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

Veth Brenatto | Critical Role C2, post-Traveler Con, pre-Eiselcross | gen ota, smut m/f

[chemistrysgoodbabe]

00. the beach

"EXCUSE the FUCK out of you!"

You know what Veth doesn't like? Veth doesn't like waking up in the fucking water. Veth doesn't like it! It never means something good happened!

"I'm WET!"

She also doesn't like this automaton helpfully offering her stuff. Not because it's doing anything wrong, just kinda on principle at the moment.

"Do you have a manager or something? What's going on?"

I. a beautiful rooster

Having met the basic needs of the hierarchy -- food, shelter, and some friendly faces -- Veth's curiosity about her surroundings is at least matching her grumpiness and worry about being thrown onto a new world away from her family. It's not like it's the first time she's been taken away, but -- well, that's the problem, right?

Anyway. When the robits set up the telescopes, she does eventually find a free one and go up on tiptoes to peer up at the unfamiliar stars.

"... Hey," she calls to whoever's nearby, "c'mere and look at this. Is that a dick?" A beat. "You haven't met anyone named Jester around here, have you?"

III. eat up

SPREAD 'EM, reads the heart in Veth's hands. The thing is half the size of her halfling head, and she looks extremely dubious about the whole game.

"I kinda feel like you ought to buy me dinner first," she tells the candy, before nibbling on one corner. "I know this place has a motif and all, but yeesh."

00. HELLO

[blumenthal]

For the second time in as many months, Caleb finds a friend on the beach. Though the time varies, it is always this day. Also for the second time, he finds this friend yelling some variant of fuck you at the robot attempting to greet her. Nothing about that is unexpected. The sight (and sound) of Veth Brenatto telling someone off is, in fact, an immense relief, like he hasn't been able to take a full deep breath until this very moment.

The sand is cumbersome beneath his boots even when he isn't running at a half-sprint--part of the reason that his beach visits are restricted to these days in particular--but he manages to reach them before Veth has decided to resort to casting spells. It's probably a good thing, he surmises, that she hasn't got her crossbow on her.

"Veth," he interjects, slowing finally to a slightly breathless stop about ten feet back. "Don't give it a hard time. It is only trying to give you things." The automaton acknowledges his presence with a curious tilt of its head, and Caleb murmurs a quiet thank you in its direction before taking the towel in its outstretched hands himself and unfurling it to drape over Veth's shoulders. "A way to dry off, for one."

[chemistrysgoodbabe]

When he gets close, she has her hands on her hips, glaring at the robot. When she sees Caleb, though, her eyes widen and she starts towards him at high speed.

"Caleb!" She grabs the towel as he drapes her around her, pulling it tight. "What the hell is going on? Where are we?"

[blumenthal]

While Caleb is decidedly not looking forward to answering either of those questions, the sight of Veth after what has been months apart for him is so welcome that he still can't wipe the fond smile from his face. This is the longest they've been apart since they met nearly a year and a half ago, and he's felt her absence keenly. "That is going to take some time to explain."

He lowers himself to his knees in the sand in front of her and pulls her immediately into a fiercely tight embrace. Heedless of the fact that she is still soaked and smells strongly of the ocean, his face tucks into her shoulder.

"It is so good to see you." The words are slightly muffled, but no less heartfelt.

[chemistrysgoodbabe]

On the one hand, Veth just saw him, what, like an hour ago or something? So it's confusing to be greeted with such urgency. And on the other hand: Veth will never, ever get tired of holding the people she loves with her own arms, and she's never going to deny Caleb in particular a hug as hard as he wants. It doesn't have to make sense.

She snuggles into him immediately, freeing an arm to wrap around him in return, and presses her cheek against his hair.

"Did something happen? Are you okay? You're okay, right?"

