ercookies | TDM 004: WASHED ASHORE

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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!

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N A V I G A T I O N

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[ He assumes she's deciding whether or not to believe him and, based on that, how to react. Which is more than he can ask for, considering what he laid on her. Out of habit, Ben keeps watching her for too long, then remembers his corporeality and switches to observing the party. He has another swig of water, measured this time, and looks back to her as she starts speaking.

A vampire? He honestly doesn't care if she's making fun of her yet doesn't think she is. She looks as taxed as someone admitting a difficult truth. Doing that is a lot harder than lying. ] I'm sorry that happened to you, Caroline.

[ And if she is pulling one over him, his sincerity ought to beget some guilt. Until proven otherwise, he'll proceed under the assumption of innocence. ]

Can I ask you something, one dead person to another?

[ Garma raises his eyebrows, equal parts offended and haughty. ]

They're robots. They do not have that kind of emotion.

[ Though they do have a culture entirely designed around sex, but that's... different from feelings. Arguable, it is worse. ]

I wouldn't call it "loyalty".

[ loyalty means different to him as it does to the princess, after all, though one can argue angelo just takes it a bit too much to the other end. he's not saying it as a bad thing, however; only that garma is imprecise about it. ]

But she has some affection for him, having spent some time with him in her childhood.

[ and because of that, he supposes that her distrust is inevitable, though he still doesn't approve of it either way. ]

Edited 2020-08-23 21:14 (UTC)

[ no one's ever really said that to her before, she realizes as he does. not for getting turned, or all the things they'd kept from her before she was. it's kind of a sobering realization, so she swallows the rest of her drink before taking her water bottle in both hands, turning it over in them. ]

Thank you. [ it's soft and a little sadder than she'd like it to be, but they are talking about death. ] I'm sorry it happened to you, too.

[ then he asks if he can ask her something, and her brows lift in curiosity. ]

Yeah, of course. What is it?

... he really is entirely shameless.

[ First you KILL him for being a Zabi and then you go chill with Mineva?? The circumstances aren't that simple, but Garma does not exactly feel like being gracious and accepting the complexities of the situation. He's been killed just yesterday. The wound is fresh and he is not entirely sure how to work through it yet.

... wait. ]

Was. He was shameless.

[ Saying that really ought to make him feel better. Yet, he simply stands here, balling his hands into fists. ]

[ Ben hasn't heard it in so many words either but he's had seventeen years to come to terms with his siblings' guilt and his own. In the end, he blames their father. Perhaps not for his death itself but for ensuring it was as painful as possible for those who survived it, and the one who didn't.

He holds out his cocktail in case she'd like it, since he hasn't had any. (He's not sure if there's alcohol in it and it seems uncouth to ask now.) ]

You don't have to answer if you don't want to. But do you ever wonder what it'd be like if you died died? Moved on? [ He's not as afraid of going into the light as he was at sixteen. By that same token, he hasn't asked Klaus to help him find it again. He's curious what someone in a similar situation might feel about it, the arrested development they're in. Sure, he's aged for some reason, but his experiences and memories are all secondhand. It's not actual living. ]

[ his original answer makes her smile, but it's the correction that no, he's his family that makes her actually laugh. probably because it's similar to how she roasts her own friends, yeah. she shakes her head, shrugs a shoulder ]

I actually know quite a few vigilante types, but none of them that give off an Antonio vibe. Although I'd be lying if I tried to say I've gotten to know everyone that's popped up around here over the last couple months.

[ no, she's practically a hermit with a very small pocket of friends, but that's here nor there ]

I can almost guarantee they aren't out there, though. [ she gestures out to the ocean, just a little bit of a point in that direction. trying not to be rude!! ] Unless one of them brought a speed boat with them. Which I guess is possible. A friend of mine found his starfighter from in the hangar that's about a mile or two from here.

[ 6O took a bigger gulp of the gumbo, reveling in its flavors for a moment and just enjoying the blend of texture and taste. Real food, prepared with real ingredients... it was something she'd never imagine she'd ever do, before. So many new experiences, and she's only been there less than a day.

