ercookies | TDM 009: I'M IN LIKE WITH YOU

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TDM 009: I'M IN LIKE WITH YOU

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. STARGAZER

On the first night that new arrivals wash ashore, the moon rises. It's full and beautiful and surrounded by stars.

The robots quickly bring old, dusty telescopes out of storage and line them up on the beach to help people get a truly spectacular view.

"Look to the heavens! Behold, the chicken, the cat, the owl, the donkey!"

It's... the cock, the pussy, the hooters, and the ass. For the rest of the night, characters will become fixated on the specific asset associated with the constellation they've gotten an eyeful of.

Whether this leads to some body worship or just casual appreciation is up to you.

You can learn about the stars and constellations later this month in some of the rare, non-pornographic books in the library. (More info will go up soon, so please be patient!)

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II. STIMULATING CONVERSATION

An ancient courting ritual has been announced! It involves the give-and-take of candy hearts with slogans printed on them. Of course, since these hearts are being manufactured by robots, their sense of taste is a little... off? Or perhaps off-putting?

"You'll do."
"5/10."
"Acceptable."
"Sloppy Seconds."

Receiving a negative heart makes one feel insecure, jealous, and submissive.

"Be mine."
"Nicest ass."
"Swell bulge."
"They're good lays, Bront."

Receiving a positive heart will make one feel confident, boastful, and dominant.

Your friendly neighborhood 'bots will give them out to anyone who asks - and maybe even those who don't.
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III. Eat Or Dare

The robots have set up a stall by the beach with a banner that reads: Eat Or Dare. They have procured bigger candy hearts than ever before -- fist-sized and larger -- with actions written on them instead of derogatory slogans.

"Take a dive."
"Lick me."
"Get handsy."

The name of the game is to follow the instructions or forfeit the challenge by making the evidence disappear into your mouth. Delicious!

Those who eat the candy hearts will feel themselves getting giddy and unreasonably invested in the love affairs of others. They will feel compelled to play matchmaker to spread the cheer.

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N A V I G A T I O N

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He hears her voice first. For a moment he's cold, standing in a twilit park with his eyes fixed on a bouquet of red lilies.

He turns, posture gone in a moment from smooth and confident to locked up and buzz-nerved. There isn't a chalk heart in the whole universe that could prepare him for this.

"No," he breathes. "No way..."

Then, in a flash, his jaw clenches, his brow sets in a fierce frown, and his posture shifts again to one Pyrrha will know all too well - the 'ready' stance she drilled into him, her hands guiding his elbows into proper alignment the first time she showed him, the nervous tremor of his shoulders as he fretted over getting it just right the first twenty times a familiar quirk, even now.

But he has the stance right, now, and it looks far more natural on him than the last time she saw it.

"Whoever you are," he says, voice cracking, "I'm going to give you just one chance. Drop the illusion. Now."

His sword and sheath had been delivered this morning, and his right hand drops to the hilt; his left still held up in a defensive guard.

For some reason Pyrrha hadn't expected this reaction. Honestly she should have, of course he wouldn't immediately assume that the dead could just appear.

Her expression of surprise had turned into shock and concern.

"No Jaune I- it's me."

Pyrrha's mind races for something. Some memory that only the two of them share. Something from before everything went wrong and there seemed to be enemies everywhere.

"I... I was the one who unlocked your Aura for you. You didn't even know what it was."

She spoke quick hoping to keep him from doing anything rash.

"Do you remember what I said when I did it?"

Pyrrha recited it from memory

"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee."

All she could do was watch and see if that was enough proof.

"..."

He stares, one shock passing into another, and nerveless fingers slip off the hilt of his sword. He shakes, blinks, and finds tears welling in his eyes.

"It can't be," he says, faintly. "I remember. Of course I remember. But it can't be. You... you're..."

He can't say the words. There's a riging in his ears, and he lets his shoulders fall, dropping out of his stance.

"...Pyrrha?" His voice cracks and trembles, hope breaking through grief in the paroxysm of tangled emotions clenching down on his heart.

Her expression relaxes some as his aggression fades, but it's not exactly a happy change either. Tears were inevitably with this. Especially with how long she has been gone.

"I know," she says her tone hopefully reassuring. She knew she was dead.

When he called out to her she couldn't hold herself back anymore. She rushed over to him and wrapped her arms around him in a firm embrace. She rested her head against his shoulder.

"I'm sorry I left you." Her own voice cracked now as her tears began to fall against Jaune.

His arms close around her instinctively, holding tight, probably too tight, hands clinging to her back, one sliding up to stroke her hair. None of it takes any thought. It's just right. How things ought to be.

How he'd been sure they never could be, ever again.

"No," he says, firmly. "You don't... you don't owe me an apology. When you're the only one who has a chance, the only one who might be able to make a difference... of course you do it. A Huntress... a Huntress doesn't have a choice. You had to try. And I just..."

His throat closes up for a moment, and he squeezes even tighter. There's a lot more strength in his arms than there used to be.

"I spent the last two years," he finally manages, "Making sure that the next time there's a moment like that... I'll be ready. I'll be able to keep up."