00. the beach - omg i just realized she's too 'young' to have seen veth

[flurry_of_beaus]

Beau's getting a handle on the island. Or at least she thinks she is. At least this time, when people start arriving on the shore -- which is weird, make no mistake -- she doesn't feel inclined to attack the robots on their behalf, like she did for her arrival. She knows they're harmful in other ways now, subtle ways, not like they're going to capture and drag anyone away. (Though she wouldn't put that past any of them.)

So she strides confidently and casually down the shore towards the beach, noting the halfling woman but nothing more than that.

"Just take the bracelet," Beau advises. "I'll explain what I can, though you're not gonna like it."

[chemistrysgoodbabe]

Okay, so, what's more surprising here? Seeing Beau, being told she's not gonna like this, or being told by Beau that she should accept the probably-magical bracelet being pushed on her?

"Beau!" She backs away from the robot (which continues to politely proffer both towel and bracelet) and towards Beau. "Take it and then what?"

[flurry_of_beaus]

"Uh.."

Beau frowns as she looks at the woman, trying now to determine where she knows her from. There's something somewhat familiar about the voice, like, like maybe if it were a different tone and a lot more teeth she would be able to place it.

The monk cocks her head in confusion, but continues. "Take it and then we talk. It's gonna follow you until you do. But it's not gonna hurt you, promise."

[chemistrysgoodbabe]

Veth glances suspiciously between Beau and the robot. "Is it gonna mess with my magic like those collars in the Happy Fun Ball, or what?"

I.

[fireflirt]

There's a first time for everything in life, and Chung Myung can safely say this is the first time a complete stranger has greeted him with a question like that. Now it might not technically be the crudest thing he's heard from a stranger, but usually that crudeness is a little more of the insulting variety rather than the genuine inquiry vibe.

He looks amused as he approaches the telescope, head canted slightly to the side as he looks down at her.

"Which question do you want me to answer first?"

[chemistrysgoodbabe]

"Honestly, the second one," Veth says, looking up at him. (Does her gaze kind of catch on his crotch? Maybe. Look, she and Yeza had plans before she got whisked away to wherever-this-is.) "She's blue? Or -- have you met anyone who calls himself the Traveler? Wears a hood thing usually. Kind of a dick."

[fireflirt]

If he notices the look he's pretending he doesn't for now. Surely it could be a coincidence regardless. Besides, the description she's giving is an interesting one.

Technically he's seen many people with at least a blueish cast about them, but that tends to happen to most folks who are recently deceased. Though he hasn't stumbled across anything like that so far in this world either.

"I can't say I've seen either of them."

His smile looks a little more apologetic now.

"Though a hood isn't too uncommon to spot. I might have seen people wearing one in passing."

[chemistrysgoodbabe]

"Shoot." She sighs, a little crestfallen in spite of herself. With Beau and Caleb here already, it seemed like ... well, no matter.

"They're remarkably good at puttin' dicks in places you'd never expect to see them, so I thought maybe--" She gestures up at the stars. "I mean, like, am I crazy? They said it's a chicken or something buuuuut."

III. eat up

[eyesofthegrave]

Caduceus hadn't been here all that long himself, he was still finding his feet or well, at least trying to. The candy hearts had been a really cute touch and the Firbolg couldn't help but think that a little blue friend of his might have really enjoyed them, had she been here.

He was just watching if truth be told, watching as others played the game and trying to work out what the appeal of such a game was anyway when he heard a small, familiar voice. " Nott?" He asked to himself, slowly pushing through the little gathered crowd to get a closer look. Only when he did, he didn't see his Goblin friend at all.

"Huh..." Pondering to himself, just about to overlook the Halfling when they spoke again. It was unmistakable. The voice, the mannerisms, even her body language. Coming over to where she stood, nibbling the corner of a huge candy heart. The Cleric smiled and knelt down to her height. It was so good to see her, even if she looked completely different.

"I thought that was you. And how about I, get you some dinner instead? You don't even have to spread anything."

[chemistrysgoodbabe]

Her face lights up when she sees him. "Caduceus! Is that you? Gods!"