She honestly had become so lost in herself that she hadn't realized Lys was watching her, or had even said anything. Again, her cheeks darkened. ]

I-it's fine, I don't think I could eat too much... [ She only had so much space for it, after all, before it was processed by her core into usable fuel. ]

[ Machine lifeforms were like that, sometimes. Taking advantage of simple AI and protocol processes was easy for a well more advanced android like herself... though, really, she didn't like thinking too hard about why that is, so maybe she had some simpleness of her own. Either way, it resolved the situation, and allowed her to obtain the soap and pass it on to Mara. ]

Sorry about that... I'm YoRHa Operator Unit 6O, but you can just call me 6O. I'm a new assignment here.

[ New "assignment"? ]

[ what a strange question to ask her, her brows furrowing as she meets his eyes. but having known him since forever, she can tell when he's joking and when he's not. despite the carefree expression that seems to regularly occupy his face, ingrid knows that this isn't something he would ask anyone for giggles. ]

... We did. [ she's very careful with that answer, uncertain as to how sylvain would react. ] You don't remember?

Oooh, thank God. The whole Antonio vibe plus vigilante thing is just--

_{[ Klaus doesn't finish his sentence, but he visibly shudders comically to prove his point. As he considers her response he kind of nods his head back and forth as if mulling over the possibility. ]}

Well, I mean, they have a habit of just.. showing up.. through vortexes.. and.. time shit.. stuff I don't understand. You know, like, woosh.

_{[ Like woosh. ]}

I kinda thought that's what happened in this case.. like my brother did something smart but dumb altogether and threw us out of the universe 'cause I'd believe that.

But! Seeing as you're here and they aren't, I take it you didn't come here from a vortex-woosh thing, yeah?

_{[ He's not high and hasn't been high for three years, but he certainly still talks like he is. ]}

Hm...perhaps that could have led to the confusion, but I do not know for sure, myself. The Augur is the only source of direct information outside of the robots, but they are rather...limited in their speech. You can ask others who have been here longer and they may have the information you seek.

[A little robot goes by, shoving little flags at people, all of them with penises on them in different colors.]

Oh...no, I'm fine, thank you. [The little robot is very insistent. If Exxis refuses, it will turn to the person next to him.]

[ Ah... How does one go about giving Lorenz Hellman Gloucester the Run-Down of this place... She feels somewhat exhausted just considering it, and decides to cut corners where she can. (Claude can fill him in on the rest, right...?)

At least, she'll drop the first bomb so nobody else has to: ]

There's little difference between commoners and nobility here, actually. Everyone's expected to... [ ahem ] participate in the same activities to survive...

[ She'll let that settle for a bit, and in the meantime, help herself to some food. (She at least has the decency to turn away from Lorenz before putting the offensive object anywhere near her mouth. ...The gelatin(?) snack looks decidedly worse after she's taken a bite out of it.) ]

Ugh, this flavor again? [ She's getting tired of all the imitation crab... ]

Edited (words...) 2020-08-23 23:23 (UTC)

[ "Free space" wavers and comes to a stop as Ivan's hands freeze midway through a vigorous towel-stroke. ]

You've been here for three months? Does anyone know that you're missing?
[ Ivan fiddles with the bracelet, casting a full bingo card on the sand in front of himself. He doesn't even know some of those words. His face reddens, too. ] W- Wait, sex? This isn't funny...

[ Time to reassure her without letting her know who he really is. ]

But that's okay. Heroes will save us.

Like I said, as much as you want! Even if you only have room for a little. You won't hurt my feelings or anything.

[And whatever 6O can't finish, Lys will happily polish off.....eventually. Right now, she's in no great hurry to do much of anything besides talk, wiggling her bare toes in the sand.]

Sooo...I guess you're gonna need a place to stay, huh?

The Supreme Leader makes allies easily.

