TDM 009: I'M IN LIKE WITH YOU

[erkumods]

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

Comments

[blumenthal]

[ Well, that grin certainly gives him a new perspective. Maybe it's him who's in trouble here. But just as she's assessing him, he's doing the same, curious about her intention here. ]

That does sound pretty par for the course. [ With his own general aversion to it, physical intimacy sounds like a pretty terrible prize. But that's what this whole island is about, isn't it? He can't help some faint amusement at the ridiculousness of this gimmick in particular, though. This one seems even more blatant than usual. If there was ever a time to test his resolve, this is it. ]

It seems like you are going to need a partner for this game if you intend to play. [ He nods toward the heart in her hands. ] Or someone to help you eat that if you do not.

[backstreetbard]

It does seem that way. Are you volunteering?

[ She shoots a wink his way, but in truth she's mostly teasing. She isn't going to get anyone to play along with this game if they aren't interested in getting bitten... literally. Or perhaps she's the one that needs to be bitten? The instruction is rather vague, but she suspects the robots will be happy as long as someone bites someone else here. ]

If so, which thing are you volunteering for? The activity or the destruction of the evidence?

[blumenthal]

[ That wink is encouraging, actually--just flirtatious enough for Caleb to feel more confident that he's welcome to agree. ]

I'll volunteer. For either, depending on your preference.

[ Bite Me is chiseled plainly across the heart's surface, and he isn't trying to decide for her whether she wants to bite him or not. Or is he meant to bite her? Both? That seems like an awkward exchange, especially to have right here, but he supposes the purpose of all of this is to encourage more than that. ]

[backstreetbard]

[ Oh, a volunteer. He's being a good sport and she appreciates it, so she tosses her head once as she turns to face him, putting her full figure on display. It's like a switch has flipped. Where only a moment ago stood Dorothea the newly-minted nameless island resident, now stands Dorothea, Prima Donna of the Mittelfrank Opera Company, the most illustrious and well-respected company in all of Fodlan. There's something about the way she holds herself that could captivate someone sitting in the back row of an auditorium, and all that charm is now aimed at Caleb. ]

All right. Come here, then.

[ Reaching out, she takes the lapel of his coat between her fingers, pulling him closer until their noses are barely an inch apart. In polite society it's more common for the gentleman to lead, but Dorothea has always preferred taking the initiative, when she can help it.

Leaning in further still, it seems like she's going to kiss him, but instead he'll feel the brief sting of his lower lip between her teeth. ]

[blumenthal]

[ That shift is clear as day, and it leaves Caleb a little stunned for a moment, unprepared as he is for the full focus of Dorothea's significant charm. If he thought he'd taken her measure before as bright, playful, and attractive, he'd severely underestimated. Her presence now is entrancing in the way of a true performer, and her easy confidence shows that she knows exactly what she is doing.

It's a good thing, because Caleb is not so much a leader himself, especially when it comes to intimacy. He lets himself be drawn in, reciprocates by settling a hand at her waist when she reels him in by her coat.

Naturally, his eyes flutter closed as her head tilts toward him, so he's surprised by the immediate scrape of teeth instead of a soft press of lips first. She'll feel the way the hand at her waist tightens reflexively, the sharp gasp he draws in, the slightly prickly brush of his beard before he draws back just far enough to speak. ]

Just to cover our bases, [ he murmurs with a quirk of his lips before he leans in again, mirroring Dorothea's nip with a boldness encouraged by hers. ]

[backstreetbard]

[ The gasp is satisfying on a visceral level, and the way he'd looked on in surprise as her performer's persona came into full swing was a nice little ego boost as well. It's nice to know she still has it, even though she's been in the trenches of a vicious war for over half a decade now.

The little nip he gives in return sends a little shiver down her spine. It makes her chuckle, soft and breathy. ]

Cheeky. I like it.

[ And since they've taken their requisite bites, she's happy to do a little more exploring. The beard is a little scratchy as her nose moves down, lips brushing over the pulse in his throat. ]

Care for more?

[blumenthal]

[ There's an obvious shiver as Dorothea's mouth brushes down along his throat. Her breath is warm and her lips are soft, and it's definitely something he could be interested in. Her playfulness is attractive. But Caleb is a creature of habit in many ways, and it takes him a little time to warm up to others enough to actually follow through on his attraction.

So even as his breath hitches, he leans back gently, putting a little distance between them. ]

I'm sorry. I am not usually one for more at a first meeting. [ He confesses, somewhere between apologetic and slightly embarrassed. Even this much was daring, for him. ]

But perhaps in the future, if you are interested. If we knew each other a little better. [ He knows that isn't so typical here, and it's part of the reason he's struggled on the island so far, but making more genuine connections is important to him. ]

[backstreetbard]

[ Dorothea is actually a little surprised when Caleb pulls back. She's a woman who's well aware of her own charms since, in her experience, they're the only part of her most people find worth discussing. But this man would rather... get to know her? Her smile turns surprised, sheepish. The diva melts away, and she's just Dorothea again.

With a soft chuckle, she shakes her head. ]

There's no need to apologize. You played the game with me, and that's all I could ask for. We should probably step away, before they try to give us more of these candy hearts.

[blumenthal]

[ There's something uniquely intriguing about watching her shift again, shedding the persona she'd been using. And that is, in part, why Caleb wants to know her better. There is clearly so much more to her than meets the eye.

At her warning, he takes a shuffling step away from the booth, clearly wanting to establish more distance there. ]

Ja, of course.

[ Privately, he's deeply relieved that she isn't offended--and moreover, that she isn't making excuses to leave now, either. Cautious but hopeful, Caleb offers her a hand--slender, long-fingered, with callouses around the thumb and forefinger and ink stains around several nails. ]

I realize I am a little late with this, but my name is Caleb Widogast.

[backstreetbard]

[ Looking down at the offered hand, Dorothea falters for a second, unsure how to proceed. The extended palm is flat, held vertically, not open for her to set her hand upon. She's seen warriors greet one another, clasping forearms in a show of camaraderie, but she's given no indication that she is a warrior, and he doesn't look like one either. Her expression is slightly bemused, but she still smiles as she reaches out and slips her fingers over the side of his palm, as though she expects him to kiss them. Which, in fairness, she does. ]

I'm Dorothea Arnault. A pleasure, Caleb. Tell me, where are you from? I've never heard an accent like yours in Fodlan before.

[ Or from any of her friends that hail from the countries surrounding Fodlan, either, for that matter. He's a transplant from a world unlike her own, and she's curious. ]

[blumenthal]

[ It becomes clear fairly quickly that Dorothea doesn't know quite what to do when offered a handshake, and Caleb feels momentarily very dense. Of course he shouldn't expect such gestures to be universal across worlds. Her fingers fit over his hand, and he--honestly, doesn't know quite what to do with that. He's run out of any cavalier boldness he'd forced himself to have. But she's clearly expecting it, so--

So he swallows his own trepidation and brings her hand to his lips. The of a kiss over her knuckles is too brief, and he probably releases her hand quickly enough to be slightly awkward, but at least he'd fulfilled his half of the ritual. ]

It is my pleasure, Dorothea. I come from Exandria--the northern part of the Dwendalian Empire in Wildemount, specifically. My accent is Zemnian, for the Zemni Fields where I grew up.

[ Her mention of Fodlan has piqued his interest already, though. This isn't the first time he's heard the name. ]

I have an acquaintance here who comes from your world, I believe. She was able to show me a little of the magic you use there, which was fascinating.