Without waiting, she closes the distance between them and throws her arms around him in a hug. (He may get some sugar from the heart in his hair.) "You're here too!"

[eyesofthegrave]

Caduceus smiled at her reaction to him, giving her a gentle nod. "Mhm, it's me."

If he was stronger, he would have picked her up, maybe even spun her around but it's Caduceus, (he's even weaker than Fjord!) so instead, she's met with the warmest of hugs. The Cleric didn't even mind the sugar getting tangled into his hair, his beetles would enjoy it later.

"You look really good. Healthy too, did you just arrive?"

i.

[halforc]

"Jessie's not here."

The girls do seem to be taking their turn arriving now, after some of the guys settled in. Fjord looks down at Veth with a fond smile where she's messing with the telescope, having been told by the others she arrived but not having been here for it.

Did he stealth up behind to surprise her? Maybe. He had advantage, she was distracted by star-dicks!

"What took you so long to get here?"

[chemistrysgoodbabe]

Veth jumps and whirls to see--

"Fjord!"

(Wow has she always been eye-level with his dick and didn't notice? No, let's be real, she's definitely noticed before. But she is Noticing now.)

"I took a wrong turn at the ethereal plane or something," she says with a laugh. "How long have you been here?"

[halforc]

"Three months, the longest."

He sinks down to sit next to her, tapping the telescope to make it sway. When he looks back at Veth, he arches a brow.

"Molly arrived the same night I did."

III just because

[devilstongue]

It doesn't get any better than that, I'm afraid.

[ A vaguely bad Irish accent says behind her, and a purple head leans down a bit so Molly's smile reaches her upside-down. ]

Would you like some dinner? I haven't seen any halflings here, and it's nice to meet people a little more familiar than the rest around here.

[ ...yeah he has no idea who she is. ]

OH HELLO

[chemistrysgoodbabe]

[ Veth cranes her neck upward, surprised at being addressed -- but she knows who it's going to be as soon as she hears those R's, doesn't she?

Still, when she meets Molly's eyes, her own go wide. It's one thing to hear your dead friend is around and another to have him come up behind you and fffffflirt?? is that what's happening here or ]

Oh hello, um.

... Oh, this is very awkward.

💖

[devilstongue]

[ Veth's own voice is kind of familiar, but not as shrill as Nott's - and he doesn't know she's anything but a goblin, after all. Instead he just gives the halfling a dazzling smile. ]

Oh, no need for it to be awkward!

[ He even stands up again and walks around Veth so he can have a slightly more normal conversation.

Slightly. ]

I'm guessing you're new? Mollymauk Tealeaf, at your service!

III and fashionably late

[thelyss]

Essek is learning that perhaps he should have no expectations for this place. The appearance of a certain halfling seems to seal the thought firmly in his mind; how ironic would it be, that after weeks of nothing and days of anxious waiting, meeting the Nein again would be in another plane of existence entirely.

His approach is slow and leisurely - walking, noticeably, rather than his characteristic float. A faintly amused smile touches his lips as he offers, mildly:

"I'd advise against eating it, however, if you'd prefer to avoid...unintended consequences."

[chemistrysgoodbabe]

"Ooooh hey!"

Is this weird? This does feel a little weird. Most things around here feel a little weird, though, even before running into the seditious sorcerer who kind of saved your life and also prolonged a war and DEFINITELY has a something-something going on with your best friend.

"Well, the options were do what's on the candy or eat it," she says, wrinkling her nose.

[thelyss]

Essek has come to realize that he does not at all know what to expect upon meeting any of the Nein here; not what they'll remember of him, nor what their reaction will be if they do remember everything. Veth's greeting is still friendlier than he had anticipated, even if - yes, it's a bit weird.

"Ah, I see. Unfortunately being presented with two unappealing options is a frequent occurrence here."

It is a lot of candy heart she's got there.

"I, ah...hope your arrival was not too...traumatic."