ercookies | TDM 003

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.

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N A V I G A T I O N

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

i. it's tiger, the one who can't take the heat.

[ Kotetsu isn't anti-summer, but he didn't expect to be tossed right into a vacation-style environment in his slacks and long sleeves. He's got his sleeves and pant legs rolled and his socks tucked into his shoes that he's carrying in one hand.

Ahhh, What the hell? What the hell? What is all of this? Is this some NEXT's power? Some big illusion ability? Wouldn't be the first! Probably! But damn, this was a lot! And how the heck does he get out of it?

At least he can get out of the heat, right? He's not fond of camping out in a hut, really, though he'd slept in a pile of garbage before so maybe pickiness was not a right he had.

He at least, for once, has the sense to knock, rapping on the door with his knuckles. ]

Hello? Anyyybody there? Mind if I take a break before I melt out here?

[ Help an 'old man' out. ]

ii. it's tiger, the one who's a functional alcoholic.

[ Does he trust the drinks here? Maybe no.

Is he going to have one anyway? Well, can anyone blame him. Look at the situation he's in! Anyone would think the same.

There is a good chance he has selected, in his infinite wisdom, Conoscere or Vivace based on coloration alone. He's not really picky. He's drank some real bottom barrel stuff as a delinquent teen.

Lucky you if you have to deal with him. ]

iv. it's tiger, the one who, despite everything, has hope.

[ What a long ass day.

Stumbling on people making out in one of the huts, cutting his foot on a seashell, getting 'intoxicated' on whatever the hell drinks he had and embarrassing himself. Not being able to call his mom or daughter... feeling trapped.

What a day.

But, he's dealt with worse, hasn't he? Infinitely worse. And things work out. If you believe in justice, in yourself, in your own gut instinct, you can solve most things. He wants to believe that, despite everything that's happened at home and here.

And seeing the sparkles in the water, he thinks 'This place really sucks... but maybe it's pretty, too. Maybe.'

He can't help but wade ankle-deep into the water to look out at the horizon.

And like the hopeful, justice-loving, loveable dipshit he is, he is bound to get stung. But at least he's enjoying the view! ]

[Interesting. The man was older. Sesshoumaru hadn't seen many humans that were older in the new world. He himself didn't put much stock in the human custom of counting years; demons of his breeding lived practically forever unless they were too stupid to avoid death. They also didn't age visibly for the most part. Sesshoumaru was over nine hundred years old, but he looked about twenty. Still, it was interesting, enough that he paused to watch the man.

He'd clearly been drinking as well, though the effects seemed reasonably benign. For the moment.]

TDM 003

Kotetsu T. Kaburagi | Tiger & Bunny

drinks