erkumods: (Default)
erku mods ([personal profile] erkumods) wrote in [community profile] ercookies2020-08-18 06:03 am
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TDM 004: WASHED ASHORE

TDM 004: WASHED ASHORE


Arrival



This time, you come out of the water. While the Augur reboots, the Nameless Island's own inherent energy draws people in. It's like being suspended between realities and walking through a rift in dimensions. It may make you sick, or that might be the motion of the ocean, lifting you and carrying you to shore.

Waterlogged and covered in sand, new arrivals will be greeted by robots who welcome them with towels and bracelet devices. The A5 card is already loaded up. Inventory will be found a day later, wrapped up haphazardly and delivered to each person's makeshift home.



I. Feel the friendship!



Recent arrivals and visitors to the beach may notice a sudden influx of hundreds of bright red crustaceans crawling (and coupling) across the sand. It's crab mating season, as it turns out, it's a regular invasion! To keep the beach a pleasant place to gather for the island's inhabitants, the robots are offering credits to especially enterprising crab-catchers. Grab a bucket and get to work! Be sure to watch out for their pinch, mind you. Their little claws are tiny, but that doesn’t mean they don’t hurt.

Surprisingly, there is another effect that even the robots don't anticipate: islanders who are pinched by the crabs find themselves feeling instantly buddy-buddy with the next person they spot. Did you just become best friends?! Get pinched one too many times, however, and those feelings may sour into a crabby mood, indeed.

If you are feeling particularly vengeful (or just hungry), the little crabs do make for delicious gumbo. Once cooked, they have no side effects whatsoever.



II. Phallus Phestival



Although the Augur is offline and supplies are scarce, the robots of Erku are still eager to make their run-down little island a welcoming place for the new arrivals. To that end, they have arranged a three day festival to boost morale and promote the generation of plenty of Eros energy to assist in the restoration of the damaged and decayed parts of the city. The robots claim that this celebration was once a cornerstone of the long-lost civilization of the island. By the dawn of the first day, every island resident will find at their doorstep (or tent flap, mobile suit, etc) the traditional costume of the ancient islanders to wear to the festival. It appears to be... a giant sheet? There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to the sometimes garish colors and patterns of the fabric, but at least the robots have uploaded instructions on how to wear it to your bracelet device.

Attendees will find food (mostly crab-flavored), confections, and household necessities in rather suggestive shapes, as well as goods you might find handy to complete your A5 squares: sex toys, pervertibles, sexy maid outfits, and the like. While islanders are welcome to set up shop on the festival grounds and sell (or charge) whatever they like, all items from the robots are offered up for free to those who wear their traditional island garb!



III. Fireside Adventures



Each night of the festival is wrapped up in style with an enormous bonfire on the beach, where drinks, fruity cocktails, and lively music appropriate for dancing is all provided at no cost by the robots. Even if you’re not usually much of a dancer, the longer you stand by the fire and allow it to warm your limbs, the more you feel like moving! Not only that, but everyone is looking quite beautiful by the firelight, are they not?

If you’ve grown tired - or if dancing just isn’t your thing - you might prefer to sit back and swap stories on one of the many driftwood log benches the robots have prepared for seating. Or, maybe you’d prefer to rough it for the night in one of the beachside canvas tents. Better claim one quick, though, or be prepared to share… there’s only one sleeping bag!


N A V I G A T I O N



videnije: (i need your help)

[personal profile] videnije 2020-08-22 07:13 am (UTC)(link)
[ wait until she tells him about the tentacle plants. and the needle plants. just avoid the plants that aren't in the greenhouse in general.

if he doesn't like the idea of her being involved, him being involved worries her more. though, at least, if he's mixing in, he won't be in any direct danger (as far as she knows).

she makes a thoughtful noise. ]


That's a fair point. Though I wouldn't want you to stay in there either, even if it was online.

[ a little admittance; she'd rather have him nearby so she can keep an eye on him .]

But people arriving in the ocean rather than through the hospital is, as I said, concerning. At least it proves one thing: the Augur does not bring us here by choice.