[ that's all he says about that, because it's a minefield he'd rather not enter anyway. garma zabi must certainly have his own perspectives about it; his captain isn't here to instruct him on how to navigate it and he just decides, in the end, to drop it. ]

"I rather think that's the point. Our hosts seem to almost have a vendetta against decency." Of course, given that it got in the way of them fulfilling their... obligations, maybe that shouldn't be surprising.

"Their directness is almost a relief, in a way. Like removing the bandage quickly." Okay, that saying's a little less applicable with cloth bandages than adhesive ones. "Of course, just because it's what they want doesn't mean you'll be forced into it... as long as you're careful, anyway."

Their hour, at least.

[It depended on the strength of their imagination, mostly.]

Oh, absolutely.

[She holds out a hand for the treat, grinning devilishly.]

I know a couple decent potential targets, but... hmmm, I haven't seen them yet. Oh well, we can look around. I'm Summer, by the way. Summer Rose.

And charming, too! How lucky am I?

[Silver eyes sparkle with delight and mischief as Summer laughs. Oh, she likes this girl.]

I'm Summer Rose. What can I call you?

[ the relief is obvious in his expression, one that he doesn't bother to hide. ]

I remember. And I remember Dimitri and our professor killing Edelgard, but she is here in this world. Alive and well.

[ this isn't something he'd lie about; the war took too much from all of them for him to make light of it. none of them wanted to fight, but they did it because they had to, because it needed to be done and now here they are, a country ravaged by war waiting for them to get back to. ]

I know it's hard to believe. [ sylvain sighs, rubbing the back of his head as he looks away. ] I didn't at first, but... it's the way this place works. There's some of us back home that are here who remember things differently.

[ there's a wry smile on his face when he looks back at ingrid, but it doesn't reach his eyes. ]

According to Hilda, Felix and I never made it out of the battle at Gronder.

Unfortunately, our hosts are entirely mechanical in nature, and there doesn't seem to be an opt-out option available in their programming. At least, not for being here in the first place.

[Thankfully, actually participating in the activities the bots want them to do is something they're a bit more flexible on.]

They take direction from a master computer they call the Augur, located in the hospital, but it's under repair right now.

[Though, given that new people are arriving now, maybe they've managed to fix it up? She hasn't checked, though, and she doesn't want to get Mara's hopes up.]

I assume you were planning to ask if you could be returned home?

[Androids? Well, that's a new one for her. Summer raises an eyebrow curiously.]

Summer Rose. Please, just call me Summer. Your world must be much more advanced than mine, 6O. I don't think even the most advanced civilization in my world could create a fully functional android like yourself.

[Which pretty much pulls the rug out from the possibility of her being one, herself.]

[ Ema would rather get the gory details from a stranger than Mr. Wright's protégé, that's for sure. He's one of a small percentage of people she anticipates having to see once they make it past this nightmare, and she'd rather keep it as non-weird as possible between them. ]

Aha. A pincer attack, you mean. See? You're getting crabbier by the second.

[ If it seems like she's worked past her awful mood in short time, it's because she's dealt with feeling crabby for ages now. But Apollo would know about that. ]

It's worth a try. Okay, I'll go at them from that end. Look alive!

[ She runs off to try and start corralling crabs toward Apollo!! ]

It sure did. And of course that made 6O's expression shift from polite friendliness to eyes going a bit wide, and leaning in close to... reach and press her hands to Summer's cheeks, as if to examine her.

Then Lys was right... she isn't the only humanoid here... Y-you're real. You're really real! An actual human!

[ It was... hard to place where 6O's tone was. It was a mix of reverence and apprehension, almost close to fear. It had fascination in there as well, as if she was being confronted with something at both times deeply alien but also deeply familiar... ]

[ Ah, there was the dose of reality to drag her out of her food based reverie. ]

O-oh, that's... right. The machine lifeform that greeted me said something about that, too. I didn't pay much attention to it at the time.

[ Too busy being absolutely blown the fuck away by being on a planet surface. ]

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TDM 004: WASHED ASHORE

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