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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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"Ah, you're adventurers!" Shaun laughs warmly. "I love adventurers, very steady business and the best stories."
Though, clearly, Fjord is not storyteller. It seems like he's flummoxed by the idea of talking about himself and his friends. "Did you know, I fought a dragon once. It almost killed me but we killed it first."
There's a scar on Shaun's side from the encounter.
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That's certainly interesting, he wonders if it was the same dragon Vax briefly mentioned fighting.
"I fought a blue one and a white one, both of which ... totally perished, obviously."
He did not run away from both. No, sir.
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Shaun is clearly a lover and not a fighter. He's a businessman. The adventuring business is for other people. He'll keep them supplied but will only fight when push comes to shove.
"At one point, Vax was on his head." He shakes his head, fondly amused and yet, that had been terrifying at the time.
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His grin lights up at the mention of a certain halfelf.
"He never told me that, that's incredible! I'm, of course, sorry for everything that was lost and the ... city."
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Such a strange one, his darling bird.
"Oh, I have a million stories about Vax that he'd probably never tell himself." Shaun twists his hair to work the oil in the stands. Now it would be wavy instead of insanely curly and glossy black. Just how Shaun liked it.
"And his whole group of friends. I'm happy to tell them." He smirks, a bit of mischief in his eyes.
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He really ought to curb his own interest for a number of reasons, not only Gilmore's obvious investment in their mutual friend.
"That would be wonderful, perhaps you could save those stories for my friends to hear too. I know my boyfriend would love a good story, especially if it's about someone he can tease."
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Maybe this is the second chance he's wanted for him and Vax.
But he shouldn't get ahead of himself. That would be madness and he has so much to adjust to.
"Well, once we're both done here why don't you bring me home and introduce me to everyone I haven't met? Like the most lovely stray kitten." He winks at the other man.
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"Why do I feel like he wouldn't want you to call him that to his face?"
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Vax was not a kitten. He was full of claws and power and brilliance. Shaun would like to call him a kitten and other such names but well, they weren't there. And depending on Vax's temperament, they might never be.
It's a lovely mess he's landed in.
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Trying to steamroll any notion of him attributing petnames to Vax, he starts to rinse out his hair and straightens up, reaching for a fresh towel. Moving on!
"It's easy to find our house, it's a white building surrounded by run down ones and the Mighty Nein crest is beside the front door. Hard to miss! Do you think you'll be able to find your way there if I head out? Ten kore minutes and I'll be a prune."
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Vax got his own place somehow.
"Yes, of course. I'll be able to handle myself. I may be new but I'm a very quick learner." Since Fjord is getting up to leave, Shaun lets himself sink into the water and soak. Might as well make the best of this spa.
"It was a pleasure to meet you, Fjord."
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"I'll make sure Caduceus sets another place at the dinner table for you, when you find your way to us. Have a nice soak, Gilmore."
With a polite nod, Fjord leaves the man to his relaxing. Lots of questions for Vax bubble up in the back of his mind.