ercookies | TDM 008: A WALK IN THE THEME PARK

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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.

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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.

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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.

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III. MISTLETOE

mistletoe

sensory deprivation

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N A V I G A T I O N

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Thanks.

[ And just like that, his scowl is gone. Makoto's a little jealous at how well Dante dismounts that hammock though, since his own track record of falling off them isn't the best.

Now that Dante is up and about, he's a little more polite about watching him from the corner of his eyes. Dante seems even more imposing to him standing up so he can't help but keep tabs on him. He realizes sitting on the sand with the other standing makes him feel even smaller, though it doesn't seem to bother him all that much. Not being the tallest guy in the room is something he's pretty used to at this point. Makoto stretches his legs out, apparently having had enough of his feet being buried in the warm sand. Now there's more sand than skin visible on them but he'll deal with that later. ]

That's what I was afraid of.

[ There's a sigh, followed by a pause. He figures there probably isn't much point in talking about stuff they can't do anything about right now, so Makoto changes the subject. Not that he doesn't plan to revisit his concerns once he has more information. ]

So, where are you from, Dante?

[ Honestly, he's been curious this whole time so it's unsurprising that he asks. Makoto tilts his head back to look at him more directly from the ground with an openly inquisitive look in his eyes. ]

Edited 2020-12-21 17:03 (UTC)

It's complicated.

[The devil hunter remarks as he shrugs off his shirt. Sorry, Edamura, but you got a front-row seat to this show. Dante might not be in his twenties anymore but he can still pull off the shirtless look. It's either that or melt to death in his damn outfit. Black leather isn't the best option for the beach and besides, Dante would stand to get a bit more sunlight. He's almost as pale as his hair minus for all the half-healed scratches dotting his abdomen. If it weren't for his accelerated healing abilities, he would've been screwed a long time ago.]

But have you ever heard of Redgrave City?

[Dante asks curiously once he glances back at Edamura. That poor kid is a scrawny little guy, isn't he? He looks young but not too young, so maybe he's in his early twenties or something? It's hard to tell. If anything, he looks like your average guy. Not much muscle on him but not flabby either.]

If not, then don't worry about it. [grumbles] It's not like it exists anymore anyway.

[ Makoto's eyes widen at the number of scratches, wondering what happened. What kind of life has this guy lived? He gets the feeling it's been a rough one, somehow. Ah, but he's probably being rude staring too long so he redirects his gaze to Dante's face. ]

No, I haven't heard of it.

[ When Dante glances down at him, he looks away this time, gaze cast down on the sand in front of him. Dante probably wasn't looking to attack him if he was taking his shirt off, hopefully. He didn't seem like such a bad guy so far.

Makoto's shirt might still be a little damp, but he can already feel beads of sweat forming on the back of his neck. Well, when in Rome, right? He unbuttons his dress shirt, sighing. Yes, that was a good decision. Makoto glances down at his newly revealed chest, definitely scrawny. He suddenly feels just a bit underdeveloped. Maybe he should work out more if he was going to be forced to stay here. ]

Oh. I'm sorry.
[ He looks back at him with that, genuinely concerned. ] Do you mind if I ask what happened?

I'll understand if you don't want to talk about it.

[Of course, Eddy here never heard of Redgrave. Dante suspected as such the moment he laid eyes on him.

The same goes for most of the other folks stuck on this island. From what he can tell, he's probably the only devil hunter within miles, and that somewhat worries him. Especially since he wasn't done with his lumberjack duties in Hell but for now, the threat of the Qliphoth remains on the backburner. He just hopes that Vergil is man enough to keep his end of the bargain. It took a lot for them to push aside their petty sibling rivalry for the sake of the greater good.

He would hate for Vergil to fuck up everything, as usual.]

See, I could tell you---[A smirk curls onto his lips which is a prime indicator that a sassy remark is incoming.] But then I'd have to kill you

[This moron isn't being serious. He's just quoting a line from one of the greatest movies of all time. Nothing to see here, honestly. Although, Dante is more than capable of killing poor Eddy over there. After all, Edamura is all skin and bones for the most part.]

Trust me, you wouldn't even believe me if I answered but take a gander of that sword over there.

[He gestures towards the demonic black blade embedded in the sand. His off-red jacket is still hanging off the hilt of it.]

What do you think I'm fighting with that thing?

[The answer starts with a "D".]

[ Makoto laughs, a genuine laugh like it surprises even him for a second. He turns himself completely around to face Dante, sitting cross-legged with his back to the water and a stupid smile on his face. It seems he's given up on avoiding sand at this point. ]

What, is it classified?

[ Makoto sounds just a tad bit cocky there like it's his own inside joke, as if Dante's comment had just been coincidental. He's got a bit of smug grin, but when he actually goes to look Dante in the eyes he falters, just a barely perceptible twitch of his smile. WHAT IF HE REALLLY IS GOING TO KILL ME?

