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erku mods ([personal profile] erkumods) wrote in [community profile] ercookies2020-10-18 02:33 pm
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TDM 006: SPECTRAL SPECTACLE

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.



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.



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.




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.




N A V I G A T I O N



hare_faster: (Yeah i am a beast)

[personal profile] hare_faster 2020-10-26 04:14 am (UTC)(link)
[Oh no, she knew very well it was Clover's call, he generally picked the teams that did well to complement each other's abilities. It wasn't anything personal, just the way it worked. What made it personal was the fact that it had been, Clover was showing off and that was something that was reserved for her.]

Then what is it, some horrible vacation that no one asked for?

[Grabbing her uniform, Harriet dropped the towel and went ahead and grabbed her uniform. It was dry enough.]

We're a bit busy for wasting time playing in the sand.
ludicrous: (pic14151464)

[personal profile] ludicrous 2020-10-26 04:16 am (UTC)(link)
Did he?

[ How nice. Disregarding any disparity in time or perspective, it lines up with Jeremiah's narrative: a triumph that overcame the world. Peace, if only temporarily. ]

... Come now. Afraid of divine retribution after all this time?

[ Lloyd kept polite company with an absolute demon for months on end. Surely he can withstand Lelouch's imperiousness a little longer. Trajectory unbroken by hesitation, he leads their vanguard of two like he leads the chess board with the king. Questing to find a robot to properly subdue shouldn't be too difficult. The island's littered with all manner of mindlessly gullible tin cans. ]

Let's get going. Or else I'll never reveal where Suzaku enjoys squirreling away Lancelot's activation key.

[ And wouldn't that be a pain, having to bargain with a bleeding heart every time Lloyd deigns to tinker away at his pet project. ]
Edited 2020-10-26 04:19 (UTC)
schwarzen: (🍄 trametes luridochracea)

[personal profile] schwarzen 2020-10-26 04:23 am (UTC)(link)
[ The realization that there's been a misunderstanding leaves him far more mortified than finding her naked. ]

Forgive me for misunderstanding! I shouldn't have assumed...

[ So that's where he is in life right now, apologizing to the person who broke in naked. Now he definitely can't look her in the eye. Especially not when she's coming closer, too. His time here may have made him less scandalized by the idea of sex and nudity but this is still... strange. ]

... I see. The Augur is summoning people here without so much as the clothes on their back? That is low, even for them.

[ From one misunderstanding to the next. ]

I don't have anything in your size, exactly, but I do have a few garments that would fit you, if you'd like.
badluckblues: (97)

[personal profile] badluckblues 2020-10-26 04:45 am (UTC)(link)
[ Oh, okay. Now she's suddenly in her underwear. Qrow looked away reflexively, the habit ingrained in him from helping to raise two girls into young adulthood. Huntsmen and Huntresses weren't known for their modesty - academies and dorms were co-ed, after all - but Qrow made it a point not to assume anything about relative strangers of the female persuasion and their feelings about privacy.

(Short skirts and scanty clothes were another thing altogether, but that was neither here nor there. Time and place!) ]


You still got water in your ears? [ He gestured brusquely towards his ear, while staring somewhere to Harriet's left. ] I said, we're not on Remnant anymore. And let me tell you, the thing that brought us here isn't playing around.
jetsetwitch: (Definitely)

Ruins

[personal profile] jetsetwitch 2020-10-26 05:00 am (UTC)(link)
[Akane had been...doing her best? She was definitely trying to help, but she didn't really seem to be much good at gardening, or at fighting monsters, and was generally more of a tag-along than an actually useful ally.

Now, though, she perked up, then pulled out a notebook and a pen and started drawing a circle on it.]


Oh, I can go back to the town real quick and grab something. Anything in particular you want?
jetsetwitch: (Oops)

Arrival

[personal profile] jetsetwitch 2020-10-26 05:06 am (UTC)(link)
If I knew where any were, I'd get you a fortune teller.

[That might sound sarcastic from most people, but from Akane, who had taken her shirt off and was doing her best to wring water out of it, it sounded perfectly sincere.

He wasn't human, she figured. Why would he care about a bit of skin?]


I've tried it before, but I don't have much of a head for it.
jetsetwitch: (Surprise!?)

iii

[personal profile] jetsetwitch 2020-10-26 05:16 am (UTC)(link)
What? Me? Fight you?

[Akane took a step backwards, eyeing Jaylah over nervously. She looked tough, capable, and slightly scary.]

Ooohh definitely no. I don't really do violence, sorry. Isn't it better to talk things out?
jetsetwitch: (Oops)

I'm sorry everyone picks ii but Cerberus is a very good boy and deserves all the attention

[personal profile] jetsetwitch 2020-10-26 05:24 am (UTC)(link)
[It took Akane a moment to really parse what she was looking at here. The first reaction was "OH NO BIG MONSTER RUN AND HIDE", but that didn't feel like a good idea when it was already right in her face. Standing perfectly still, frozen in fear, seemed like the thing to do. At least, until she took in how Zagreus was acting, and the picture started to come together.

This wasn't a horrible beast, here to devour her whole. This was someone's pet dog! Immediately, Akane's posture changed from "Paralyzed in fear" to "PUPPY!"]


He...[swallow]...he looks like he might be three good boys?
knightmaking: (w-what?)

[personal profile] knightmaking 2020-10-26 06:29 am (UTC)(link)
Mm, if you say so, but you of all people know I that I tend to leave the compassionate part to those better suited, Your Highness. [ Earl? How strange to be around someone who still calls him by his title still. That was thrown out months ago! Not that there's any need to correct him, really. ] However, I disagree.

[ With what part? Oh, not the compassion and an interest in their plights. That's a sure way to manipulate people. Some even mean to be those things! It's just not for Lloyd. He means the other part! ]

I don't see why they wouldn't let me take one of their own apart. I would hardly leave it that way! Their designs are all so disparate on the outside, surely they must share an inside. [ Why won't something just let me casually shut them off and pick them apart, he asks, seriously, like that isn't scary or anything. He does follow, though, trailing along after Schneizel as he picks his way down the trail, only passing him by when he holds the branch up. ] Only their reaction to my first request seems to point to something more sentient than I would have anticipate— eh?

[ Moving to push aside another branch on his own ends his rambling with a confused sound as trying to carry on by reveals his wrist snagged on... something? He looks back and up. The first assumption is his sleeve's been caught but tugging on it only causes the culprit to tight around his wrist! ]

...a vine? [ Hold up. ] It moved? Is that alive?!

[ Okay, technically all plants are alive but they don't usually grab people! ]
warpspammer: (juro)

[personal profile] warpspammer 2020-10-26 06:33 am (UTC)(link)
[ well, that answers the question of if this is lucis. he's willing to bet this isn't even eos. it doesn't feel the same, if he's honest with himself.

he keeps his eyes on the buildings - the huts, the apartment buildings, and how it all gets a little better as they move closer to the hospital. somnus speaks of the augur, and he squints a bit up at the building. ]


"Different from the Six" - so what, does it think it's a god and it's not?

[ either way, hearing an ancient king speak of intimacy makes him turn his head to stare at him. ]

Intimacy. I'm assuming they mean more intimate than holding hands and kissing?
knightmaking: (ho hum)

[personal profile] knightmaking 2020-10-26 06:39 am (UTC)(link)
[ And there he goes, mind all made up. There's little left to do than follow along, swept up in whatever new idea the former 99th Emperor of the Britannian Empire has taken root in his head. Admittedly, Lloyd could simply go find something else to do but dangling the location of Lancelot's activaction key in front of him like that is a tempting enough carrot and even he knows it. ]

You're far too lively for a corpse... [ Not that it'll stop him from complaining. ] It's less about retribution and more about not knowing what else has already been discovered. Has no one else thought to take one apart and record their findings? Where did they come from? Who made them? Do they always answer questions in code?

[ Are they rigged to explode if they crack one open? How do they communicate? Why do they look so non-uniform? There's an endless list of questions! ]
warpspammer: (chapri)

[personal profile] warpspammer 2020-10-26 06:48 am (UTC)(link)
[ somnus could be explained away - he existed outside the realms of time. but ignis saying time is fluid when he's confused about him having just left... well, that must be that, then. he accepts it even if he doesn't get it, following after ignis.

when ignis mentions having questions, nyx glances over and then nods. ]


I figured you might have some. Shoot.
warpspammer: does nyx ever smile? (no) (chirra)

8)

[personal profile] warpspammer 2020-10-26 07:03 am (UTC)(link)
[ he doesn't pull back when she grabs the hand, smiling and holding back some obvious laughter, just so he doesn't startle anything that might be nearby. ]

Magic. Which might sound like bullshit, but believe me, if I get to play distraction you'll believe in it.

[ some people even back home doubted the king's magic was real, and he was living proof otherwise. he lets the flame fall back when she releases his hand, looking back down. ]

Looks like something got dragged through here. [ he points down to some tracks; if he didn't suspect better, he'd think it was a marlboro. ] Might be big and dangerous.
thebeats: (14403208)

[personal profile] thebeats 2020-10-26 07:04 am (UTC)(link)
Some.

[ She answers quickly, still looking down at the food with a critical eye as if it might explain itself should she inspect it for long enough. When it fails to do so, she gestures to the few things on her right side — sandwiches, meats, foods that are more fresh and easily prepared, rather than anything baked. All the more processed goods are to her left, some of it spreading out towards him when she ran out of space; there's more of those than there are of what she recognises. ]

I do not know it all, but these ones are most familiar to me.

[ She picks one at random, bringing it up to under her nose, and trying to see what she can smell from it. Even if she's had something similar before, it smells mostly new, a variety of unique scents that she can pick out if she focuses but nothing in particular she can describe as being off.

Eventually, she determines nothing, and holds it out for Lucas to inspect. She's not sure how close he needs to be, but keeps it up for him to take as needed. ]


What is it you smell from this, Lucas?
thebeats: (14403207)

[personal profile] thebeats 2020-10-26 07:25 am (UTC)(link)
I have never seen such a thing as your magic before now.

[ She's not calling bullshit, but she does still come from a very science-oriented universe. Magic is not something she can wrap her head around very clearly at present, though she is curious to see more of it for herself all the same. ]

I am tempted to make sure you play distraction, to see more of your fire and magic.

[ At least she's being upfront about wanting it, but she wouldn't actually pull through with endangering either of them needlessly. Not with something as big as what they're hunting. She doesn't need him to read the tracks to tell that much, broken branches and deep indents in the ground telling the story for her. ]

It is big, yes, and let us assume dangerous, too. [ In the same breath as she says that, Jaylah's moving forward again, following the trail after it. ] Come now.
marmoron: marmoron (u do u)

[personal profile] marmoron 2020-10-26 07:39 am (UTC)(link)
[ Keith stares at this like he's just finally realizing that there are a few issues with his jacket. Tearing his eyes away from her underboob, Keith looks back up at her face. Whatever he'd been about to say about her state of dress gets completely derailed by her name. ]

.... Okay, is that your actual name or is this like how Lance wants people to call him Sharpshooter?
warpspammer: (paro)

[personal profile] warpspammer 2020-10-26 07:45 am (UTC)(link)
I'm always down for a challenge.

[ at the very least, she knows he won't mind if she does decide to make him play bait. but either way, he follows after her, letting her take point in tracking the creature.

whatever it is, it's not light on it's feet, which means it probably has little to fear from the surrounding fauna. but the further they track it, the more the land begins to turn damp, like a swamp. and then the smell of it starts to tickle his nose as they come upon a small watering hole. ]


I think I know what this is, actually -

[ the sound of splashing nearby has him reaching out, tugging jaylah behind a tree as something squelches and rumbles. when he turns to peer around the tree, it locomotes along the bank, head swiveling along. ]

- yep, fucking Six, that's a Marlboro.
calcitrants: (Default)

[personal profile] calcitrants 2020-10-26 09:05 am (UTC)(link)
[ it's... something you slowly get used to, nyx. ignis took a little while to grasp the concept of it, too. ]

The Citadel. [ he says quietly as they walk -- and yeah, he's going for the heaviest subject right out the gate. there's a part of him that dreads the discovery and what nyx has to say, but he has to know what happened to their home, to their loved ones. ]

What happened during the signing?
warpspammer: (chapri)

tl;dr i'm sorry qing

[personal profile] warpspammer 2020-10-26 10:05 am (UTC)(link)
[ the heaviest subject first, of course. nyx closes his eyes for a moment as they walk, visibly gathering himself. he's only just come from it - even if it's been a few months for ignis, it still hurts raw for him.

but, ever the soldier, he begins to speak. ]


I don't know what happened during the beginning of it. Crowe - she'd been sent to retrieve the Luna - the Oracle. [ ignis may catch the way nyx begins to refer to her by name. ] She ended up dead, but she'd been tracking her. I figured out just before the signing that she'd been taken from Insomnia, to a fleet of imperial warships that were waiting outside the wall.

I took the Kingsglaive, despite the commander not answering me, and Regis sent me out to get her. It - was a trap. Set by Drautos, and some of the Kingsglaive. They betrayed the king and Insomnia.

[ he swallows, looking at ignis. ]

Drautos was Glauca. And he had the traitors murder the Kingslgaive that were still loyal to the King, that I had brought outside the wall. I got the Oracle and was heading back when the Wall fell. When we arrived, Glauca was battling the King, and had cut the ring off him. I didn't know it was Drautos yet. I didn't see the Emperor or anyone else. She and I got the King out, and he asked the Oracle to take the ring to the Prince and me to protect her.

[ he's telling this bit quite tonelessly. ]

And he... sacrificed himself. To buy us time to get out. Let Glauca cut him down so we could get away.

[ he reaches up to scratch at the side of his face. ]

A fat lot of good it did. I had no more of the King's power, and some of the Crownsguard tried to help us. But I didn't know about Drautos still, like I said. He called me to rendezvous, had Luche shoot me. We were going to die, and the King had told me to not let the ring fall into their hands, that it was necessary for the prophecy to get to the Prince.

I put on the ring, instead. And I cut a deal - my life for their power to get the ring, Libertus and Luna outside of Insomnia. I got them out of there and killed the bastard but Insomnia was burning by that point, and I was too.

[ his long retelling told, he looks to ignis. ]

Please tell me she got it to you guys.
Edited 2020-10-26 10:08 (UTC)
crucifixes: († all these couples are kissing)

kate fuller | from dusk till dawn

[personal profile] crucifixes 2020-10-26 10:32 am (UTC)(link)
𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈.

( kate doesn't actually know how much time has passed since her arrival here, but she hasn't made it very far. the voices of the robots still echoing blankly in her ear as she sinks into a clear spot on the sand, bracelet and towel clenched in either hand. her clothes are still soaked, strands of damp hair clinging to her cheeks and, while the water has gone a long way towards making her appearance a bit less gruesome, there's still a very large and very obvious bloodstain, stark against the white material of her shirt, surrounding what some might recognize as a bullet hole.

under (almost) any other circumstance, the appearance of these brightly colored...dragons? would thrill her. but her brain is still too jumbled to even attempt to deal with them.

so while they keep nudging her with their scaly little heads, forcing her to her feet out of sheer persistence, she finds herself turning to whoever happens to be nearby. voice thin: )
I don't suppose there's an easy way to call them off, is there?

𝑹𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍.

( there's something both unsettling and enchanting about the temple, and if asked, kate would be hard pressed to tell why she wandered inside it. a gentle push as if of phantom hands? or just an innate curiosity? her faith may be on shaky ground these days, but she's still the preacher's daughter.

cautiously she approaches the steps and, heart fast in her ears, calls out to you: )
Have you been up there?

𝑾𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒅.

( i'm good with absolutely anything, even if it's not already up there, so feel free to throw something at me. )
likethelight: (139)

[personal profile] likethelight 2020-10-26 11:38 am (UTC)(link)
[ First less than helpful robots, now temporary cat ears? What is this place, where all the rejected experiments from the science team end up with a perverted twist? Also, why did that make her blush. Except no, no... he doesn't want to know... ]

Different planets? [ That kind of goes over his head, but he's going to focus on the more serious concern there, and its implication. ] Exactly how many people are there that have washed up like this...?

[ A pause. Wait. Miranda's been here a month, but— ]

How long has this been going on for?
devilstongue: (🔮 4)

[personal profile] devilstongue 2020-10-26 11:55 am (UTC)(link)
[ If it had been a few hours later in his world, Molly would be dead and also have a lot less desire to go back to that. ]

Really? Hmm. What kind of things did they get?
devilstongue: (🔮 82)

[personal profile] devilstongue 2020-10-26 12:03 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Mollymauk lives for the show, taking a seat and listening to Oran with a smile. He takes a sip of the coffee before leaning a bit over the table. ]

Oh, you never know! The ancient magic in these cards might give us some insight, but for you...

[ His tail swishes as a distraction, and his hand is full on cards again. ]

Pick three. Past, Present and Future.
Edited 2020-10-26 12:03 (UTC)
devilstongue: (🔮 54)

[personal profile] devilstongue 2020-10-26 12:17 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Molly doesn't mind a random direction, because it just meant more to explore... and maybe less nosy automatons. He's very intrigued by the way Hypnos floats, even if it isn't completely unheard of at home. ]

The surface?

[ He hadn't been paying attention, eyes rising to look at the man's face instead. ]
chthonicfatigue: (67)

that icon... lmao

[personal profile] chthonicfatigue 2020-10-26 12:24 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, yeah!

[He- swivels around, more or less, like yes? Is that strange?]

That is where we are, right? It's reeeally bright, so, you know, I was just assuming! Am I wrong?