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

i

[chestburster]

[ A few days had passed since their temporal Kumbaya circle with Five so Ben is going to blame his spontaneous displacement on the usual culprit: Klaus. To his recollection, Klaus didn't black out recently -- and good for him! except he used all that sobriety to start a cult which is sort of zero sum game, karmically -- but it's just like him to throw himself into the ocean out of despair or inebriation or boredom.

That said, Ben ain't pressed. He'll take the ocean over Texas. Which is almost why he doubts this is Klaus's fault. In what world does his brother actually go where he wants to go?

Well, criss-crossing logic be damned, it seems to be this one. Not far from where he's washed up, Klaus is screaming at the sea. That puts a definitive end to Ben's chill hang sesh by himself, watching the waves roll, imagining he could feel the breeze. ]

You forgot Vanya.

[occulti]

_{[ When Ben speaks up, Klaus splays his hand over his heart in faux surprise with a gasp. ]}

Oh, oh shit. It’s just you. God, it’s always just you.

_{[ It isn’t like Klaus isn’t happy to see him, but Ben follows him everywhere. It would be much better if Klaus saw any of his other siblings. After all, it’s been three years since he has seen them. He thought maybe this new place would bring them all together. ]}

Yeah, Vanny too. But I guess she’s still MIA with everyone else. Probably blowing up whatever moons she can find.

<sub>[ A little defeated, he plops down in the sand, still a good distance away from the actual water.

Something seems a little off, though. Specifically with Ben. Usually he can sense a ghosty presence nearby. He turns to regard his brother. ]</sub>

I don’t understaaaaaaand, Ben. Why do I keep appearing in places I don’t belong?

[chestburster]

[ by days I meant years, shh

There was a moon in 1960's, and while that could mean Vanya ended up later in the timeline, Ben chooses to believe she's not far and maybe, just maybe, has gotten her shit together somehow. It'd be a first for their family yet he unlives in hope. No point arguing about it with Klaus, though. He's just running his mouth like always, orienting himself with the sound of his own voice. ]

Because you have no direction in life. [ No need to sugarcoat it. Klaus is well aware he's a leaf in the wind, pretty proud of it most of the time. Not ashamed, at least.

Arms looped around his bent knees, Ben leans back and settles with his hands in the sand. The way they sink in feels odd, in that it's odd to feel it at all. He stares down at his fist as sand streams from it, not through it, as he scoops up a handful. ] Uh, Klaus?

[occulti]

<sub>[ look, they have no concept of time at this rate

At that sass, Klaus gnashes his teeth. ]</sub>

Shut up. You don’t even have a life to be directed, so I don’t wanna hear it, Casper.

<sub>[ just a homeless looking guy arguing with his ghost brother, IT’S FINE.

Exasperated already, Klaus looks back over at Ben. ]</sub>

What, you discovered sand already?

<sub>[ processing....
processing...

His expression changes from scowling to something of surprise like maybe he understands what is happening. ]</sub>

Dude, are you—

_{[ He trails off, but he’s already getting to his feet to approach Ben. ]}

[chestburster]

[ Ben can influence objects in small ways when Klaus is concentrating, which he doesn't appear to be and confirms he isn't with that saucer-eyed look. Klaus concentrating doesn't mean he has the corresponding sensation of touch, either, and he can feel the sand, picking it up and letting it run out again. It's so freakin' soft and smooth. Grains sprinkle his jacket as he pats his chest and feels the pressure. ]

Did you hit your head or something? [ Clearly stoked, he's not complaining. Because even if Klaus isn't trying, how could this be anything but his brother's power? ]

[occulti]

<sub>[ They have rather mirrored looks at this rate as he scrambles by Ben's side, his hands both reaching up to his own mouth, then reaching out to Ben, almost touching him, then reaching back up to his mouth. Finally, he settles his hands on Ben's shoulders. He feels.. different. Warm. Not some cold, solid feeling like he usually feels when he materializes Ben.

His mouth stammers, but suddenly, he lifts his hand and gives Ben a slap on the face. Nothing too hard, but enough to sting. ]</sub>

Holy shit. Did that hurt..!?

_{[ ok but something just felt nice about doing that cause that's what siblings do. ]}

[chestburster]

Oow-!!!

[ This is what he gets for getting Klaus to weigh in on things! The sting is so vivid and bright, it's Klaus somehow slapped his whole face. Forehead and nose and chin and a little bit of the rest of his head too. It's a distinctly louder sensation than the blows his brother got during their little catfight on the side of the road. ]

Yes! [ Ben is chuckling, cradling his cheek. His emotions are all mixed up. He hasn't felt physical pain in almost two decades. It's a relief. But it hurts, damn it. ]

You could've tried hugging me or something, ass. [ If Klaus tries now, he's going to get swatted off. They've proven that they can recursively affect each other. Ben starts to get up so they can go test out his tangibility on something else. ]

[occulti]

_{[ The response makes Klaus smile broadly, not because he's got some revenge from the years and years of Ben's nagging, but he's pretty excited for his brother even though he has no idea how it's happened. He can't help but release a bubble of laughter. ]}

Wow! Wow, wow..! This is amazing! Oh, what if it was me? What if I really did something that's really amazing? And you're here! You're here in something physical without my effort!

_{[ He is going for a hug only to get pushed away, but climbs to his feet along with Ben. If the other man isn't too quick, he'll try to go in for hug attempt number two. ]}

This means you can totally have sex! I'm so happy for you!

[chestburster]

[ Gyaah, Klaus backpack! Unsurprisingly, his rail-thin brother is almost as light as he is when he's manifesting Ben to squabble with him (not including when he has to lift him over his head for a parlor trick). A lot warmer, though. And wetter. They both are. (!!!) ]

Why is that always the first place your mind goes? [ Ben keeps walking but contentedly drags Klaus along. Even a bratty hug is better than no hug and it's been a No Hug lifestyle for 17 years straight. He can't stop smiling. Smiling feels great. ] I haven't had anything to eat since I was sixteen!

[occulti]

_{[ Yes. He'll stay right here with his arms around Ben, dragging right along with him. ]}

'Cause.. it's the best place to go! But yeah, I guess you're right. Food would be something I'd think about too. Maybe.

_{[ A soft gasp. ]}

Beeeeeeen. You can have food and sex... together. You remember that time in Greece? Haha, wow, it'll be kind of like that, but you'll get to participate this time.

_{[ Stop. He finally releases his brother, but remains.. uncomfortably close. It's so weird to have Ben in a human form and not some weird, manifested, ghosty form. ]}

Oh, but I mean.. I guess any minute now, these robot guys are gonna come out of nowhere and do their little welcoming committee. I mean, that's what happened to me when I started walking around. All I got was a towel and this weird bracelet, though.

_{[ He shifts his wrist around so Ben can see. ]}

I haven't messed with it yet cause I wanted to find everyone first.