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]

I don't have much experience myself. I snuck out a few times to go dancing when I was still in school, but I couldn't get away with doing it often.

[ Those were good times, if nervewracking ones, since Abel spent too much of his time out just hoping his father wouldn't notice his motorcycle missing. It'd been a few years since then.

The corner step gives him a little pause, but the slow pace is enough to keep up with, made easier with Jeremiah's guidance. Abel finally allows himself to relax a little, still holding himself properly, but with most of the tension eased out of him. He spares a glance over in the direction of the bonfire, having noticed Jeremiah do the same, and can't help but smile playfully back at the taller man as he sees all the bumping and grinding going on there. ]

Honestly, I think it'd be kind of fun to see you try your hand at dancing like everyone else out there.

[canceller]

[Jeremiah can't help a small chuckle, his full attention rounded back on the other man as he sweeps them into another turn, a little wider this time. Just to twirl him around for the fun of it; the steps are simple, but he likes the wiggle room it allows.]

You believe so? [He's humored at least, though his expression speaks to some consideration.] Well it can't be hard, if one likely doesn't need a lesson beforehand.

[For that due consideration, he has no intention of trying just yet. He likes it over here with just a little more space, likes the neatness of their timed movements. Abel takes to it well, pale and pretty in the cool moonlight, fitting well into Jeremiah's arms. He's better than he'd expected at molding to another's movements, nothing if not a pleasant surprise.

Then again, he hadn't for a moment seemed to want to lead. No protest when Jeremiah laid claim to the position. Maybe even some relief, even. It might just be more comfortable this way.]

Not that I wouldn't accept a guiding hand, in turn.

[navigating]

No lesson needed, though I think I could help. I do think it'd be hard to manage some of the, ah... Moves with a lower centre, it in a suit.

[ Dropping that ass, he means. Still, Abel's not complaining, since he's the one who went straight for the well-dressed man before all others in the crowd. Abel follows the steps for a while longer, comfortable to be led around on Jeremiah's whims since he hasn't been steered wrong yet, though something occurs to him that has him looking up with wide, dark eyes. ]

Do you think we could try an under-arm twirl?

[ He's running through the footwork in his mind, certain that it's a good opportunity for him to mis-step, even as he asks. He wants to give it a try, as something he's never done before even though it seemed like it would actually be fun from this side of the dance. ]

[canceller]

[Dropping any such thing isn't even in his vocabulary, so some meaning gets lost between the lines. Wearing this alone would look incongruous with indecent dancing, at least, though the whole concept feels incongruous to start. Maybe fun to try anyway, even if it's the music and the traces of alcohol urging the thought.] Perhaps a stylistic experiment for another day.

[Because look, if he's stumbled himself back into having a dance partner around on the island, Jeremiah is absolutely going to make good on "another day" in some form. He's sorely in need of hobbies here. You know, normal ones. And he's already decided he likes Abel's company.]

We can do that, though. [Altering his stance and looking left, Jeremiah gives them a dry run and keeps his leading hand low, simply counting through a promenade step a couple times. The refresher helps him, too.] Good. With a twirl this time.

[Raising his hand, Jeremiah's other on his back gently pushes as if to kickstart the motion. They're still moving slow, so there's space for wobbling or hesitation if Abel has any, but it doesn't shake the warmth in his expression, the focus of his gaze as they finish the sequence, feet back together.]

[navigating]

Another day...

[ Abel definitely caught onto that, and he likes the sound of it. While the likelihood of running into one another on an island is relatively high, he wouldn't mind already having someone he knows and can seek out again. It's an added bonus if there's going to be plans of teaching Jeremiah to Get Low, as the kids are saying these days (they're not). ]

I'll hold you to that.

[ The promenade steps come easily, the motions of them helping lead him into the twirl, but not completely. He has to give them some extra thought, and winds up back in place out of time with the rhythm they'd set. He gets back to where he's meant to be, but feels a little tripped up now that he's lost pace. Though he can tell none of the warmth has left Jeremiah's face, Abel steels himself, a little embarrassed but more overcome with a stubborn desire to get it right. ]

Crap. Let me try again.

[canceller]

[It's a date, then. Even when he speaks offhandedly, the honesty Abel gives in response warms him. Jeremiah hums and nods by way of agreement, continuing through the steps and wondering what garb would better suit that occasion. All he really owns are slacks and work jeans.

Not that Farmer Orange turning up in overalls wouldn't be a sight on its own.]

Of course. [Jeremiah pauses for a moment.] Let most of the turn happen in that second step once your foot hits the ground, the last two will give you plenty of time to come around and together.

[Leading them through a few times to get the rhythm back, he's a little firmer with his left in guiding as he arcs Abel around, pacing the twirl. Whether it helps when he hasn't followed himself in many years, who can say. He won't trade off positions for a refresher, though.]

[navigating]

[ Between the words of advice and the leading hand, Abel manages to figure out the steps this go around. When the two of them come back together, Abel beams up at Jeremiah, his pleasure showing clearly even in the dim lighting. ]

Thanks. I think I've got it now.

[ To further punctuate the thanks, he gives a little squeeze where his arm rests on Jeremiah's shoulder, so that it doesn't break the form they've held for the dance. The hold lingers just a little longer than it needs to, but — well, Jeremiah's got nice arms under this suit, so sue him for appreciating it. ]

[canceller]

[He's clearly bothered by the growth of the smile on his lips, the extra little tug as he leads them through with another turn. There's no helping it, always a sucker for praise. It isn't something he feels badly about, taking the chances he can to dole it in turn.]

I would say so.

[And from there, he simply leads for a while, little noise but the swish of fabric and the step of their feet. There's no need to guide further than that when they fall into the movements with ease. Jeremiah doesn't care to break a comfortable silence, but after a point he does anyway.]

Even if it's been a while, you're taking well to this.

[Kind of a shame, if he's such a natural at following. It's as much a skill as leading, one that's too often underappreciated, if not stifled entirely.]

[navigating]

[ At the end of the day, the music isn't perfect for the dance, but the two of them fall into step nevertheless. It's easily the most fun Abel's ever had dancing with someone else in a remotely formal fashion. Likely because it's also the least he's had to concern himself with impressing everyone else with his performance except his partner, and even then it's not as much of a pressure as it's ever been before. He affixes Jeremiah with a warm smile, truly unconcerned with anything else around them. ]

Ah, you think? It's not too hard, but you're a good lead so I might have lucked out.

[ Someone, anyone, please stop these two from getting into a one-upping praise-loop with one another. ]