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

Akira | Togainu no Chi | OTA

[curriculumachine]

| gen or smut is fine
| no permissions up yet, but there's an opt-out for multiple content warnings because nitro+chiral


i. arrival

[If you want water, how about you beg for it? This isn't what Akira wanted. Salt water does nothing for his thirst, only further irritating his throat as he hacks up what he'd nearly swallowed. The salt seeps into lacerations on his side, his hand, and his wrist. For a few moments, he stays where he is, kneeling in the sand and leaning heavily on his arms. Until sand particles worm their way into the cut on his left hand, mingling with the salt to make the wound itch and throb. It was probably already infected, but at this point, he couldn't give less of a shit.

It's an effort to pick himself up and stagger along the beach. He's barefoot and shirtless, his grey pants stained in a few places with either blood or dirt, or both. Disoriented, he's only looking down at his feet until electronic voices reach his ears. When he sees the robots, he stops and stares in confusion, toes curling into the sand, trying to decide if it's better to run or to fight them. And whether he's even capable of doing either at present. He waits too long as they approach, and though the towel is appreciated, the bracelet is not. Nor is their overview of what the fuck this place is. As soon as they leave him to his own devices, Akira drops the bracelet to the sand with no intention of ever looking at it again. He heads off to the closest shack to hole up, or more likely pass out, in.]


ii. six flagellants

[This place is a nightmare. It's not worse than where he was... yet, but that's a low bar to top. He's found, or been given, his jacket and his knife that had been left in an alleyway; along with other assorted and unwanted objects, presented almost as gifts and considered a thinly-veiled attempt at cruel mockery from persons unknown. A sex-themed amusement park is so far from anything Akira expected to see that it's a little overwhelming. He wanders aimless through it, keeping his left hand close to his belt, ready to grab his knife if necessary, but so far no one has seemed overtly hostile. He gets no enjoyment out of this atmosphere, taking everything in with apprehension and avoiding eye contact. He pauses by the carousel; he doesn't want to, but a spike of fear and dread holds him there, fixated on the human forms, a perverse display of statuary reminiscent of somewhere else. Somewhere he never wants to be again. He covers his mouth and chokes down bile, but he can't stop looking at the carousel; slowly revolving, the upbeat music from the ride a dissonant noise.

Eventually, he's become less vigilant, though no less put off by the whole idea of the park in general. Hunger has won out, and though some voice inside tells him that he's an idiot for doing so, he's taken a second corn dog. If they end up being poisoned or laced with something, he will deal with that later. They're not particularly good, a little charred on the outside and undercooked in the middle; the breading too sweet and somewhat soggy. Akira idly picks at the breading, loitering by the food kiosks for lack of initiative to do anything more involved.]


iii. mistletoe

[The strange round lizard thing busies itself straightening up sprigs of some unrecognizable plant, and affixing more to a little overhang from a doorway. The creature is objectively cute, even with its angrily furrowed eyebrows. But what is it? Akira reaches out to touch it, so see if it's actually there and not some hallucination, but it flies off, intent on continuing its decorating frenzy, depositing more of the plant on every available high fixture as it goes. Soon, the the cherub dragon is out of sight, and he can't be sure it ever existed.]

Did you see-

[He starts to speak, but nothing comes out even though he felt the vibration. He clears his throat, but that noise also goes unregistered.]

What was-

[Attempting to be louder makes no difference; he can't hear himself at all. Or anything else, apparently, as snapping his fingers by his ear also produces nothing. Shit.]


iv. wildcard
up for any fireworks colours, theme park things, whatever else
pm for plotting, but i'll roll with anything tbh

i!

[soupervillain]

Hey, you dropped -

[ Akira's discarded bracelet dangles from Giovanni's hand as he gets a good look at its owner. Its incredibly beat-up, bloodied owner. He winces. He's heard of salt in the wound, but man, that's gotta hurt. ]

Wow. You, uh, you look like you've seen better days, my guy. A lot better. You look terrible, is what I'm saying.

