TDM 008: A WALK IN THE THEME PARK

[erkumods]

TDM 008: A WALK IN THE THEME PARK

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. SIX FLAGELLANTS Welcome, one and all, to a thrilling new location! Robots have worked tirelessly to build, from the ground up, what can only be recognizable as an amusement park. You are just in time for the grand opening of Six Flagellants: Great Advagtures! The Ferris Wheel routinely stops when lovebirds reach the top, waiting for a kiss - or something more daring! - before it starts up again. Robots warn of the scary Haunted House: a dark building with wall-to-wall creeps, and hot and cold running chills. Flickering ghosts roam the halls, and you may find an eerily realistic Headless Horseman -- who bids you, "Come closer. Give me head," while pointing to yours. Hey, get your mind out of the... Nevermind. The Carousel is a two-story affair. Nude figures with familiar faces lounge about, waiting to be ridden, and closer inspection proves that they have the faces of your fellow islanders. Hop on your favorite person and take them for a spin! There are even Bumper Cars, which have the interesting effect of making one feel more aroused with every bump and impact. (It's randomized each time, so don't try to guess based on car color!) What should be a similar ride, the Teacups, has the robots' madness written all over it instead. They have misunderstood the gentle spin-cycles for dangerous, dizzying loop-the-loops across a wide track. Some would swear that the ride has a supernatural invocation for fear. Others are simply man enough to admit they're afraid. Lastly, the Tunnel of Love is not what you expect. Although flavored lube and guides to cunnilingus are on each fleshy-log-shaped boat, the motion of the ocean is quite soothing, and there's a pleasant floral scent in the air that causes a light intoxication. Don't forget to try the food! Similar to the Street Kiosks, there's a ton of faire food: cotton candy, corn dogs, and the like. Mascot outfits are available and those who wear them will be rewarded generously with credits. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● II. LIKE A FIREWORK The next morning, you receive a message on your device: You are cordially invited to a celebration of skinship at the House of Worship. Please do not dress for the occasion. If asked about it, the robots will confirm that is not a specific holiday, but a simple joyous event. If you pry, they may even say that the Old Ones often made merry and partook in the pleasures of the flesh - and so too should you. For an hour, there will be food and drink - alcoholic and aphrodisiac. Then, at the designated time, once the sun has gone down, clothes will be shed and a revelry begun. As fireworks explode overhead, the different colors send the naked senses reeling: Red: You are amorous towards the people around you. Yours is a joyous celebration. The Auspicious Acts you offer are happy and lighthearted, full of kisses and sweet nothings. Orange: You feel bold and adventurous, eager to try something - or someone - new. Your preferred Acts may be dangerous or exciting, perhaps with more than one person. Yellow: You feel reverence when you watch the fireworks, reverence when you look at your fellow people. You feel blessed to be part of the celebration at the House of Worship, and you make the Acts you complete into Acts of worship. You are all about the spirit of generosity. Green: You are not here to celebrate. Jealousy is your lot. Uncover a new side of yourself, full of bitterness and resentment, and try an Act that treads the fine line between light and dark. Indigo: You are proud to celebrate! Those around you are lucky to bask in your presence. You have a newly-minted domineering attitude that makes itself known, and your Acts are likely to be something where you'll come out on top. Violet: These fireworks make you feel unusual - the opposite of yourself. You are different in all that you want to do, preferring Auspicious Acts that you may not have thought twice about before. A group shower will be provided after the festivities wind down. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● III. MISTLETOE Many cherub dragons can be found gathering together in the Greenhouse, working together to finish the cultivation of a new plant. They spend an exhaustive night decorating the island with the new greenery, which can soon be identified as mistletoe. You may think it's sweet of them, but don't get caught underneath one of these sprigs! Standing under the dragon's mistletoe will cause sensory deprivation - and of course, the only way to regain what was lost is to indulge in an Auspicious Act. (You may choose whichever sense you like, or even choose to be figurative, such as "the sense of reason" or "a sense of purpose.") ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● N A V I G A T I O N

Comments

[hashira]

[There is nothing like regret. He should not have come here. He could have stayed back at the place he was lodging with Kanzaburo. They could be playing with those set of cards he had found. He could just not be here. He would not have been on that boat, covered in that substance or fallen into the water or — well maybe he isn't in peak form but he had pretty good lung capacity. So despite being submerged for an extended period of time, he doesn't end up drowning.

It takes him a moment to surface having been violently shoved away by someone, Giyu won't think poorly of the other pillar. It could have been an easy mistake to make. Had Shinazugawa panicked? He had only recently arrived so it would make sense for him to need time to get accustomed to this island and its strangeness.

He does eventually get himself out of the water, along the same shore as his fellow pillar. Giyu doesn't look back. He knows the boat is gone. He pays no mind to the displays and decore that lined the tunnel. Instead he begins to ring the water out of his hair, his haori is removed to do the same and then it's held draped over his arm.]

We must leave.

[His voice is stern and he isn't waiting for an answer. He's walking. Shinazugawa must have noticed. There was something odd about this place, and slowly but surely he knows that his senses are being impaired. Giyu can only imagine that same must be happening to the other man.]

[tanabota]

[ Much the same, Sanemi's dragged a hard hand through his hair to whip droplets of salty sea away and push it out of his face, jacket pulled off and wrung out to rid it of the water weight. ]

I know that.

[ A spike of annoyance there, but they're going to have to cooperate for now—hell, for the whole damn time they're in this place. Something Sanemi's quick to come to terms with; he might not like Giyu, but all pillars know how to work together. If this is his lot, then Sanemi's going to make it work—no matter how much he'd like to wring that damn holier-than-thou throat.

The robots seem to look at them as they walk, something the slayer notices right away; it has the fine hairs along his nape standing on end. Yet they seem content to continue their lewd acts as they traverse past; Sanemi's careful not to touch, merely out of distaste. ]

That aroma. Do you know what it is?

[ Floral, sweet, and starting to make his head hurt. Suspicion spikes, because it feels like his senses are dulling slightly—as though he's being somehow intoxicated, each step feeling lighter than it should. ]

[hashira]

[Then in that case he doesn't have more to say. Giyu keeps a steady pace as he walks forward. They had gotten quite a distance from the entrance but there is no telling how far the exit was from here. And there had to be a way out correct? Although he briefly glances back. Not at the other man but in the direction from which they came. Just for a moment he considers making his way back in that direction but would they be allowed to leave without going through the whole ride. He wasn't willing to risk being shoved once again into one of those strange boats.

So on he continues. He doesn't force himself to speed up, it would cause a greater need for oxygen intake, he doesn't need to inhale any more of that thick and heavy substance that hung in the air. This was enough to already cause an adverse reaction from him. The ground he walked on didn't feel steady, his vision blurred at times.

Clearly his judgement was being affected too. It took him a moment of decision to make his choice on how to get past the two mechanical beings right in the middle of his path. And no he didn't walk around them. He stepped over them not even seeming to look away or feel any shame of the act he witnessed them imitating. This was ridiculous. This whole place truly was geared only towards one thing. These things really did want them to — hearing the other pillar's voice he is reminded that he isn't in this place alone — and he began to wonder if Shinazugawa understood.]

No. I can't even pinpoint its source. [Lack of wind made that difficult, they could be heading towards the thick of it or they might find some form of sanctuary. But knowing their luck today.] If we're here any longer... [He doesn't have to say more. It should be clear what he means.]