[ it had told her that before, but she didn't believe it until now. ]
trost: (»133)

[personal profile] trost 2020-08-22 07:25 am (UTC)(link)
I was saving myself that day... [ If Marco means that incident where Jean led the recruits to headquarters, a lot of What he had done for his own survival -- or at least, that's the way he sees it. He even let a few people die to buy them all some time so it's hardly something anyone can call an altruistic act. That's how he lived back then, with his survival at the forefront of his mind. It's only after he lost a friend he had not even realised he had grown so attached to that the reality of their tragic situation truly struck him and he was forced to make some harrowing choices.

Marco's here, and his hands feel real. If Marco were to take his hands like this five years back, Jean would probably try to pull away, eyes averted and a few grumbling words of complaint as he attempts to cope with the awkwardness of the situation. The Jean of this moment feels no such compulsion to break away, marveling instead at the unique opportunity to spend time with someone he thought he would never see again. He stares at their hands, how his spindly fingers have outgrown Marco's, and it just makes him think of the time the boy has lost. Meanwhile, Marco looks exactly the same, like a relic.

Jean's fingers curl around Marco's hands, eager and grateful for the touch. Absently, his thumb runs over the boy's knuckle, almost like he needs that physical sensation to believe this whole experience isn't another dream he's had. Those hands feel warm in his, and it's a stark comparison to his last memory -- the cold, clammy, lifeless sensation of Marco's rigid body as Jean transported him. ]


It's still hard for me to believe this is real. I never thought I'd see you again. [ He's missed him, but that's not something he says outright, because it's still difficult for him to express his softer feelings. ]
zangan: (pic#13973044)

tifa lockhart, ffvii.

[personal profile] zangan 2020-08-22 07:29 am (UTC)(link)
i. surf n' turf
[ one moment, she's leaving midgar behind following cloud and barret and aerith, and the next, she's floundering on a beach, coughing up sea water as she drags herself up onto the sand. she's soaked through, swiping her long dark hair out of her face as she looks around, squinting in the sunlight to get her bearings.

it's definitely not midgar and it's a beach she doesn't recognize, but before she can voice any sort of confusion, her body reacts first: the robot that approaches her with a towel and a bracelet gets a gloved fist to its face for its trouble, and it's only when it falls into the sand that tifa registers what happened, pulling her hand back a little too late.
]

Oh—! [ oops. she crouches next to the robot and at least looks apologetic while she checks the damage. ] I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting you...

ii. seafood gumbo
[ there's no better way to learning a new environment than to start out by doing fetch quests and helping the neighborhood, and so tifa takes to the crab cleanup with the same gusto she would back at home in sector seven. her gloves make it easy to pick up the crabs without needing to worry about getting her fingers pinched, and before long, she's filled a few buckets and going back for more. ]

Wonder what I could make out of these. [ she shakes some sand free from another crab before placing it in her bucket, almost missing another one that blends in with the color of her shoes as she muses aloud. ] A stew, maybe? Or pasta?

iii. fish sticks
[ it's almost like being back at wall market again, but the free food is always nice, questionable shapes aside. more importantly, she's gravitated to household necessities further in; the selection isn't as broad, but you know, beggars can't be choosers.

catch her checking out some penis-shaped coasters and place mats, fighting back a laugh despite the swell of embarrassment she feels when she picks them up to take a look.
]

I guess it wouldn't have matched the bar, huh?

iv. wildcard
[ feel free to toss me something else if you'd like or PM me if you wanna hash things out! also lowkey voicetesting, please be gentle 🙏 ]
Edited 2020-08-22 07:40 (UTC)
stripsearch: (pic#14116164)

[personal profile] stripsearch 2020-08-22 07:51 am (UTC)(link)
So, I have good news and I have bad news. The good news is that yeah, there totally is.

[Rise says, clasping her hands behind her back and leaning forward, her tone a little teasing. She's getting used to it, for better or for worse.] The bad news is that it's pretty much all like this.

