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

Entry tags:

!tdm

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.

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

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!)

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

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.
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

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.

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

N A V I G A T I O N

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

He's not in his robes, having left them to dry back at the realm, his hair caught back in a loose ponytail as he walks the beach, checking the new arrivals when he sees them surface. Best to be aware of who comes and goes after all, but his footsteps slow as white robes catch his eyes.

The robes aren't the ones he'd expected, honestly, the forehead ribbon something more familiar but even that is different. Still he follows until he can 'bump' into the stranger accidentally.

"I do." In answer to the question, turning to look up at Xichen's face, taking in his features from a closer distance. The clothing is similar, definitely, the hair ornament and forehead ribbon are different though. Still, he bows politely in greeting.

"I can take you somewhere to dry off and rest if you'd like. You may find familiar faces there."

There's little sense of recognition for Lan Xichen, though the bow at least is a gesture familiar enough to provide a small amount of comfort. He bows in return, a touch of warmth reaching his polite smile.

"I would be very appreciative." The idea of seeing a familiar face is... complicated, considering he had no intention of seeing anyone except perhaps his uncle or brother for quite some time yet. But he supposes given the circumstances, someone familiar is far better than the alternative. "Have you been here long?"

"Around two months." He answers after a moment. "It was rather confusing at first though." Guangyao's smile doesn't quite reach his eyes as he gestures for the stranger to follow.

"But I found people I recognized and it made things simpler."

He hums in consideration, his gaze lingering on the other man's expression for a moment before he gives another polite bow and starts to follow after him.

"It is hard to imagine anything making this simpler, but I supposed I can attribute that to having only just arrived."

And the fact that he's hardly in any kind of state of mind to process something like this, but then - what is a suitable state of mind to process something like this?

"It can be difficult to accept the demands of this place, but having something more familiar can provide a level of comfort, at least." He pauses, gaze returning to the other stranger.

"One of the former residents from my home found a way to bring his sect's estate here so we're using it as a place to live." Not his preferred home but it's enough for him to stay for the time being.

There's another hum of agreement. The demands of this place, yes - the very ones he was trying not to think too much about. Unfortunate that he has recently spent most of his time thinking - it makes it rather difficult.

It also, he suspects, makes him a rather poorer conversationalist than he used to be, though he is doing his best to hide the hollow ache that sits dully in his chest.

Curiosity sparks through when the other man mentions someone bringing his sect's estate, however, and he looks back over at him. "His sect?"

"Yes, Huaisang was here for months before I arrived and while I only saw him briefly before he left, he did leave his home here for those of us who remain." Although in someone else's care, which rankles just a little.

"It's not as large as the one at home, but it's large enough to house a good amount of people."

Lan Xichen doesn't do anything so obvious as stumble, but there is a sharp intake of breath at Huaisang's name.

"Huaisang was here? And he managed to bring the Unclean Realm with him?" He doesn't know how to feel about the fact that Huaisang was here and gone already. Lan Xichen imagines he is probably one of the last people that Nie Huaisang would like to see, and he has not yet figured out what his own response is, but - it would have been familiar.

Or perhaps no, it would not be familiar. Did he ever really know Huaisang, or was their friendship only an act, something to help further the pretense that Huaisang put up? Does he have any right to think such things, with how deeply Lan Xichen had let the Nie brothers down?

It takes him a moment to realize he has gone silent, his eyes distant, and he pulls himself back together.

"I apologize," he murmurs quickly, giving a bow. "I did not expect to hear that name."

The reaction has him raising an eyebrow, studying the other cultivator more intently. Perhaps his first thought hadn't been as far off base as he'd thought. "And your reaction is one I didn't expect either." After a moment, his expression sharpening slightly before it falls back to neutral.

"How do you know Nie Huaisang?"

Even in his current state, Lan Xichen could not miss the brief sharpness of his gaze - or perhaps it is only because he is now looking very closely at the other cultivator as well, searching for any sign of familiarity.

"I am Lan Xichen, sect leader of the Gusu Lan. I was one of Nie Mingjue's sworn brothers."

He does tend to pride himself on not being too caught off guard and while there were similarities to the Lans he knew, this has him stopping completely and just looking up at Xichen.

"You do have some similarities to the Lan sect but you're not Xichen. At least, not one I've seen before." Which is unsettling because there's no reason for a stranger to be claiming that identity and not recognizing him.

