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

[sally_ho]

She can hear the silent yelling, and she's proud of him for keeping his disdain so mediated. Smiling gently, she gestures beside her, in case he's not intent on throwing himself into the waves to float away today. She'd like to say he's gotten less Extra since she first met him, but that would not be true.

"It's not the kind that we're used to," she says, voice glib to hide her deep concern. Wu Fei is not going to be happy. He's going to be less happy than normal. "From what I understand, this is some kind of free-range prison island. Beyond that... our captors use some extreme means to keep their prisoners in check."

She holds up her wrist to jangle the tightly bound bracelet. "These things appear to have some kind of communication system built in. Will you check in?" Because she knows he's going to run off on his own at the first opportunity, and she wants to let him know that she'll be there if he gets in too deep. But... as far as she's concerned, they're not commander and subordinate; she won't give him orders that he won't take. "Once it gets a little darker, I plan to scout the surroundings out."

[zerofive]

It makes him blink, and consider his own wrist, similarly adorned. It could not have been more clearly a shackle unless it had come with physical chains, and most certainly contained a tracking device. He resisted, with some difficulty, the urge to curse.

Weren't they all meant to be past the 'prisoner of war' stage?

"No," he says quietly, thinking hard, and knowing that Sally, of all people, will understand that he absolutely is not going to check in. To what end? As a former Gundam Pilot and a Preventer's Agent, it is his duty to act, even as much as Sally. It was not his nature to defer to others, and who else but to her would he even speak? "We should split up, to cover more ground."

She'll probably convince him otherwise, on both counts, and be right to do so. He doesn't even have to become resigned to it, it's inevitable enough that Wufei hardly need bother to worry about the eventuality one way or another.

[sally_ho]

Seeing that Wufei is already calculating the odds, she softens her expression. "I can't disagree; that's not a bad idea." But. But she knows him just well enough to know that there are layers to that statement.

"This thing has a method of communication. I assume it's monitored, but if I find something big, it may be more concise than sending smoke signals." She knows he won't use it either, but she's giving him fair warning that she isn't likely to leave him alone. The idea that he'd worked so hard to find his place and is on the edge of losing it all again makes her nearly waver, but she won't risk showing much emotion around Wufei, because she suspects how fragile he is right now.

Then, in case she's lost him, she gives a grin. "What else are partners for, eh?"

[zerofive]

...And there it was. The argument was so pat, so logical, so easily agreed with that Wufei found himself nodding a sharp assent to the idea of using the wrist-communicators after all. When he had just said he wouldn't

"Partners indeed," He agrees again, feeling suddenly just a little more tired. For fuck's sake, the audacity of Sally Po strikes again, and he's not even fighting it, "Report back in an hours time. Agreed?"

[sally_ho]

"Unless you'd rather meet in person." she says, watching his eyes for that familiar internal battle, feeling a little bad for it... not bad enough to let him off leash when she's afraid of what they'll both find. There is a part of her, small and one that she wouldn't ever admit to out loud, that is grateful that he does agree to keep in touch. It's not as helpless as the time all her friends and compatriots had been relying on him... but it's still there, still being tweaked by these new circumstances.

Having a purpose for the present moment gives her a sense of clarity, too. If she focuses too much of that on Wufei... well. He knows when to shove off.

She knows he doesn't really care what she does, so she doesn't lay out her plans... but she does give him little smile before they part ways.