The embrace felt good, really good in fact. She clung tighter in turn like he'd vanish on her if she let go.

She lets herself relax in his warm embrace. Just calming down from seeing him again, knowing how much time had passed and at least some of what transpired.

Despite some nervousness about being this direct she leans back to look up at him and brought a hand up to cup his cheek, hoping to soothe him. "I can already tell you've been working so hard. You've gotten a lot stronger Jaune, just like I always knew you would."

He leans his forehead against hers and chuckles, briefly. "It's been... a busy couple of years. And I had the best training instructor I could ask for, right there on my scroll."

He's not really thinking about the details, the closeness, his shirtlessness, things that might panic him a little if he wasn't in the middle of a day of almost dreamlike strangeness.

"I've got a lot of questions," he admits after a moment. "I guess you probably have a few, too. But they can wait. As long as... well, as long as I'm not about to wake up and find that y- that the island's disappeared."

It took a second for her to realize what he meant, and that felt a little sad. Of course the only bit of her training he'd have other than his memories are the recordings she had made for him for break.

Right now she isn't thinking of the situation. She was just happy to see him. It would set in soon enough, but right now she was still coming down from the thrill of finally seeing him.

"I promise this isn't a dream," that much she can promise at least. "To answer the question you probably have. The reason I'm here is because this place doesn't just take you from where you are, but when you are. That last thing I remember is going up to the tower and fighting Cinder."

"Which is why I haven't changed at all from how you remember me." She does finally decide to compliment him a bit more casually "You have though. I really can tell you've been training. The changes to your armor are nice too." She will just not mention his new haircut.

"I'll show you all the upgrades," he promises. "And... I unlocked my Semblance. Traveled with Ren and Nora and Team RWBY to Mistral, Argus, and Atlas. Got my license. And..." he hesitates for a moment, then lets his hands slide down, fingers curling gently around her arms halfway between shoulder and elbow.

"Never stopped missing you."

The words sound fierce, not sad, and there's a light in his eye as he looks at her. That part, she needs to know.

Hearing all of those things Pyrrha wanted to know more and more. It also calmed her down and made all of this seem much more real. He was here, she was here, and for the moment nothing dangerous was going on around them.

Which made it so when he changed how he was holding her causing her to be drawn closer as she looked up to him and he spoke so seriously she finally noticed their predicament.

The fact he was shirtless, holding her close and looked so determined. It all worked to make her face warm into a heated blush. She wasn't sure what to do or say. She didn't want to back away, but her nervousness had returned.

She finally said "It... might not have been as long for me, but I missed you too."

"... I'm older than you now," he realizes, and cracks up, just a little, laughing in giddy relief. "And about two inches taller?"

He sighs, and lets a little space come between them, just a hands-breadth, but enough that she can see her whole face, his hands still curled possessively on her biceps, as if reassuring them both of her solidity.

"And... we're stuck here together. In this crazy place. Where..."

He blinks in a sudden rememberance, swallows, and his face reddens a little.

"Was it, um... was it like this when you arrived?"

He stays vague about what he's asking for the moment, but if it was, the gist of the question should be clear.

The silly observations managed to make her laugh despite her embarrassment "So you are. I guess I'll have to keep up my training or I'll fall behind."

Then it was right back to embarrassment as he referenced the exact nature of this place and what was needed to restore it.

Her face goes tomato red as she thought about her own experiences here "Y-yes it was exactly like this." They both knew what she was talking about so she didn't elaborate.

"It's not bad though. Team RWBY is here along with some other people from our world. I've actually been staying with Weiss," she babbled trying to find some way not to be embarrassed, it wasn't really working.

"So, did you also have, um, a... memorable welcoming to the island?" He asks, then sighs and shakes his head, looking down for a moment. The confidence the heart he'd eaten gave him is still only barely up to the task, but it spurs and bolsters him enough, reminding him that, if he has Pyrrha back in his world, what can he really have to fear?

"Because I kind of had sex last night. Twice. And I'm still working out how I feel about that, but it's like you told me... I can't get it wrong if it's the truth. So I thought you should know, before... before we figure out what happens now."

The explanation pours out of him in an earnest, stream-of-consciousness flow, with only occasional glances back up at her face from his study of the ground between them, but it sounds firm and decisive, if squeaky.

At first she didn't understand what Jaune meant and it showed on her face. That is until he was more direct about it. Her eyes opened wide in surprise for a moment. Not that she minded so much as she was surprised how quickly it happened.

After a moment she found her words, face still red given the topic. "Thank you... for being direct with me. It didn't happen when I first arrived, but I have had... sex with a few people now." It was embarrassing to say so directly, but Jaune should know that much.

Then it hits her what Jaune was actually implying, about the two of them and where things could go.

Her face went about as red as it could as she absolutely stumbled over her words "J-Jaune... are you saying that you would like to... I mean... are you saying that after what happened you'd want to... be with me, romantically?"

