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TDM 010: PARTNER UP, PARTNER
| TDM 010: PARTNER UP, PARTNER |
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” barracks. Your inventory will be found a day later, wrapped up haphazardly and delivered to each person's makeshift home. I. Laid Bare Basics There is a new addition to the scenery at the beach, and everyone is welcome! Especially new arrivals, who will be ushered to the recently-established Laid Bare Spa, where (provided they don't slip away from the bots' helpful grasp) their uncomfortably wet, sandy clothing will be stripped away and they will be lovingly pampered by the cold metal hands of the resident robots. Long-time Islanders and newbies alike are welcome to enjoy such amenities as hot and cold baths, sauna rooms, scrub-downs, thorough whippings with birch brooms, skin treatments, massage and energy work, and more! All rooms are thoughtfully decorated with tasteful murals of naked and disrobing bodies. Maybe you'll see someone you recognize?! (Maybe you'll see... you?) Islanders who happen to find their clothing mysteriously missing are welcome to borrow a Laid Bare branded towel to cover up with on their way home. II. Tattoo to You, Too The Augur understands that sometimes, it's difficult to find a partner to indulge you in those favorite Auspicious Acts - especially for new arrivals, but surely even long-time residents could benefit from a little assistance now and then. That is why ever-benevolent entity has gifted Her precious Islanders with tattoos which feature their most secret, urgent, and/or shameful of desires! (Even if that desire is to simply complete a Bingo.) The tattoo may be a picture or a word, and it can appear anywhere on the body. At first it is pleasantly warm to the touch, like a soft glow of light on your skin. It soon becomes apparent - through either robot advice or a notification on your communication device - that your task is to find a match for your tattoo and complete the depicted act with that person. The longer one goes without completing the act, the more the tattoo seems to heat up, until it feels like it is burning into your skin. Take too long, and the tattoo may become permanent. Otherwise, the tattoo will fade within hours of completing the Auspicious Act. [ For TDMers: feel free to select any favorite kink for this prompt! If you complete a kink that doesn't appear on your card, you may switch one square for the completed kink. For current players: by participating on (tagging into) this TDM, you may switch one kink into your card (it must be the kink in the toplevel prompt you responded to). ] III. Creepy Crawly Caterpillar Crawl Are you on the hunt for credits? Then have the robots got a task for you! The 'bots of the Nameless Island are recruiting Islanders to go bug collecting in the caves, crevices, and hollowed-out logs of the wilderness. The quarry? The (shudder - literally, the robots will shudder) doom-summoning harbinger bug. They describe these creepy creatures as fat, fuzzy, and rainbow-colored, with long, fluffy antennae that look like rabbit's ears. The robots describe these critters as so dangerous that Islanders should only hunt them in pairs. Should your team return successful, you both will be rewarded very handsomely for every caterpillar caught! The bugs are typically very docile and seem to enjoy soft pets, judging by the cooing and squeaking noises they make (especially to scritches behind their "ears"). Poke or disturb them however, and they may bite! Body parts bitten by angry caterpillars will swell up cartoonishly, and can only be treated by having someone else suck the venom out. Good thing you're traveling with a partner! The 'bots strongly recommend against keeping these little buggies as pets, but they're not your dad. N A V I G A T I O N |
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She gives a little hum of thought before smiling more broadly up at him. ]
Is it truly so wrong of me to want to get to know [ her eyes trail down just a bit here, towards the exposed expanse of his chest ] the fellow residents here? After all, I suspect we'll be here for some time.
[ It's a guess, but an educated one. No one would go to this much effort for a simple pit stop. ]
I doubt you'll find much of worth by simply standing around here in the spa, in any case. Why not take some time to reinvigorate yourself before you head out?
[ Her face may be shallowly pretty, but her mind is still sharp underneath. ]
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And it's not that Diluc doesn't believe in fun at all (catch him footing an enormous tab for an unnamed drunkard of a bard), it's just that he doesn't allow himself to partake in such frivolities. Some of it is habit, and most of it a long and treacherous backstory for another time.
That said, he's at least willing to converse with her, a proper gentleman despite his straight-laced attitude. ...Even if she's making incredibly inappropriate eyes at him, which he does his best to ignore. (He's received amorous attention from plenty of women before, but... There's something especially keen about this one. He ought to be careful... Of what? He's not sure, because nothing makes bloody sense here.) ]
I suppose it is what this "Augur" wants of us. [ Getting intimate, so to speak. And while he has no intention of doing any such thing until he has a better grasp of this place, he won't fault her for playing by the rules. ...But please? Stop looking at him like he's an afternoon snack? ]
If I may ask, have you been detained on this island awhile?
[ Diluc is no simpleton, but his young lifespan is but a drop compared to that of a primal beast. Of course, he hasn't any idea what sort of being she is, but she has the air of knowing something no other arrival seems to... (There's a secret in her smile, though it could be quite literally anything.)
Whatever the case, her (benign) suggestion is surprisingly reasonable, and he tips his head slightly toward her—eyes careful not to wander from her face. ]
...Indeed. [ He doesn't excuse himself just yet, not until he hears what else she might have to say. ]
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She is generous with her attentions and lax with her standards........ Stingy with her information though, which Diluc will quickly learn. ]
Mmm, myself? [ Who else? ] Unfortunately, I only arrived this morning. Washed up ashore with a few others like a stray piece of driftwood.
