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TDM 009: I'M IN LIKE WITH YOU
| 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 |
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Her eyes widen in surprise. "Two months? Just you? How'd you get here? How'd I get here? I don't remember pushing any buttons or anything."
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Just, uh. Going to wait to see how she takes that. Probably by being as shocked and dubious as he was initially, he suspects, which is completely warranted.
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"Molly?"
She grabs for one of Caleb's hands, automatically seeking something stable.
"Am I dead again? Caleb -- you gotta tell me if we're dead. Luc--"
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"No, no," he assures, squeezing her hand between both of his. "You are not dead. None of us are. The Augur is capable of bending timelines. It has a disturbing amount of power, but we are alive." Another tight, bracing squeeze.
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Panic attack averted. She doesn't feel a lot better, but that's something, at least. Her other hand drops to her pocket to feel for her flask.
... PANIC ATTACK MIGHT BE BACK ON THE SCHEDULE. She's going to try and soldier through the next five minutes but this is not great.
"Uhh. What's the, the Augur want with us?"
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He'll hold that thought.
"That is, ah...that is the part that will take some time to explain. Walk with me and we'll talk, okay?"
Still holding her hand, he pushes back up to his feet, unconcerned about the sand clinging to the knees of his trousers. Gently, he offers, "We should have a bottle of something back at the house. I will have a drink with you." Limiting the amount and ensuring that she has a drinking partner seems like the best possible compromise here.
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"Let's talk, okay? The Augur." She's going to focus as hard as she can on explanations while they walk. "It brings people here. You and me and Beau and Fjord and, and Molly and Essek. Why not the rest of us? Or -- if it wants powerful people like you and Essek, why not, like, Yussa?"
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Perhaps those links make it easier for the machine to reach out and pluck others from their individual worlds. Caleb has theories, but no real proof.
"But it does seem to have accumulated a fair number of powerful people." Including one actual god that he knows of. "Yet being strong or influential seems strangely secondary to its apparent purpose for us, as in many cases, it actively dampens our abilities. Fjord is currently unable to perform any of his spells, and I am missing many of my material components, so I am not entirely sure what I can cast. You may be missing some of your own abilities--or perhaps not. Mollymauk arrived with all of his intact." He gives a half shrug. It's a gamble, it seems. "But to put it as succinctly as possible: this island is covered in the ruins of a past civilization, and the Augur wants to rebuild it. To do that, it uses eros energy. Which is generated, it seems, when we--"
He takes a deep, sharp breath in and releases it in a sigh with his next few words. Best to be upfront about it, right? "When we have sex. Essentially, this is sex island."
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"You gotta be shitting me."
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Gods, he feels tired.
"Check that bracelet. There should be a list of...suggestions."
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Size difference. Objectification. Exhibitionism. Multiple orgasms--
"Oooooh my gods." Her eyes widen as she fiddles with the hologram. "You have got to be kidding me! Yeza and I haven't even--"
UH. She clears her throat and smacks at the bracelet until the hologram goes away. "Great, cool, GREAT."
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"Ja, it is, ah..." He draws that ah out a little long as he searches for an appropriate descriptor. "A lot."
But he's actually gotten laid, so. Be proud, Veth!
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"What happens if we don't do that? Are y--"
NOPE, ask that later, if at all. She's curious, definitely, and she wants Caleb to be happy and enjoy himself, but part of how they've maintained a good relationship this whole time is knowing when the other needs privacy. They've told each other a lot of secrets, sure -- and almost always, vitally, it was their own choice.
"Does anything happen if we don't?"
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"No," he's quick to assure. "No, it is possible to live here without doing...any of that. There are rewards if you comply. Things restored to you, items from home, things that make it easier to survive. But we have a home with all of the bells and whistles already, and I am happy to ask for anything else you might need."
It's much easier to be here with friends, and he's determined to make this as easy on Veth as possible. She won't have to do anything she isn't comfortable with. He'll make certain of that.
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Just, give her a minute to try and square her protectiveness around the idea of Caleb doing something he may or may not be into on her behalf, her recognition that Caleb might, you know, enjoy sex and be doing it for his own enjoyment rather than out of obligation, and her own urge to hoard coin of the realm.
Also sex is fun. Normally. But ...
Oof. Lots going on here.
"I mean I'm not a goblin anymore, I'm ... just ... married."
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His own card really isn't the worst, and so far he's actually enjoyed himself, after some initial stress. He could say that. Even if it were the worst, there is a lot he would do for her anyway. He could say that, but that would probably just make this more awkward.
"Right. Married." He presumes that is the biggest problem here. Veth is smart, loyal, beautiful, funny, and impressively skilled with a crossbow. He has no doubt she could find any number of people who would be interested in her. But she has a wonderful husband already. "Which would be an issue, I assume."
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It's not that he thinks he has any right to know these things about her, let alone very personal matters concerning her marriage. But it feels like they used to share everything, even if that was never really true. They both had their share of secrets, always. But this is--he had no idea Veth even had the notion.
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She huffs, as if she can cover up her fluster with bluster instead. "Look, it's just, like -- I just mean, I know people have needs. And I'm gone so much -- I don't know, it's a thought I had."
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He thinks it is, anyway? But then, he's still not sure he has entirely accurate grasp of what normal is when it comes to romantic relationships. "I just was not aware that you...not that I need to be aware."