"After-"

It takes him a moment to wrap his head around what she's asking, or that there's even a question. That she's not angry, that she understands, overwhelms the brief spike of jealousy that might otherwise have focused his attention.

She's alive. What else could he possibly care about, compared to that?

"I mean... you woke up in a different world," he tries again, pushing forward. "If you've moved on, if you just want to be friends, I swear, I would never hold that against you. But I... it doesn't matter how long it's been."

His voice quavers.

"I haven't moved on. I couldn't help but wonder... if I'd seen things more clearly, if I'd realized what you were trying to tell me earlier... could we have had more time together? And wanting that. More than anything, wishing for just one more day. One more dance. And I know that's... intense. And we don't have a script for any of this. For a second chance. But I'd like one, if you would."

"No that's... I knew you wouldn't care about me having sex with someone else especially before we ever... got together." She trusted Jaune wasn't that prudish, or she would have been a lot more against doing it.

"I mean... I thought you would be upset with me. I didn't take my own advice, I was never honest with you. Until... the end and then I left you with that knowledge."

Her hands gripped his arms tight "It was selfish, it was unfair to you, but I knew... I knew there was a good chance I would never get to experience that. To express how I feel about you."

She looked up at him despite the fear and her heart beating hard in her chest "I still feel that way about you. I don't think I'll ever stop feeling that way."

"Being honest is scary," Jaune said, and laughs a little, thinly. "I mean... it takes a big push, sometimes. To figure things out, to fine the right moment. I... yesterday I was ready to find a way to tear this island down and get back to Remnant. But if you're here, if somehow Team RWBY is here... even though I just saw them in the Atlas dorms... and if this place is going to keep, um, messing with us... that's enough for me to find my moment. I don't care about anything that happened before. I want... my partner, my tutor, my conscience... a better friend than I could ever have asked for. I want to be with you. Not, um, just..."

He breaks out in a sudden fit of red-faced coughing and takes a moment to clear his throat.

"I'm not... talking about sex. I'm not not talking about sex, but I just... I mean us. You and me. Figuring out the details and seeing what happens, because the worst thing that could... already has. And I'm not going to let anything else stop me."

His earnestness warmed her heart. The way he talked about her made everything else fade away other than him. Nothing else mattered in this moment other than her and Jaune.

Then of course his usual awkwardness came out and she had to giggle "I know what you mean Jaune."

She smiles warmly "I want to figure it out with you too. I know we can do it together."

Gathering up her courage she says "I... want to be your girlfriend, if you want me to be." She wanted to make it crystal clear.

"I really, really do."

He lets out a long, slow sigh, blowing out his breath before looking up at her again with at least a trace of mirth behind his eyes, if not actual mischief.

"So. That's the hard part settled. What next?"

There's a nervous laugh from Pyrrha. This really was the difficult part managed, wasn't it?

"Well I think in the long term I'll take you back to where everyone else is, but I think the short term is up to you. What do you want to do?"

The ball was in Jaune's court here.

"I think... I'd like to kiss my girlfriend. And I'd like to hold you. But, I'm living out of a tent right now, so I think I'd like to move before doing anything else."

He laughs and reaches out again to take her hand.

"For... everything else... I'd like to at least talk about it first. I don't want this to be happening just because... a robot gave me a bingo card."

It made her blush for Jaune to be so direct, but she liked it, knowing he wanted that with her.

Although she decided to bring up a point "I agree we shouldn't do it because we're expected to, but I think on the opposite end this goes to my advice about no theatrics."

Her face was already red, but if they've come this far she might as well keep going "We should just do what feels right and see what happens and if I'm being honest I want you to myself a little longer before we meet up with the others."

She smiles sheepishly "If all we do is kiss, I'm happy, if we end up doing more... I'm actually not opposed to it." She may have done some lewd things on the roof of a building. Mask or not she'd feel hypocritical acting like she wasn't okay with enjoying Jaune's company in a tent.

"You can have me to yourself as long as you want," he promises. "But... my tent isn't exactly comfortable. If... if things go further, I'd like it to be somewhere where neither one of us bumps our heads. Or gets sand in our pants. But... one step at a time?"

He says that, and then steps, not hesitating, close enough that even though nothing is touching but their hands, he can feel the warmth of her skin. His breath comes out in a sigh, and he leans forward, slowly, deliberately, eyes focused on hers, head tilted to the side just a little so that their noses won't collide.

"We're used to rough environments, we can manage if it comes to that I think." She really just didn't want Jaune to over-think it. That's what got her to the point of never telling him how she felt in the first place after all.

Then all at once nothing mattered anymore. Their lips touched and any other thoughts left her mind. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed him. Gentle at first, and then more firm as she soaked in the feeling. This wasn't a goodbye like last time, this was just them enjoying each other. If anything it was a hello.

At least, a hello again. His arms draw her in closer, pulling their bodies together, and he draws the kiss out with eager thoroughness, letting his mouth open to hers, explore every sensation, every careful, experimental motion, while his arms curl around her in embrace once more.

00. Arrival

I. STARGAZER

II. STIMULATING CONVERSATION

III. Eat Or Dare

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