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

[navigating]

[ It might have been the unusual attire that drew him to Jeremiah, who stood out like a sore thumb amidst the vibrant colors that came over from the festival. It's almost an act of solidarity to pick him out for that, since Abel himself had changed back into his comfortable white uniform — one of the few items he'd been given from his home. ]

Oh. Yeah, it's not really mine either.

[ Pauses, taking a moment to appreciate the music, eyes shutting as he finds himself swaying again. He snaps out of it, and is surprised to find a hand being offered. He's been around enough formal events in his youth that it's not a foreign gesture, though it was one he'd been taught to extend to others. He takes it all the same. ]

It's a little bit old-fashioned. But it's nice.

[canceller]

[Like that, it becomes familiar. Jeremiah clasps his hand properly, his other one settling lightly on Abel's back to draw himself to the right closeness. Appropriate for a dance partner, perhaps bold all the same for a stranger, but he'll commit as long as he's humored. It's what he knows.

He's not stiff once he starts to dip into the rhythm, a similar shift to the one that kept calling to Abel just a moment prior. No fancy footwork, just a pleasant sway as he's been itching to do since he got here, eased right into the pulse of the music. This close, Jeremiah can get a better look at his face in the firelight.]

What would you usually dance to?

[navigating]

[ The closeness isn't something Abel is about to protest, and though he's a little surprised this guy went for it so abruptly, he also... isn't. Given that he just came from a festival celebrating genitalia, Abel's learning to expect different things than what he was used to elsewhere.

He's a little stiff, but relaxing quickly, leaning like he's just seconds away from resting his head on Jeremiah's shoulder. ]

I don't usually dance to much of anything. [ He honestly can't recall the last time he did go dancing. It was easily some time back on Earth, what feels like a lifetime ago, and very likely was something he didn't even want to do and had made an effort to forget. ] But I'm trained on the violin, if that tells you anything about what music I grew up with.

[canceller]

[It's a careful balance, knowing how far or close to hold yourself. Jeremiah goes with what seems polite for the occasion but feels the tension in his frame. It bleeds out nearly as quickly as it came, so he maintains his hold.]

It sounds very familiar.

[As if you could expect otherwise from a man wearing a cravat? Not that it's stopping him from finding comfort in their rhythm; anything with a beat would do, infectious or not. Abel's shorter enough that there's a little compensation involved, but Jeremiah's used to that. It's pleasant, even though it's simple, even if he'd be lying if he wasn't wishing for a real floor. Perhaps...]

Never learned dance in a formal capacity?

[navigating]

[ Abel finds a comfortable place to put his free hand, settling his cheek on Jeremiah's shoulder at last. It's pleasant, though it leaves him a little warm to be moving around so close to the fire. ]

I learned, I just didn't like to do it.

[ He makes a sour face, though it probably can't be seen from where he's at. He'd always had to lead, always got stuck with some uptight rich girl his father had told him he needed to impress, always had to be aware that people would be watching them... ]

It wasn't the dancing itself. I don't think I'd ever found the right partner, back then.

[canceller]

[It's a little sad to hear, when he can open up like this. Not everyone does so quickly, but there's a natural draw to him, settling right into a stranger's hold and resting himself so gently, so closely. He has the aptitude, to the point that Jeremiah actually isn't sure what to do at first, folded into what's technically an improper form.

Rules and more rules. It doesn't sound like Abel cares much for those, his expression tucked away but his tone clear enough. He looks down, really only finding the top of his head, blonde bathed in a flickering glow. Shifting his arms, he accounts for the proximity.]

That's a shame. [Jeremiah continues to guide them, side to side, Abel's cheek warm through his jacket. All of him has started to feel warm, content to float on the rhythm and the feeling of another person, even as the itch returns to his feet. His tongue is just loosened enough to agree.]

Would you like to try it now?

[navigating]

[ While Abel has still been thrown entirely off-kilter overall after arriving to the island, he's surprisingly at ease for the time being. Between the warmth through their clothes and that of the fire, the bright music of the festival, the fruity taste of the drink he'd enjoyed still lingering... He's comfortable settling into the arms of this stranger and taking comfort out of it.

Even if he promised to himself not just two days before that he would take more caution about letting someone else get close from now on, he thinks it's got to be okay to let these little truths out. He won't let what Cain did change the type of person that he is. ]

I'd be willing to try.

[ He pulls back enough to look up at Jeremiah as the other glances down at him, expression open, with the obvious hint of a sly, playful twist to his lips. ]

Think you could be the right partner for me?

[canceller]

[Jeremiah latches on to that playfulness in a heartbeat, his own eye sparking in the firelight as his smile widens. It's the most infectious thing in the world, tapped right into curiosity, anticipation, the momentum built.]

There's only one way to find out.

