TDM 004: WASHED ASHORE

[erkumods]

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

Comments

[marmoron]

[ It'd be funny if it weren't also starting to be slightly concerning. ]

Guessing you haven't figured out what the robots want you to do yet.

[instrumentalized]

[ He's just going to angrily bite the tip of this dick. That makes it less dick-shaped. It's done now, okay? Band-aid ripped off. He got this. ]

They aren't precisely subtle about it. And yet, I think of these matters as private and best not flaunted like this. Decorum, you know?

[ambitiousblond]

Do you really expect me to feel shame over that?

[Perhaps he felt some sort of regret over the methods he had used in the attempts against his father but he would not deny that he had wanted his father dead. And given his relationship with his half-siblings, the Shinra family was not exactly known for close, loving relationships between each other.]

Mother and I got to spend some quality time with each other. It's a pity she did not grace you with her presence.

[Behind him Dark Nation growls but stays where she's at when Rufus gestures for her to stay behind him.]

You must have disappointed her.

[karintous]

It's what I'm doing now, isn't it?

[ She knows her hand-eye coordination sucks!! Get off her neck, man!! She digs around in the sand some more, scrounging up one more handful of promising crabfood before returning to Eustace with her haul.

She looks down at the top of his head as he works on the walls, does a double take, and then squints. After a moment, she reaches into her lab coat and pulls out a magnifying glass. Which she uses for a closer look at his head -- specifically his ears. She does this with zero shame or pretense of politeness, bending in for a nice, close look. ]

[instrumentalized]

... that is a low blow.

[ And he may or may not be out of arguments. ]

[tigerbeat]

[ Ah, so that's it, that's it. He'd hear about the same from that guy who handed him the drink he is still clutching, but it's all so farfetched he can barely process it.

Not being able to call his mom or Kaede... is maybe taking up more of his brain than is should in an emergency like this. But here he is. Letting that happen. ]

Aaaahh... haa... w-well, I've been talking to people! For sure! I've been talking to people, but, uh, they were mostly new people, you know? So I didn't... get much useful. B-Besides, some guy handed this to me! I didn't wanna just put it down and be ungrateful! That'd be rude, right? Right?

[marmoron]

The robots could be forcing you to things. It could be a lot worse.

[ Not that he disagrees with the point. ]

[instrumentalized]

... I realize this.

[ That is... certainly a mood-killer of a hypothetical, even if the mood so far was mostly 'offended rage'. Garma's expression turns more serious instantly. ]

For all that this island is desolate and largely abandoned, we are also being provided for quite well.

[canceller]

Then you'll do excellently here.

[Funny how that's not necessarily a compliment. The metrics are all off for what's normal, but his tone says it is one, not often one for needless sarcasm. Adaptation is a little messy, maybe a little wrong, but it will happen or it won't. It's what each of them make of it, but making something better, maybe something good out of it is... possible.

Besides, he himself really couldn't pass judgement now on however Abel chooses to do that.]

So, what are you familiar with?

[vicissitudinal]

So they accept it's a toga...but don't want to take the files? [That was not the expected outcome there. But what else should he have expected? These robots can be far too focused on their directives.]

I wonder if perhaps we might encourage them to take them through bartering. Have you performed any Acts as of yet?

[marmoron]

[ Keith sighs, taking another bite out of his taiyaki. With the head and balls now gone it almost looks like normal food again. ]

Not that that's a reason to stay complacent. There has to be a way to get back to our own worlds.

[instrumentalized]

I am sure there is. It would be absurd if the travel between universes could not be reversed or replicated in some form.

[ But that is... a difficult topic in and of itself, for Garma. So he's actually going to take a bite to distract himself, too. Now that he is eating instead of panicking about eating, it's really just food. ]

It's not necessarily an option for myself, but I am hoping for the best for everyone.

[marmoron]

Why? What happened to you?

[ That's probably not the most sensitive follow up question, but it's out there in the aether now. ]

[instrumentalized]

[ Garma briefly considers keeping it a secret, but there is a coffin and a giant funeral portrait at the beach and at this point it just feels kind of weird to not own up. ]

I am dead in my world. This place gave me a second life, it appears. Do not ask me how I feel about this, I haven't figured it out myself.

[marmoron]

How is that even possible?

[ Well that diverts all of Keith's attention to Garma who is now getting a proper up-gpwn glance. ]

You don't look like a zombie.