Oh, but then he's definitely taking advantage of permission to stare at that sword instead. It shouldn't, but it distracts him from thoughts of a violent death. He's never seen a real one carried around so casually. Dante's next question confirms his suspicions that this guy actually does carry that thing and use it. ]

Uh. Villains? I hope?

[Yeah, he caught that nervous twitch in Edamura's smile. If he didn't, he wouldn't be laughing now. While Eddy has a good poker face, there's no hiding that momentary hint of fear. Thankfully, Dante doesn't feel like teasing him about it.]

You're pretty close on the mark there, bucko. [He confirms with a chuckle as he snatches his jacket off the hilt of his sword.] But you're a little off the mark.

Just a little.

[Dante tosses the jacket back on despite the blazing heat. It's scorching out but be damned if he's going to leave his jacket behind. Now that he's all dressed, Dante reaches for the sword and yanks out of the sand with a slight grunt. It's as heavy as it looks and probably twice as heavy as that. After all, this sword isn't some cute little wooden sword. This bitch is made out of steel, iron, and whatever the hell else he used to craft this baby out of his own flesh. It's a long story but this blade is essentially a two for one deal.]

Demons.

[He answers tersely with a lopsided grin.]

Just demons but I do hunt the occasional bad guys as well. I guess that makes me the "hero" of this little story, right?

[ When he sees Dante putting his cool jacket on, he realizes he should probably check on his own clothes. The way he had set them out means they are mostly evenly dried now, though they are still wrinkled. He frowns when he touches his jacket, heated by the sun. He's so warm now, he doesn't even want to put it back on. At least it isn't soaked anymore. Standing up, he tries to knock all the sand off from himself, though he misses a few spots.

At the word Demons, his attention whips back to Dante so suddenly the surprise is obvious. He can't be serious? Demons? There's a flash of skepticism, his eyes darting from the sword to the man. Either this guy is insane or telling the truth. Besides, that sword is still really cool. Like something out of an action movie --no, even better. This one looked real. He swallows hard at how heavy it looks. Makoto's pretty sure he wouldn't be able to lift that thing in a million years. ]

Really? I've never seen a sword like that. [ Not that he's seen many in the first place. ]
... Then again, I've never had to deal with demons either.

[ There's a breathy laugh at the hero part, as he goes back to shaking the sand out of his socks and jacket. ]

Hero, huh? I don't know, I'd have to see you fight some evil before agreeing with that.

[ He's grinning back, but his tone is more light-hearted than actually that critical. ]

Edited 2020-12-22 20:01 (UTC)

[It's only a miracle that Dante hasn't gone off the deep end yet. He's come close a few times but he always managed to come back to his senses. Being a devil hunter is hard work, especially since the enemy at large never seems to fuck off long enough for him to enjoy a sabbatical. Even so, Dante is pretty damn proud of his work. He's good at it, probably the best devil hunter there is. While he'll never be anything like his old man, Dante takes pride in his duty.]

You're lucky, especially since demons are ugly as hell.

[Dante says with a grin as he straps the massive double-edged sword onto his back. While this sucker does weigh a ton, Dante doesn't seem the least bit bogged down by it. This newly forged blade weighs just about the same as the Rebellion, his father's sword. It's just not as pretty.]

Fair enough! Let me start a fight with something tall and ugly, you'll see.

[You know what? Eddy is cool people. He's a little skittish but overall, he's cool in Dante's book.]

So what do you do? Judging from the suit, I bet you're an office worker or something.

Edited 2020-12-22 20:37 (UTC)

[ Yea, demons don't sound fun at all. No thank you, Makoto would probably just run away if he ever did see one. He grimaces, imagining just how scary they probably are if even Dante thinks they're ugly. Makoto figures this guy probably has a pretty high tolerance for ugly monsters. ]

Well, if I see any monsters, I'll let you handle them.

[ He laughs and makes it sound like he's doing Dante a favor by letting him have all the kills. At that next question though, he looks away, like he's buying time on how to answer it as he shoves his socks into his shoes and ties the laces together. His work history is a little... clouded to say the least, but it's not especially hard to dodge the more illegal parts of it. Makoto's found it's usually best to start with the least offensive, honest part of things. Grains of truth and his own genuineness usually carry him through well enough. ]

Funny thing is, I was interviewing for a job before I found myself here.

[ He's not really lying, besides by omission, and he sounds just a tad disappointed about that interview. There had been a lot riding on it. After all, he was finally starting to make a place for himself and everything. He still doesn't really know what else he is good at, but Suzaku Group would've been the first step in figuring that out. ]

Don't worry, I got the job.

[ Makoto recovers with a joke, grinning at him again as he throws his jacket over his shoulder. Even that is a little too warm but it's still a vast improvement over being waterlogged. ]

Did you now?