[It's then that he slows his movements, loosening his hold but not yet releasing Abel, scanning the area around them instead. The few paved sections on the beach further back from the water are still crowded enough with booths and people that they're not ideal. Jeremiah follows the line of the walkway as it curves around, hard to see on the other side of the bonfire from where they are but looking promisingly empty.]

We should have even ground over there. [The hand on his back pulls away to gesture in the direction he's looking. He's got no intention of releasing that hand in his other one, not yet.] I don't care for the extra challenge of sand.

[navigating]

[ Abel follows where his gaze has gone off to, and it takes a moment for his eyes to adjust to seeing the space that Jeremiah means, trying to see the space beyond the brightness of the bonfire. ]

Yeah, sand probably won't help us there.

[ He adjusts the hold of their hands before they go anywhere, linking his pinky between Jeremiah's pointer and middle fingers. He didn't want to let go long enough to lace all their fingers, so Abel settled for that small adjustment, and hopes it's read as a casual assurance that he'll be following after, with no intention of letting go or wandering off. ]

C'mon, let's go check it out.

[canceller]

Yes, let's. [Jeremiah inches the threading of those fingers a little tighter, grasping in turn as he leads them off. The crowd around the bonfire thins on the outskirts, so it's easy to circle around towards their destination. Drawn away from the flames, it's a little cooler, a little more dim. For his complaints about an inadequate dancefloor, and for a man of his stature, he's surprisingly light-footed on the sand.

As they walk, Jeremiah doesn't feel terribly pressed to keep a conversation the whole time, but as he glances over at his partner for the moment, his curiosity rises back up.]

How has the festival been for you so far?

[navigating]

[ Abel isn't quite used to walking on sand, but he's able to follow well enough, leaning into the hold Jeremiah has on his hand whenever he feels uncertain about his footing. He misses the warmth of the fire as they step out to their path, but he just picks up the pace to keep up with Jeremiah's long strides, pressing his shoulder against his bicep as they walk.

At the question he flusters a little, harder to see with the dimmer light, but the sly smile that breaks out promsies there's got to be a story to go with it. And while there very much is, he doesn't jump on the chance to spill the details. ]

Oh, it's been great. What about for you?

[canceller]

[It's slight, but he does shorten his steps once he realizes himself. He's in no hurry, and it's not as if they have far to go, so they can take time on their stroll across the beach. Abel remains close, and charming as it is, Jeremiah does too. That smile is countered by another, softer one, tame but knowing because it's really not hard to guess. That's the name of the game here. If it's been good to him, that's a best case scenario, right?]

I'm glad to hear it. I've not been terribly involved the whole time, but the open bar has had me coming back.

[Crabs for a few credits was a no-brainer, though he couldn't stand it for long. A bountiful harvest of dicks, though? Not the same kind of draw for him. He figured out how to get free food by re-dressing appropriately the first day for a few hours, before the lack of trousers was just too much.]

And the people-watching has been good. [Jeremiah glances over, taking in Abel's features with a little more care.] Though I don't believe I've seen your face before.

[navigating]

They certainly seem generous with some of what they're giving.

[ He's heard that's not terribly common, so Abel has been doing his best to take advantage of it — but not so much with the bar. Drinking hasn't ever been much of his scene, though he won't snub it if he's offered some.

Abel hasn't known Jeremiah for long at all but he honestly struggles to imagine him in a toga for any length of time. It seems as if it wouldn't be regal enough, with the impression he's gotten of him so far. He quite likes the man dressed as he is now, anyhow. ]

Oh, well. I only just got here, so...

[canceller]

The native inhabitants like to give a warm welcome to new arrivals, I think.

[He had only just been one himself, a month ago, but the liveliness now matches what it was then. It was a nicer way to start off this weird period of displacement than a first day sulking in the city alone.

Abel's smart to take advantage. For Jeremiah, his brief toga venture was a chance for him to stock his fridge with... well, mostly crab, but that suits him just fine.]

As I should extend mine as well. [He pauses, his tone a bit softer.] It's an adjustment, but it's one everyone else has made too, so you're in good company. Most people I've met are willing to help one another, should you need it.

[navigating]

As far as welcomes to a place like this go, I guess it's not a bad way to start off...

[ Abel actually appreciates the way it's been handled by the robots running the place, in his own way. He's quite certain that if not for the lively events he'd have just spent the past couple days sitting around, alternating between fuming and crying. Or doing both at once.

He's glad it didn't work out that way, and is still helping keep him distracted. Abel swings around to stand in front of Jeremiah once they've gotten to their destination, shooting him a playful look. ]

Is that an offer you're extending, in particular, or do you mean it as "most people, excluding myself"?

[canceller]

[Joining him on level ground now, Jeremiah regards his partner before him with a smile that keeps evolving. Ambiguity in words really is tricky no matter how he frames it, but once more he isn't rushing to spell out his exact intent.]

How about "most people, including myself?" [He remains clasping hands, doesn't pull them into position just yet.] That alone can mean many things, of course, but... I've found keeping one's mind open is best. Life here is unpredictable.

