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

[antipatheia]

[ That was something he'd never expected to hear come out of Johnny's mouth, Diego tilting his head curiously as he watched the other try to bring himself up to his feet again. The truth was that he was alone here and being alone made him uncomfortable in a way that he hadn't felt since his childhood.

It wasn't something he would have admitted out loud, but the way that he reached out rather suddenly to take Johnny by the wrist and pull him back down to the floor of the tent said enough. ]

You can't just say something like that and then leave! What could possibly be so important?

[sundayshoes]

[ This was where they were alike, neither of them feeling comfortable at all with the idea of being alone, and before he'd found himself in this tent Johnny was feeling that totally and completely.

Being pulled back down had him falling onto the ground with some hissed out curses. What the actual fuck Diego? Do you know how this feels when you're not sober?

He could've openly complained about this, but those curses had drowned out by the very audible sound of biting back another raw emotion instead. ]

Gyro's dead... I promised that I would take his body and horse back to his family, they deserve to have that much... He had people to go back to...

[antipatheia]

[ Gyro, of course it had something to do with him. He couldn't control the roll of his eyes and that disgusted click of his tongue. Even if the other man was back on the floor, he hadn't let go of his arm and in fact he could feel his grip slowly tightening. ]

Are you daft? Have you not noticed that this isn't the same place that you left? There's no body for you to take, not here. As much as I'm loath to admit it we're in the same situation here, in unfamiliar territory with no one else to rely on; don't waste your time on a fool's errand.

[sundayshoes]

I'm not an idiot, Dio. I know this isn't home, that doesn't mean I should just give up and not try to get back there!

[ Even as he snapped back with such, he felt that grip growing tighter, his brows knit and there was a shift to look over in Diego's direction ]

... Why are you fighting against this so much?

[antipatheia]

[ He raised his free hand, tilting his head slightly to gesture toward the contraption around his wrist. ]

I know you had to go through the same bloody thing I did when I got here, it's not as simple as catching a ride out of town with the first coach that passes by! How exactly do you intend to get home? The same way you came? Do you have even the faintest idea how any of the shit here works?

[ The more he talked the more he realised just how much was foreign to him and the thought of being left here alone became all the more bothersome to him. ]

This isn't about some petty need to best you for once, this is me trying to get this situation through your thick skull!

[ He didn't know when he'd brought himself to his knees, but he'd found himself hovering over the other's face as he continued to grip him. ]

[sundayshoes]

I don't really know how anything works around here, it's all strange and different, but that doesn't mean I should just sit back and accept it. There's something to be said about trying to figure things out, and find what you need...

[ Although a thought came to mind, and he couldn't help that colour blooming over his face as he'd looked away with a click of his tongue. A weak attempt at pulling his hand away from Diego's hold. ]

What I do know though, is that I'm not going to do any of those things on that chart with you.

[antipatheia]

I'm not telling you to accept it, I'm just trying to get you to understand the gravity of the situation. Until we do know more about this place and why we're here, should we not adapt as much as we possibly can?

[ Truthfully he hadn't been thinking about the bingo card, suddenly very aware of the implications as that colour spread over Johnny's face. ]

For the record, I wasn't asking you to, I'm sure anything you have on yours would be of little interest to me!

[ Naturally he was curious, but the way his lips pursed probably gave that thought process away. ]

[sundayshoes]

I'm glad we can agree on that much... But excuse me if I don't trust that you're willing to help me figure anything out here.

What would be in it for you, Dio?

[antipatheia]

Do you not understand the implications of my being alive here? If it can happen here, who am I to say that there isn't a chance for me to return completely intact? I need this just as much as you do, I have no reason to mince words about it...

[ It was strangely sincere coming from him, Diego finally releasing the hold he hand on Johnny's arm. ]

...do you get it now or do I have to go on?

[sundayshoes]

So what you're saying is, you're hoping you could go back alive and all...

[ With Diego relinquishing his wrist, he pulled it close to himself to rub at it absently as he tried to think this over. Honestly, it was making his head hurt, trying to work out the logistics.

Regardless, he got up to his knees again and now moved to get beside Diego and tugged at the sleeping bag. ]

I'm getting cold and tired... you kept me in here too long, so it's not like I could find another tent to go sleep in.

[antipatheia]

Of course that's what I'm saying, what else would I be saying?

[ His tone had far less bite than he'd intended, caught off guard by the implications of Johnny moving in and pulling on the sleeping bag. He narrowed his eyes slightly, trying to gauge whether his 'companion' was being serious or not. ]

It's hardly my fault that you happened to wander into my tent, but I suppose it works out in some capacity.

[ He shifted, unzipping the sleeping bag and allowing Johnny some leeway. He couldn't help but be concerned that this was just a ploy, something to keep him placated until the other man could make his escape. He mulled over it for a moment, letting out a huff of breath through his nose before finally speaking again. ]

The zipper stays on my side, if only to make sure that you don't take off in the cover of darkness. We can work the rest out in the morning, so we're in agreement that you aren't going anywhere, yes?

[sundayshoes]

Yeah, yeah... I'm the rude asshole that barged into your tent...

[ It was mumbled as he waved a hand dismissively, already moving into the sleeping bag. ]

Don't make it weird Dio, I'm not moving once I go to sleep... so keep the zipper on your side if you want or whatever. I don't care right now.

[antipatheia]

I don't believe that was a point of contention, but yes, you were the one that barged in...

[ The fact was that even if he hadn't taken part in the festivities, he was just as tired as his rather unwanted companion. Perhaps that was the first good idea that Johnny had, rest. ]

And I'm not trying to make it weird, I'm trying to make it clear that we have an understanding. An agreement that will not be broken.