ercookies | TDM 005: HAPPY SPOOKTEMBER

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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N A V I G A T I O N

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[ He jaw tightens a little as he can't get a good read on how Mashita feels that he's throwing the question back at him. Was it too much? A lot is going on and maybe --

-- 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. ]

[Mashita sighs, back to sounding exasperated.]

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.

[ He looks away, making a noise in response to Mashita's answer.

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!

Mistaken for someone else or not, you still almost died, Yashiki.

[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...]

Edited 2020-10-01 01:48 (UTC)

I understand our bond from what we all went through.

[ How could he think he didn't?! Hiroo, Shou and Banshee all suffered -- he grimaces as he can understand Mashita's concerns that he's acting too dangerously, but -- ]

I don't -- [ He starts and stops. ] -- I don't expect you all to be all right with it. I understand that it'll be hard, but you don't have to be there at all in the first place.

[ That point, too, is important! ] None of you have to sacrifice yourselves for this. The business with spirits-- I didn't want anything to do with it, but I understand it is something that my fami-- no, it's something that I consider my responsibility. [ So, there! ]

And! I told you then! We can't just keep ignoring them and refusing to understand them. There may come a time -- when I die, it may be that the spirits won't have anyone that can sympathize with them after me, but -- until that time, I want to be able to let them rest.

[ Why can't Mashita understand that! He can do it! He can protect everyone, save them from having to do what he's doing, and ensure the spirits no longer harm anyone! He can do it! He did it for a month! He can keep doing it -- he didn't want to before -- he honestly would have rather avoided all of it but after Red Riding Hood, he understands that he can't just turn his back on them. ]

[Don't think Mashita didn't just catch you almost saying that about your family, Yashiki. Mashita's mouth tightens further into a grimace at his words, even if... Yashiki isn't wrong about some of what he says.]

Do you really think that any of us would let you go deal with this sort of shit alone either? We're not sacrificing ourselves for you, it's... ugh, it's supposed to be teamwork or whatever the fuck the kids call it that has us being there with you.

[He says the word like it's somehow disgusting, but you know, that's Mashita for you.]

My point is that sometimes there's gotta be a god damn limit to your sympathy if it means your life is in danger, Yashiki. Or at the very least don't go fucking running head first into spirits alone anymore.

[ He makes a bit of a face -- more bemused than frustrated or angry -- at the words "teamwork." But he stays quiet for the most part.

The burst of anger had come and gone. His anger never really lasts for long anyway. He just falls into a frustrated feeling in the end. ]

I can't promise any of those things. [ A beat. ] Still, it's really surprising to hear you talk about teamwork and all that... I would have thought you'd want to escape back to a much more normal life than continue to be dragged down into darkness with me.

I won't say that wasn't the plan at first when all this shit started.

[... But he likes working with Yashiki. He puts up with Mashita's bullshit better than most, and frankly Yashiki needs someone to reign in his self-martyring tendencies because this conversation sure didn't change Mashita's mind that it's a good idea for Yashiki to deal with spirits alone all the time.]

But at this point, I don't think I could go back to a normal life. Or even want to, whenever I really stop to think about it.

[Not if it means leaving Yashiki alone in that darkness.]

Edited 2020-10-08 00:42 (UTC)

[ For a brief second, it looks like he wants to argue with Mashita. It can be seen in the way that his eyebrows furrow at what is said. But in the end, he has to admit something to himself.

He has grand ideas of sacrificing himself for others -- so that they can return to their own lives. He thinks it would be all right if he continues to sympathize with spirits because no one else wishes to do so. He doesn't mind how much he goes into the darkness, and fears that he's a danger to those that get close to him.

But he's a hypocrite. Because he also doesn't want to be alone. ]

... thank you. [ What else can he really so that? ]

For staying. [ A slight pause. ] Again.

