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

[videnije]

[ he'll have to make it up to her later, somehow.

at his question, she shakes her head. ]

No. Well, not personally. I encountered several warnings regarding some of the plants here, however. They are apparently... aggressive.

[canceller]

[Hold him to it. rimshot]

... Aggressive? [That doesn't sound good.] How so, with similar poison?

[videnije]

Stronger, from what I have heard relayed. It rendered their victims mindless and willing, to both the plants and to others.

[ she winces a little. ]

As much as I am not opposed to a nudge myself, that is a step too far.

[canceller]

Willing to the... plants themselves?

[Oh god. No, don't tell him. He's piecing it together in his head, because Jeremiah has been on the internet before. If there are jellyfish that can make you horny, there could be anything here.]

That's horrific.

[videnije]

[ val just nods her head seriously. ]

Yes, they'll end up feeling you up - or worse. Like a bad internet video.

[ she sighs. ]

So as I said, I will take the drinks over the animals.

[canceller]

I'll... be mindful of that.

[If he ever goes back even near the forest again. Now he's not sure he'd want to, staring dubiously at the sand in front of them. Their pace has remained leisurely, though it isn't much further yet to the nearest shack.]

It feels like there should be warning signs all over this island.

[videnije]

I guess the warnings come from the people here.

[ after a moment, she shakes her head, grinning. ]

The robots said we are the ones restoring energy to the island. Maybe we have someone with naughty thoughts to blame.

[canceller]

Unmistakably. I have to assume as much of their creators.

[His eyes scan out to the sea, all the beautiful, threatening dots of light.]

How these toxins have made their way into the flora and fauna, though... I don't fully understand the Augur yet, but it seems like a very strange way to play god.

[Like there's any good way. He's yet to see one.]

[videnije]

Strange, but it follows for what they want. Surely they knew that some people would be more reluctant, no?

[ she gestures to him as an example. ]

In that way, they ensure all the parties that arrive will generate energy, one way or another.

[canceller]

[They aren't incorrect. Jeremiah's face still crumples, offering a small noise through his nose.]

It's just so... adamant. There's no harm in letting people reach that place on their own terms. I certainly prefer it.

[Like he's never had a one-night stand before. Or one where he was drunk, and therefore had suspended his own faculties to a degree. But it had been a choice. Right now, his choice is very stubbornly not pulling his dick out day one on the island. In part because he's got the sense they won't always be given one.]

[videnije]

I certainly prefer it as well. But we have been dealt the hand that we were. Either we resist every step of the way or go with the flow for now.

[ and she is choosing to do the latter, not the former. ]

It is worth remembering their warnings.

[ they're coming up on the beach hut, and she hums gently. ]

[canceller]

You're right. [Of course she is. He withholds one more sigh from escaping him today. He could lament for some time if he let himself, but the longer the night drags on with him away from home, the more urgently he feels it.] We won't progress by sitting still.

[Jeremiah's expression lightens a little, slowing to a stop right before the porch. He ponders for a moment before regarding Valentina more properly.]

Well, I enjoyed your company, brief as may have been. I'm sure our paths may cross yet again.

[videnije]

[ she nods when he agrees. it's not that she doesn't sympathize, doesn't dislike what is happening - being drugged against your will is not ever something she will wholeheartedly endorse - but if it is the fact of the land, then taking control of it seems the best option left to her.

when he says he enjoyed her company, she flashes a smile at him, raising an arm to lean against one of the porch beams. ]

It was a pleasure to meet you as well. Hopefully we cross again under better circumstances.

[canceller]

[There's a small twist to his own for a fleeting moment. It's still awkward to leave, still awkward to stay, but he has to do one or the other.]

Hopefully so. [Jeremiah closes his eyes and bows slightly, hand to his chest.] May you have a good rest of your night, Miss Romanyszyn.