ercookies | TDM 006: SPECTRAL SPECTACLE

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TDM 006: SPECTRAL SPECTACLE

00. 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. The Dragon's Matchmaking

Welcome to the Island, cherub dragons! The auspicious actions of your fellow Islanders have foreseen the reintroduction of dragons to the world. Unlike the hulking, possessive creatures of ancient lore (and recent hot springs), these well-meaning little critters love to help. Their small size and roly-poly frames make them unsuited to laborious tasks, but they will be the perfect companion to any residents who endeavor to pick up a small item, wish for their lunch to be delivered to an absolute stranger, or need a fire started from a tiny, flaming sneeze in their drafty homes. If a cherub dragon sees an Islander they perceive in need of their assistance, they will zip right in and refuse to scram until they’ve done the job!

No visible struggles? No problem! The little dragons also love to play matchmaker. Persistent dragons will gleefully nudge together Islanders they believe will have chemistry, and sometimes they aren’t wrong! Of course, even if sparks fail to fly, the dragons’ trilling songs are known to kindle romantic feelings between strangers and long-time lovers alike.

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II. Ruins

While the Islanders have been enjoying their autumn relaxation, the ‘bots of Erku have been hard at work clearing the surrounding forests of dangers for their guests’ safe habitation. If you are of deft hand with monster slaying, forestry, or even just hauling debris and weed picking, the robots will gladly exchange credits for help with reconstructing the recently unearthed mountain temple grounds from the rubble that remains there. Just follow the path of gently glowing mushrooms to the site of the temple ruins. Beware of lurking creatures, grabby plants, and falling rocks!

The temple ruins are tall and breathtaking, despite the eerie chill of the fog that lingers just beyond. Or is it the fog that sends a shiver up your spine? After all, this place was very spiritually important to the original inhabitants of the Island, the robots say to anyone curious enough to ask. Although their own programming does not include religious worship, the Augur believes the restoration of this place to be vital to the continued augmentation of Eros energy.

When questioned about the strange shadows that seem to slip from tree to tree, or the unsettling feeling of ghostly hands that seem to nudge volunteers deeper into the grounds, the robots respond with nothing but bafflement. Their sensors detect no unknown organic presence afoot.

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III. Ritual

Islanders who chase those mysterious shadows may find themselves particularly drawn to a structure that lay deeper within the ruins, beyond where the robots have made the most progress. Three sets of crumbling, moss-covered stairs join to form a central platform, which - despite the overcast skies - seems to emit a soft glow. Those who step onto the platform may begin to hear a quiet, compelling voice, which urges them to be free of their inhibitions and to offer their energy to the spirits to be multiplied hundredfold. Visions of naked bodies in the throes of carnal worship dance before the eyes. Those who are especially spiritually sensitive - or perhaps, just lucky - may feel as if possessed by a consciousness that is not their own, and that consciousness is filled with a burning sexual desire.

Leaving the platform is an option if alone, but the intense and overwhelming urge to seek companionship will persist until an Auspicious Act is completed. Those who are fortunate to be joined by company within the temple will feel compelled to worship right then and there, no matter the risk of being seen. Within the walls of the temple, Eros energy is enhanced such that any erotic act - big or small - will be enough to break the spell.

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N A V I G A T I O N

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[Buried in a mound of sand on the beach is a vaguely familiar pair of glasses. Suzaku plucks the pair out of the sand and dusts them off, turning them this way and that in an effort to jog his memory. He feels like he's seen these before. He feels like he's punched them right off a very, very familiar face before, but whose?]

...Lloyd?

[Nearby, a man is squawking at a small squadron of chubby dragons. Ah. So they do belong to Lloyd. Suzaku wanders over to him and offers his long-suffering engineer the glasses he's in desperate need of.]

Did you drop these, or were they taken from you?

[These dragons are awfully helpful by nature, but a few of them are... well. Troublesome and inclined to play pranks.]

[ A very familiar, very punchable face indeed, and one that looks up sharply at Suzaku's voice, putting aside his whinging at the dragons for the time being. He squints but without his glasses, everything nearby is a blur of color. What he can do is toss the garish heart-shaped ones away and hold his hand out for his real glasses, though! And provided they get handed over, he can fix that little problem by putting them back on.

