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

[aban_aqun]

Bull seems to consider that for a moment. The answer is fairly uncomplicated, but most people tend to be surprised by it when he's honest. So he debates saying something a little easier to grasp. But this feels like a fine line to walk, especially with the faint uncertainty or hesitation he keeps picking up in Caleb's touch and the sound of his voice. Can't tell why it's there, but it is.

"I like getting other people off," he says at last, deciding to go with blunt honesty. Bull has no idea if that will fulfill the terms of whatever curse or mischief this is.

[blumenthal]

That is blunt. "Oh," Caleb says, a little startled. But he's the one who'd asked, and honesty is what he prefers. He still sounds surprised when he observes, "That must make you popular."

There's a momentary pause where Caleb reconsiders his words with increasing embarrassment. He takes a sharp breath in, lips pressing together in a grimace. "That sounded foolish. I am just going to kiss you now."

And he does, without any further hesitation. This kiss is a little more forward than the last, emboldened by the knowledge that Bull is allowing him to set the pace here. The hand he has splayed against Bull's chest takes a little more weight as he leans in. It's a firm press of lips before he yields, parting them to deepen the kiss with a softer curiosity.

[aban_aqun]

Bull hums quietly into the kiss and manages to sound amused as he does it. He slides his hands over Caleb's sides as the mage leans into him. It's nothing to take his weight. As the kiss deepens, Bull makes another quiet, pleased sound deeper in his chest. One hand strokes over the small of Caleb's back, and when they finally part again, a smile tugs at his scarred mouth.

"It didn't sound foolish," he murmurs. "Kind of observant, actually."

Bull knows that his popularity has a lot to do with his size and, back in Thedas, his reputation. And his reputation has a lot to do with what he just confessed to Caleb.

[blumenthal]

Well, at least he hadn't sounded as stupid as he thought. "Good to know that I was not completely off the mark," he says, bemused, but also still a little breathless from the kiss. It takes very little to get him worked up, for better or worse.

That reassurance is enough to make Caleb a little more confident when he goes for another kiss, operating on the assumption that Bull will let him know when he can see again. He's careful, but not tentative, parting his lips more eagerly now and even daring to apply a little of his teeth in a gentle scrape.

He likes the touches to his back, apparently, as he leans further into Bull and lets himself be held there.

[aban_aqun]

Bull holds Caleb close as they kiss again. He likes that the mage is getting a little more bold with teeth and tongue, it's exciting to feel him open up more. His hand presses more to Caleb's back, closing the small bit of space left between them.

Given Caleb's hesitance, Bull keeps it at that. He won't push anyone further than they're willing to go, and he's hoping that this will be enough. He parts for breath, but then leans in again. His other hand cradles the back of Caleb's head, encouraging his daring.

[blumenthal]

"Oh," he gasps, entirely involuntary, when he's pressed flush against Bull at last. A large hand encompasses the back of his head, laying over the strands of long hair being loosened from their low tie. It's remarkable that he feels held but not trapped, and that difference is everything.

It's good enough that he begins to lose himself a little in the kisses that follow, slow and deep and thoroughly exploratory. Part curiosity, learning what Bull seems to like as well with every stroke of his tongue, and part simple enjoyment of being close to someone. Until today Caleb could count the number of people he's kissed in his life on one hand, and the number of people he's kissed without knowing them--well, Bull is the very first.