she first arrived here. Now she was easing up a little and just focusing on what she could do now. Repairing it was high on her priority list.]

A woman who attacked the academy I was going to. I think her Semblance had something to do with creating heat. She grabbed my weapon, heated through and snapped it before I realized what was going on.

[There was some admonishment to herself in her tone, but she tried not to focus on those feelings.]

It was during that fight that I ended up here actually. One second I'm looking at her and then the next I'm here.

[videnije]

A 'semblance'?

[ when two very different rooster teeth canons collide. valentina tilts her head a little, looking at the weapon in confusion, because her understanding of the word shouldn't lead to a spear being shattered. ]

Ah, you were in the middle of a battle when you arrived. I am sorry. At the very least things were somewhat peaceful at the moment for me.

[hello_again]

[That gave Pyrrha pause. This was more than just geography being different, this was fundamentals about how people worked.]

Thank you, I'm still not sure how to feel about it. Especially knowing some people from my world are here. I'm afraid to ask them what happened afterwards if I'm honest.

As for a semblance. At least in my world, it's an ability everyone has, usually unique to the person. My semblance for example is polarity.

[To demonstrate Pyrrha focused on the shattered spear, and the pieces began to float upwards slowly.]

[videnije]

Ah, you come from a world full of superheroes, then.

[ comic books are the closest she can relate to with that, at the very least. she watches her raise the pieces of the spear with an intrigued look. ]

That is... not something I've seen before. And there are others like you here?

[hello_again]

I guess it would seem that way, but superheroes are still only things of fiction.

[Vigilante justice was probably not as glamorous as comics made them out to be.]

That's right. Anyone from my world has a semblance, but they might not have found it or trained it yet.

[She pauses, thinking.]

If your world doesn't have semblances then that means you likely don't have a defensive aura either.

Um... when something hits you, is there a defensive barrier that negates some of the damage up to a point?

[videnije]

[ valentina arches an eyebrow and then shakes her head. ]

No. If something hits me, it will hurt me. The only defense I have is any armor I might be wearing, and that's a technological advantage, not magic.

[hello_again]

That's something every fighter has access to where I'm from. It's a part of us we can train like a muscle, it's not magic.

[Although it would seem like magic to everyone else, she just doesn't know that yet.

It was amazing to her both how things could be so similar yet so different between their worlds.

She lets out a sigh looking at the weapon,]

It's going to be so annoying to repair this even if I find the right materials. Getting the rifle sight accurate was already difficult when I first built it.