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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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! ]

[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.]

[ 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. ]

[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.]

[ 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.

[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.]

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. ]

[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.

...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...?

[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.]

[ 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?

[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.

Mundie, got it. Hey, how come I can understand you just fine, but not the other way around? Man, this place is so weird.

[ Like. This is bothering him even more than the sex bingo stuff. ]

Okay, uh... you got a place to stay yet?

[ He gestures toward the nearby tents, and the apartments beyond. ]

Wanna go take a look?

[Judging by the inflection, that's more than one query, but he can only go on the gesturing and he isn't sure if he's responding to a yes or no question. He nods towards the tents.]

Yes? I was going that way.

[Before he'd been interrupted. But after the soup, he doesn't feel terrible any longer, and the tents and shacks don't look as inviting.]

No way, me too! Heh, what are the chances? Wanna go together?

[ Giovanni reaches for Akira's hand, intending to pull him along the beach towards shelter. Might as well at least get somewhere he can dry off, and hey, maybe they'll have a change of clothes there so he doesn't have to drag around several pounds of wet cape behind him. He can hope. ]

No.

[It's a sharp bark, more of panic than anger; a response to Giovanni's hand and not the question. He yanks his hand right back, crossing his arms to prevent any further attempts at unwanted touching. Once that is made clear, he'll continue walking up the beach with no further comment, because he would also like clothes... and shoes.]

Okay, okay, no touchy, got it.

[ Giovanni raises both his hands, chest-level, in an "I'll back off" gesture. He may be evil, but he knows how to respect a person's boundaries.

The trudge to the tents is uneventful and mildly awkward, what with the lack of ability to make small talk. There's got to be something Giovanni can communicate to the other guy, but it's hard to think of it at the same time as he's physically dragging his waterlogged cape through the sand with both hands. Capes: good for looking cool in front of your minions, not so good for unplanned dips in the ocean, it turns out.

Finally, here they are, in front of a row of tents lining the edge of the beach. It'd be nice to find somewhere more permanent if they're going to be here a while, but shelter's shelter, and shelter hopefully has towels. Giovanni makes a sweeping gesture toward the door of the nearest tent: ]

After you?

[This continues to be surreal, watching Giovanni haul his cape around. Who dresses like that? Akira makes no remark on it, maybe capes are common wherever this guy's from.

He hesitates a for a fraction of a second before entering the tent first. There doesn't seem to be much in here at first glance; one lopsided beach chair with a towel hanging off the back and a blanket spread out on the ground. It's probably not someone's permanent home.]

[ In retrospect, he probably shouldn't have been expecting a huge amount from a single tent, but this sure isn't much to work with. Giovanni tries not to look too disappointed. ]

Okay, this is... it's a start! It definitely is a start. Here, you take the towel, and I'll start snooping around for secret compartments!

[ He kneels down, lifting the blanket to peer under it. Nope, just... just tent floor. Man! They've sure got those secret compartments pretty well hidden. ]

[Akira takes the towel, but he's more interested in Giovanni's behaviour than getting completely dry.]

What are you doing?

[What did he expect to find under there?]

[ Is it not obvious? Giovanni straightens up, trying to figure out how to explain this one with the language barrier. He puts a finger to his lips: ]

Secret.

[ Then kind of... makes a rectangle in the air with his index fingers. ]

Compartments.

[ They've gotta have 'em somewhere, right? He knocks on the side of the chair, just in case it's hollow. ]

[He takes the finger gesture as 'shut up' and not 'secret'. So he won't say anything else, letting Giovanni go about his search without further interruption. Once he knocks on the chair, Akira sort of gets it, thinking of stash holes for drugs or money, but what Giovanni expects to be in there is lost on him. He'll just dry off and sit on the blanket until he feels like walking somewhere again.]

[ Having apparently finally exhausted his search of all corners of the tent, Giovanni turns back to Akira with a displeased huff. ]

Nothing. Man! This is gonna make a real junky evil lair! Oh hey, I didn't even ask, are you evil? Uh, how do I...

[ Okay. This is gonna be a little more complicated, charades-wise, but no challenge is too challenging for Giovanni Potage! He holds up one finger, then clasps his hands together, flutters his eyelashes, and simpers. ]

Good? Or...

[ Now holding up two fingers, he tugs his cape up to his chin, throws his head back, and lets out his best diabolical laugh. ]

Evil? Uh, you.

[ He lamely points to Akira, as an afterthought. ]

[Akira is not following this, and a little taken aback by the laughter. His conclusion is that Giovanni might be more than a little 'off'.]

I don't know what you want.

[ Well, he's. He's not wrong about that part.

Okay, so maybe some challenges are too challenging for Giovanni Potage. He paces the tent for a moment, hand to his chin in thought, before an idea bonks him in the brain: ]

Aha!

[ Quickly darting back outside, he beckons through the tent flap for Akira to follow. Once he's out on the beach, Giovanni squats down, pulling off one of his gloves and scrawling in the sand with a black nail-polished finger: two smiley faces, one adorned with wings and a halo, the other with devil horns and wickedly sloping eyebrows. 0:) vs. >:), essentially. He takes a step back and gestures at them proudly. ]

So? Which one are you?

TDM 008: A WALK IN THE THEME PARK

00. Arrival

I. SIX FLAGELLANTS

II. LIKE A FIREWORK

III. MISTLETOE

i!

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