[ A+ bedside manner, Dr. Potage. ]

Luckily, you've come to the right epithet! This oughtta help, hang on -

[ Giovanni squinches up his eyes in concentration, holding out a hand, and sure enough, a cup of reddish liquid pops into it a few seconds later. He holds it out to Akira, grinning. Drinking this mystery drink will surely have no potential consequences or side effects! ]

[curriculumachine]

[Akira doesn't know what to make of Giovanni, and doesn't understand what he's saying without help from the bracelet translator. He just stares blankly until the cup appears out of nowhere, and there's a muttered "what the fuck". Magic and superpowers do not exist in his world, and logically he has no way to explain the cup's sudden presence beyond possible delirium. He eyes the liquid within nervously. He does want it, only to stave off dehydration... but the last time he accepted a drink from a creepy smiling man, he'd ended up chained to a wall and he will not make that mistake again.]

You drink it first.

[A failed attempt to sound demanding, as it ends in a cough.]

[soupervillain]

[ The concept of "not understanding someone" is, perhaps ironically, foreign to Giovanni. What do you mean you're not from a world where the linguistic nature of magic requires that everyone speak the same single language? So he chalks Akira's confusion up to not knowing how to react when faced with the majesty of a (slightly waterlogged) Banzai Captain. It's fine. It's a reaction more people should have toward him, really. So he continues as blithely as ever: ]

Me? Ohhh, I get it. Worried about poison, right? Trust me, buddy, I'm not a poison kind of bad guy. I'm more of a smack-you-in-the-head-with-a-knife-bat kind of bad guy. But if you're sure... well, it's always a little weird drinking my own soup, but for you, no problem. Bottoms up!

[ Without hesitation, he tilts the cup to his lips and takes a solid swig. Mmm. Tomato-ey. ]

[curriculumachine]

[That's a lot of nonsense rambling to him, but at least he's getting proof that the substance is, relatively, safe. He waits a moment to see if there are any immediate reactions from Giovanni, and then reaches for the cup. He will drink it, and maybe regret it.]

[soupervillain]

[ To be fair, "a lot of nonsense rambling" is how Giovanni usually comes off even to people who can understand him.

He passes the cup over cheerfully. It is, in fact, an entirely un-sinister cup of tomato soup, with medium to moderate healing properties; it might not erase all of Akira's injuries, but it should get those open wounds closed up and un-salted, at least. Plus, it's extremely tasty. ]

Well? Pretty good healing, right? That's just a taste of what the world will have to look forward to once I, Giovanni Potage, ascend to power as its benevolent evil ruler! Uh, "taste" pun totally intended.

[curriculumachine]

[Tomato soup is new, not something he's had that he remembers, and the texture is strange. He's starting to feel numb, or... not exactly. It's the absence and alleviation of pain, which in itself is odd because it's been a while since there wasn't any. When he's finished it, he stares at his hand holding the cup. The gash between his forefinger and thumb is closing and it's both fascinating and frightening to watch.]

How did...

[He drops the cup to the sand and examines the fading knife wound on his abdomen. That was the deepest one, and there might not even be a scar.]

[soupervillain]

How? Uh, by using my epithet, obviously! Better question: how'd you get yourself so beat up in the first place? Also, don't litter, it kills trees and stuff.

[ He wags a finger at Akira disapprovingly, bending over to retrieve the cup. ]

[curriculumachine]

[He wants to leave after that finger-wagging admonishment, briefly considering just walking off while Giovanni's picking up the cup. But he doesn't, because this man helped him and Akira's realized lately how rare benevolence is.]

Thank you.

[He doesn't know where to go from here, though. Conversational skills are not his strong suit, even if he could follow Giovanni's chattering.]

I don't know what you're saying.

[soupervillain]

...You... don't?

[ Giovanni blinks, dumbfounded. Did he hear this guy correctly? He must have, right? But how do you just... not understand someone? It's obviously not that he doesn't understand language in general, so...??? What?

Okay, putting aside how deeply weird this situation is, if that's possible. Maybe he can start small. He places an uncertain hand on his chest. ]

Giovanni.

[ Then extends that same hand to Akira, palm up. ]

Uh. Name...?

