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

[humanbody]

[He's not entirely sure why he'd suspected that he was here alone. Part of him had thought this place might be a bizarre dream. Nero's sudden and unexpected appearance surprises him. Hopefully, Nero is too preoccupied with the robot and drinks to notice his shock. By the time Nero is addressing him, V's schooled his expression.]

Nero. [He looks slightly puzzled, unsure what Nero might be referring to.] 'Everything'? What do you mean?

[devilbreak]

[It might very well still be a bizarre dream. Nero isn't even sure he's not in some kind of demon's spell or some kind of physical nightmare part of hell, but if so, he's having a grand old time. The drinks were great! He isn't a fan of sweets so much but the bitter chocolate flavor kind of speaks to him.]

Ah, okay. So.. you go back to him. To Vergil.

[He frowns a little, but forces a smile. It's still hard to reconcile that this man, his friend, is part of his father. Even now he's not really able to wrap his head around it.] You left me your book and Vergil went with Dante to seal off the under world from the inside.

[It's kind of heavy considering the atmosphere, but the robot comes back without any water and instead offers V the very same drink he'd politely declined just moments before.]

[humanbody]

[V takes a moment, a long moment, to digest the information Nero offers him, managing to keep a neutral expression. He swallows thickly, feeling the heat more acutely now. He glances in the direction the robot had disappeared in, seeing it approaching... only to set another one of the drinks in front of him and whisking away. It draws an annoyed sigh from V, but otherwise, he seems to accept that he's not going to be getting any water.]

By 'go back to him', I assume you mean that I cease to exist. Urizen and I.

[He's quiet again.] Unfortunately, I have to admit I suspected that would be my fate. But I had hoped...

[No. Vergil had been responsible for creating Urizen, which meant V also felt partially responsible. The demon had to be stopped. if it meant his death to do so, well, that was the price that had to be paid.

Without really thinking about it, he slides the drink closer and takes a sip, just needing a relief from the heat and the thirst. It's an odd flavor, bitter and chocolatey but off somehow.]

[devilbreak]

[He likes to pretend it's all behind them and that he's totally over it now, but he's not. Thankfully he doesn't wear that on his face or V would pick up on it instantly. He knows it. So, Nero has to act cool, like everything is fine. They're just a couple of old pals that ran into each other and not two friends who barely got to learn anything about the other before one was taken away forever.

It's fine. This is fine. Everything is cool. Something is making him feel really uncomfortable, though. Like he wants to reach out and touch V to make sure he's really there. Before he can stop himself he does just that, putting his hand on top of the one V's using to hold his cane. Yeah, very much real. His face flushes and he glances at their hands and then back up again.]

It's alright. All of that is over now. Don't know how long we have like this, but...just wanted to say I missed you.

[humanbody]

[His gaze moves to his hand. Or, more accurately, Nero's hand over his own. The heat has been bothering him but somehow Nero's hand still feels warm. He knows he shouldn't read too much into this. He'd died. And Nero had, perhaps, witnessed his death. And his lies.

Honestly, he's shocked Nero isn't angrier at him. He'd blatantly manipulated him.

He feels a wave of guilt, knowing he doesn't deserve this gesture from Nero. And he certainly doesn't deserve being missed.]

Nero... [He doesn't deserve any of this.] I'm sorry...

[He could say more. He could give Nero the same excuse he'd given himself to justify it all - that he'd just been doing what he'd had to. Instead, he offers Nero a soft, pained smile.] At least we have whatever this place is. For now.