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

[halforc]

The guy isn't outright panicking, that counts for a lot and means he isn't likely to do something horrendously awkward like cry; Fjord sinks down to sit nearby, passing the towels over. Every bit as curious about the stranger, he searches for the best explanation he can.

"You're either in a different dimension or on another world, no one has quite figured out which yet. The automatons — the metal men — they're native to this place and instructed to attend us."

"I'm Fjord of the Mighty Nein, and you are?"

[vaax]

vax'ildan listens to fjord, taking in every word, but as he does, he begins to strip out of his armor. the feathered cloak goes first, folding it carefully and setting it aside. the rest of his clothes get a less ideal treatment, unbuckling and shedding leathers as quickly as he can. only when he's left in smallclothes does he reach for a towel from fjord, pressing his cold, wet face into it's warmth.

fjord. that's a nice name. it's strong, it's...

vax looks up from the towel into his eyes, and. oh, wow. he's really stunning when vax pays attention and isn't trying to catch his breath.

"... vax'ildan," he finally returns, not breaking his eye contact. "of vox machina. champion of the raven queen."

he doesn't realize he's cold until there's a slight breeze, strong enough to shake him from his trance. he takes a second towel, then climbs to his feet.

"do you always come to the beach half-naked and help scared strangers?"

[halforc]

He knows the shedding of layers is all to dry off and let them air out but there's only so long he can pretend the waves ahead are fascinating before he finds his gaze drawn back to a pile of mostly-nude halfelf.

"That's great!" He thinks he may have heard of the Raven Queen before, although his memory isn't the best. He gestures between them. "I'm a Paladin of the Wildmother! We're both ..." Miming punches, boof boof?? ah, annnd awkwardly letting his hands drop back to his lap, "fighters."

That was smooth. Ahrrm.

"I can put on all my armour if you'd prefer."

Neener, neener.

[vaax]

oh, fuck. that's really endearing. a small smirk works it's way onto vax's features, and he pauses in the middle of wringing out his hair.

"i didn't say you being half naked was a bad thing, fjord."

vax finishes getting the water out of his hair, then sets about re-braiding the beads behind his ear. all the while, curious eyes make no secret about sliding down fjord's body, over those round and taut pecs, those puffy nipples he kind of wants to get between his teeth.

"i wasn't going to put mine back on."

[halforc]

What a flirt, god damn. His own charisma can't find its pep as he lets the pleasant realisation wash over him with the weight of Vax's eyes and that compliment.

"Some people need helping out of the ocean, there's no point getting my clothes soaked if I have to go swimming."

That innocent excuse just feels necessary to counteract all the leering, on principle. Fjord tries not to be so shameless about checking out all that damp olive skin but his sneakiness leaves a lot to be desired, as do the sidelong looks he doles out.

"I'm from Wildemount, how about you?"

That's a nice normal question, unlike some of them rattling around his head.

[vaax]

vax spreads out his leathers, arranging them on the sand to dry them out in the sun. his cloak is next, and he attaches it back around his shoulders. the enchantment takes hold and his wings stretch for a moment, fluttering the feathers in an effort to dry those, too.

"yeah, i much prefer the, uh." he waves his hand. "the. sunkissed dewdrop look, or whatever."

vax settles back into the sand, sprawling himself out next to fjord. he's always been attracted to the strange and the different, and a beefcake half-orc might be the next one to fulfill that part of him.

"tal'dorei. my sister's on the council."

[halforc]

His cheeks warm under the persistent flattery and he has to clear his throat to straighten out a flustered smile, trying to at least appear as unaffected and cool as he can. The trouble is there's always a reason to look at the halfelf, from his bright clever eyes to a cloak of feathers that becomes wings, holy shit. Blinking rapidly at that before Vax flops down beside him and the feathery garment returns to looking like a cloak underneath him, Fjord twists around where he's sitting so he can plant a hand on Vax's other side, leaning over him and letting his scars be seen. His other arm hooks on a bent knee.

That's what compliments get you; a better view.

"I've always wanted to sail to Tal'dorei. Are there many people like me there?"

With a gesture to his very halforc face, green and tusked.

[vaax]

fjord is quite suddenly very close, and vax has to hold his breath for a moment while he finds his bearings again. he's got beautiful skin, soft with the lightest ripple of goosebumps from the windchill. the tonal shift is nice, easy on the eyes--

but fjord is asking him a question, and vax breaks contact with his body to look him in the eyes instead. feathers ruffle, maybe betraying his thoughts, or maybe it's just the wind, but vax is turning a light red and he's going to have to distract fjord from that, quick.

"of course," he murmurs, an amused smile creeping onto his features as he considers what must be going through fjord's head. a world without orc blooded people, a world with them just the same. "a friend of mine was half-orc. don't talk to him much these days, but i liked him all the same. tal'dorei had a lot of you, yeah."

[halforc]

A lot of you. Part of him aches to hear that.

"It sounds nice, I'll definitely visit now."

The ruffling feathers is weird when there's no breeze and he wonders whether that's coincidence or something else. Huh. At any rate, Vax already says he has a halforc friend and that makes Fjord warm up to him by another increment.

"I meant handsome, but that's good to know too."

Tossing hair out of his eyes, he shoots a teasing smirk down at the halfelf. Two can play at flirting, especially now that Fjord has been reeled in enough and wants to.

[vaax]

the comeback makes vax'ildan laugh, but it comes out as more of a snort, accompanied by a roll of his eyes. "no, i'm sorry. i took all of the handsome in tal'dorei with me, so there's none left for anyone else."

he looks up from his place underneath fjord's arm, a mischievous twinkle in his eye, and he places one thin hand on fjord's muscular thigh. they've broken the ice of first contact now, and all bets are slowly coming off.

"maybe i can share with you, though. seems as though you've brought your own, anyway."

[halforc]

"It's true, I've left a distinct deficit of handsome behind in Wildemount," sniff, "I don't know how they're coping right now. Real shame, poor bastards."

The touch on his thigh is a nice kind of pressure as if they are friends, warm even through his sweatpants. He finds he likes to look down at Vax'ildan where the guy is laid out and doesn't try to be stealthy in the way he sweeps one particular glance from head to toe and back again. Sinewy and lithe, corded with strength in a way Caleb isn't but not too dissimilar in size. Vax has a lovely olive cast to his skin, like the sun wants to love him but his dark clothes won't let it.

Fjord is willing to take a hit for the sun, sure.

"If you need somewhere to stay, we have a couch free. It's not much but the house is warm and safer than the other abandoned ones around the city. You're more than welcome."

[vaax]

fjord is being... kind. very kind.

vax looks him up and down for a hundredth time, still searching for some sign that he might be bluffing or trying to play vax for a fool. he's been taken advantage of before, and while that isn't a bad thing as long as the terms are clear, he wants to be completely sure.

he's hot, too. that helps.

"yeah," he finally says, landing back on kind eyes and a hardened jaw. fjord has seen a lot in his time on exandria, he's sure of it, and vax'ildan has nothing fjord would want to steal from him, anyways.

"that sounds nice, fjord. thank you. i think i'd like that."