It makes no sense. He's quiet for several moments considering his next move. "Can you convince you are in fact who you claim to be?"

Lan Xichen stops as well, now looking even more intently at this stranger. He had expected recognition of his name, certainly, but this? The assertion that he is not who he says he is, the implication that the other man has met a Lan Xichen, and it is not him?

His first thought is that there is someone out there pretending to be him. Not impossible, especially out in the regions where he has seldom gone, that a rogue cultivator might claim his title in passing. His second thought is that the man is lying, but for what purpose? What could he gain by pretending to have known a Lan Xichen who was not him?

Puzzling.

"I am afraid I was not carrying Shuoyue or Liebing with me when I found myself here, and there are many others besides myself who know the names of my family, or who could recite from the Wall of Discipline. What would be suitably convincing?"

"Your flute and sword may not look the same as the ones I'm familiar with, given there are clear differences between your attire and the way the Xichen I know dresses." Guangyao is quiet for a moment before he exhales a breath.

"And he's the last person I'd ever want to see in a place like this." But if this Xichen is in fact familiar with the precepts and family lines of the Lan sect, it'd be hard to catch him in a lie there. Still...

"You have another sworn brother, do you not? Tell me about him."

"A fair point." Of course this other Lan Xichen would have a sword and a flute, and of course they would not look the same. And yes, there would certainly be differences in attire between his clothing and that of someone pretending to be him.

But it unsettles him, the way this man speaks as though he knows him, as though he has not just encountered someone pretending to be Lan Xichen in passing.

He has had so many years of practice keeping his expression pleasantly neutral, remaining calm and composed - and yet he cannot keep himself from flinching when the man mentions his other sworn brother.

Is this his motivation, then, if he is lying? A rather circuitous way to get to finding out more about Jin Guangyao, but Lan Xichen has recently been exposed to far more circuitous methods of someone getting what they need.

"If you mean to get more information about Jin Guangyao, you will not find it here. The world has decided what it will, and my regard for him is commonly known."

He'd been expecting a reaction but not the one he'd gotten. The visible flinch and the response have him eyeing the stranger claiming to be Xichen.

"And what exactly has the world you speak of decided regarding him?"

There is a deep suspicion in him now, as he considers how this stranger knows Nie Huaisang, and he hates it. He hates that he now wonders if Huaisang sent this man, if this is another part of his revenge, if he is trying to discern what Lan Xichen knew about any of Jin Guangyao's actions and what his thoughts are on them now. It is in vain, if so - Lan Xichen hardly knows what his own thoughts are.

"I am not a person who could answer that accurately. I have never seen him the way the world does."

The stanger can make of that what he will. Even Lan Xichen is not entirely sure if he is stating that he has always seen a side of Jin Guangyao that others did not - or that he did not see everything he should have.

"Who are you?"

Which is just raising more questions about what exactly Xichen's referring to since as far as he knows, his reputation is flawless. He's worked hard to cultivate and keep that image up and his fingers flex at his sides for a moment.

But it's clear at least something has changed that viewpoint and his eyes close for a moment. "Meaning the world views him as Nie Mingjue did or is it more in line with the way they viewed Wei Wuxian before he died?"

He takes in the flexing fingers, the way his eyes close before he continues his questioning, and Lan Xichen's heart clenches in his chest. Another suspicion takes hold, but it feels even worse than the idea that this is someone Huaisang has sent to get more information out of him. The conversation has shifted, clearly, from who Lan Xichen says he is to who Jin Guangyao was, his reputation, how he was seen by the world - there are few he can think of who would care so much about that now, when the world has decided that everything is over and has begun to move on.

"Yes." It is closer to the way the world viewed Wei Wuxian, he supposes, since the way Nie Mingjue saw him was tangled up in a personal relationship - and personal betrayal. But the anger and grief and despair he has been doing his best to keep at bay is surfacing more the longer this conversation goes on, and he does not have the capacity to continue it with a man who asks such questions but will not tell him his name.

"Are you truly telling me you have no knowledge of recent events, or do you only seek my opinion on them?"

The answer isn't the one he wants to hear and not as clear as he'd like but it's something. The question Xichen asks though has him pause. "People come here from different points in time and given your arrival, different places as well. The Xichen I know dresses in a different fashion, simpler robes, no ornamentation in his hair beyond cloth." His voice is neutral.

"And Er Ge has never reacted to my name like you do. So will you answer me or not?"