Not a fan of random penises everywhere, I take it?
unvarnished: (Okay well)

[personal profile] unvarnished 2020-08-22 10:19 am (UTC)(link)
[August grins, taking his time in sliding the object back out of his mouth]

And what if I had something else stuck down my throat?
chamilia: (081)

[personal profile] chamilia 2020-08-22 11:35 am (UTC)(link)
We all do. Still not sure when you've done "enough" for something to count.

[She hasn't actually tried to test it either, but]
lockedon: (Default)

[personal profile] lockedon 2020-08-22 11:37 am (UTC)(link)
[ Yes, the crabs are clearly the problem here.

He's no expert crab hunter himself, but surely hunting crabs can't be all that different from hunting other things. Like, say, people. Crossing his arms, he surveys the beach. ]


Then think things through instead of using your hands. [ Even if he's still not fully convinced she has a brain in that head of hers. ] Build some kind of trap, lure them in with bait, and then catch them all at once.

[ Easy, right?? ]
howlmyrage: (caught being embarrassing)

[personal profile] howlmyrage 2020-08-22 12:35 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Please see your doctor if your erection starts leaking black carbon. ]

So I've heard. [ Very versatile. Apparently nobody alive has ever seen what goes under that cloth.

Actually, Jeanne Alter has Self-Modification EX, so couldn't she...? No, probably not. She can change her class but she's too attached to how she looks to easily change. ]


I don't know, I think I saw a snake guy a while back. Who knows what goes on down there.

[ She wiggles two fingers around, doing an impression of how she thinks a set of distended penises might work. ]

My dreams aren't that special. Most people have imagined having a bunch of suitors at once, right?
howlmyrage: (who asked you?)

[personal profile] howlmyrage 2020-08-22 12:57 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Jeanne looked over her shoulder for the new voice, finding herself a certain Summer. ]

Hm.

[ Well, that's not any good for her plans. ]

I was hoping for somebody more... lowerly endowed.

[ aka in possession of a dick, and preferably somebody who would value the integrity of said dick. ]

But since you asked, I was going to make eye contact with random guys and bite really hard. Sounds like fun, right?
shemara: (090)

[personal profile] shemara 2020-08-22 01:04 pm (UTC)(link)
[Her head was heavy, but Mara knew some of that was just the weight of her hair, not the pressure behind her eyes, but it all just merged together. She ached. Not the pain of her injuries or the internal bleeding she must have had from the fight, but just unbelievably sore.

When she heard someone coming she forced herself to roll over onto her back, sand sticking to her everywhere. She blinked and looked up to see a young woman in a cloak. She doesn't recognize her and she doesn't seem to recognize Mara... A local?]


Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Just...needing to catch my breath. Where...Where are we?
mudbuddy: (pic#14244046)

[personal profile] mudbuddy 2020-08-22 01:33 pm (UTC)(link)
[Enkidu raises both eyebrows as they witness the response of this man. He is either afraid of breasts, of sweet treats or a horrible combination of both. They know humans can be odd, but their oddities and hang-ups make them so very fascinating at the same time. This man's soul must have made some weird turns while growing.]

Hmm, purple man, just take it. It doesn't come from a real breast and at times I can be rather generous.

[It's true, most of the time they are perfectly fine with stuffing their face.]

You do not impede anything, yet I do think you should overcome your fear of breasts. [So they're still offering it. It's right there for the taking.] You do know the purpose of our summon here, not?
shaft: (Default)

iii

[personal profile] shaft 2020-08-22 01:56 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Hopefully Lorenz knows better than to assume that his trials and tribulations for the day are already over, a hand coming down on shoulder in a quick and gentle pat. ]

What's this? A strapping young man like you can't already be tired.

[ He'd purposely approached from behind, just to maximize how much he could grate on Lorenz in a single gesture, but he circles around to face his old comrade with an amused smile now that he's announced himself.

