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

[justiceobjects]

What? You want to enjoy it? [Great, now that Apollo was aware of his blushing, it was only getting worse. It's not like he could turn it off on command!

He doesn't even need to see Klavier's gaze straying to know that this was probably going in a bad direction. So that's why Apollo puts his hands on Klavier's shoulders - not for the contact, but to make an attempt to push him further away. The prosecutor might be taller, but braced against the palm tree, Apollo can put his full strength into it.]

Hold it, Romeo. You don't need to convince me of anything. It's not like I've been totally unsuccessful here. [And that was all he was willing to stay on that particular matter.] Just... wait for now, okay? If you really want to prove it to me, you'll wait.

[Apollo is starting to feel like he's taking advantage of Klavier's altered state of mind with that one, but what else is he supposed to do? It'd be far worse if he let Klavier go forward with anything he wouldn't have done while sober. Letting him talk was a lot more harmless in comparison.]

[improvise]

[ he thinks it's cute! it's frustrating to see his previously successful flirting tactics falling flat where it actually counts, but at least he got apollo to blush about it. this lovestruck klavier is taking wins where he can; apollo hasn't stopped being attractive yet.

klavier is arguably heftier than apollo, but he's pushed back into his heels regardless, his arms dropping beside him. at first he's still smiling, like he had half-expected apollo to shove, but then apollo says something he didn't want to hear. his smile drops away briefly, and then he closes his eyes and shakes his head, seemingly defeated. ]

Ach! If you insist, though I'm certain it won't make a difference. And as much as I resent it, it's to be expected that other people here would chase after you. It only proves my point further.

[ he isn't hovering over apollo anymore, but he does lean down to meet him at eye level again, smiling with arms akimbo, still obviously totally charmed. ]

How long will I be waiting then? If I still feel the same, you wouldn't deny me?

[justiceobjects]

[Apollo really wasn't being chased by anyone, but he's not going to argue the point. The chances of facing future embarrassment were pretty high if he didn't keep his mouth shut, and besides, Klavier could find out for himself how much casual sex was a necessity here. Even thinking about trying to have that conversation with him made Apollo want to squirm.]

You might be certain, but waiting is an easy way to show you're sincere, right? Let's give it a day. If you still feel like this tomorrow, I'll take your feelings seriously. Promise.

[Able to relax more now that Klavier's finally backed off, Apollo readjusts his shirt and tries for the umpteenth time that day to push his ungelled hair back into place. He's confident that he's going to win this waiting game - a day was surely plenty of time for Klavier to get the effects of that drink out of his system.

And if by some slight chance that Apollo was wrong... they'd need to have a serious conversation, for starters. He didn't want to consider that possibility any further right now.]

[improvise]

[ even as he leans to take his drink again, klavier's gaze is mostly settled on apollo, following his hands over the hem of his shirt and over the stalks of his hair. he's frowning again, obviously disconcerted by the answer he's given, but that doesn't mean he'll miss out on any view of apollo he can get. ]

You can't really be expecting me to wait a full day for nothing to change. [ that's like agony!! ] You've made me consider, Herr Justice... What exactly is your opinion of me?

[ romantically, of course, since it's kind of a bummer that apollo doesn't seem to be as desperate for him as he feels for apollo. ]

[justiceobjects]

Yes, I am. A day will go by faster than you think.

[Now that Apollo's satisfied with his appearance, he does briefly hesitate before answering. It almost seems stupid to say it after Klavier had so many compliments for him, but Apollo doesn't see the harm in being honest.]

I never thought of you as being available. It was mostly the thing with not being in your league, and facing you in court just seemed like another reason it was off the table. It wasn't personal! You're still a show-off, but you're a great guy, and I know you really care about the law. I guess now that I moved you're not really a coworker anymore, huh...?

[Apollo scratches the back of his head, considering that momentarily, until he takes another look at Klavier and realizes he picked up that spiked drink. Apollo freezes, before declaring a little too loudly,]

Pros- I mean, Klavier! I, uh, I am pretty thirsty after all. Could I have that bottle...?

[improvise]

[ klavier still seems dissatisfied with the answer, but apollo moves the conversation along and leaves little room for him to argue. he has a mind to bring it up again a later when the time comes.

more importantly, apollo's answer seems sincere enough, even if it hadn't necessarily been accolades about his appearance or personality the way his praise of apollo had been. klavier even seems stunned, his eyes going wide as he processes what he's heard and the sudden, hard pounding in his heart.

they grow narrow once he remembers apollo's situation. when had he moved? klavier and the wright anything agency weren't exceptionally close, but he had at least thought they had something friendlier than a working relationship. had he not been worth even a notification of it, or could it have been his own fault? how was he blind to apollo for so long?

he's brought out of his thoughts, first when apollo says his name and then when his drink is mentioned. klavier feels the butterflies rising in his stomach, and another smile quirks on his mouth as he offers apollo the drink. ]

Danke. Here you are. ...Apollo.

[ and, if apollo doesn't do something like chuck the bottle far over the ocean, he adds: ]

Your reasoning sounds circumstantial. Without all of these conditions, you might have considered me. Is that right?

[justiceobjects]

[It's a little weird for Klavier to call him by his first name, to be honest. But weird in a good way. He takes the drink from him, glad that his little ruse worked out in his favor. Apollo is actually pretty tempted to throw the thing and be done with it, but he stops to consider that question first.]

I wouldn't say our jobs are circumstantial. Even if we hadn't met at a crime scene, you'd still be the rock star prosecutor and I'm still... me. [Apollo had barely even gotten himself a job right before he met Klavier. It's not at all an impressive comparison.] If we weren't lawyers, there's a good chance I would've never met you in the first place.

[Apollo then twists the cap off of the drink bottle, giving it a sniff just out of curiosity. It doesn't smell like it's been spiked with anything, but he's not going to take any chances. Apollo opts to instead hold the bottle out to his side, at arm's length, turning it over to dump the contents in the sand. That wasn't as satisfying as throwing it would've been, but he still felt a lot better.]

No more of this stuff. Sticking to water is far safer.

[improvise]

[ klavier sighs through his nose, shaking his head towards the sandy floor. ]

Ach. No room for romance with you, is there? [ but klavier is smiling back at him like it hasn't changed his affections at all. because it happens.

that's the only response he can get out before he apollo dumps the drink out onto the sand. klavier's smile drops away briefly, looking at the creamy-pink puddle in a small divot on the sandy floor, and he raises his eyes back to apollo.

and he's smiling again, reaching to take the bottle from apollo's fingers. (and yes, he's letting them brush with his, like a every good shoujo.) ]

I unfortunately have to remind you that these drinks are easily available all over this beach. Seems like quite a waste to do this. Still, if it would make you happier, Dear Forehead, I'll drink water then.

[ definitely NOT what normal klavier would have said, but, again, he's hopeless right now. ]