[Mashita regards him for a moment as he says those words, before finally he huffs out a laugh, searching his pockets again as he takes out a lighter]

You don't gotta thank me all the time for having basic fucking human decency here. Just don't give me a reason to have to drag your ass back from falling out of a window again or some shit and we should be good.

[... And then he's back to frowning, as he flicks his lighter here a few times and it doesn't seem to be producing the spark he needs, muttering under his breath about it being a "broke piece of shit"...]

Right.

[ He lets out a half-hearted sigh before his expression softens into a smile. The tension of before fades away as he almost laughs off the answer that he gets from Mashita. Because that sort of response from him is ... so him. ]

Right, right. I'll be careful.

[ He adds those words in with another little laugh. ]

And having troubles? I wonder if it got messed a little in teleporting to this place? [ Yashiki holds his hand out so that he could take the lighter from Mashita. ]

It's probably from the sand and water, since this place decided to do me the favor of dropping me in the ocean as opposed to any other place to teleport me to here.

[Which, maybe it's for the best that Yashiki didn't run into him until he was dry (... well, drier anyway, he does sort of look less put together than usual) as opposed to immediately after waking up wet on a beach, it probably would have involved more swearing and gesticulating angrily like a disgruntled wet dog.

He does hold out his hand to let Yashiki take the lighter though as he inspects whatever cigarettes he also has that are still usable to smoke here. He's probably going to have to get more from somewhere else... provided this place has cigarettes here, god willing.

... There's just one problem though, and it's that Mashita hasn't... actually let go of Yashiki's hand here from where he reaches out to take the lighter, his fingers having curled around momentarily around the other's hand before he could retract it back. Not that he seems to have noticed yet as he inspects his belongings with his other hand here.]

Edited 2020-10-15 03:13 (UTC)

I'd ask if you're okay, but at this point that seems kind of silly...

[ He shakes the lighter a few times in his hands, rolling it over in his fingers. His eyes slowly unfocusing as he examines the item in his hands carefully before he comes to the conclusion of what has already been said. The lighter has been made useless due to the sand and water getting into it.

But he had hoped that he'd be able to give some better news to Mashita. He lets out a sigh before looking back up. ]

Sorry... it looks like you're going to have to find another one to use.

Yeah, I was afraid you were gonna say that... then again, even if my lighter had been working, it looks like I'm gonna have to get new cigarettes anyway.

[He says with undisguised annoyance as he pockets them again.]

So where does a guy have to go to get them around here?

Right.

[ Still, a working lighter is always good. No one knows when they might be needed next. ]

... probably one of those AI cyborgs would know. [ His mouth immediately fills with air as soon as he finishes his sentence. Yashiki looks exactly like some chipmunk that has filled its mouth full.

Mostly because he's thinking of what Mashita would need to do in order to conjure up some cigarettes even if they are directed to the right place.

He lets out a breath. ]

But it's just a pack of cigarettes. What could that cost? A kiss?

What.

[Mashita gives Yashiki a look again at that. Seriously?]

Don't tell me I gotta make out with the shopkeeper or something just to get a damn smoke around here.

Well.

[ He holds his hands up in surrender. ]

I don't think that they personally want the kisses...

... Ah.

[And that's all Mashita says at first in response to the implication that's been put out in the open here.

Finally, after a moment he suddenly says, rather conversationally--]

Well, I never thought I'd finally have a good motivator dumped in my lap to potentially give up smoking, but here we are it seems.

[... As opposed to quitting because of the numerous health risks Mashita??]

Though, I'm assuming the same deal goes if we want to get our hands on any alcohol here, right?

[Exhanging kisses for material gain, he means.]

I didn't think that'd be enough for you to quit smoking.

[ His head drops a little as he can't help but laugh. The tone he uses is that he's sure that Mashita won't actually let that get him down.

If health risks aren't enough to stop him, why would kissing? ]

I assume that it's about the same, yeah. [ He gives a few nods. ] The whole world here seems like it's slowly trying to recover from whatever happened to it. I'm surprised that it's able to use energy like this to create what is needed, but it isn't so bad.