Unfortunately, not even being torn through dimensions is enough for Claude to go easy on Lorenz, the spark of mischief bright in his eyes as he takes in the familiar face. If he's surprised to see him (which he is, somewhat) it doesn't show, nor does he seem particularly relieved. Hilda had been on the look out for their old allies from the Alliance, but as far as Claude was concerned, they were all better off back in Fódlan than on this nameless island.

Especially Lorenz, whose delicate sensibilities will likely lead him to an early death.

But for now, Claude simply holds out a hand. ]


Can I interest you in a dance?
karintous: (to her friends somewhere in town)

[personal profile] karintous 2020-08-22 02:30 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Klavier Gavin at his most awful still looks more smugly photogenic than most other people at their best. It's enough to make a girl want to weaponize a crustacean. Severely tempted, Ema halts her tactical sidestepping so that she can jab a crab in his direction. The crab waves its little limbs around. ]

I'm saying that you and my personal misery are handcuffed at the wrist! You may not be the cause of all this, but you being here is right in line with some cosmic running joke.

[ Though her malcontent around him has always been evident, she's being especially candid today. Probably because of all the little red pinch marks speckling her hands. And probably because they aren't in a work setting, which would normally lay a shade of a facade of a veneer of professionalism over her attitude.

Ugh. If only she had something aggressively crunchy to vent her frustration on. She glares at Klavier critically. ]


So this is what the amazing Klavier Gavin looks like when he has to rough it with the commoners, is it? Maybe I should take a picture. Hah! Something to ward off those girls always trying to trample my crime scenes.

[ She hopes his dumb unpampered face makes them cry!! ]
silky_bearing: (007)

[personal profile] silky_bearing 2020-08-22 02:30 pm (UTC)(link)
[Ah. He knew he felt a headache coming on.

He shouldn't be surprised, not after finding Hilda and Ferdinand here but the very idea that this place seems to be collecting Fodlan nobility, especially crest-bearing nobility, and then insisting on such... activities. Well, after Shambhala it does not sit well with him in the slightest. That is a discussion for another time, though, in private where they are unlikely to be overheard.]


You know quite well that such an exquisite demeanor requires adequate rest to maintain.

[Which is a lie. He is just as functional on 5 hours as he is on 8 but Goddess save them if the reason for it is not directly related to battle and necessity. He's insufferable.]

I've seen what you consider to be appropriate dance... [But he finds himself taking Claude's hand regardless, utterly confused as to how one is expected to keep step when sliding around in all this sand.] ... but if it keeps you from causing mischief then I suppose it is for a good cause.
silky_bearing: (011)

[personal profile] silky_bearing 2020-08-22 02:43 pm (UTC)(link)
["purple man" again and he is horrified with his own impropriety.]

My sincerest apologies, I have been unforgivably rude. I am Lorenz Hellman Gloucester~

[Which is clearly meant to have some sort of larger impact than simply being his name. But this is not Fodlan and there's absolutely no reason for his name to carry the weight of status alongside it.]

I assure you I am hardly frightened. A gentleman would never consider something so unseemly as... eating with one's fingers.

[Completely avoiding the point? Yes, definitely. But he's still pretty offended by the cotton candy's very existence.]
bigporkenergy: (head tilt back)

[personal profile] bigporkenergy 2020-08-22 02:47 pm (UTC)(link)
[That thought is actually somewhat reassuring, and Porco settles down a little. He's still not friendly, because that's not really in his nature, but he'll at least acknowledge this new person.]

Who're you?

[A charmer, a prince among men, the finest Marley has to offer: Porco Galliard.]
pawper: (email password: eatmore)

[personal profile] pawper 2020-08-22 02:49 pm (UTC)(link)
[That prompts a smile, the corners of her mouth twitching with gentle amusement. Usually her guildmates were too focused on wolfing down (to pardon the pun) hot food, not caring if it scalded their lips and tongue and throat, to bother with such effusive praise....before and after tasting it.]