[navigating]

[ Abel's grip tightens where he's currently got a hold on McCree, fingers digging in but decidedly not pinching, even if his nails might be leaving small half-crescents in their place. There's a history of him scratching when he's really into things, and for that he'll be a little apologetic.

What he isn't remotely sorry about is being so impatient about getting this. The slide of cock over his tongue is everything Abel had been hoping for, and has him moaning deep in his throat just as McCree pushes up to where it's just on the edge of uncomfortable for Abel. It doesn't tip over into anything he doesn't want, nothing Abel isn't actively chasing after, and he bobs encouragingly, eyes shut in his focus. ]

[navigating]

It's still a little hard to believe that sex is more or less the currency around here...

[ He doesn't sound like he thinks poorly of it, with a hint of awe underlying the disbelief evident in his words.

The attention going back to the bucket has him glancing back down at it himself. It's a little heavy after all that's been put into it, but despite his noodle arms Abel's grip hasn't slipped up. He goes back to looking up at Oran, making nearly the same face he had when the kiss earlier had seemed to soothe the pinch he'd been given. ]

Oh. If you want to? That'd be really nice, since I don't have any credits yet.

[navigating]

[ Abel goes to open his mouth, nearly giving a very telling answer about what he's familiar with, before he realises the intent of the question might not have been on the same track as where his thoughts are inclined to veer. ]

... Sexually? Or are we back to talking about dancing?

[mettle]

[ Barnaby doesn't want to divide his attention between the new wristband and his companion, so he simply takes a cursory glance of the initial screen on the device. It seems to act like a smartphone, as he finds icons that depict what must be options for voice calls and texting. But there is one labeled quite oddly. "A5" on the icon. ]

I'd like to request clarification on a few details you've just mentioned. What is this card you're referencing, and what is the augur?

[ Without the usual introduction to the Augur in person, he's missing a lot background information here. ]

[mettle]

[ Friendly as ever, but still entirely lacking in productive evidence. Well, Barnaby found a good source of information, so at least he can't be terribly cross with Kotetsu coming out of their unexpected travel empty-handed.

Just, y'know, aside from his fruity drink. ]

Keep the device with you. It's what the individuals here on the island use to communicate with each other. It works like a phone, so it should be simple enough for you to get a handle on.

[ If the old man can manage a smartphone, he can manage what is essentially a smart watch. ]

[tigerbeat]

[ He looowers the drink, as it seems to be the Point of Contention here. Not putting it down... but he is lowering it out of sight as if Barnaby would somehow forget it's there by not looking directly at it. ]

Right, right, it's like the one for work... too bad it won't call home, though.

[mettle]

[ He's looking at it, he sees it, you silly old man. Shrodinger's cocktail. It exists but it also doesn't. ]

I'm afraid not.

[ Not as if Barnaby could try. He doesn't have much of a home to call to.

No one that lives there anyway. But he understands Kotetsu's concern immediately, not in regards to work, but his family. He raises a hand and settles it on Kotetsu's shoulder, expression softening. ]

They'll be fine, Kotetsu. Kaede's gotten rather big, hasn't she? She can take care of herself, and she has your mother and brother as well. It's to my understanding that the Kaburagi family is very strong-willed.

[tigerbeat]

[ Having it confirmed again just cements it in further. What will Kaede do? What about his mom? If he disappears like this, will Kaede be mad at him again?

He's frustrated, but slaps on a smile instead.]

Ah, thanks, partner. You're right, you're right, but a papa can't help but worry! She's growing so fast, you know? It's hard to keep up if I'm away. I'll be totally behind again!

[mettle]

[ Damn it, it's so hard to stay mad at Kotetsu when he's this endearing in father mode. He knows he has a terrible tendency to be a bit overbearing, because lord knows Barnaby's experienced it more times than he can count, and he can only imagine the degree in which his meddlesome attitude is applied to his own, only daughter. But he likes to see Kotetsu like this. Kind, nurturing, so eager to be at his daugther's side and be involved in her life, even with the obstacles laid before him with his job as a Hero.

He's a handful, but... he's a good father. Taking him away from that is an unforgivable choice. ]

We'll have to cooperate as hard as ever then so we can find a way to get you home. The sooner the better, yes?

[shangrilady]

World's full of those. ...and hey, I don't wanna be your enemy, I just want to be totally clear how I feel about things.