[So he won't rule things out now, taking in the set of Abel's shoulders, the way he tips his jaw. In the dimmer light away from the fire, he still cuts a bright, pale figure to draw his eye.]

[navigating]

[ Abel isn't the type of person to take apart words so carefully, only picking up on what he had because he was curious to read Jeremiah's interest. He likes the answer he's given, his smile crinking the corners of his eyes just that much more, and runs his thumb across what skin he can reach with their hands still in one anothers. ]

Well. I think I'm pretty open minded.

[ At least, if the events of the previous evening are anything to go by, he's sure he can say that of himself. ]

I might not be crazy about being here as a whole, but I think I can adjust to it... Still, you're right — probably more easily if I'm not trying it alone.

[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?

[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?

[canceller]

[You can just say it, pal.

Like Jeremiah hasn't, y'know, indulged similarly since his arrival. Not that it's screamingly evident aside from reasonable assumption that he partakes as other residents here do. His face heats some, hard to see in the low lighting but certainly there. He laughs a little too, but it's airy, good-mannered.]

I meant dancing. [Though the light still catches in his eye rather impishly. Accordingly, he steps in a little closer, facing Abel properly but not yet assuming any position. Dancing position, good lord.] Sorry to say.

[Yeah, he doesn't look it, now.]

[navigating]

Don't be sorry. [ Even though he gets the feeling that Jeremiah isn't actually. Call it a hunch. ] I do still want to dance with you.

[ He reaches up with his free hand, trailing a finger up the line of the cravat Jeremiah from where it's tucked up to his neck. Though he's tempted, Abel avoids tugging at it to pull the taller man even closer still, instead sliding his palm to rest flat on his shoulder, just about where it would be if they did get into a proper form. ]

I've always led. But, like I said, I also never enjoyed myself very much with it before.

[canceller]

[Well now he definitely isn't sorry. Just like it's the most natural thing, Abel reaches him and smooths his touch over until it finds a spot to land. Jeremiah just watches it out of the corner of his eye with a growing smile, gaze flicking back to Abel's face.]

Then you shan't need to. [Like it was a question. He reaches around, bracing his hand just on his shoulder blade, though doesn't yet raise their hands. Like this, it's still comfortable but close, close like they'd been in the sand without as much as a hesitation. He has a mild disposition, but Jeremiah can see the glimpses beneath.]

The hardest thing I found to following is how to hold yourself passively, to move passively, when you've been taught control. Learning steps in mirror image is certainly tricky, but you'll fall into it easy enough. [Bless that muscle memory, once it can be reprogrammed; he'll have to rely on that now, he imagines. When was the last time he even went to a ball? Oh, but there was the wedding. He danced properly then, a little.

For a second, his heart squeezes tight where it sits in his chest, then it abates.]

So. [The question still remains.] What do you think? Waltz is a classic, but I don't think this music fits.

[navigating]

[ Hearing Jeremiah say so easily that Abel needn't lead eases a heavy weight off his shoulders, sounding nearly as if it's straight out of a fantasy he'd had when he was younger — one old enough that it came before a time in which nearly all his dreams took a naughtier turn. ]

Just don't laugh at me if I'm clumsy.

[ It's said with a smile and a light squeeze to Jeremiah's shoulder, to make it clear Abel doesn't actually think he'd start laughing at him. Even without them having made a decision, Abel can't help the temptation to sway a little where they stand, comfortably close and attentive to one another. ]

Oh, hm... [ Waltz is the easy go-to, and Abel digs a little bit further back into his memory banks. ] Do you think a foxtrot might be a better fit?

[canceller]

[Jeremiah still shakes his head but doesn't interject, indeed having no such intentions. If he laughs, it'll be with him, having made plenty of those mistakes learning in class, years ago.

Tipping his head, his consideration is brief but decisive.]

That would work well, yes. [He'd try whatever, really, just to get his feet moving. But it does genuinely sound good, like a fairly safe choice, one he's not as rusty on as others. Finally raising their hands to position, he gets a feel for the tempo.]

We'll go at half speed to start, until it feels more natural, okay?

[navigating]

[ Abel presses his lips together, finding himself worried about messing up even though he believes that Jeremiah isn't out to make him look foolish.

He mutely nods his agreement at starting half speed, and brings up his elbow just a touch higher to match Jeremiah's improved hold. He's trying to remember the steps, running them backward in his thoughts even though he knows he'll have Jeremiah's guiding hand, and it's enough to help him recall that he'll need to move his right foot first, from this position.

At the first step backwards, he's tempted to glance down and check his feet despite that having been worn out of him years ago. Instead, he looks back up at Jeremiah, offering a warm smile, enjoying this despite his nerves. ]

Ah, I really didn't think this is what we'd be doing when I asked you for a dance.

[ With how Abel says it, that doesn't sound like a bad thing. ]