[ She sighs, closing her eyes briefly in mock disappointment. ]
A terribly rude way of welcoming new guests, if I do say so myself.
[ So her experience totals a grand four hours, most of which has been spent inside the spa itself, availing herself of all treatments on display. But she has eyes and ears just the same as him, as well as a muted
Whatever it is that's out there, it's something with enough power to dampen her own abilities, and that makes it something to be wary of. ]
Curious about this place?
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I see.
[ He can sympathize with the sentiment—it's a horrible initiation. He's not fond of the taste of salt water, and had imbibed plenty when he'd been dunked into the ocean without warning. ]
It seems we're here for their benefit, certainly not the other way around.
[ He nods in a direction away from his own mural, indicating he'll be walking that-a-way. They can talk somewhere that isn't in front of it.
As for curiosity... ]
It would be foolish to accept everything we're told without question. [ Just say yes you're curious, Diluc, god. Still, his inquisitiveness only extends so far... ] ...As for the certain acts required for the rehabilitation of this land, I have little interest.
[ It doesn't mean he won't participate if he must, just that he doesn't want to have to think about it. He'll manage however he can, in the meantime. (I hope he doesn't.) ]
i can't believe you didn't tell me i didn't finish my tag.....
And this man, for all his overly solemn and stiff ways, does not strike her as someone foolish.
She follows behind him once he starts walking, fingers laced loosely behind her back. She could ask about what his thoughts on the island are, what he thinks of their as-of-yet unseen captor, but the pinched line of his face and the stiff set of his shoulders guide her down a different path. ]
The thought of [ hm, how best to phrase this as to not offend his delicate sensibilities ] baring your body and soul to another doesn't appeal to you?
[ Where is the ROMANCE, Diluc!! ]
ALKSFKLADJ I 100% FORGOT TO... :CLOWN:
And hopefully she'll forgive his distinct lack of enthusiasm, the rigid set of his posture. Back home, he would never dare show himself in public without being completely covered up to the neck. His scars are very much a secret, incriminating in their sheer number, and while he's taken calculated risks here, it doesn't mean he likes it. (Though, it's a small relief she doesn't seem to be fazed by them in the slightest, a distraction he quickly files away.) ]
It may have once. [ He'll admit the truth, if only because it seems she'd be able to pick apart his lies anyhow. ] But some things are better left undisclosed.
[ He's so stupid emo, help me. But he isn't entirely dead inside, willing to return a quip—though it's difficult to be discerned as one for how even the delivery is. ]
We're not all afforded the same easy charm.
[ A very roundabout way to say she's a far more suitable candidate for ROMANSU than he is...!! But also lady will you please stop flaunting your tatas. ]
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morale improvesthey are given the attention they so rightfully deserve!!Truthfully, she can't disagree with his assessment. As much as she has no qualms about baring her skin to both friends and strangers alike, her soul - along with the darker secrets that lurk in the back of her mind - she keeps carefully sealed away.
Even so, a simple agreement doesn't mean she's about to let him off the hook so easily. She smiles, opting to take his words as a compliment, and takes a step closer, lifting one hand so she can tap one (perfectly manicured) finger against his chest. Sry, Diluc, the tatas are not going away any time soon... ]
Ah, but I'm sure you could make it look easy if you truly wanted to. Tall [ is he tall ], dark [ technically he's a redhead ], and brooding [ he's batman, he has to brood ] is quite a popular type when it comes to the ladies, after all.
[ And some men, lbr. ]
But I suspect that's not the type of attention you're interested in garnering, is it?
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He scoffs softly again, but there's an edge of amusement to it. She wouldn't know that he has had to play the role of eligible bachelor back home, learned half a hundred different ways to gently turn down every maiden of age brought to him by an overeager father. (Usually in hopes of joining their family to the Ragnvindr's wealth.)
Still. It's not like he's never considered taking anyone into his bed. He has nature urges, after all, he's just exceedingly careful not to indulge in them. But his life and everything it encompasses has already been given away to Mondstadt, and it would be unduly cruel to give an innocent admirer false hope. ]
It isn't. [ Stated plainly, with a question in return. ] Is that the sort of man you seek?
[ She may be quite brazen (far more than any woman he knows from home—though she reminds him a fair bit of Lisa), but she doesn't seem the shallow type, either. ]
no subject
The still sober bent to his mien has her laughing ever so slightly, and for a brief moment she concedes in giving him a little extra space, straightening back up so that her robe affords her a little more modesty. ]
Oh, I'm perfectly happy with what I have now, even if I do enjoy a pretty face.
[ Said with a pointed look at his face. She's fine with being thought of as shallow though, if it'll divert unwanted attention off her. ]
What are you interested in then?
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And oh wow, she's really made herself decent... (It's fine, she can and should live her best life, while Diluc lives his worst.) ]
Is that so? May you continue to be so fortunate.
[ He blinks away when she gives him that Look, again, like he's a burnished item on display. This is definitely the longest stretch of time he's spent in (relative) private with any lady, and it isn't as if the extended exposure will make him any more comfortable—he ought to be taking his leave, soon.
And yet he finds himself entertaining yet another one of her questions. (It isn't a bad one.) ]
...Peace, and the prosperity of my homeland. I'm sure such an answer may seem trite to you, but it is my greatest wish.
[ (Also he's quite fond of grape juice, and long, solitary walks in the wilderness.) ]