ercookies | TDM 006: SPECTRAL SPECTACLE

Entry tags:

!tdm

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Arrival: Beach Front

[Washing up on shore Tai found himself coughing up water as he crawled out of the waves and just laid out on the beach. His head was swimming, trying to recall just what he was doing, and why the heck he would have been at the coast. Even if Patch was a pretty small island, he'd been on a mission hadn't he? Sitting up he rested his elbows on his knees, caught off guard when the robot came drifting over with a towel. Atlas tech, but they'd pretty much recalled everything hadn't they?]

Thanks.

[Taking the towel he stood up and went back to the edge of the water to wash off a bit of the sand. Getting most of it he started drying off as they offered him the bracelet.]

Dragons: LoveDaddy on Lonely Huntsmen
[So of course Tai would take to the dragons, more than happy to have a few of the little guys around. He'd been following one along that seemed rather insistent, drifting along behind him and headbutting in the back each time he stopped.]

Alright, alright, just where are you trying to take me?

[Drifting around it let out a little trill before stealing the armband around his arm. This was starting to be as bad as dealing with the girls when they were younger.]

Give it back.

Ruins: Working up a sweat
[Tai had been glad to help out, he'd need to earn a little extra to help get settled in. So he could be found helping to move some of the rocks out of the way, as well as clear some of the vegetation. In a way, it wasn't much different than trying to work in the garden, well except it was more clearing the way for a garden than tending to one. Of course, it helped that he was able to help deal with the monsters and plants that tried attacking along the way as well. Reaching the ruins he wiped a bit of sweat from his brow as he glanced over at the person that had joined him.]

Not a bad workout, but I could something to drink.

Ritual: 18+
[The shadows had caught Tai's attention, and there was no way he was going to leave the area unsecured, so he followed them. It seemed that they were just a little faster, but he managed to keep up for the most part. However, they managed to lose him when he stumbled upon the stairs.]

If we're playing a game of hide-and-seek, you usually let the other person know.

[Walking down the upper set of stairs he paused when he reached the platform looking around. At first, he ignored the whispers, just a bit of paranoia right? But after a moment there were the visions, things that reminded him of nights from long ago.]

Things are starting to heat up more than I expected.

[It's time for new people to be showing up on the island, so of course Summer's here doing her best to help. It's bad enough to suddenly show up in a new place out of nowhere, but when you're just immediately greeted by robots shoving towels and bracelets at you with little to no explanation...

Well, the new people need as much help as they can get.

But of course there's another reason she's down here. A little mixture of hope and fear, that always lingers over her as the newcomers make their way onto the beach. And when she sees a familiar mop of blond hair, her eyes widen and she turns to him. Is it...

A beaming smile appears on her face as she gets a good look, and with a cheer she runs over.]

Tai!

[And it's time for a full-on, all-powerful Rose hug. Like mother, like daughter, after all.]

[Tai had been wiping off his arms when he heard her voice, for a moment her froze. He managed to turn just in time to brace himself for the incoming hug, wrapping his arms around her as a smile spread across his face.]

Summer?!?

[How was this possible? Was it really her? At that moment it didn't really matter. With her in his arms he spun.]

I've missed you.

[Laughing with delight, Summer hung on for the spin with relish. Oh, this was a good day. Alright, things were going to be a little awkward fairly soon, but that could wait! She had her husband with her, and at last she could celebrate someone being at her side without internally freaking out too much about how they'd handle the island.]

I'm glad to see you too, love.

[She pulled back just enough to look him in the face, and smiled at what she saw. If he was the same age as Qrow, he certainly wasn't showing it. Aside from a few lines in the face he looked more or less the same as when she'd last seen him.]

Looks like waiting to help out new arrivals paid off.

[It might not have been showing but there were days and times that Tai felt it. Especially when he saw the girls and how much they had grown. Setting her down he still held on, almost afraid she would vanish if he let go.]

New arrivals?

[It wasn't surprising that she would be helping others, but what did she mean new arrivals. Just where was he?]

Looks like it did, for both of us.

Right, right, I'd better explain. This is... well, it doesn't really have a name. The entire world appears to just consist of this island and the ocean around it, as far as we know.

[Of course, it wasn't like they'd sent out search parties or anything.]

The robots are servants of what's called the Augur. As far as we can tell, it's a sentient supercomputer, it's the one in charge here, and it's bringing people in from all sorts of different worlds and times.

[Which nicely explains how she can be here.]

[He half expected her to tell he'd died, it might have made a little more sense than the idea of an island is some unknown land run by a supercomputer.]

Augur. And it brings people in from different worlds and times. So is this where you've been?

[Had she been pulled here all that time, since that time when she didn't come back?]

What are we doing here?

I know. Even by our standards it's... weird.

[Seriously, she's not sure what the strangest part about it is. Being taken to another world, a computer being the one behind it, or what they're here for.

Speaking of which...]

Well, supposedly they're trying to revitalize this world, and there's an energy they can harness to do it. I've actually seen this place slowly recover from what it first was, so as bizarre as it seems there must be something to it. But the catch is, they can't generate that energy for themselves. That's where we come in. And... as for how exactly we do this...

[She lifts up her own wrist and the scroll-like device attached to it.]

It's probably easier if I show you.

[Revitalize the world, well that didn't sound too bad. Helping to rebuild and help a place to recover couldn't be that bad, and it would be a lot better than just trying to keep it from falling apart as they were with Vale. He watched as Summer held up her wrist, looking at the bracelet, which matched the one they'd tried to him and was currently sitting in his pocket.]

Alright, I'm sure that it can't be that bad. What do we need to complete some kind of ritual, or use our Aura for something?

[She'd probably had warned him if it was going to be that dangerous or difficult.]

00. Arrival

I. The Dragon's Matchmaking

II. Ruins

III. Ritual

Taiyang Xaio Long | RWBY

Arrival

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

dragons, FATHER

no subject

Ruins

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Ruins

no subject

slamming in fashionably late heLLO

Better late than never.

no subject

no subject