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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 |
nyx ulric | ffxv
[ at first, waking up suspended in water, having to kick himself to the surface and spotting a long, sandy beach, cloudy skies overhead - well, he begins to think that somehow, when he died, he was returned back to galahd.
but it becomes clear, as he drags himself to the shore, body full of aches and pains, that this isn't galahd. the thick fog is unnatural, and the scent isn't the same. the sand, too, doesn't feel right when he digs his fingers into it. so, not galahd.
but if it isn't, and he's not in insomnia, where in the six is he? his daggers are gone, but the wounds from the luci have faded - where his uniform is ripped apart on his arm, he can spot faint, silvery scars that have otherwise closed up. and, most importantly, he can still feel the thrum of magic in his bones, not the same as he remembers it but still there.
and, indeed, when he pulls fire between his palms to begin to dry off, it comes to him easily. but the sun has clearly risen, behind these clouds, and he's not ash.
nyx squints up at the sky, fire a writhing ball between his palms, and stays that way for a long time on the sandy shore, until someone approaches him or he gets moving on his own. ]
[ DRAGON'S MATCHMAKING ]
[ eventually he's given a bracelet and an explanation. being whisked away to help restore an abandoned island from sex sounds like... honestly, it sounds like some kind of weird kinky folk tale from back home. but this is his reality now, so he claims a hut on the beach that first night.
he wakes up to the sound of something outside. wrapped up in his couerl fur are his daggers, and on top of that is what he thinks might be a pufferfish until wings unfurl and little feet become apparent. it's some kind of fat, rotund dragon, smaller than his daggers. this one is a dark gold, scales shimmering in the light, and it chirps something at him before it offers a puff of fire in his direction.
he smiles, a little bit, and holds out a hand, letting flame alight to his fingers. the dragon seems delighted by this.
he ends up letting it sit in the hood of his uniform as he begins to explore this new place. it occasionally launches itself out, little wings flapping hard, to land on the occasional passerby and bite down on the shoulder of their clothes, trying to tug them towards nyx.
of course, nyx is quick to follow afterwards. ]
What are you doing?
[ his tone is chiding as he reaches up to grab the dragon in both hands, trying to dislodge it. to the person who's the subject of the 'attack', he offers a wry look. ]
Sorry about this one.
[ COOKING ]
[ after familiarizing himself with the island and it's offerings, he ends up gathering a few things. first, he finds a decent looking pot in one of the abandoned houses. then, he spends some time hunting down a bird-like creature and gathering some vegetables and herbs; some from the wilds, others from the greenhouse he discovered.
back outside the hut he's claimed, using one of his kukris, he cleans and carves the meat off the bird, tossing it into the pot he's set over his fire, along with some onion, tomatoes and garlic. as it cooks he slowly adds the spices; the scent of turmeric, chiles, ginger and cumin are strongest as he carefully minds the pot, adding water from time to time.
does the scent of a hot curry draw your character in? if they do, he offers a smile when he spots them. ]
I've got plenty, if you're hungry.
[ RITUAL (18+) ]
[ considering he's lacking any form of money - the handful of crowns in his pocket count for less than nothing, apparently - he's quick to agree to explore the ruins. he's grown up on islands before, and he has his magic and his daggers back. he feels fairly confident in his ability to explore.
whether he's going it alone or with a partner, he knows to trust his senses and he follows the shadows off the path, until they find the raised platform. he holds a hand out if someone's with him to hold them back, going up the platform first.
which of course means he gets the full brunt of the voices and the visions. whether it's because he's from galahd or the magic of the kings, it hits particularly hard, making him gasp out loud and falling to his knees, fingers digging into his thighs as he feels an intense wave of lust wash over him. ]
Okay. Sex magic, got it loud and clear.
[ he says it out loud, a little dazed, cheeks flushed. ]
[ WILDCARD ]
[ i'm down for any of the prompts, or any of the locations in erku as well, if you'd like find him taking advantage of the bathhouse, for example! if you want to work something out, feel free to PM me. nyx's info and kink list can be found here, and for ease i'm going to request 18+ partners for now. ]
cooking!
