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

[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.]

[711]

[He's so close to completing his card and coming face-to-face with the reality of the fact that filling it out won't, in fact, send him or anyone else home. Suzaku knows that already, but what he knows and what he's willing to believe are entirely different things.

As the hangar comes into view, Suzaku considers Lloyd's question with a hum.]

Personnel? [Alright, maybe there's one other person on this island who cares about these robots enough to desire a small army of them, but forget that guy. We don't talk about that guy.] If you're alright with having robots assist you, then I believe the Augur can grant that request.

[711]

[Firmly–]

You can't ask for people.

[Believe Suzaku, he's tried. He's tried sending people home as well, but the very mention of Lelouch's existence on this island is proof enough that the Augur's generosity has limits. Nevertheless, Suzaku won't give up on the idea entirely until he's tried making the same request will a completed card.

As they near the hangar, absurdly large and stuffed to the brim with Knightmares and Gundams and transforming cars, Suzaku fixes Lloyd with a look.]

If Cecile were here, she'd be subjected to a lot of unpleasant things. For that matter, so will you.

[Are all the robots and fancy space-age machines in the hangar worth all the unabashed sluttery? Suzaku can manage, but he's looking at Lloyd with something like concern in his eyes.]

[711]

Exposed to?

[Hold on just a minute here. Suzaku won't be cutting Lloyd loose to wreak havoc on the hangar until he clarifies, because oh my god, what's with these robots and their proclivity for drugging newcomers at every available opportunity?!]

Wait a second. Lloyd, did you eat something strange? [No, no, scratch that. More importantly–] Are you... well, okay?

[Lloyd really should have pointed out the very robot that drugged him so he could kick the bolts out of it, but ah, this man's priorities...]

[711]

[Ah, who would Suzaku be to judge? He's a danger to anything with a pulse under the right conditions. He watches Lancelot's key disappear into Lloyd's pocket, the very key he'd done something unspeakable to earn, but so it goes.

At that laugh, Suzaku's expression sours a little further. He knows Lloyd. He knows how Lloyd is, yet Suzaku can never quite manage to fully understand him.]

...forgive me, I didn't realize you'd been drugged.

[What does that say about Suzaku? What does that say about Lloyd, a man prone to manic episodes over things like Knightmares and robots?]

In any case, please don't accept strange drinks from the robots. I can help you with food, but I'll only supply necessities.

[In other words, earn the pudding yourself, Lloyd. Suzaku will gladly supply the foundational goods like meats and grains, but anything jiggly and sugar-laden is off the menu.]

[711]

[Suzaku loses enough sleep without having to speculate on what debauchery Lloyd may find himself wrapped up in on this island. This man is like a very weird uncle to him, please understand.]

Cecile isn't here to keep an eye on you, so that'd leave the task to me, wouldn't it?

[Suzaku speaks as if Lloyd is a very large child that requires constant supervision and perhaps a leash. That's about right, frankly, not that Suzaku has ever minded having an excuse to make sure the important people in his life haven't gotten themselves killed.]

If you need anything, you can call me. This island isn't very big, so it won't take me long to get to you... even without Lancelot. [He'll see you again one day, Lancy.] Until then, will you be alright in the hangar? I'll see about securing a lab for you, but it may not appear immediately.