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

[crunchtime]

[Thanks for not making it dirty in record time, even good mood bubble tea couldn't save that one. Essek nods lightly, making a mental note- gentle, is it- and lifts a hand out from under his cloak to look at the bracelet.

Not to touch it or open any, hm, interfaces, just to look— and then let his gaze drift back up with the unspoken question; is this not humiliating enough? Collars are just overkill.]

Aha... well. Whatever it takes. [he's Great at trust!!!] And how many people do you trust? Here.

[Starting over from zero is so much work... hmm.]

[immolzeth]

I would say probably three? One unequivocally, the other two are people I've met here. I've only been here a month myself, but there are good people here.

[He looks thoughtful. He's had good luck, as far as he's concerned, but more than that...

Well, there are things he can now pay forward. ]

Listen. I assume you're going to want to stay in shelter till nightfall, but when that rolls around, come by my place. I'll send you the coordinates.

[a month has been long enough to get used enough to the bracelet that he flicks up its interface while he talks, looking at it rather than at Essek.]

The food in the cafeteria is mostly good, but sometimes it's dosed too, I hear. I have some extra provisions that should be clean. I'll set you up with enough to get you settled.

[crunchtime]

[Coordinates? Hello? Essek blinks at him, muttering something that might be a thank you and might be nothing at all that tried to be a thank you. Perhaps by nightfall he'll know what to make of strangers offering aid without being asked... (He totally won't.)]

I— alright. After nightfall.

[??? Now what, what else is he supposed to say, hmm--]

I will... be brief. I will not impose.

[immolzeth]

[Even flaps a hand, dismissing the concern. He's feeling gratified, as he understands the language of the awkward inability to offer a proper thank you. Essek, that'll do. ]

Not at all. You'll do the same for some poor new bastard sometime, once you've found your rhythm here.

[crunchtime]

[Ooooh, will he... sounds difficult. Essek says nothing to that for just a second too long to be completely casual, then clears his throat.]

Well— in due time. Greater fortune would see us all sent home, wouldn't you agree?

[He shrugs. Who knows! Maybe he'll be nice one day.]

[immolzeth]

[oh, shit, he's fallen into that trap of functioning under the assumption that they're just straight up stuck here. Even briefly looks dismayed, for it was a mindset he'd found insufferable in his first days here. ]

Of course. Always, of course. Do you, I don't suppose you have any experience with moving between planes? I'm convinced simple teleportation won't work here, but something stronger might.

[He shakes his head, frowning]

No one has had any luck so far, anyways.

[crunchtime]

[Mercy, he only has so much chalk, don't say things like that because now he will be thinking about homebrewing up a planar travel spell for actual weeks. If only he had a super powerful magical artifact on hand augh—

But all he actually does is raise an eyebrow and look a little thoughtful.]

I... will give it some thought. We were not brought here by accident or miracle, so perhaps it is simply a matter of reversing the original method.

[Hmm! Well! It's good to have hobbies, and this one is now his, thanks.]

[immolzeth]

That may be so, but I've begun to suspect we may not have been brought here by... by magical means.

[a very strange, bizarre idea, really, when the world functions fundamentally on magic--or the sensible worlds do, anyhow.]

Some of the people here come from worlds that are remarkably technologically advanced.

[Brightening, Even waves a hand, sketching abstracts in the air. ]

I've heard tell of some truly ingenious uses of electricity and metals. Actually, if you get the chance, you should stop by the hangar in the city -- great, massive constructs that one can pilot from the inside, made completely without the use of magic!

There's a most impressive depth of knowledge there, I think. But if that's the manner in which our captors brought us here, it... rather complicates the matter of trying to reverse engineer their work.