It's becoming more obvious that this curry wasn't the watered down, Americanized version that he's used to encountering. That particular combination of spices triggers memories that he thought long buried; of Dhurke cooking in the old cabins they were hiding out in, food that was labeled 'adults only' because it was too spicy for Apollo and Nahyuta to handle at that age.]
Is that Dalle Khursani?
[Apollo asks as he approaches the man, his tone one of disbelief. He doubted those particular peppers grew here, but that was the dish that used them, if his memories weren't completely off the mark.]
time for bonding
It is - or the closest I could make it, here.
[ some things might have been missing, given the limited number of spices available. the chiles definitely weren't the right kind, for one. but it was close enough, the major pieces available to them.
the wave of his hand is more fond when he indicates apollo should sit down next to him. ]
You've had it before?
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My... father used to eat it pretty often. I don't think I've ever tried this one in particular.
[It's the first time in a long while that he's referred to Dhurke as his father, but Apollo was more comfortable with that now. Returning to his home country and seeing him for the last time had put his entire childhood into perspective, and Apollo's had another few months on top of that to think about it.]
Any chance you're making enough for two? [Apollo asks, hopefully.] I can trade you something for it later. I have a lot of hair gel! And other stuff I've scrounged up.
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his sympathy is in the quiet, allowing apollo another moment to mull it over. when he asks if he's making enough for two, nyx grins again.
he almost tells apollo he doesn't need to trade a favor for it - but he does have nothing, to his name, here. against his better nature, he nods. ]
I don't have much need for hair gel, but sure, we can trade a favor. I've definitely got enough for two in there - caught a whole monster bird earlier for it.
[ he didn't recognize it, but it had feathers and white and dark meat; it was some kind of bird and that was good enough. ]
Were the two of you from Galahd?
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dragon matchmaking
She returns from her patrol of the settlement to find what looks like a fat little dragon pressing its short snout against the window of her house. Diana's brows raise with surprise, but amusement soon colors her face as she watches it scrape its tiny claws against the glass. Not sensing any malicious intent from it, she clicks her tongue at the little thing to get its attention.]
Do you need something, little one?
[It whips around and chirps at her, and Diana's heart positively melts. Its scales shimmer a dark red as it flaps over and settles on her shoulder, nestling under the curtain of her hair. With a chuckle, she reaches up to give it a little scratch on its belly and is about to go about her day when she feels a tugging on her other shoulder.
She is not at all surprised to see a second dragon, this one gold--what does catch her off guard is that it also seems to have attached itself to a person. Well, currently it's attached to her, but she thinks it's trying to pull her towards him. As if on cue, the little beast on her shoulder shoots out, wings flapping for all it's worth, and copies its kin, pulling on the man's shoulder.
She can't help it: she laughs. A grin blooms over her lips as she reaches to retrieve her own small friend.]
It's alright, I don't think they mean any harm.
yooooooooooo
but he shakes his head a little, dislodging the thoughts, and gives her a smile in return. ]
No harm meant, but they're still annoying little shits.
[ the curse falls easily, but once they are near each other his gold companion lets go, zipping back over to him. this time, it settles itself down in the hood, giving a little self-satisfied chirp.
nyx offers a hand after a moment. ]
Nyx Ulric. A new arrival, so you'll have to forgive me if these dragons are a normal thing.
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[As soon as they're face-to-face, the little red dragon flaps its way back to her shoulder, taking refuge under her hair once more. Her smile doesn't falter, and she gives its belly another little scratch before turning her full attention back to him.
Though he tells her he's new, she could have guessed from looking at him--Diana makes it her business to know the faces of everyone on the island, even if she doesn't know their names yet. And there's no doubt in her mind that she wouldn't forget his face. After a quick once-over, she reaches out to shake his hand, grip firm.]
Diana Prince. Welcome to the island. [She says it with a wry twist--it's a nicety, and while she means it to an extent, this island isn't exactly a vacation.] And this is the first I've seen them, so I wouldn't call them normal.
