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

Peridot | Steven Universe

[peridork]

[Canon point is just post "Keeping it Together", so. I apologize in advance for the immense rudeness.]

Beach
======================
[It's taken her a few days to get over the idea that she's not really 'on the run' here. That this isn't Earth, that those Crystal Clods probably aren't around to try and shatter her or whatever it is they want with her. Most importantly? There's no Cluster to worry about here. That makes a world of difference.

All the same, she's still incredibly out of her depth here, stranded on an equally alien world full of equally alien lifeforms and as many unfamiliar weather phenomena as earth was. So her guard is hardly down here; she avoids being seen where possible, skirting suspiciously from place to place like a shifty little bright-green, half-robot sasquatch.

She's definitely not as subtle as she thinks she is. Odds are good you might overhear and catch her lurking behind some random shack, or the gloryhole tent, or the dunk tank-- or god knows where else, really, sky's the limit-- lurking and speaking into a weird holographic screen:]

Log date, 765: The local lifeforms on this planet have some truly disgusting customs. Today I was heckled by one of the mechanical attendants to volunteer my efforts to participate in something called a kissing booth--

[ Or ]

Log date, 766: My suspicions are confirmed: organics are truly only capable of the most barbaric acts. Today I stumbled upon something called a dunk tank--

[ OR. ]

Log date, 767: The incredibly long list of unsavory things that humans are willing to put their horrid mouths on continues to grow, as each day I encounter more and more evidence that their depravity knows no bounds--

[It's possible to find her when she's not recording a log, too. Though generally when she's not doing that, she's lurking around being rudely and openly horrified by just about every organic custom she lays her eyes upon, from the totally mundane to the outrageously lewd.]

Sparkles
========================

Oh. Wow...

[Resistant as Peridot has been towards the various 'charms' of organic life, it's hard for her to find any fault in this. She's crouched down and staring wide-eyed into the glittering water from what she considers to be a safe distance, and she is absolutely transfixed. For a moment, she reaches out a hand, extends a disembodied finger as if considering dipping a digit into the mysterious liquid... But she reconsiders at the last moment, withdrawing her hand and resigning herself to simply watching for a bit longer.

Offer encouragement, shove her in face first, cannonball on in there yourself... Do whatever you like to interrupt her. Just be aware that whatever you do, it comes with the risk of her possibly getting spooked and pulling a 'hand gun' on you.]

sparkles

[mirrortide]

[Lapis knows Peridots. And she particularly knows a certain Peridot. What, however, is throwing her, is the way this one is acting. The fact that there's limb enhancers and the physical form itself is wrong is throwing her a bit.

So, what she does instead is watches for a bit. From the sky she can get a good view without being spotted as she observes.

Observes her about to touch the glowing water, which Lapis already knows is a bad idea, because she's been here long enough to know everything comes with a price. Though she's not sure how well that'd work on limb enhancers anyway.

Well, she should probably say something anyway, because at the very least she is another Gem, and she's not completely alone with being the singular one here anymore.]

Hey! [She calls out, still in the air, but she's lowered herself a little now.] Peridot!

[peridork]

[ The trance abruptly broken, Peridot makes an unseemly squeak of surprise and falls back on her ass into the sand. However, this naturally puts her in the perfect position to look up in the correct direction and, and immediately identify who called out to her. ]

Lazuli!?!

[ There's no warmth or joy in her voice, but there is relief. A familiar face certainly isn't an unwelcome sight. ]

[mirrortide]

... Lazuli?

[She remains in the air.

And she's a little offended at hearing "Lazuli" come from Peridot.]

[peridork]

[Ignoring Lapis's tone, she's getting clumsily back up onto her artificial feet, hastily dusting sand off her uniform with chalk-stick shaped floating fingers.]

Thank the STARS I'm not the only gem here after all-- I thought you went down with the ship! [And in a demanding tone:] How did you get here!? And where the heck is Jasper!?

[mirrortide]

...

[...]

Uh.

[peridork]

[Peridot stares impatiently, hands on her hips, waiting for an answer.]

...

[Then she cups her hands around her mouth and shouts louder:]

CAN YOU NOT HEAR ME UP THERE!?

[mirrortide]

[No. This is the same Peridot. Somehow.

Alright. Fine. Apparently she needs to get to the bottom of this, because none of it is making any sense!

So, without much else, she lands, very suddenly, right in front of Peridot.

And promptly grabs her by the head to start inspecting her Gem.]

Are you cracked or something?

[peridork]

[As Lapis descends, Peridot finally gets a good look at her outfit, registering that it's significantly different from what she was wearing the last time they saw each other. Maybe her form got destroyed in the crash? Not unlikely, but then why would she re-form in this incredibly off-regulation get up? Gold accents? Is she out of her mind!? What-- Oh sweet diamonds above she's grabbing her face--

Sorry Lapis, there's absolutely no damage to be found there. Just the same old triangular gem, albeit attached to a far more ornery no-nonsense Peridot than usual.]

A-ACK! Unhand me--! [She swats Lapis's hands away and pulls her head back, bristling indignantly. A single authoritative finger wags at her.] In any other context you may be a rarer class of gem than I am but on this mission you do NOT have the right to rub your touch stumps all over my face!

