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

[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.]

[mirrortide]

[And Lapis follows after her, because- Peridot is the only friend she has from home here. Even if she doesn't remember it. Even if she thinks that they're enemies, she's the only other gem here, and that means a lot. Most of the humans are nice enough, but they're not really relatable.

But Lapis' agitation is growing harder and harder to control.]

Do you honestly think I'd still be here if there was a way out? Or that I'd be so friendly with you after what you did to me, after what I went through if what I'm saying wasn't true?

[peridork]

["Enemies" is a strong word for what Peridot thinks they are, for whatever it's worth. It's more like two coworkers caught in an unfortunate scenario together, except one of them is trying to convince the other that she's a traitorous clod, for some inexplicable reason.

She's still marching off, away from the beach and back into the city, but she's talking loud enough for Lapis to hear her without her having to shout over her shoulder.]

I've never done anything to you! Unless you mean I do something to you! In the future! Supposedly! Because apparently they used to give Lapis Lazulis future vision on top of your myriad of other over the top abilities, back whenever it was that they made you!

[mirrortide]

You held me prisoner! You interrogated me! [Obviously? And her frustration is definitely coming through now.] And it's not about me having future vision! These things happened for me! For you! You just don't remember!

[peridork]

[Frustrated? WELL! THAT MAKES TWO OF THEM! It's hard not to be, though Peridot is keenly aware of what a bad look it is to have these outbursts. She's supposed to be staying level, thinking logically, objectively... But she is way out of her depth here, and the stress is eating at her very core. The situation is hard enough to deal with as is, without Lapis dropping all these world-view shattering supposed truth bombs on her. She's stuck on a planet even MORE alien than Earth was, exposed to all these terrifying new things when she'd barely ever left Homeworld before now. Oh yeah, and she's stranded without an escort to protect her, or means of communication to call home for help!

Sucking in a breath, Peridot tries to put back on that facade of the calm and collected scientist who isn't fazed by anything; her best "Yellow Diamond inspired" demeanor. She finally turns back to face the other gem with a tart, vaguely annoyed expression, drawing herself up importantly to her full height.]

You are mistaken. I have a near perfect memory, and for the exceedingly rare moments where my almost flawless recall is not enough, I have centuries upon centuries of audio logs to fall back on. Here: [She brings out her screen, starts flipping through the files.] You can check the contents yourself. If I'd just forgotten that I did all these things which you say I've done, wouldn't I AT LEAST still have some kind of record of it stored on here?

[mirrortide]

I don't care about your audio logs. And I don't care about your tech. Not like this, anyway.

[In fact, very petulantly, she swats at the screen, dismissing it on Peridot entirely.]

What I'm saying obviously hasn't happened for you yet, even if it's happened for me!

[peridork]

[She makes an incredibly indignant/outraged noise at Lapis's assault of her technology. Dammit Lapis, STOP COMPROMISING HER COOL DETACHED/EMOTIONLESS SCIENTIST SCHTICK!

The fingers that make up the screen go into a kind of frenzy, bobbing around in each other's orbit before they manage to come back together and form a hand once more, which immediately clenches into a fist of rage. With her other hand, Peridot points accusingly at Lapis, crowing like a shady attorney who has just tricked a witness into admitting to doing the crime:]

So you ARE claiming that you're from the future! Or that you have future vision! OR SOMETHING!

[mirrortide]

That's what I've been saying! That I'm from your future! Not that I have future vision, because I'm definitely not a Sapphire! [Is she yelling? She might be yelling. Just a little bit.

But also, she's super exasperated, because this is a lot to deal with!]

[peridork]

But... But that's INSANE! I mean theoretically it's not IMPOSSIBLE, but...

[ She trails off, gaze wandering frantically over everything except Lapis, her mind racing. Just supposing for a moment that Lapis is right... And she's telling the truth... That would mean she really would-- Will? Might??
Go on to do all those horrible traitorous things.

She doesn't say anything more just yet, and her attention is barely even on Lapis at the moment anyway. She's just too caught up in her own frantic thoughts trying to sort this all out, whether she actually believes Lapis's explanation or not. ]

[mirrortide]

I'm telling you that's what happened! I don't have any reason to lie to you!

[And it's annoying being told you're lying by someone you like? Even if this version of Peridot is clearly from another time, just like the plot of a fanfic she read.

Which she'd never thought she'd be the main star in, but life has a funny way of coming for her.]

[peridork]

[ Peridot's attention finally gets drawn back to the other gem, but her expression horrified. It kind of looks like she's going to cry??? ]

I don't CARE if you don't have a reason to lie! The point is that I would never do any of those things! NEVER!

[ Her fingers curl into fists at her side, and she stomps a foot with each emphasized syllable, the contact making a metallic thunk each time. ]

[mirrortide]

But you did!

[She gestures wildly in an arc, annoyed by Peridot's insistence that she hasn't done things that Lapis knows for a fact that she has.

Peridot might look like she's about to cry, but Lapis looks like she's ready to fight, because it's not like she can just leave Peridot on her own, because she's the only other Gem in this Diamonds forsaken place. Also Lapis' best friend? She isn't going to fight her, but damn if she doesn't look it.

She's not the greatest Gem for this.]

[peridork]

[Yeah Lapis you are doing her a frighten on like, so many levels right now. Peridot steps back again, shaking her head in denial.

Lapis missed Peridot's whole identity crisis the first time around, particularly the total breakdown she went through while trying to process having called Yellow Diamond a clod to her face. Without having gone through the experience of rejecting Yellow Diamond on her own, it's not just hard for this Peridot to believe that she eventually does these things: it's downright impossible.]

I don't believe you. [Her voice is cracking.] I'll NEVER believe you, no matter HOW many times you say it! And if you're not going to help me figure out how to get back to Homeworld then you can just-- Leave me ALONE!

[Annnd with that she turns tail abruptly, and makes a break for it.]