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

[eyesofthegrave]

Nature was wonderful, wasn't it? Caduceus could appreciate it, day or night. Though, he understood why the Shadowhand wasn't too fond of it during the day. If truth be told, the Cleric enjoyed being alone too, as much as he had missed his family, he also missed just being by himself, in the Graveyard with nothing but the dead and the plants to keep him company.

At the sound of the Wizard's voice, Caduceus turned his head, the smile that was already there, only growing wider and brighter at the sight of a friend before turning his face skyward once more.

"It sure is. I'm into though."

Tilting his head, trying as he might, to better view a rather strange constellation. "Not even sure where we are. Might even be a dream, who can say?"

[thelyss]

It is by far the friendliest greeting Essek has received from any of the Nein since his arrival. Which isn't to say that the others were unfriendly or haven't been, but there is a clear distance between them, separated by not unwarranted caution and suspicion. Yet Caduceus had already expressed his forgiveness even before their last departure all those weeks ago, and his calm steadiness is...refreshing.

A faintly amused smile touches his lips again as he stares upwards once more, picking out a few of the constellations he's come to know over the past few weeks, and some brighter things that may yet be planets.

"On another plane of existence entirely, perhaps. Thus far, no one seems to know." And even if they did, there's no real way to know how to get back, precisely.

[eyesofthegrave]

It is? Well isn't that nice? Caduceus likes to think he's one of the friendlier members of the Nein, even if he is the least social. As for his feelings for Essek, Caduceus believed there was always more than meets the eye with the Drow, he was sure that they were good in heart and intentions and that was all he asked of in a friend. There was no bad blood here.

Side glancing, Caduceus was sure he spotted Essek smile and that in itself caused the Firbolg's own smile to grow a little wider.

"Is that so? Well hey, isn't this a privilege? The first adventurers in an entirely new planet? Wow... Just, wow." Turning to face his friend with a kind expression on his face. "I'm sure it will all work out the way it's s'posed to. Destiny is a strange thing, isn't it? It's not always clear, not always what we want but in the end, we'll be exactly where we're meant to be when we're meant to be."

[thelyss]

Essek's expression slowly turns a little more complicated. Something winsome and pained, smile becoming somewhat ironically bitter. "Is this destiny then, I wonder? Is destiny the one path we end up taking out of all the possibilities that could be had at any given moment? Yet none of us came here by choice. Is that destiny, when we have choice wrested from us?"

Shaking his head, he glances back up at the sky.

"There are signs of others that were here before us, supposedly the natives of this world who are now gone. The skeletons of their civilization remain." Much like that of Aeor, sprinkled over Exandria, although decidedly different.

[eyesofthegrave]

Caduceus noticed the change in Essek right away, but still, his own kind smile remained. The Firbolg was used to this kind of response from people, his wisdom and view on the subject often gained such a questioning retort. "I believe it is destiny. I also believe it's not as rigid and stiff as people often make it out to be. We all have free will, the Gods don't puppeteer us from on high."

Pointing to the stars as he smiled and closed his eyes for a moment. "It was my destiny to look over my home, yet I left when the opportunity arose. It was my destiny to meet the Mighty Nein and join then, just as much as it was to cure the Blooming Grove. You see, Mister Essek, destiny isn't just one path set out for us, it's what guides us down the paths we choose to walk."

Caduceus returned to simply listening as Essek spoke once more. This time, what he was saying was far more fascinating than destiny. The idea of dead things scattered across this alien land? Why it was almost enough to fluff his light layer of fur. " That sounds wonderful, truly it doe. I should like to find some of those remains. Maybe have a small conversation with them, see if we can't figure some things out." He spoke of death and the dead with such a light-hearted manner, it was easy to forget how creepy it all really was.

[thelyss]

It's hard to say if Caduceus' angle on the concept gives Essek any comfort. He's quiet a moment, some of the tension loosening, but he doesn't appear entirely convinced. The gods of Exandria are distant to him, the Luxon little more than a false idol that holds his own people hostage. But the idea that destiny is a guide rather than a path...he likewise isn't sure what to make of it. In his mind, nothing had guided him to steal the beacons and give them away other than his own judgment, his own decisions.

"And so? Was it a guide of destiny that brought you all to me in Xhorhas?"

They could just as easily have left it behind, could have traded it away or sold it themselves, but for some reason they had held onto it when it had come across their path. Was that destiny?

Rather than be perturbed, Essek cants his head at Caduceus, interested. "There are remains of infrastructure to my knowledge, although I do not know about the bodies of actual people. Can you still learn from a ruin?"

[eyesofthegrave]

Caduceus was good at listening, at being still and reading the silent language that was spoken between each word. Essek had his own disbelief and judgement when it came towards religion and the Gods, the Cleric would never try to convince him otherwise! After all, he was just as much correct in his opinion of falsehood and Gods as say Jester was in her beliving one of the Fey to be something more than he was. What was important was that Essek knew what he did or didn't believe in and that alone would build encounters in the world around him with others, whether he believed in destiny or not.

"I believe it was." A sage nod was offered. "I believe we held out for hopes of a better situation. Of a better outcome and we found it. We found you. " Funny wasn't it? That the very things Essek stole and removed from his land, were the very things that brought friends to him? Knowing that all this talk of fate and destiny wasn't something Essek was fond of, Caduceus took the change of subject and ran with it.

"Oh, well sure. I eh, I can tell you something old and forgotten about an item or relic too. it doesn't have to just be a corpse." He smiled, as it wasn't often he got to use his ability Legend Lore and it was such an interesting spell to cast. "If you can take me to them, then I can tell you all about them."

[thelyss]

We found you. His entire world had shifted that day, and it had taken him far too long to see it. To realize. A terrible thing he had done had brought him something he'd needed, but at the same time had nearly doomed him to lose it in the same action. The very picture of irony.

Essek gestures broadly at the island. "The ruins are all about us, where the current inhabitants have not managed to restore. I could bring you to any number of things, if you're sure you'd want to delve into the history of such a place given its..."

Its what?

"Proclivities."

[eyesofthegrave]

The Cleric won't push the matter but he wanted to tell Essek that it would all work out in the end. He wasn't sure exactly what timelines they all came from but he was certain that Essek and the Nein were meant to meet, were meant to join forces from time and meant to be friends, he could feel it.

Nodding as the Drow gestured around them, trying not to let himself become too uncomfortable when the Island's nature was mentioned. "Oh, I'm sure I'll be alright. You forget I'm used to living with Jester, I've probably heard it all."