Okay, now he can take a good, long look at Suzaku through slightly sandy lenses. Well then. He can't help but give a snort of laughter. ]

What's this? The ghost of Suzaku Kururugi appearing to return my long lost glasses? How interesting! [ Is he kidding around? It's Lloyd, so yes, he is, kind of! He does know better but he can't help it sometimes. ] I lost them earlier in the water when I first got to shore. It's been a bit of a mess ever since with...

[ He waves at the little dragons still around them, all now hopping ridiculously for joy now that Lloyd's found his glasses. Mission accomplished! Just not by them! ]

A pack of lizards? [ Wait, hang on. He can get a good look at them now, too. ] Do these things have wings?

Rocket was rather caught up in getting bluntly run into by his little friend to notice the other person coming at him. He caught movement out of the corner of his eye and stumbled back. Narrowly avoided that idiot! He whipped to face the guy, glaring at the human. "Oh, really? Cause when you were stomping around like a moron, I didn't notice! Maybe next time you should really barrel into me so I can see that shit."

He grabbed his puffball before the thing could float towards Osomatsu.

So what you're saying is this place is a never ending parade of annoyances.

[ Garrus is used to things being aggravating. No matter what form they might come in, sometimes it just feels that the universe is conspiring against. Most of the time, really. This probably ranks rather low on the threat to annoyance index, but given that he hasn't experienced the geese or the cats, these little dragon things are able to claim the top spot. ]

Garrus.

[ He introduces himself curtly, though more a factor of the annoyance on his head than anything else. He has no idea what a tiefling is, but for the moment, doesn't deign to ask any followup questions. He can only assume it would be as annoying as explaining what a Turian is. ]

A knight? [ He repeats the word incredulously. In the grand scheme of things it's at least a little accurate, but the descriptor is too foreign to him to agree to. ] Not quite. Nothing like that, no. I'm more of a mercenary, if anything.

It's me, in the flesh.

[No spooky spirits here! Suzaku can't help a thin smile– the dragons try, they just... aren't very helpful. At Suzaku's feet, a silvery dragon rolls around and draws messy figure eights in the sand. He's had enough time to acquaint himself with the dragons to know that they're (mostly) harmless, so he picks it up and gives it a gentle squeeze. As a result, the dragon exhales a small plume of fire and pumps its tiny little legs.]

They're dragons. Believe me when I say they aren't the strangest things on this island. Did you just get here?

[ Yeah... he should have seen this coming. He practically invited it, really. And-- as much as he thinks this human really isn't on the same level as he is, there's a point to be made about doing stupid dangerous things, and friendship. If he really thought about it, he might acknowledge that was really the only way he made friends at all. That thought, however true, is pushed aside, and Garrus lets out a huffed breath to show his begrudging agreement. ]

Look, I just don't want to feel responsible for you being eaten alive.

[ At that his talons curl almost defensively around his rifle, as though he expects something to come crashing through the brush to make him back that statement up. ]

You can stay with me, but I'm not here to be your bodyguard. Try not to get yourself killed, okay?

A glass shaking box would be more than welcome at this point. Garrus is pretty sure he's extended all the good will he has available in not getting aggressive with this thing. He was already about at his limit, and now he had a second dragon invading his personal space. He did his best to shoo the second one away-- go back to annoying the small, furry lifeform from which it had came.

"Not as far as I know," And if there were some sort of return policy, he would love to hear about it. As it is, the bulbous thing bounced down from his head to settle on his shoulder. Between that and Rocket's dragon, he now found himself with a matching set. "I think I've already dealt with an hour of this, I'm a few minutes away from seeing what happens they meet with the business end of a rifle."

Right... [ He had sort of hoped Zichen might take the lead with explaining things, but he's no stranger to chasing after ansers. At least it seems like this man might be willing to give them. ] The whole sex thing... that's a joke, right?

[ That's what he wants to be true, simply for how absurd the idea is. He's seen dying planets, seen how desperate they can be for resources-- never has the answer been fornication. ]

Or in the dream, anyway. Dragons? These?

