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TDM 005: HAPPY SPOOKTEMBER
| TDM 005: HAPPY SPOOKTEMBER |
Arrival  This time, you come out of the water, the Nameless Island's own inherent energy drawing people in. It's like being suspended between realities and abruptly pushed from behind through a rift in dimensions. It may make you sick, or that might be the motion of the ocean, lifting you to the surface 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. Feel free to explore the Island, though there isn’t much to see. Most of the buildings are abandoned and in dire need of repair, and beyond the city lingers a thick fog that obscures much of the wilderness from view. Wander too far into this fog, and you will find yourself mysteriously looping back to where you began, your memories of what you were doing and how you got there erased. With that in mind, it may be wise to stake your claim on a rundown apartment, a tent on the beach, or a bed in the "comfortable" new barracks. Your inventory will be found a day later, wrapped up haphazardly and delivered to each person's makeshift home. I. Harvest Hunt  As the daylight grows shorter and the muggy heat of the island’s summer gradually shifts to temperate days and chilly nights, Erku’s accessible wilderness explodes with a colorful collection of tempting fruits, fragrant-smelling herbs, and nuts and seeds plumped and ready for harvest. With warnings to beware of monsters, the robots of Erku encourage Islanders to take advantage of the land’s bounty by distributing basic camping supplies to those who are interested in exploring, hunting, and harvesting. They strongly encourage making the journey with a friend! Any surplus foods that Islanders bring home with them can be exchanged for credits with cafeteria robots! Just be careful out there - some of these fruits have strange effects once consumed. For extra protection out there in the wilds, the robots have fashioned crowns of flowers or foliage to wear on their adventures. The sweet and herbal smells from the crowns will discourage most Erku-native monsters from approaching, they assure - this is ancient knowledge from the planet’s long-gone civilization, so it can’t be wrong! What the robots don’t know is that the crowns have a deeper, more ritualistic purpose: after a few hours, the scent of flowers or herbs begins to awaken primal instincts within the wearer. Those who are wearing the foliage crowns feel overwhelmed by an urge to hunt, while those who wear the flower crowns delight in every opportunity to tease, outrun, and outwit the hunters. What happens when the chase ends? Well, that depends on the personalities and the chemistry between the hunters and their prey. While the robots are very insistent on placing crowns atop the heads of any Islander they see, they aren’t stuck on in any way and they are easy to remove, which can prevent or break the hunting trance. II. seeds and sap  Of particularly high credit value, the robots explain, is an elusive flower known as the skull sunflower. It appears exactly as one might imagine: at the center of an otherwise innocuous, towering sunflower is the gruesome visage of an open-mouthed skull. Don’t worry, the flowers are harmless! Even if it’s strange how the empty-socketed eyes seem to follow your every move. And why is it that the teeth - which, on closer inspection, are actually the seeds of the flower - only seem to chatter when your back is turned? Any Islander who can withstand their heebie-jeebies long enough to collect the petals and seeds from the flowers will fetch a handsome reward in credits upon exchange with the robots. Beware the sticky, blood-red sap that seeps from the eyes of each skull, however. Those who absorb too much through their skin will begin to hallucinate, visions of frightening or emotional events from their past dancing in the shadows. One might even mistakenly imagine that another Islander is someone they recognize from their past, someone who meant something to them - no matter whether that person is alive or dead in the present. The hallucinogenic effects of the sap can last for hours, or they can be shortened by a dip in the public baths. III. Tarot  Night comes, and in the darkness, a robot sets up a table by the beach. A solitary candle sits in the center, illuminating a deck of cards. F̶i̴n̵d̸ ̸y̶o̸u̸r̵ ̵f̵o̸r̷t̵u̶n̶e̷?̴ The robot reveals tarot cards and will do a variety of spreads to tell your fortune. Each fortune can be distilled into one central theme, which characters will find pervades their life for the next 24 hours. There is magic afoot: it can be sensed, and perhaps even dispelled, if luck is on your side. Though most robots on the island show a capacity for greater-than-average artificial intelligence, this pseudo-psychic 'bot -- M.S. Cl30 -- is less advanced. It only has six interpretations prepared:
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Satoru Mashita | Death Mark
[So Mashita just got here and it seems like he's already getting roped into some kind of paranormal bullshit in the form of freaky flowers. He grimaces in disgust at these things, already regretting getting involved in the task at hand as some of the sap ends up on his hands.]