Well, I hope you still think so after you've had some. [Using the shell, Lys scoops up a generous portion of gumbo and holds it out for 6O to take, miming the correct way to hold the shell so that nothing would spill.] Here — careful, it's pretty hot! Give it a second to cool a little, first.
freckilled: (Default)

[personal profile] freckilled 2020-08-22 02:55 pm (UTC)(link)
I know. [Jean is Marco's best friend, and he cares about him more than just about anyone else, but Marco is realistic about what Jean's real intentions were that day. He knows what they were, and it doesn't matter.] But you saved me too. You saved a lot of us.

[Marco is honestly a little shocked that Jean is letting him hold his hands like this. It's a natural gesture to Marco, one he's learned from growing up with siblings and a loving family, but he knows that Jean tends to shy away from affection. It's not that he doesn't like it--that he doesn't need it--but that it makes him uncomfortable. Shy, almost. But here Jean is not just letting Marco hold his hands, but holding them back, actively taking part in it, and the sensation of Jean's thumb across his knuckles sends a chill up Marco's spine.]

[He really has changed.]

[Marco has a lot to process right now: ending up on some sandy strip of land in the middle of nowhere, Jean being older and taller than he is, and most of all, the knowledge of his own upcoming death. That's the hardest one to grapple with, and so Marco does what he's often done in the past: he compartmentalizes, and shoves those sticky, difficult emotions aside, so he can focus on Jean.
]

I'm here now. [Marco tries to smile, and though it takes him a few seconds, he eventually gets there.] Wherever here is?
freckilled: (big grin)

[personal profile] freckilled 2020-08-22 02:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[Marco has no desire to mess with anyone right now! He's just happy to have someone to talk to, and he smiles as she asks her questions.]

A lot more scarce than around here. There was a big famine a few years back, and a lot of places are just now getting back on their feet.

[If you can call it that.]

I guess so! [He lifts his cup towards her like a little toast.] To trying new things?

[Yeah, the alcohol is starting to hit him too.]
freckilled: (faceless head down)

[personal profile] freckilled 2020-08-22 03:01 pm (UTC)(link)
[No, it's cool, Marco's got it! He lifts his own hands and waves them around, almost like he's trying to get Duo to stop making that gesture the same way he got rid of the hologram from the bracelets.]

Yeah, yeah, okay, I get it!

[Geesh! People are really shameless around here!]

But... I'm not married?
trost: (»090)

[personal profile] trost 2020-08-22 04:54 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Sorry, Marco, he's still the same shy, awkward and prickly existence, but right now is a special case. This is the first time they've had any kind of contact in what feels like an era, and he finds himself still in some sort of disbelief that the hands in his are tangible and real. Jean can remember a dream he had from many years ago, where a gentle, familiar voice exchanged some casual words with him and listened to his troubles. When reality slowly started to sink in in that same dream, he found himself desperate to hold on to that presence, talking to them incessantly like that would stop their ghost from fading away. He doesn't know why he's reminded of that dream, but he's in a similar situation, feeling like he has to touch, to hold on to this person because they could vanish.

But Marco reminds him that he's here, and his words have that usual calming effect, the way they did back then. By some strange coincidence the forces in Erku happened to summon Marco on the day he dies, in what's probably hours before the act. The cynical part of Jean is reminding him that this might not last, that he could return to his doomed fate at any time, but maybe it's fine not to think about all that now. Erku isn't an ideal place to live by any stretch, but anywhere's better than the land they come from. ]


This land is called Erku. [ Okay, the reality is really setting in now -- especially when he's reminded of the absurdity of how things work here. Jean frowns, expression on his face taking on that familiar look of disgruntlement. Things are quickly returning to normal now at least, after the initial shock. They still have things to talk about, but he can probably ease Marco in slowly. ]

Aaah, can't believe they pulled you in here too. [ It's better than being at home, but it's still ... not ideal for someone as pure as Marco, in his opinion. Jean's hands slip out of Marco's as he fishes for his device. Should he sugarcoat this? Nah. ] It's a world that runs on sex.
navigating: (chastising the criminal.)

