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

[forkuina]

Just wondering whose company I'm in. [ and whose hand he's holding, and whose butt he grabbed.

what she says, how she explains her position, it almost sounds noble. it explains the reason for the look in her eye — she could snap a man in half, probably, if she wanted to. it's good. using her strength to keep others safe is good. especially if she cares about them.

when she isn't making grabs at him, tsukuyo sounds like a decent person. zoro might even find her respectable if this conversation hadn't started with her hands on his tits. ]

You had all of that in your weird Moon God universe? ...And you should have turned left back there.

[tsukky]

[ Likewise, Zoro. She might have respected you more if you hadn't been pawing at her bottom. ]

No. That's all back home, in Japan. The moon place was where I was trapped for months before I ended up being brought to this crappy island.

[ Also have a scowl- well- another scowl. There's already been plenty of them. ]

-'N how the hell d'ya know I should'a turned left? You've got a damn blindfold on and you're clearly terrible at this.

[forkuina]

I can just tell, all right. I'm the one who marched us out here. It's obvious that the way you're going is the wrong way.

[ tsukuyo should not trust his compass or the way he tugs her arm in an attempt to goad them back in the 'right' direction. ]

If you've been trapped for months, you didn't try hard enough to leave. If we have people who depend on us, we can't waste any time in this place. We'll have to do everything in our power to get back to them. Even if that means taking on the 'deities' of this place.

All I've seen are robots, but they have to be serving someone at the top.

[tsukky]

I'm the one who's gettin' us back to where we came from before ya carried me out here with no idea where ya were goin', just so ya could cop a feel or whatever ya plan was.

[ Yeah, absolutely not, Zoro. She's tugging back in absolutely the opposite direction in order to try and keep going the way they are already.

Also, wow, that part about not trying hard enough - that touches a nerve clearly and she fumes. ]

If I couldn't find a way out, there was no way out. Not without their say so.

-And what's all of this we stuff you're sayin'? You're wearin' a blindfold so ya don't have to look at me.

[forkuina]

If I wanted to cop a feel, I could do that sort of thing anywhere. In a place like this, it might even be seen as normal. Don't make it sound like I got you alone to be creepy. I'm not that kind of guy.

[ if she wants to get them more lost, that's on her. he supposes there are worse things he could be doing besides going in circles with an angry courtesan. he lets her lead, but he sure does grumble about it. ]

There's always a way out. You might have to carve the path yourself, but it's possible.

[ that last part has his eyebrow twitching. that and his grimace can be seen from around the blindfold. ]

Oh, don't give me that! You know why I can't look at you! It's not 'cos I don't want to! I mean, in a way it is... Look, it's just better this way, all right?

[tsukky]

[ Urgh, he's got a point. This kind of deviant behaviour probably is normal here. Maybe even more so than it was on crazy horny moons planet.

And all of this stuff about there always being a way out and carving a path - he's talking like that and he's not even the Protagonist of his series. She doesn't say anything but- she always thought that way herself. Having someone else reaffirm it aloud... Maybe they can find a way off this stupid island.

But to more immediate matters: ]

And once we get back to the main part of the beach how exactly are ya plannin' on gettin' around anywhere else with a blindfold on?

Ya won't be able to avoid everyone and their asses - we don't know when or how this thing is gonna wear off.

[ And by the way, she's starting to see some familiar landmarks again. It's supremely validating that her sense of direction is definitely better than his. Not that that's difficult. ]

[forkuina]

Don't worry about me, I'll wait it out. Doesn't matter how long it takes.

[ not that he'd planned ahead this far, but now that they're here... sure, he can find a seat for himself along the beach somewhere. he'll be patient, maybe get some blind workouts in. you don't need to be able to see in order to do a few hundred push-ups. maybe the effort will do something to clear his head, too. ]

You should do something useful with your time. Work on a plan, maybe. Get a blindfold for yourself so you don't go around getting handsy with every chest you see.

The next time we meet, Tsukuyo, I'm going to look you in the eye.

[ maybe not any time soon with this weird telescope curse going on... but one day! ]

[tsukky]

I ain't worryin' about ya.

[ Also how Dare Zoro assume that she doesn't know how to make a plan or prioritise. ]

Maybe ya should do somethin' useful with your time - like findin' an outfit that covers yer chest so nobody else runs into it.

[ And while they're being ridiculous and melodramatic and making pacts and such- she comes to a halt, now that they're back at that part of the beach that she actually recognises again and lets go of his hand. ]

I'm goin' to look ya in eye first - when I tell ya that I already found a way off this island.

[forkuina]

We've already been through this; you're the creepy older lady who couldn't keep her hands off of some guy she barely knows. Even if I was covered, it probably wouldn't stop you.

( and before she can hit him—! )

It's settled. This won't be the last time.

( and not just because he'd rather die than let this sorry version of himself be someone's one and only impression of him. he's more than this, more than a lecherous butt-grabber. from her attitude, he's willing to believe she's more than this as well. just because they encountered one another in a low, weird, horny state doesn't mean this reflects on either of them.

they never speak of this.

and when he sees that telescope again, he's going to chop it to pieces.

zoro manages to navigate well enough without her guidance, enough to get a few steps away from her and onto his own section of the beach without running into anyone. there, he sits. he's eerily still. it doesn't look like he's working out. maybe he's meditating? )