[He questions with a smirk once they step out onto the beach. Besides a few robots running around, this beach is empty. It's a little unsettling but there's something like a tiki bar nearby. So maybe they'll find some folks in there. It sure beats baking in the sun.]

It's a crying shame you didn't get to celebrate.

[Whether or not Eddy is lying is irrelevant to him. Dante is too busy trying to figure out how the hell to get off this island. While the robots might claim one thing, he's quick to think the opposite.]

Fancy a drink? I'm betting we could get something from the bar.

[Not only is he after booze but also information as well.]

Say where are you from again? I'm guessin' you're from Tokyo or something cause your English is really good.

Edited 2020-12-23 03:40 (UTC)

[ Makoto's just gonna beam at him because despite being here now, he's still pretty darn proud of himself for getting that job. It'd be more depressing to be here right after not getting the job, after all. He'll take those positives where he can get them today.

But now his ego is a little inflated, and he's walking with a little more confidence than one should really have while walking barefoot on a beach while wearing slightly more than half of a suit. ]

You know what? You're right. I think I deserve a drink.
[ Makoto is already strutting on over there. Clearly, there is zero worry of Dante attacking him anymore. ]

Well, around ther- [ But he stops to look at him with surprise. ]
Wait, you've been to [ Makoto pauses, since he's never had to specify before but he can't think of another way to specify. ] Earth?

Was Redgrave City on Earth?
[ And his grimace says and demons!? ]

Yeah? [He can't help but arch his brow a little at the inquiry.] What? You thought I was from outer space or something, Eddy?

[The devil hunter lets out a chuckle as he walks past, clearly oblivious to Edamura's surprise. While it dawned on him that they could be from two different dimensions, Dante doesn't seem too concerned about it. He learned a long time ago to never sweat the small stuff but sometimes his cavalier attitude is a tad startling.]

It's an old city in Europe or rather was an old city. It got wrecked by a bunch of baddies from the underworld fighting for dominance.

[He states entirely too casually for his own good. Despite his own misgivings about the topic at hand, Dante doesn't seem too perturbed about it. However, he doesn't seem pleased about it, either. What happened in Red Grave left a bad taste in his mouth.]

I've been fighting demons for years now and those bastards are no joke.

[Dante says once they enter the bar. It seems that robots are running this joint judging from the lack of people here. While there are a few stragglers here and there, Dante hopes the service won't be ass.]

Hey, gimmie a glass of rum on the rocks! And some water at that.

[He orders before flopping down upon a nearby stool. It's a little cooler inside here than out there. Must be the A/C or something.]

Maybe? [ Makoto laughs ]
There aren't any demons on Earth. I mean, my Earth.
At least, I've never heard of any actually being real.

[ Makoto looks thoughtful a moment. It is sort of strange to him that his Earth would even have the concept of demons while apparently other Earths were out there actually having to deal with them. That's a little sad, actually. It also makes him question what else out there from mythology might actually exist in other worlds. Universes? Dimensions?

Wait, did he call him Eddy? Makoto looks up with the intention of correcting him, but Dante's already walked past him.

Crap, he wasn't paying attention and Dante probably walks faster than him with those longer strides. Makoto sprints a little to catch back up with him, the sand making that all the more cumbersome. ]

Oh. So that's what happened to it. Is that why you fight demons?

[ Makoto awkwardly tries to knock off more sand from his feet and clothes before entering the bar. It would be rude to trail sand in. Don't mind him just taking the time to do that, as well as carefully putting his shoes back on, rolling his pants back down, and buttoning his shirt back up (mostly).

He'll be joining Dante in a second, but he's still within earshot of whatever robot is taking orders. Makoto waves his hand like he really doesn't want to have to decide. He's not a big drinker anyway. ]

I'll take the same.

[The drinks are coming up shortly. It's not like they ordered a cocktail, so it shouldn't take the bucket of bolts too long to find the rum. Dante gives Edamura a sidelong glance as they wait, mentally debating how much he wants to tell. Judging from the answers he gave earlier, Eddy isn't from his world. That much is a given since the whole Red Grave incident hit the national news. Even so, Dante decides to stick with the basics for now before talking about all that doom and gloom shit.]

One part of it. [He answers tersely once the robot bartender returns with two glasses of rum and two nice cold water bottles.] The other part has to deal with my old man but he's a subject for another day.

[After a swig of alcohol, Dante gets to the nitty-gritty at last.]

Believe it or not but there are two different worlds. The Human World and the Demon World. As you would suspect, the Demon World is plagued with demons and humans, well...live in the Human World. Duh, right? Back in the day, it used to be called the World of Light. Our world has a strong connection with the Demon World, giving those critters the chance to emerge at will.

[That's the abridged version if anything. He's not about to mention his father's role in all this or Mundus. Dante doesn't want to think about all that.]