Great. I love having gross shit on my hands from fucked up flowers, it's the best feeling.
[The sarcasm is strong in this one, but to be fair, it's not the first time he's had to deal with weird plant shit. But at least this is a step up from Hanahiko?
... At least, until the hallucinations start, but hopefully you are not with him that happens, because a guy with a gun is probably a bad idea to be around if he starts tripping out here.]
III: Tarot
[Mashita has always been an abrasive individual who has to watch his back frequently, so that's nothing new for him really What is new however is the clingyness as he finds himself standing way too close for comfort to some people here.
If he gets called out on it, his response is about as abrasive as ever--]
Look, there's some weird shit going on and quite frankly you look like you would fall over from the force of a summer breeze. Consider this just doing my civic duty in looking out for the people or whatever.
[... Sure Mashita, that's totally a valid excuse.]
WILDCARD
[Got something else in mind that you want to do with us here? Feel free to hit us up!]
III
[ Yashiki responds almost automatically to the abrasive tone. He pauses as it feels like everything hits him at once. ]
-- Mashita?! [ Of all the people that he thought he would run into, he didn't think that he would see the man, again. ] What are -- [ Well, it's a stupid question to ask what he's doing there. ]
This is unbelievable. [ That's putting it mildly and he lets out a small pained sigh. Everything that's happened is unbelievable. ]
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[Mashita acknowledges the other curtly, reaching into his pockets looking for a cigarette and lighter. Though, he's probably going to come up short if they were damaged from the water earlier, but he still makes the attempt to look anyway because he feels like he needs a smoke right about now.]
I shouldn't be surprised that you're involved in this mess too somehow. Wanna do me the favor of filling me on what the hell is going on around here?
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[ He can't help but agree that this seems like something that he would be involved in whether he wanted to be or not. ]
Right, okay. [ Somehow, it almost seems funny to him to be the one filling Mashita in with what's going on. He wants to make a joke about how it feels like old times, but he thinks better of it. ]
Well, let's see... it seems like we were teleported here on that teleporter.
[ Yashiki gestures with his hand, and he makes a face at his own words. ] It's apparently rather glitchy and has been scanning the universe... but no one really seems to know for what.
[ He breathes out. ] The Augur appears to be some sort of AI that looks after everything, and well, as you saw... most of the population here is robots versus people that came from the teleporter. [ Looking around anxiously, he falters before taking a step forward and lowers his voice. ]
There are also no spirits here. Nothing. I haven't encountered anything. I got a brief flash of something of the past, but ... it didn't make any sense. It also felt like something was stopping me from seeing anything. Nothing supernatural, though, at least... if it was... it's a lot different than anything we've encountered.
[ Info-dump finished. He lets out another sigh. ] At the very least, we aren't on a timer like before... and most of what the robots and AI want is, uh...
[ Uh. ] Anyway... did that help?
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So we're dealing with... what, science fiction nonsense instead of the usual? I can't tell if that's supposed to be a better trade off or not.
[But then again, you can arguably shoot robots rather than ghosts at least? If worse comes to worse.]
But yeah, that did help... at least, until you suddenly started mumbling at the end.
[Unfortunately, it looks like he's not going to let that one go, Yashiki.]
So, out with it. What do they want from us here?
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[ Yashiki can't get rid of the bemused expression on his face. He isn't sure if it's much of a trade off at all, himself, but it still troubles him that there's no supernatural forces on the island. ]
Ah?!