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[ he can't help but admit that. they're very round, the little feet are cute, and the chirping is like no noise he'd associate with what he'd consider a dragon. he found this one sitting atop his daggers, too; he can only assume the creature had something to do with getting them back.
he shakes her hand - his grip also firm, and the smile widens a bit more - before he lets it go. ]
A pleasure to meet you, Diana. [ the island isn't exactly a vacation, no. he's gotten some of the lowdown from the robots and other people, so he's at least aware of the a5 and what's expected of them. again with sounding like a horny faerie tale from back home. ]
Well, good to know I haven't accidentally offended some staple of the island.
[ he reaches up to poke the dragon, who makes a noise where it's settled in the hood of his uniform. he looks back to her. ]
How long have you been here, then? From what I understand, everyone isn't a native outside of the robots.
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🐲
[Can a guy get a warning before some fat little dragon makes a snack out of his shoulder? Ragna's quick to bitch and moan, but upon seeing his diminutive adversary, his temper rapidly cools. Oh. Oh... It's so round, fat, and cute. All is forgiven up until some dude in a weird jacket comes along to try and dislodge it from his shoulder, which... doesn't go well. Like, at all.]
Ooooow ow oww! Stop pulling! You're making it worse!
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nyx lets go, hands in the air, but he says something sharp in a different language to the dragon - which either makes it let go, or it happens to choose to do so at the same time.
it bumps its nose in apology at the bite mark before it floats back over to nyx. nyx, meanwhile, offers a wan smile. ]
Sorry about that - don't know what got into it. [ he nods to the shoulder. ] I can heal that, if you'd like?
[ it's not normally something he'd offer to do, but the man does seem pissed. ]
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What, you've got healing magic? [Huh. Magic of all sorts isn't uncommon where Ragna hails from, but only a select few are capable of using it. Folding his arms, he shrugs his shoulders.] If money's what you're after, forget it. I'm broke.
[Nothing in life is free– not even a stranger's kindness.]
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[ his tone is as dry as the desert, but he waves a hand to the dragon that's settling down in his hood, looking, as ragna observed, far too pleased with himself. ]
My buddy here bit you, it's the least I can do so you don't walk around with some teethmarks.
[ nyx doesn't quite get that magic might be rare. it's rare where nyx is from, too, but he's a kingsglaive; he's had it for 12 years now. ]
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match 🔥 making
So after taking a trip to the arcade he finds himself a nice, quiet spot in the middle of the city to sit down at, leaned up against a building, the breeze nice in his hair, and he decides to close his eyes for a second.
Of course it wouldn't be difficult for a non-human entity to think this figure that is not moving would be injured, or worse, dead, so the little roly-poly dragon chomps down into his hair and starts tugging at it, urging life into the body. Noctis is awake immediately with no idea what's going on, because he can't see another person. He tries to pull the thing out of his hair before someone approaches and finally yanks the darn thing free. Great, now his head hurts, his hair's a mess and his nap was ruined. Noct rubs his face as he complains with a whine. ]
Did Ignis send you or something? I wasn't even out for that long.
[ Actually he's probably been napping for about an hour. ]
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he knows that hair. and the arrangement of limbs, and the voice sleepily complaining about the prince's advisor. he's chased after them before, quietly returned them to the citadel after getting into trouble.
because it is the prince - prince noctis, who should have been far away from insomnia by now, bound for altissia, the ring following after him. his presence here upends several solid mental pillars nyx was relying on.
but instead, he finds his voice, hands that were reaching out for the little dragon freezing. ]
Your - your highness.
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It's weird, how he's not all that bothered that Nyx is here when he's not even supposed to be alive, but Somnus has done enough to prepare him in handling that sort of dissonance. Really, he's just baffled that he's here. ]
Nyx...?
[ Noctis gets to his feet immediately, and his gaze flickers to some weird little creature that is now fluttering around near his head, seeming content to leave him alone now that he's awake. What in the Gods' name is that thing...? Noct doesn't have the time for it, so he brushes the thing aside with a swat of his hand. ]
Uh... long time no see, I guess?
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Cooking
[ Molly isn't hard to spot in advance, stealth not his forte when being lavender and dressed in the loudest possible colors. (The horns might help, too.)