[ Lloyd immediately plucks the nearest one — a little blue one — up out of sand and holds it up, turning it this way and that despite the way it squeaks at the sudden and somewhat rough handling. ]

These can't be dragons... [ They look ridiculous! ] You and the robots would make sense for my mind to come up with but these? I can't even fathom what fat little dragons mean.

[ He may not answer the question about getting here directly but referencing the robots kind of gives it away. He's freshly arrived and not quite accepting it yet. ]

[Bruh, what is Halloween? Sounds fake. But while Than allows the pseudo-insults to slide right off him, all too used to dealing with this sort of thing from souls he comes to collect, the notion of spirits normally roaming about prompts a sharp:]

Letting a shade escape is an unforgivable mistake.

[He would never!! The others... might, but he would never.]

Though I'm not surprised you hold such a view. Your kind often misunderstands death, in all its forms. [Hmm.] Do you fear it?

[He didn't fear that shade, so you know what! Color Than curious.]

[Of course Cerberus is a big help. The biggest. His fearsome reputation is one of the reasons the shades tend to stay in line, back in the Underworld, and Thanatos respects that; he would never think to indirectly insult his very valuable coworker.

But Zag decides to take that angle and run with it, and let it be known that Thanatos (internally) panics for all of, like, five seconds. Underworld HR is coming for his ass! Or: Thanatos is stuck between a rock and a hard place as he eyes this snout that's much, much closer than it was a few seconds before. He hasn't pet Cerberus since—well! Has he pet Cerberus? Maybe when he was a baby god.]

I do. Cerberus' abilities were never in question.

[Only yours, Zag, hence his dry tone—but okay! Okay. Cerberus isn't lounging beside Lord Hades' desk, and so Thanatos does indeed reach out to offer a light pat.]

It is an honor to work with you, both here and in the Underworld. [And you know what, just because he's a lil mean like that—] Thank you for keeping Zagreus from falling behind.

[When will the Olympians get Twitter, just so Hypnos can watch their inevitable breakdowns in real time and tell Than aaaaall about them. Anyway, though: Ah. Not entirely unexpected—and she could be lying to him, of course; Olympians do like to play strange games, he hears, but, you know. Surely there's some degree of professional respect here?? Or so Than would like to think, even as he watches her make herself right at home. Good to know that poster in Zagreus' room is entirely accurate.]

We do what we must. There's always work to be done, in the Underworld. [Mortals always be dyin'. A beat, just for that added emphasis, before he adds, simply:] I'd like to get back to mine.

[Married to his job, this one, which is perhaps why he turns, heading to that back corner to grab his dry-ish chiton. He's going to find a way out of here one way or another! Yeah!]

Rest has never been a priority.

[People should worry more about their own business and less about the business of others! Poking one's nose where it doesn't belong is how you end up with, say, tents on fire—but ah, well. He sees what you're doing, little guy, even as his Look intensifies.]

It's solving a problem it caused. [Hhh. Grudgingly, then—] More helpful than the alternative, I suppose.

[That's all he's going to give this little beast—and it seems to realize it, hence the way it promptly releases Than's clothing. Pro: Than is free! Con: It's just going to tuck itself even closer to this human, hooting softly.]

[It doesn't take long for the dragon in Suzaku's hands to slowly lean to one side and chomp down on his finger. To his credit, he doesn't drop it, but... ouch?! Wincing, Suzaku gently sets it back down on the beach, leaving it to waddle back over to its dragon brethren.]

Ow... Well, there weren't dragons here until recently. Someone probably wished for them.

[...which naturally begs the question: people can wish for things like dragons and said wish will come true? Yes, yes they can. The truth is stranger than fiction, as they say.]

Unfortunately, this isn't a dream. If it is, this is the longest dream I've ever had.

For free? That's your loss, then.

[ A laugh threatens to bubble up at 'Star-Lord', but Garrus swallows it down, keeps as much of a stony composure as he can manage. If there were anyone free wheeling around the galaxy known as Star-Lord, he thinks he would have heard about it; if only to laugh about. All of that side, he can't deny he's interested in the 'interplanetary threats' line of discussion. That's right up his alley. ]

Yeah, got here a few days ago. [ He shrugs it off as though it were nothing, forcing himself to seem as adaptive as possible. Not that he isn't, but this place is already pushing him to his limits. ] My name's Garrus. Not really the galactic odd job sort-- [ At least, not without sufficient prodding from those he respects. ] But I hear you on the galactic traveling. Didn't think I'd find anything familiar with it here.