[ He caught that, huh?! ]
Well... I can't say that it's something they want-want from us, so let's start with that, okay? [ He feels like that will soften the blow. How is it telling Mashita that he was going to die because he was cursed by a spirit is easier than this?! ] Eros energy.
They want the energy that comes from people being intimate with one another...
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[Yeah, okay, he's taking the news about as well as expected. In hindsight that makes the weird need for being in the personal space of others even more suspect, but he still doesn't quite attempt to re-establish that boundary yet with Yashiki even if he does scowl here.]
Please tell me that was supposed to be an attempt at a joke here.
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[ But uh, it seems like Mashita is doing all right with the idea? Or wait, is he making sure that Yashiki doesn't run off to do something "stupid?"
He pauses to make a bit of a face about it, but decides not to talk about it. ]
But I guess... to prove my point... [ He lifts his hand up to point to his wrist. ] ... there should be a card on your bracelet that um, tells you what kind of acts that will fill it up. [ Holding his hands up, he adds: ] I have no idea what filling it up means or what it'll do.
But that'll at least prove I'm not messing with you!
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And then, squinting even further as clearly whatever is written there is enough to prove Yashiki's telling the truth.]
What the fuck.
[This time though it's not in a disbelieving tone so much as just the displeased kind he often carries when dealing with weird bullshit.]
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At the very least... it's not as bad as it could be.
[ So he says with the sky is an ominous overcast and standing in a ruined city that is filled mostly with robots that seem to want all people present to do the do. ]
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[Said with an accompany side-eye, but... on the plus side... this does mean that Yashiki is least likely to end up getting killed chasing after spirits, right? So that's one less heart attack for Mashita to worry about while we're here... right?]
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[ At least, they aren't on any timer, anymore. ]
I've already tried to find spirits here to see if I could get some more information about this place. But, like I said, it's devoid of those things. I would have thought a place that looks like this would have quite a few malicious entities about.
[ No, it did not stop him from chasing after spirits. ]
I'm not sure if that's good or bad news, though. [ Good that there is no residual regret and grudges, yeah, but kind of ominous to him, too. ]
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[But Yashiki isn't like most people, so no, it doesn't surprise Mashita that Yashiki tried to go looking for spirits anyway.]
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Anyway... I think that's why you're so close to me now, right?
[ Yashiki also thinks bringing up that there isn't that many spirits around might but Mashita's concerns at ease. He remembers what the man said after the Red Riding Hood case, after all. ]
There's a lot to worry about, but you don't have to worry about me on top of it all.
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[... I mean, let's be real, he is. But god forbid admitting it on top of the fact that he is standing as close as he is to Yashiki and still hasn't called him a creep yet like he probably would have by now under normal circumstances.]
Unless there's something else you're not telling me... actually, come to think of it, how long have you been here? You made it sound like it had been a while.
[Or at least a lot longer than Mashita had previously assumed.]
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[ He feels like bringing up how close the two of them are, but decides against it. Bringing it up just kind of makes him feel awkward since he honestly feels really relieved and at ease with Mashita around. ]
How long? I'd say about a month? [ Not that he can say that he's done much in that time, but well, that's honestly kind of a blessing. He thinks the last time that he's been put in a strange situation and it felt like he was always running around without getting anywhere. ]
I hope the others didn't worry when they came to the manor -- [ He suddenly worries about how concerned everyone would be in coming to the manor only to find that he isn't in there. They wouldn't even humor the thought that he went out on his own, either. ]
-- wait that doesn't make sense. [ Because wouldn't Mashita be a little more upset about seeing him here? ] Hey, when did you last see me?
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[And now, Mashita finally takes a step back to regard Yashiki here a little more intently.]
Are you sure that you've been here for a month? Seriously?
[He definitely would have noticed Yashiki being missing for a month... wouldn't he?]