Unbidden, he just simply flops down next to the pot. ]
I was starting to think all there was to eat was unseasoned goose and grapes.
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he grins, pleased at the compliment regardless. ]
I'm telling you right now, I'd walk back into the ocean if that was the case.
[ he's gotten used to lucian food; he's not about to give up pepper, at the very least. ]
I'm afraid the payment for joining is getting asked a few questions.
[ his tone is light enough to indicate that he's joking, hopefully - and that he's merely asking. answers not required. ]
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Amused, he looks at his new acquaintance and then nods. ]
I enjoy questions, so it is quite an acceptable price for actual damn cooking in this place.
[ Plus it means he can make up ridiculous lies. ]
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day(s) late, dollar short. congrats on gettin' in~~
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/points at icon/ that art. i like it.
Molly fanartists bless me
i never got this notif and the post made me realize i should check orz
oops
oops! notifs fucky wucky
=/
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matchmaking;
second, after having given up the fight, to actually be chewed on by another tiny dragon and getting tugged to --
-- well, the third and most surprising thing. ignis' eyes widen in surprise, because of all the people he's expected to be here, he hadn't expected -- ]
Nyx?
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still, the tall, lanky body he recognizes a half moment before they speak, and then it's no doubt it's the young man he trained. ]
Ignis?
[ he has a confused look on his face. he shouldn't be surprised, given his run-in with noctis, but he still manages to be. ]
Uh... hi. I didn't expect to run into you.
[ also you know. himself being dead and all. ]
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ignis' gaze is drawn to the scars that nyx didn't have the last time they'd seen each other. while it's closed up now, the marks of it are obvious enough that his attention would be drawn to it. there were whispers from the smoldering ruins of insomnia about the final battle, the glaives, and he feels a lump rise in his throat.
nyx was in insomnia in its last days -- he'd heard as one of the lady lunafreya's security detail -- surely he would know better about everything that's happened. but for now, ignis senses his confusion and takes a breath. ]
Neither did I. I thought you were --
[ well, dead. he deftly doesn't mention that, but instead continues with: ] ... those are new.
[ he means the scars. ]
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tl;dr i'm sorry qing
omg
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The Hero-Glaive lives. This is not as it should be. Once again, the thought that the Augur's power is truly mysterious casually comes and goes.
This is not a case of being brought to the isle from an earlier time, for the faint, webbed scarring upon the Glaive's skin is obvious to those who know to look for it: that is, those who are marked the same. All of the Line bear it upon their corpses, for all have sacrificed to the Ring to safeguard the future.
Somnus has no business with the Glaive, not when the price has been paid and the Oracle set on her way to deliver the Ring to the Chosen, but he can acknowledge the soldier with an astute lift of his chin. ] Glaive.
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the voice of the mystic that had spoken to him after he put on the ring, that had declared him lacking; that had been thunderous, magical. and the statue that had come to life to aid him too, had been nothing but stone, armor that somnus was notably lacking.
still, somehow, he recognizes the voice. perhaps because his power is still from the kings of old, an ancient, burning source he can feel; but distantly, his power dimmed because of it. not something tied to regis or even noctis, but them.
and so, he hears the title glaive, and looks up, thinking it's the prince in front of him. but the clothes are wrong, as is the hair, and the voice. and when he realizes it, the fire doesn't go out, but his fist does close, like he wishes he could summon the daggers he's lacking in them.
his eyes narrow. ]
You're one of them.
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A waves rolls close to where they stand upon the shore of the isle, overturning loose shells and dragging seafoam back into the ocean. His footprints are wiped from existence, but the hem of his dark robes remain dusted with sand.
Regardless of conjecture, this remains true: he yet wields it. The flame dances with the trepidation, frustation he reads within the Glaive's eyes. What cruelty, for it would only hurt him the longer he channels it. Would it be better to release the man of this power, should it burn him still? He has paid his price in full, he has given to the future already, and he would only suffer more by using it.
Somnus offers neither gesture nor change in his austere expression, but utters a singe word of caution regarding that flame: ]
Temperance.
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