ercookies | 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:

Always watch your back. - Characters will be compelled to walk, or even speak, backwards for the duration of the day. Those who mishear it as "wash your back" may spend longer in the shower than usual.
Fake it til you make it. - Characters will feel compelled to act performatively. They will more readily fall into acts for serious or flirtatious roleplay, or try on costumes that reflect a particular persona they're interested in exploring. Faked orgasms will seem quite realistic.
You will receive an affectionate letter from a friend. - Just as it is said, someone will be compelled to engage in correspondence - and whether it turns dirty or not, well, that's up to you! Characters may also quite literally receive an article of clothing with a red letter sewn on the top. What could it stand for?
Hold on tight. - Characters who are given this life advice will start to feel rather clingy. They'll attach themselves to someone's side and refuse to leave, or they may find a "security blanket" item and won't let it go.
You are a generous, giving person. - Characters will feel compelled to do something kind for someone else. Maybe they'll invite someone to the movies, come over and cook, or do that thing their partner is always asking for.
Don't think. Feel. - Even if they weren't before, characters temporarily experience impulsive and hot-headed urges. They will also become very tactile.

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

N A V I G A T I O N

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ He stiffens at the touch, feeling traces of the other person's mind through it, and the truth that he already knew hits him kinda hard. This is not Amanda Grayson.

Spock looks into her(?) eyes again before looking down to the ground and making himself relax. Without saying anything, he nods and moves over to the bench to sit down. ]

I apologize for my negligence of handling an unfamiliar substance. Given my profession, the events that lead to this situation were extremely foolish on my part. I also wish to apologize for the initial misunderstanding.

[ And he'd like to give this person an out but that seems weird to find the words for right now. ]

[ Peter isn't familiar with Vulcan's biology and thus he's not aware that even the slightest touch might be enough for an experience to be shared. Given their talk, he's been thinking of Meredith. First, the good memories where they listened to music and sang along with it, when his mother was still healthy, her golden curl framing her face and her smile bright.

He doesn't have a lot of those because even the happiest of memories turned into bitter ones, a reminder of what he had lost, once her brain cancer took over. Her long curls were no more, her skin pale and frail, no more dancing to be had since she couldn't even leave the bed or stand.

Spock speaking up once they sit down brings Peter back to reality, focusing on the other man. He gives Spock another pat on the arm and an 'it's no problem' look. ]

We're stranded in a city that doesn't even have a name, left to figure out how to survive in it. Accidents happen, don't worry too much about it. What's your profession? And while we're at it, what's your name?

[ Peter wouldn't leave him alone anyway. Not when he's drugged to the gills and vulnerable in what's undoubtedly a sex planet. ]

[ He makes to glance over at this other person, but the vision of his mother is even harder to see than her voice is difficult to hear. It seems easier to ground himself in reality when he doesn't look. ]

My name is Spock, Commander Spock of the Starfleet's USS Enterprise where I perform my duties as First Officer and Chief Science Officer. Hence why my negligence has little excuse.

[ Not going to make that same mistake again. ]

And you are?

[ Peter isn't offended by the failed attempt of eye contact. He figures it's Spock's attempt at grounding himself. ]

That's a very impressive tittle. I think I've heard about Starfleet before Do you know James Kirk?

[ It's a big supposition to imagine that they know each other, but Peter has to ask. He doesn't know yet if whatever brought hem to this planet like to grab people from the same universe on purpose. ]

My name's Peter Quill but around the Galaxy, they know me as Star-Lord, a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy. So far no one seems to know who they are, so I don't expect you to recognize the name. Does anything hurt? Do you have a headache or...?

[ He does look to Peter this time, an eyebrow slightly raised. ]

James Tiberius Kirk is the captain I serve under on board the Enterprise.

[ The how in the world do you know him is implied. ]

I have traveled great distances in my own galaxy but have not come across that exact term... [ He kinda wants to apologize but it feels awkward and illogical to do so, so he doesn't.

He just shakes his head. ] There is no pain that I am currently aware of. Merely hallucinations. However, they... seem to be receding. [ His mother doesn't look like his mother now. More like a dream of her or a ghost, something a lot less real than a moment ago. Something that's clearly fading.

He feels relief. And guilt for feeling relieved. And a great deal of sadness and pain for both. Well, it's not a headache. ]

[ Even in this state, Spock's raised eyebrow manages to invite people into answering him. Amazing. ]

I met him at the library, yesterday. He seems like a fun, good man.

[ One that liked space and joking as much as Peter does. Easy on the eyes too but the guardian keeps that last part to himself. They all have bigger worries right now. ]

Chances are we're not even from the same galaxy then. I'm still trying to figure out what kind of entity has the power to bring us here.

[ He's got a few theories and none of then are good. Also, none of then hold up when confronted with the fact they're supposed to get sexually involved with each other to save the planet. Who would kidnap people for that? It's too chaotic.

Peter is tempted to offer some comfort, but he's not sure if touching the other man is a good idea. His concern wins over the uncertainty and he pats Spock's back gently. ] Oh, good, that's good. Do you know what might have caused this? Just to avoid it in the future. Did you drink or eat anything strange?

[ A fun, good man. Yes, that's Jim, all right.

He sighs, shoulders falling, entirely uncharacteristic and maybe even a bit unseemly. ]

The substance from the flowers. The liquid spilling from the skull's orifices. That is the only thing I can assume has caused this, at the current moment.

But whatever entity, as you put it, has brought us here, it no doubt can cause these sorts of delusions to anyone at any moment it deems fit. Assuming we were taken by a sentient being, at least.

[ Yes, science talk. He can talk science. This is good. ]

[ If slouching a little is that what Spock considers 'unseemly', Peter better keep to himself the stories about his sexcapades and how he got some of the little scars adorning his chest. ]

I knew these things were bad news, they look super creepy. The rattling, brr... [ Peter frowns at the information, looking down at Spock's hand and then at his own, still covered by gloves. Just in case, he rubs the palm against his thigh to clean any residue. ]

I've met people able to create all sorts of illusions and to bend reality to their will, either with magic or using an Infinity Stone. [ Peter's tone is serious and unhappy, and he doesn't go into further detail. ] Let's worry about one thing at a time. If it's the sap in your skin what's causing all this, let's get you cleaned up. There's, uh…a bathhouse of sorts near.

TDM 005: HAPPY SPOOKTEMBER

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject