TDM 006: SPECTRAL SPECTACLE

[erkumods]

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

Comments

[better_goodbyes]

I'll definitely return the favor when we're done.

[Tai didn't drink much, but he enjoyed having the chance to socialize and talk with others. And bars seemed to be a pretty good place where a lot of people let their hair down so to speak and had a good time. He'd just have to be careful about Qrow and keep him from going overboard.]

[sanc]

[ For her, for sure, it hasn't been too long since she's seen them. Her birthday wasn't THAT long ago. It's a little hard to wrap her head around, but she supposes she'll have to get over that.

She's a little more aware than he might think, but she's ok with feigning dumb for now to avoid talking about it a bit longer. She's not a shy person but all of this is a bit much, even for her.

Relena lets out a short sigh and smiles just a little bit. ]

Ah... thank you, Duo. I should probably eat, huh?

[ Now that he's mentioned it, she realizes she's pretty hungry.

She looks surprised for a moment before settling down, smile returning to her face. ]

Is he doing alright? Are you doing alright? I'm sure even for the both of you, this is a lot to manage.

[sanc]

Sure. Of course.

[ She'd really. Really like to dry off. It's bad enough being stranded on some island. Being wet and sandy is an added discomfort she wants to discard quickly here.

She follows Elle inside her apartment. It's about as rundown as she would expect with the state of the buildings. ]

Thank you for having me.

[garreg_much]

If that is your truth, then you appear to be out of options, General. I bid you luck finding a trustworthy and knowledgeable source of information.

[He appears to be neither at this point, after all. If that's truly how the war went for her, then who's to even say that what scattered fragments of knowledge and educated guesses he has would even be correct in her case? Byleth should be spending this time finding someone or something she can believe in. And him--he should be searching for a way to get back to Flayn and the others--to his Byleth, and his Fodlan.]

Now, if there's nothing else, I should be on my way.

[spacerat]

I find I think better when my stomach's full.

[ that's not exactly a lie. it's more he doesn't have any problems thinking, no matter the state of his stomach. but, he smiles at her when she smiles a little bit. it's nice to see her smile; he genuinely likes her, after all.

as for heero, he reaches up to scratch a cheek. ]

Well, we are managing. It wasn't exactly the easiest adjustment, and I think we're still figuring some stuff out, honestly. But he's doing.. okay.

[ the incident with wing zero notwithstanding, and their own complicated relationship that's only complicated in duo's head he's not getting into. ]

I think he likes being somewhere near the ocean, honestly.

[sanc]

I'm much the same.

[ She is... doing her best! She doesn't feel like sulking in front of people. Relena has maybe grown to have a more serious face on that she used to two years ago, but at least talking to familiar people she can will herself to smile. At least she isn't alone. Thank God. ]

Managing is better than not. I think 'okay' is the most I could hope for from anyone right now. This place looks like it's been abandoned for quite some time...

[ She sighs and pats her temporary dragon companion on the head. ]

Oh? Really? I guess a part of me didn't think he had a preference. I don' blame him, though... if it were a little less gloomy...

[spacerat]

Yeah. On the one hand, there's plenty of stuff to hunt here. One of the first things I did, though, was make sure we were set if we had any troubles on that front, by bargaining with the Augur for some MREs.

[ a beat. ]

I'm not feeding you those, promise. We've got some fresh stuff.

[ he looks a little sheepish. imagine feeding an ambassador mre's! as for that last statement, she's more accurate than she thinks -- ]

I don't think he really had them, before. But he's been able to... develop some, I guess? Since he doesn't have to be fight, here.

... They brought our Gundams with us, though. [ his tone drops a little, not like it's a secret but because they were supposed to be gone. ]

[sanc]

Even if you did... I'm not in a position to be picky.

[ She appreciates his consideration. She hasn't lived roughly like either of them. She can't act like she's not been raised among politicians and nobles. ]

I'm glad to hear that. If nothing else, at least the both of you can avoid fighting here, for a little while.

[ THAT surprises her. Her eyebrows raise and concern comes on quickly. ]

Wh-- how? Were they reconstructed by them ...? But how would they...?

[spacerat]

Eh, for you, I can be picky.

[ easy acknowledgement that yes, he's aware of how she's been raised, and he's glad now that there's plenty of options for food for her so she doesn't have to pull a heero and go catch fish with her bare hands.

at that statement, he gives a short nod. he'd like to avoid fighting, and outside of one incident, they've mostly managed to. her concern, though, is mirrored in his own expression. ]

I don't know. I watched Deathscythe self-destruct, same with Wing Zero. But both of them are in the hangar here. ... They're not the only mobile suits or Gundams, but they're the only two from our system.

[ yeah, he knows how that sounds. 'our system'. ]

[sanc]

[ She lets out a soft laugh, smiling more easily. ]

Thank you. I appreciate it.

[ She doesn't want special privileges here - it's not like she's any kind of political leader or noble in whatever place this is - but she knows he's being nice here.

The smile doesn't last long as her brow furrows and she turns rather serious. ]

So it's not just yours... but there's suits you don't recognize? And I'm guessing the pilots of those suits, too. Why would they be needed in a place like this? Mm, it's a lot to process, but I don't think I need to tell you that there's definitely more going on here than we know.

[spacerat]

[ he focuses on the more important part of the conversation for now, that of the other gundams and the other pilots. he nods to indicate she's correct that he doesn't know who they are. ]

I have spoken to a couple of them. And there are some things about where they are from that are... pretty similar, if I'm gonna be honest. Like someone changed around the order of events and the names.

[ at her statement, he nods again. ]

As for why they're needed... well. Heero and I did have to get into the Gundams, once.

[ he sounds a little guilty, but. ]

We weren't fighting people, though. These creatures came out from the ocean, monsters made of driftwood, heading inland. And bigger ones on the shore, with tentacles. Heero and I were keeping those back from the city as well.

[sanc]

[ She feels like she's a pretty sharp person. She focuses on honing her intelligence and empathy more than anything else, but this is... way over her head. ]

So... something like an alternative history? So is that what you mean by 'not our system'?

[ That concern is not going anywhere. She looks down at the little squirmy, round dragon in her arms. ]

So not other suits, but some kind of monster. It's not like little guys like this exist at home... I guess it would have been naive to think there wasn't a possibility that other creatures would be aggressive. It's still sinking in that this is a foreign world.

[ She sighs. ]

If I didn't know better, I'd think I must have hit my head.

[waswrongtoo]

[There was nowhere near as much space as their home on Patch, of course, but then, they were in the middle of a city, fallen or not. What space they did have, she was sure he could put to good use.]

I'd like nothing better.

[She had so many fond memories of the two of them doing just that. Heck, even a few of Ruby and Yang helping out... for a given value of "helping", of course. They ascended the porch and the patio furniture sitting there that they'd managed to find, and headed in.

Inside, the house was nothing short of pristine. It was a pretty simple place, mostly, a living room with a table and chairs, a couch set against one wall, and a couple hallways leading off to a bedroom and bathroom respectively. But separated from the living room by a half-wall was a kitchen that made it abundantly clear what Summer had mostly focused on. It was nothing short of perfectly stocked and looked after, and the lingering scent of cooked meals drifted in the air around it.

She had her priorities.]

[hare_faster]

Yeah, that sounds like a load of fun. Though I guess the best way to make sure that it's done right is to handle it yourself, and that way you know it's going to be what you want.

[Harriet didn't really know all that much about building or making anything, so that much was pretty much out of the question.]

So they have a request board for jobs, what's strange about that?

[paramounts]

[He will certainly be given ample opportunity to appreciate them. If not by the end of their conversation, then in the near future, certainly.]

As industrious as you are charitable, that's a fine quality to have, Dear. I will know where to look when I need help clearing some boxes of my own.

[She waves her hand with the bracer on it, although the boxes on her cards serve moreso as enticing ideas rather than tasks to be completed. She'll fill the whole thing eventually, she's sure.]

[monomachy]

[At least the amusement on his face makes her feel a little better about the insinuations she hadn't meant to make. What do they call it? A Freudian slip. But she doesn't think he's slipping at all with that "helping hand" line, and she can't help but chuckle. She feels less awkward, thankfully.]

There isn't much to canvass yet, fortunately.

[Or... unfortunately. Gods, she misses having a place to get good coffee.]

Until we figure out how to get home, we might as well try to live semi-comfortably. Anything you can think of might help.

[marmoron]

[ He notes that sharper look in her eye, but remains recalcitrant and stands his ground without looking away. ]

It's a lot to ask someone to believe without offering any proof to go along with it.

[ Not that he sees a clear incentive for her to lie about her identity, but it's really the patronizing attitude that goes along with it -- like he ought to simply accept that they're on different levels despite both of them being equally trapped here. ]

Would have thought a deity ought to be powerful enough not to get caught up in this. You weren't exactly brought here by choice.

[ He assumes, anyway. But it's a safe assumption. ]

[winscenario]

I never do things my halves, it's true. And when I set my mind on something, I don't let up until I reach my goal.

[ That can be taken in a myriad of ways, as she's likely aware. Truth be told, he might not need to fill out the boxes, but he also knows there are plenty of rewards he can ask for that would actually help people here survive.

That said, he wholly agrees with the kinks serving more as prompts than anything else. But if they happen to help improve quality of life here, he's certainly not about to complain. ]

It might come in handy for you if you want a nicer place to live, for instance. However, there are also apartments in town that are more spacious and slightly more comfortable than this. Some of them aren't quite so well equipped, but you won't find yourself short on generous neighbors more than willing to help you out.

[zenryokubatankyu]

[A blank stare is what Klaus gets in return. Yeah. Okay. He gets it, on some weird level. But at the same time, he had no time to go to the tiny plunger store...

But yeah. He nods, holding up his towel, and looks at his wrist.]

Y...eah. I did.

[He stares at it, rubbing his wrist underneath.]

Assuming that's important, then?

[occulti]

Okaaaay, yeah. That.. so.. so that.

_{[ Sorry, Osomatsu. He just smells like a minibar the closer he gets, but he reaches over and taps a few things on the bracelet and reveals Osomatsu's A5 card. ]}

Thaaaaaaat tells you all the kinky things you can do to earn stuff. Things. Like.. you can earn.. stuff for you. A pizza. Like a whole pizza. Or.. tiny plungers for your ears. Or a house. A clarinet.

Or.. you can earn something to be brought back to this world like.. dolphins. Oh my God. Yes. This place absolutely needs dolphins.

[zenryokubatankyu]

[At that expression, Osomatsu snorts, an amused grin on his face. Guy seems unused to this kinda talk despite being in...here a while, as he says.]

...That's....so they encourage people to get laid? What are they getting out of this? [Is it a scam? Is it a porn scam? Man! Studios be gettin' more and more skeevy these days! Then again, some bitches be eager for that, in a weird roundabout way.

Osomatsu is bitches.]

So lemmie get this straight. I've washed up here on this island. The robots here really, really want me to get laid for some reason. Possibly so they can film it and sell it online on the cheap. There's no way to get home that anyone knows of, so as long as we're here, we've gotta go along with this ponzi scheme...pornzi scheme...or suffer.

[He thinks on that while chewing another bite.]

I mean, I wanted to get more, but I guess this is a 'be careful what you wish for' thing...

[He's kind of nervous now.

Mostly because he's a virgin.]

[zenryokubatankyu]

[It's okay. Osomatsu smells like that a good 50% of the time, too. Man, he would actually like a drink right about now, if he's being honest...

But he stares as the card is brought up. His eyes widen.]

...Wait, so we do things? From this? These are all fetishes. That's... [He's a little stunned.] I dunno what they're getting out of people doing that, or specifically me, I haven't...at all... [...He's not excited to note that he's a virgin, but...

Still, he blinks. And with a weird, confused lilt--]

--This place is an island without dolphins? The fuck? ...Yeah, I'm absolutely bringing dolphins back.

[Two men.
Zero braincells.]

[zenryokubatankyu]

Hmmm. [He hits the palm of his hand.] Let's go for the reliable one for now. Then we'll explore next time.

[This is part of a genius plan, of course. Ensure that there is another time. Truly, he is an evil mastermind.]

[zenryokubatankyu]

[This poor kid looks so stunned and confused. Osomatsu snickers, clicking his tongue.] Ahhh, so you do get it. Maybe you are the right age after all. Then again, you knew younger me, so I guess that makes sense, even if he seems like...immensely more shy than I am now. He probably was scoring all over the place. As I tend to do.

[That is the biggest lump of bullshit he's ever spat out.

He'll probably be more stunned that Tanjiro's gotten more than he has than anything, really.]

[shangrilady]

[ Elle doesn't have a lot in the way of space. Or spare clothes. ]

No worries. We're all kinda helping each other out around here. Now let's get you out of those wet clothes, yeah?