[mirrortide]

[Lapis lingers, still inspecting until she's effectively fought off, but only because she wants to be, and takes a step back. The smallest possible step back, because none of this is making any sense.

Her arms are raised, only semi-defensively.]

Come on Peridot. The whole act isn't funny anymore. I don't know where you got those limb enhancers, or why you changed your form back to looking like that, buuut you can stop now.

[peridork]

[ Peridot boggles at her. ]

My form? Your form is the one that should be in question here. You're out of uniform!

[mirrortide]

[Lapis makes a frustrated noise in response.] I've been out of uniform! Seriously, are you cracked or something? The whole ship crashing happened forever ago!

[peridork]

[Peridot crosses her arms and fixes her with a sour looking glare. This gem has some goddamn nerve talking back to her like this, considering it wasn't all that long ago that Jasper was throwing her in the brig?]

That is a ludicrous exaggeration. It was approximately one Earth month ago, and while that may still be an unbearably long time to be stuck on a doomed planet without transport or means of intergalactic communication, that hardly counts as "forever".

[mirrortide]

[One month ago. That's not... And it can't even be because of a rejuvinator, because then Peridot would have been sent all the way back? Also she's fairly sure there isn't one here.

There's something seriously wrong.]

That was not "One month ago". That was years ago. Earth is no longer doomed, Steven made friends with The Cluster. And we've lived on Earth together. [.... To say nothing of her flying off into space, but that can be dealt with at another point in time.]

[peridork]

.........

[ Now it's Peridot's turn to stare incredulously at Lapis without saying anything. Because everything that just came out of her mouth just now was? Bullshit??? ]

[mirrortide]

[...]

Also The Diamonds, including White, no longer want to destroy Earth. Also Pink Diamond wasn't shattered. She just turned into Rose Quartz. Any of this ringing a bell?

[peridork]

[Evidently it’s not, because Peridot looks totally outraged regarding just about everything Lapis just said!]

How dare you! Yellow Diamond would NEVER compromise Homeworld’s resources for the sake of preserving some, some backwater, organic DUMP of a planet like Earth! To give up the geo-weapon we’ve spent so long cultivating?! Inconceivable! If I had any connection to Homeworld at the moment I would report you for treason!

[She’s being 100% dead serious, of course. The modern iteration of Peridot that Lapis knows would never dare say anything like this, except maybe as a joke. And if she DID say it as a joke, it would be much more clearly telegraphed as one. She wouldn’t be able to keep a straight face while doing such an exaggerated impression of her own uptight past self.]

[mirrortide]

Ugh. [She pinches the bridge of her nose.]

Listen. I don't know what's going on with you, or why you don't remember all of the things that've happened since then, but I'm not lying. Besides, if I was lying, do you really think I'd let you report me for treason?

[... She gestures towards the vast amount of water near them. It might be a little threatening.]

[peridork]

[Peridot opens her mouth to say something snarky about how it’s PRETTY BOLD of Lapis to expect Peridot to take her at her word that she’s not lying, considering she omitted what ultimately proved to be pretty catastrophic information about the situation on Earth— But then Lapis makes that barely veiled threat and she shuts her mouth again, taking on a particularly strained expression. Subconsciously, she shifts one of her hands into blaster mode and takes a frightened step backwards.]

You wouldn’t dare!

[mirrortide]

Put the blaster down. [They both know she wouldn't manage a shot before she was toast!!!

But also, she's at a loss? As to what to do with this Peridot, who is so far behind? It's not... Peridot was the one who broke her out of her shell! Lapis can't do the other way around! She's not nearly as personable.

Also she's really sad that her best friend doesn't recognize her? Or at least, not in the good way.]

I'm trying not to do the whole violence thing anymore? So I'd appreciate it if you just listened to me.

[peridork]

[Peridot's eyes flick uncertainly between Lapis and the blaster for a moment, weighing the risks facing her here.

After a tense few seconds, she turns the gun back into a hand and crosses her arms, grumbling irascibly.]

You're the one who was making threats first.

[mirrortide]

It wasn't a threat. I was telling you what would happen if you were right and we were actually enemies. But we aren't, because you're a Crystal Gem. And maybe something I'm saying will eventually make you realize that.

[peridork]

[ Peridot makes a horrible shocked face at the words "you're a Crystal Gem", and then promptly bursts out into peals of hideous nasally laughter. ]

A Crystal Gem? ME? And you think I'M the one that's cracked?! As if I would ever join up with those crystal clods!

[mirrortide]

[Lapis isn't particularly a patient Gem. She also doesn't do well with being ridiculed, but she's making a very, very frustrating attempt here.]

Yeah, well, spoiler alert, you do. You call Yellow Diamond a clod to her face too, and not only that, you help save the Earth. And poof Jasper, if you were telling the truth, but I still have my doubts about that one.

[Peridot is very self important, after all.]

[peridork]

[Peridot just starts shaking her head harder the further Lapis goes down the list, taking a few shaky steps backwards.]

You're insane! Why-- Why would I do ANY of those things!? I'm loyal to my Diamond! And Jasper is my escort, you-- [She clenches her fists at her sides.] RRRGH! I thought maybe we could work together to get out of this place but clearly you're just dead set on undermining me! Well I'm not going to put up with it!

[She turns on her heel to storm off.]