One day a big ass war broke out in the Demon World over the throne, and this new Overlord took over Hell. He led the charge to the Human World and caused a lot of destruction. Many people died and many more suffered.

[This sounds like something right out of a comic book but this is Dante's reality in a nutshell.]

[ Makoto slides onto the stool next to Dante just as the drinks are set in front of them. He goes for the water first. Makoto didn't realize just how thirsty being out in the sun had made him till he sees it. He's listening as he downs most of the bottle, wondering what happened with his dad. But he lets him continue without interrupting. It's not like he wants to talk about his dad either.

He copies Dante, taking a swig, though it was probably a little much at first since afterwards he looks like he's about to cough or choke. Makoto forces it down though, recovering without looking worse for the wear. He takes another swig from his water bottle to keep himself from dying or sounding too raspy.

Through all of this, he keeps his eyes on Dante as he talks, watching him with quite a bit of fascination and nodding when appropriate. Just like he thought. This guy and his world are cool. Dante's world seems scary to experience in real life, and he'd never want to visit, but he can't deny he's riveted by the second hand details.

Though that fascinated look is clouded when Dante mentions people dying, softening into sympathy. Makoto takes a much smaller sip of the alcohol, this time without issue. ]

Whoa, that's. A lot. Were you.. alive when the war broke out or was it a long time ago?

I was a kid back then.

[Dante explains before taking another sip of rum. Even though the island itself kind of sucks, the drinks here are strong. That's both a blessing and a curse for someone like him. Dante is definitely a drinker. He can't stand cigarettes but he doesn't mind alcohol. He can't help but wonder if Edamura is the same. So far Eddy is handling that drink like a champ.]

My brother and I were both kids. We had no idea what the hell was going on.

[Feeling cagey again, Dante glances over at Edamura with a lopsided smirk.]

Enough about me, tell me about yourself. I don't want to bore you.

[More like Dante doesn't want to reveal all his secrets just yet. Booze makes him a bit chatty but he knows better than to spill his guts to some random stranger. Eddy is a cool guy and all but they barely know each other. Though, Dante is kind of surprised that Eddy is such a good listener.]

You look like a geek but you got a little bit of swag.

[He says with a chuckle.]

[ Makoto nurses his first drink after that, since there is no more water to save him, though he's distracted enough to keep sipping it without thinking. He's reminded of wars in his own version of Earth. Even without demons, he knows how deeply that kind of trauma can impact kids. It's probably worse with demons. But that's probably true with almost everything.

That gets a laughs out of him. Like any part of what Dante's told him could be considered boring. ]

My Earth is definitely more boring than yours.
[ And as an afterthought, a little sheepishly ] I guess that's not such a bad thing after all, actually.

What do you wanna know?

[ Makoto almost chokes on his rum. No one has ever told him he has swag before. Although his expression hasn't changed, he wonders briefly if he's being made fun of. But, no, he decides this is probably just Dante being, well, Dante. ]

Think so?
You know, I think most people have a different definition of "swag."

[ Though he obviously let's that get to his head too as he takes a nice confident swig to finish his drink and although it's still a little strong for him, it barely registers on his new smug expression. Which quickly devolves into a slightly panicked expression when the robot gives him another automatically without him asking for it. ]

Yeah, well I'm different than most people.

[Dante is definitely just being "Dante". He's a bit of a "geek" in his own right. It's just that he hides it better than most people. Nevertheless, it feels good to speak to someone who's normal and not some demon in disguise or some shit. He can actually let his guard down a little bit.]

Depends on what you're willing to tell, Eddy. [Dante answers with a grin.] I don't need to know any deep dark secrets, so let's start with something mundane.

[When the robot bartender moves to fill his glass, Dante reaches over and snatches the bottle out of its grasp. The robot protests for a bit but gives up quickly. Dante can pour his own glass, thank you very much.]

Like what do you do? I know you were excited about that new job.

That's for sure.

[ But Makoto's grinning up at him and says it in such a genuinely positive way, it's hopefully pretty clear he means it as a compliment. Being called Eddy's sort of grown on him, though it may just be the rum or the fact that Dante makes it sound cool. His grin barely flickers when he hears it but he doesn't comment on it. It's better than Edamame at least. ]

I was. But that's mostly because it was a fresh start.
[ Makoto pauses, looking down at his untouched drink a moment before continuing. ]

Actually, I've had a lot of different jobs all over the world.
I don't know if all the places exist on your Earth, though.

[ He turns back to Dante, resting his elbow on the bar and his head in one hand as he looks up at him. Makoto figures he should start at the beginning. ]

Have you heard of Hollywood? In the United States?

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TDM 008: A WALK IN THE THEME PARK

00. Arrival

I. SIX FLAGELLANTS

II. LIKE A FIREWORK

III. MISTLETOE

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