Something shatters in Lan Xichen's expression, a crack in his composure that leaves him hollow-eyed and longing.

"A-Yao?"

It is impossible - only no, no it is not. After all, the last person who died in such a manner, with the world decrying his crimes and a Twin Jade reaching desperately for him - he came back, did he not? But then why would he not recognize him?

His hands lock behind his back, fingers twisting in his robes, and he closes his eyes as he tries to make sense of this, to pull himself together enough to think about what is being said to him. Different points of time, yes, he can believe that, different places - different versions of them?

A Jin Guangyao who has not yet died, who might not - if this is a trick, it is a very good one.

"I do not know how many answers I might have for you when I have so few for myself. I - yes. What is it you wanted to know?"

"Not the one you know, it seems, given you didn't recognize me on sight, even if my clothing isn't what you're used to." And honestly, there are reasons for that. Robes are all well and good but it does make them stand out far more than the clothing he's wearing now. And learning about the others in the place is easier if he blends in.

At least to some degree. Still, his focus is firmly on Xichen as he offers another bow. "Let me escort you to somewhere we can sit and talk properly. I can make us both some tea."

The one he knows. Did he ever know him, truly, or was it only his vanity, his desire to believe that yes, he knew Jin Guangyao better than anyone else did? His hands clench, briefly, where they're locked behind his back.

He doesn't know if it's harder to hold himself together and keep himself removed now that he knows who this is because for so long, he has been used to A-Yao being one of the few he does not have to maintain perfect composure for, or because it is very difficult to keep up the pretense that everything is fine when faced with a version of Jin Guangyao.

Regardless, he would very much like to be somewhere that isn't quite as public as this, and after a moment, he gives a nod.

"Yes. Thank you, I would very much appreciate it."

Too trusting, perhaps, but whatever else Jin Guangyao had done, Lan Xichen believed him when he said he would never harm him.

He's quiet on the rest of the walk, taking him to the realm and the area where he'd been installed, more or less. The room itself was simply furnished and he gestured for Xichen to make himself comfortable before disappearing to the kitchen.

When he returns, he's carrying tea and some food he'd found in the kitchen in case Xichen is in fact hungry. Simple enough fare, but it should be filling. He sets the tray down and pours for both of them once he's seated as well.

"Given what you've said, perhaps a good place to start would be figuring out how different our memories are, beyond the differences in clothing and appearance." He offers after a moment, his expression thoughtful.

"And I can try to answer some of your questions about this place."

It's something of a relief, that the Unclean Realm here doesn't look quite like the one he is used to. He's not sure he's ready to set foot in it again, not after everything. He bows to Jin Guangyao as he leaves, relying on muscle memory to be polite more than anything else.

He'd meant to use the time to try to think this over, to figure out something of a plan. How is he supposed to react, to this Jin Guangyao who is alive and breathing in front of him, who he does not know - who he might as well know as well as he knew the Jin Guangyao who died in front of him, depending on how different things are? But he hasn't gotten much farther than asking himself the questions before Jin Guangyao is back and setting the tray down.

His eyes snap back into focus, and he murmurs a thank you as he picks up the tea and takes a sip. There is something bitter that sits at the back of his throat, a feeling that he hates as much as the suspicion, that wonders what the point of comparing memories is when he cannot be sure that any of his own are accurate. But it is the most reasonable course of action, and he nods.

"Where I am from, I first met Meng Yao in Cloud Recesses, and then again after it was attacked by the Wen. He helped me hide from them, infiltrated their ranks to pass me secret information during the Sunshot Campaign. It was he who killed Wen Ruohan, and saved Wei Wuxian's life in the process." And then assisted in bringing about the circumstances that caused Wei Wuxian's death. Lan Xichen swallows, taking another sip of the tea. "You called me Er Ge, so I suppose we are sworn brothers where you are from as well."

Guangyao listens quietly, fingers curled around the cup. There are similarities, but the mention of meeting at Cloud Recesses the first time is unexpected. However, he lets Xichen finish before he speaks.

"I didn't come to Cloud Recesses for the first time until after the war, although I did help you while you were on the run. I did kill Wen Ruohan, but it had nothing to do with Wei Wuxian, and we did become sworn brothers after the war, along with Da Ge, yes." He pauses, takes a sip of his tea.

TDM 009: I'M IN LIKE WITH YOU

00. Arrival

I. STARGAZER

II. STIMULATING CONVERSATION

III. Eat Or Dare

Arrival

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)