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

[allumer]

[ The recipe that is plants stuffed in a fish over an open fire, but hey, that's about as good as Noctis could ever do, except all the fish he ever cooks on the island is just grilled with no extra things added. So when he blows on the flesh of the smoking fish and takes a bite, his brows rise and he seems pretty taken aback.

Another bite, he chews, then speaks with his mouth full because he has no manners. ]

Not bad. 's actually real good.

[spacerat]

[ ain't nobody care about manners here, noctis. duo perks up a little, beaming. ]

Hey, good to know. And uh, take a second on the house. You're looking a little skinny.

[ concern wins out over profit. ]

[allumer]

[ Ah... seeing as mirrors are a commodity he can't afford and doesn't exactly have one at hand (and a reflection on the pond lacks some details), Noctis sort of flinches at the realization he might not look as okay as he did before he got to the island. He didn't know he looked that bad-off. ]

Sorta what happens when you don't manage to eat much of anything for a whole month.

[ He'll finish eating this first free meal before he moves onto the next one. ]

There's a cafeteria in the hospital that usually gives rations. They're not always reliable, but they started giving out decent food recently about once a week. You can catch fish now, which helps. Basically, we didn't get better food resources around here until just a few weeks ago.

[ There's even a meat processing plant, not to mention monsters that might provide meat if you're willing enough to hunt them and they're edible.

You came at a good time, Duo. ]

[spacerat]

[ he feels kind of bad at the flinch, but he can't draw attention to it without, well, being more of a dick, so he just flashes an apologetic smile and hopes that covers it. ]

I know the feeling, bud.

[ if noct notices, he does seem kind of small for the age he appears to be.

regardless, he listens to noctis talk about the hospital and cafeteria, and the fish. ]

Well, I'm glad somethin' started changing. Did they just show up one day or did the robots have to figure out how to create fish?

[allumer]

[ Ah, this is the conversation he never likes to have, even if it's just routine at this point and needs to be common knowledge to all new arrivals. If only someone else could be helpful in giving the details? But Noctis doesn't want to stay silent and make the guy figure it out on his own, or worst case scenario, end up in a situation where he has to deal with the reality of what they have to do on the island.

That initial arrival party for the first round of newbies... good thing Duo didn't have to go through that. ]

The way new stuff shows up is that you have to ask The Augur for it. And if you're asking for favors, you have to offer something in return. The Augur wants energy in order to help fix up the island, and the only way to do that along with bring in anything you might need at anytime is by having sex...

[spacerat]

Ah.

[ duo's slightly dismayed tone says it all, probably, and the frown that settles on his face. it's a momentary glimpse into the rather serious fighter the teen normally is; all considerations of risks against reward and fighting a losing battle.

but the expression passes, and he puts on the now-obviously-fake smile again. ]

Well, I suppose you don't get something for nothing. And I'd figure that we had to do stuff on this squares; at least we can get supplies or food for it. Fish isn't a bad trade off, for one.

[allumer]

[ It's never great to see the way someone's expression completely drops like that, how the helpless frustration breaks through, and they just appear so lost... even if Duo's quick to bounce back from the emotion, Noctis already can tell, damage has been done. Its times like these he really hates this island. But even for him, it's sort of like a saving grace. As long as he can make the entire situation easier for others, then that's all he can really ask for to be able to do. ]

You're kinda well off already, honestly. Like I said, cafeteria offers actually decent food once a week. This part of the island literally just showed up now, but there's also a pond near the center of the city, so you'll have no shortage of fish. It's pretty much all the other basics you gotta work for. Clothes, place to stay, things like that. But people around here have been pretty good about sharing and helping each other out. We all know the island's missing out on a lot of helpful stuff, so new things show up every once in a while. There's a library, a bath house, a rec building too.

[spacerat]

Right, so it's on us to make it a little more bearable if anyone else shows up.

[ like noctis already did. aw man, he's pulled right at his damn heartstrings. duo plucks up another two skewers and hands them to him, without really explaining why. don't make him admit he's got feelings, noctis. ]

I saw the monsters roaming around - does anyone know if they're edible? And does anyone have anything harvestable on a farm? We're not gonna be able to live on meat alone.

[allumer]

[ Whoa, wait, what just happened, why is he being given all these free handouts all of a sudden? What'd he say? Duo should keep the skewers seeing as he caught the fish himself, but Noctis takes them just to hold onto them. ]

Uh, yeah... thanks, by the way.

[ For the fish. ]

The monsters tend to show up really far out at the edge of the city, but I haven't heard very much detail about them. It'd be worth it to try a hunt though. If they've got meat on them, that'd be worth taking one or two down for. There is a greenhouse though.

[ Not that Noctis knows anything about what's in there. ]

Oh, and you're gonna find these big yellow birds in a stable. They're called Chocobos. Don't eat them.

[spacerat]

[ yes, thanks for all the fish.

duo listens with his head tilted, grinning after a moment. ]

Monsters shouldn't be a problem for me.

[ yes, this scrawny, slightly underfed teenager apparently thinks he can take down a monster. the birds, though, have him tilting his head. ]

Totally willing to follow that, but, uh, why? Birds are usually a good source of proteins.

[allumer]

[ Duo don't say that out loud!! Noctis winces, and as much as he wants to whack this cruel guy upside the head, he won't. ]

Because you don't eat Chocobos. You just don't. Go meet one in person and you'll get it, but even if you don't you can't eat them. My best friend helps run the stable and he's in love with those birds. You're not making my best friend sad.

[ >:( ]

[spacerat]

[ he's not cruel he's just hungry!! look at his size. ]

Okay, okay, jeez, I said I wasn't gonna eat them. The birds are off limits, got it.

[ he flaps a hand as if to try and soothe noctis. ]

We're not in that bad of a survival situation, I understand.