There are, and it is.

[A light flirtation, but one Diana takes note of. A smile pulls at the corner of her lips. Pragmatism isn't a bad trait. Amazons don't believe in hiding their desires, or denying themselves what they want. In some ways, that makes it seem as if places like Duplicity and this island shouldn't bother her so much. But they do--she's never liked feeling caged. And despite the improvements to the island, when all is said and done, it's still its own kind of cage.

Diana laughs, a melodic sound from deep in her chest.]

Some of us know that people need more than alcohol to survive. [She flashes him a grin.] Though it wouldn't hurt to have a nicer place to get it.

No, it's not a joke. The food rations are tainted with this aphro but there are ways to gain access to untainted food. The monthly incidents are harder to avoid, though. [As much as he'd like to answer otherwise.]

Some people adjust more quickly than others, it seems, though.

[Rotom sparks at that growl, threatening to zap him. But Raihan is much too caught up in the energy in the air to notice]

Raihan. What 'bout you handsome? I like knowing what name to yell.

If he had to choose between which of the two got stuck with those things, sadly for this guy, Rocket wouldn't pick himself. "Honestly, I considered it. Decided to put it off to see where the little guy led me. And unfortunately for them, that brought me to someone wanting to shoot 'em too." He smirked. "Fate's a cruel lady to the sad and stupid."

[ He doesn't know what's worse - having done this to Fjord or the fact that he really, really liked kissing him. He's ruined it all, though. Why did he get so close? How could he not have noticed he was walking up the stairs?

Molly's not expecting Fjord to knock on the door and bring him food, and he looks over at the half-orc with a wan smile. ]

I... thank you. You don't need to do this. I'll...fuck, I'm so sorry, Fjord.

[ He should move the extra mattress out of this room and sleep in the bed it belonged to. ]

I never wished to hurt you this way.

I mean, depending on your outlook on life, this would either be a wonderful or terrible afterlife. More likely it's some kind of other plane of existence, which is far above my understanding.

[ He stretches a bit, tail sweeping over the ground where he's sitting. ]

Either way, despite my enjoyment of exploring new things, I'm not really that happy to be here. However, of all the bullshit planes to be trapped in, it's not as bad as it could be. Just missing pillows and wine.

If not a dream, then a coma, but I don't recall any accidents happening just before arriving.

[ One or the other. He's really hoping for the former since a coma presents a much larger problem for him! But he isn't going to worry about it. He squishes the dragon he's holding between his hands a little before dropping it back to the beach, letting it scamper away. ]

Hmm... Although, if they're biting you, they could be an analogue for cats!

[ There. Dream mystery solved. Anyway, now that he has his correct glasses back, he plucks those same heart-shaped sunglasses he'd been waving around before back up and springs to his feet! Suzaku is going to find himself getting those gaudy things popped onto his face if he doesn't duck back fast enough. ]

I am quite spectacular tiefling, and I'm always happy to hear compliments like that. Interesting is one of my favorite things to be.

[ He does have quite pretty horns, full of baubles and jewelry, loudly screaming 'look at me' like the rest of both his wardrobe and demeanor. ]

Oh, I get a question anyway? Marvelous. I guess my question is what you are! Mentioning mortals and all that, it sounds like you're not.

A recent arrival as well? It seems they are stealing away a lot of people. Awfully rude, honestly.

[ He was in the middle of something! ]

Mollymauk Tealeaf. Your pleasure to meet me.

[ Okay, so there's definitely a line and it's real. Got it. It's a bit surprising to hear that he's the first person to actually answer the clearly very legit and official questionnaire being given here, but to be fair he does happen to be the only other corporeal being in the vicinity. ]

Oh, oh, um... Takuto Maruki, 180 centimeters annnnd... I guess about 65 kilograms? Maybe? Something like that, anyway. I... used to be a counselor.

[ But... ]

But more recently -- or really always, you could say -- I was a researcher.

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Page 18 of 57

TDM 006: SPECTRAL SPECTACLE

00. Arrival

I. The Dragon's Matchmaking

II. Ruins

III. Ritual

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sticks legy out