[personal profile] navigating 2020-08-22 05:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, I don't have a bucket. And this thing pinched me, so I don't want it getting away scot-free.

[ In almost nearly any other situation, Abel's knee-jerk reaction to seeing Oran would not have been to be so at-ease, but the pinch has left him feeling that this guy can't be so bad. It's not that he's trying to cast judgements, but Abel's at war with an alien race back home, so those who are not typically human in appearance are something he approaches with caution.

He's still left curious, holding out the crab as an offering even as he looks up to the horns and any other curiosities he can easily find. ]


Take it, before it snaps at me again?
navigating: (hot gluing the guy.)

[personal profile] navigating 2020-08-22 05:20 pm (UTC)(link)
If you lose a finger I might faint too!

[ He's not so sure of how true that is. He's seen people get shot before, and was still able to keep moving, but that was during a battle. A finger gone on an otherwise normal crab-filled day? Who knows what could happen.

Abel has found one to chase, reaching down but flinching back when it turns to defend itself, having already known the pain of being pinched once. It's a shame he hasn't been around long enough to acquire some of his own personal affects — he's got some gloves that would make this so much easier. ]


This is kind of hard...
Edited 2020-08-22 17:21 (UTC)
vegalthon: (Delight)

[personal profile] vegalthon 2020-08-22 05:34 pm (UTC)(link)
[The tiefling cautiously grabs it and dumps it in the bucket. That look had been so pure; he can't help but grin. It's a rare look around these parts, and of course he doesn't know about the side effects of these little clampers yet.]

Are you hurt?

[He's half-way joking; these things aren't particularly threatening, but Oran can't help but respond to the puppy-dog eyes.]

Would kissing it better help?
tigerbeat: (pic#14173719)

Kotetsu T. Kaburagi | Tiger & Bunny

[personal profile] tigerbeat 2020-08-22 06:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Grand Debut

[ He definitely didn't remember falling off the bridge or anything. He's not senile yet! He would definitely, definitely remember plummeting that far.

Unless he's dead. Is he dead? Oh no, he's definitely dead, huh? Do you wake up soaked to your underwear in sea brine when you're dead? Is the river of the dead salty?

His eyes snap open and he sputters, sitting up and smacking his chest. Oh! Breathing! He can breathe. Good. Great start, Wild Tiger! Maybe death has once again been dodged by the great and legendary hero.

Where's his hat?

Kotetsu grumbles and opens his salt-stung eyes slowly, looking around for his cap with his eyes still squinted. He's not clumsy enough to rub his sand-covered hand over his eyes to dry them... this time, at least. ]


Ahhh, what the hell happened?

[ He doesn't have long to fret before a towel is dropped on his hand and he's yanked to his feet to have a bracelet clamped onto his wrist, him protesting the whole time. ]

What? What? What are these things? Hey!

[ Please come calm him down. ]

Cock Carnival

[ He'd heard of fertility festivals. Never attended, but he'd heard of them happening. He didn't have any expectations of being thrown into one, though. While he'd foregone wearing the sheet (as he could not, in any way, get it to stay on), he's at least traveled into the fray to see what the hell is even happening in this place. What constitutes a celebration in a desolated place like this?

Penises, it looks like. Among other things.

He has yet to figure out that yes, he will have to pay for the food here. In the meantime, he will ask the most trustworthy (or at least the least busy) person he can find: ]


Er, hey, is there any like... normal looking food here? I figure I better grab some lunch if I'm gonna be here anyway... but...

Fireside

[ Drink? Check.

Bench? Check.

Total concern that he's been here for Several days without any way to contact his mom and daughter? Check, check and check.

Kotetsu sits looking practically defeated on one of the driftwood benches watching the growing crowd of dancing parties over the top of a generously sized cocktail. Drinking is the only solution to his current level of stress and confusion. He's not a quitter but boooy is he taking a quitter's break here for a hot minute. Or two. Or maybe the whole night. He will be a more enthusiastic tiger in the morning!

For now, maybe cheer the old man up. ]