[curriculumachine]

[Akira sighs. This is going to get annoying fast; it already is. The simple gestures get the point across, at least.]

Akira.

[He glares a little at his discarded bracelet. The robots explained its various functionalities and he knows there's a translator on it, but he hasn't reached the point where he's willing to give in to them and wear it. He's just going to deal with... this.]

[soupervillain]

[ Meanwhile, the word "translator" totally passed Giovanni by, because he doesn't know what that means. So he figures the guy's just glaring at his bracelet because he really hates jewelry, or something.

But, okay. Akira. That definitely sounds like it could be a name. We're making progress! ]

Akira. Okay, cool, we got names down. Let's see, what else... aha!

[ Giovanni extends his hand again, but this time, a ball of liquid roils to life above his open palm. It floats there, rotating gently. ]

Soup.

[ The soup dissipates after a few moments, and he points to Akira. ]

Epithet? Or mundie?

[curriculumachine]

[The floating ball of soup confirms that Giovanni has some type of magic, and the earlier appearance of the cup out of nowhere wasn't an hallucination. Whether that makes it more or less disturbing is debatable. At the pointing, Akira half-shrugs. If Giovanni wants a display of magic powers, he'll be disappointed.]

I can't do anything like that.

ii. six flagellants

[edamamepon]

[ Makoto doesn't even notice the other man at first. Though it would be easy to forgive with everything he's already gone through today. Even just trying to venture out for food was dangerous, as he'd learned that the hard way, so his attention is more focused on avoiding anything else that this weird island wants to throw at him. His suit is all disheveled, even worse than when he'd arrived, and still crumpled from coming out of the ocean despite his best attempts to make it look presentable. Though he hadn't bothered retying his tie before resuming his search for food. Corndogs aren't really his first choice, but at this point he's hungry enough that he's planning to try them anyway.

Until he catches sight of the guy he's walking near just idly picking at one and reconsiders. ]

Oh, excuse me, are they not any good?

[ It's a nice, polite tone and he's smiling up at him as he gestures at the corndog, but he'll be more than a little disappointed if they are gross after all. ]


[ ooc: hello! i had to bc nostalgia o/ ]

[curriculumachine]

[Judging by the suit, Makoto must not have been in this place long either, yet he's smiling like this is a fun time. Akira's been hanging out in the same spot too long and he should have left before someone starting speaking to him.]

They're fine.

[They're not, but Akira doesn't have previous experience with corndogs to know if they're supposed to taste like this. He's going with 'no', because his skin's starting to feel too hot, and maybe he's getting food poisoning. He holds out the corndog to Makoto; eating any more of it deemed to be a bad idea.]

You want it?


[\o]

[edamamepon]

[ Makoto eyes the corndog with surprise before he's able to put his smile back in place. He hadn't expected to be offered a corndog that had already been eaten off of and who knows who this guy is. Makoto puts his hands up, palms forward in polite refusal. ]

No thanks. I appreciate it, but I think they have enough to go around.

[ Despite not being willing to eat after him, he seems content to take Akira's word that they're fine. He's hungry anyway so it's not like it would've taken much to convince him. With that, he's walking up and grabbing his own corndog from the stand that is closest. He hesitates after, but walks back to the other guy anyway. This island can be scary, and he doesn't have it in him to just leave someone alone like that. At least, not until he's sure they're ok. ]

So, have you been here long?

[curriculumachine]

[The corndog is discarded as Makoto walks off to get his own. Akira goes back to his half disinterested people-watching, not expecting Makoto to come back and start a conversation. And with that stock opener. This is why he hates small talk.]

Does it look like it?

[Like Makoto, he's not too presentable. Still wearing the pants he arrived in, with splotches of unidentifiable substances here and there, and further mud stains from the beach at the bottom. Though he now has a jacket, he's not wearing a shirt under it, and there are blood splatters in the white fur of the hood. There's still some sand in his hair, as if he'd just dried off quickly and then said 'fuck it'. Which he did. He has yet to bother with a shower or a bath, because doing anything to make himself more approachable doesn't seem like a good idea in this environment.]