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[ That's -- he wants to say that's impossible, but they've encountered quite a few things that are "impossible." ]
I'm sure. Why would I lie about something like that?
[ Which means could something like time dilation be happening? People in this space feel like days or even years might pass by when only a few minutes have passed in their own time? That's really frightening to think about, honestly. ]
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No, I don't think you'd lie, at least not about that. Either it's part of whatever weird shit is going on with this place, or...
[Hmm. Hmmmmm.
And then, Mashita is pointing a finger at Yashiki's face.]
Tell me something that only the two of us should know about. Either about yourself, or something about me that I've told you before.
[Is he... checking to make sure that you're not someone else pretending to be Yashiki here?]
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[ He lets out a huff as he realizes that he's being thought of as some doppelganger!
But what Mashita says is right. There already are enough odd things around that running into someone masquerading as someone we know... that's hardly farfetched.
But what is something that only the two of them know? ]
Oh.
[ He can't help but suddenly sound a little annoyed because he still doesn't quite agree with what was said. ]
You told me ... "that's why darkness follows you." The reason for why you say that... can you tell me? [ They might as both make sure that they are who they say they are, right? ]
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Though, about what had been said...]
"The living and the dead can't coexist. If you try to accept their feelings, you'll just end up getting pulled in."
[And then, he manages a smile, though it's a tad derisive.]
Judging from your tone, you still don't agree with that, do you?
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-- but he hears the answer back, and he can't help but frown a little more in return. Especially considering the question that follows. ]
I still don't agree with it. [ He reiterates that point. ] After everything that we've seen, I still don't see how you can agree to ... to not wanting to accept them more. [ Considering all the information that Mashita gathered on some of the spirits that they encountered, he can't help but feel a little confused that the man decided to continue to not want to sympathize with them.
... Like Red Riding Hood. That poor girl.
His shoulders drop a little. He wonders ... and he checks his pocket... but no, the spider is still back in the manor. All alone, again. I'm sorry. ]
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Because more often than not, they are putting living people in danger of joining them in death, Yashiki. And I'm not interested in that happening before it's actually a person's time to go.
[There's a pause, before Mashita reaches out, grasping Yashiki's shoulder, because apparently he needs to actually say this to get it through the other man's thick skull.]
And in case you haven't noticed, that's supposed to include you as well, dumbass.
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Yashiki is about to open up the argument with him, but stops when the hand comes to rest on his shoulder.
He blinks in surprise before frowning yet again. ]
I'm not stupid. I understand the risks. But their grudge is simply ... [ His expression turns complicated. ] ... it's not simply. The anger and resentment that they feel can't be contained. They don't even have a body anymore... they can never return to their life to fix anything that has happened.
[ Spirits can't be judged like humans anymore. ] If we sympathize with them, we can allow them to pass without anyone dying with them. [ A beat. ] At that time... that girl... she didn't mean to pull me along. She only mistook me for that person.
But... she ... Red Riding Hood... she didn't know what else to do with herself. [ And with his meddling, she stopped haunting that love hotel, right? The matter ended up being settled. ] She's at rest now.
So, I don't know what you're upset about at all!
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[Like... what on earth about that is making it hard for you to understand here, Yashiki.]
You're lucky I happened to be there to pull you back in through the window. And sure, we can sit here now and say "oh good, I'm sure glad we survived that one and made the ghost happy and shit", but you might not be so lucky in the future. Do you think the rest of us [read: Mashita] are just gonna shrug and go "well damn, too fucking bad Yashiki's dead, but at least we got the job done with that spirit" if that happens?
[The point Mashita is trying to make here is that he cares enough about Yashiki is that he is going to put Yashiki's well-being before the spirits contentment and would, in fact, grieve in some way if and when Yashiki dies someday, but... Mashita is really bad at expressing affection for anyone...]
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lmao i have no good icons for depicting kissing yet
smooches!!
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