[ He gestures vaguely. ] There are some robots that actually give away free gruel. It's quite nice of them. [ ......... YASHIKI. ]

[... YASHIKI.

Mashita lets Yashiki ramble a bit, glancing at his bracelet device for a minute before he finally seems to have come to some sort of decision here.]

You're right, it wouldn't be.

[He says, responding back to the first thing Yashiki had said rather than any of the rambling that had followed after, and--hey, is Mashita now standing a lot more closer than he already was in Yashiki's personal space a minute ago?]

So, quick question: do we have to do this right in front of them, or will these things [pointing to the device with the sex bingo card] do the work of informing them about it for us?

Honestly, I'm not too sure.

[ A sheepish smile creeps onto his lips. The tone of the conversation turns more to like how it would be if they were investigating some strange occurrence -- though, to be honest, this may just be that! Rather than the embarrassment of before in having to explain what needs to be done, he switches to more thoughtful discussion of how it all works. ]

I really don't mind eating the rations that they give us. [ It is about the same as eating convenience food just with much, much, much less flavor. ] Acquiring a home and filling it with items that you need requires eros energy, too, but you can just as easily find an empty building to rest in during the day.

So, I guess the long and short of is... I don't really know how it works. [ Yashiki, you've been here for a month, guy. This is why people don't like leaving you alone in the mansion..... ]

[... Yashiki how in the hell are you not dead yet when you live like this, and that's not even taking into account the ghost business??

Mashita sighs at that, put upon as ever, as he speaks.]

Great. Guess we'll just have to find out for ourselves.

[Like they always have had to do, really, when investigating suspicious places and activities.

And that's when Mashita suddenly reaches out, one hand grasping Yashiki's shoulder, his other hand grasping the back of Yashiki's head, and just fucking goes for it instead of continuing to pussyfoot around this subject any further as he kisses Yashiki here. And it's not even that half-assed either or potentially "cheating" in the form of just a kiss on the cheek either, oh no, it's an actual kiss right on the mouth.

It doesn't last very long though, nor does it go deep enough to involve something as bold as using one's tongue, but it seems to be what Mashita thinks typically counts as a kiss for most people before he pulls back. He starts pulling his hands away too, moving to shove them back into the pockets of jacket with some amount of force.]

Well? Think that would be considered good enough for them?

Oh?

[ His eyebrows lift a little -- surprised that Mashita is going to be the one to investigate this one. But it will be good to find out how it really works.

He starts when he is grabbed so suddenly, and assumes that he's going to be given some pep-talk about how he needs to engage in investigating this phenomena, too. Honestly, he didn't expect to be kissed.

What? Rather than shock, he's surprised that he's the person that Mashita would want to test it out on. But also -- in that brief kiss -- he thinks of how much he has honestly missed him. His hand does start to lift to lightly touch the side of the man's face before he pulls away. ]

You know... it probably should be. But did you have to do that so suddenly? [ Noting that his hand is still in the air, he curls his fingers and lets it drop back down to the side. ]

I was thinking I was in for a lecture.

[Mashita's gaze flickers briefly to the hand that Yashiki had raised and dropped back down, before returning to Yashiki's face, seemingly indifferent.]

Well how else are we supposed to figure out if it works out or not unless we actually test it ourselves? I'm not exactly interested in hunting down strangers and asking them about the success or lack there of their sex life here.

Ah, right!

[ That definitely wouldn't be something that they could just casually mention! ]

This sort of thing might make people a little more easy to talk about it, but that doesn't mean it should just be brought up whenever. [ He presses his lips together, feeling like it doesn't quite feel the same as kissing Mashita.

Well, of course, it wouldn't!

Jeez, what is he thinking? ]

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markbearer - 2020-10-29 21:30 (UTC) - Expand

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TDM 005: HAPPY SPOOKTEMBER

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lmao i have no good icons for depicting kissing yet

smooches!!

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