[edamamepon]

Sorry, I meant this amusement park.
[ The next part comes out as almost a grumble. ] If you can really even call it that.

[ Makoto takes in the other man's appearance a little more out of the corner of his eye as he starts munching on his food. His free hand casually moves to rest in his pocket, stance relaxing. The corndog isn't the worst thing in the world, though not really something he'd go out of his way to eat again, but he also is paying more attention to the fact that this guy has blood on him. His curiosity makes him want to ask about it but he's also content to let the silence on his end linger since this guy doesn't seem like much of a talker. Not being talkative only really serves to compel Makoto to linger, joining in on watching the people around them while he continues eating quietly. It'll be a moment before he tries again at conversation though, considering what to say a little more carefully. ]

[curriculumachine]

No, not long.

[It's a bit softer than his last remark, but he doesn't apologize for the earlier snapping. Makoto's presence isn't too invasive, but the silence is just as awkward as conversation for Akira right now. He has... opinions... about this whole deal. There's a concerning amount of people who walk by that are clearly unperturbed by the situation, where he feels decidedly creeped out. It bothers him on more than one level; the island itself, and that he's having emotional responses that aren't dulled and distant.]

This is disgusting.

[That comes as one of the mascot characters pass through, the obscenely oversized genitalia on the suit would be comical if it weren't also so disturbing.]

[edamamepon]

[ Makoto just nods at that, accepting the softer tone of voice as a small victory. At least he didn't make him angry or scare him off. When the other guy starts speaking again, he looks to him before looking out at what he might be talking about. It doesn't take long for Makoto to catch sight of that giant genitalia. He grimaces at the mascot. Not that the giant genitalia would bother him on its own in the right context, since he's at least seen the Kanamara Matsuri. It just seems like poor taste considering they are trapped here and it could be traumatizing for new people that might not be comfortable with it. Which clearly, this guy isn't. Not to mention, he already looks like he's been through a lot even before coming here.

Makoto's expression softens a fraction as he shifts his gaze back to the other man, not quite a grimace anymore but not happy either. ]

Yea, a lot about this place really sucks so far.
[ He admits, sighing before finishing his corndog and without anywhere else to dispose of it, he puts the stick in his pocket for now. ]

Most of the people I've met are really nice though.

[ He pauses, like he's unsure if now's the best time to introduce himself properly. But he goes for it anyway, defaulting to Western order since most people have seemed to understand it better that way here. Though he still bows his head slightly out of habit. ]

My name's Makoto Edamura, by the way.

[curriculumachine]

Mm.

[It does suck so far, but it could suck worse, which is what he keeps telling himself. Akira frowns a little at the second comment. He'd met unexpectedly nice people too, and he's sort of waiting for the other shoe to drop, on edge and not knowing what to make of things yet on the whole.]

Akira.

[He doesn't return the bow. It's not something ingrained in him and he's never really been the respectful type.]

[edamamepon]

Sorry it's under these circumstances. But it's nice to meet you anyway.

[ Makoto smiles at Akira again, aiming for politely reassuring. Then he turns to look around at the area again, this time with some level of intention. There are a number of food stalls but he hasn't really gone to any of the other ones yet. ]

Hey, did you want to see if there's better food around here?

[curriculumachine]

[Something that's not clearly a deliberate scowl is the best Makoto's going to get for a pleasant expression in return.]

Yeah.

[He doesn't particularly care to try anything specific, so he waves his hand towards the stalls in general. Makoto can pick. Akira doesn't know what half of this shit is anyway.]

[edamamepon]

[ Makoto will take it. ]

Great. [ And with that, he takes a few steps towards some of the stalls, but he looks back to see if Akira is following before getting too far. ]

So, what kind of food do you like?

[curriculumachine]

[He's following, hands in his pockets and without any outward sign of interest in this adventure. It takes him a moment to answer. He's used to mostly eating flavoured ration bars containing engineered food substitutes and he doesn't want to explain that. It's too much talking.]

Something not spicy?

[Are fair foods ever spicy?]