TDM 010: PARTNER UP, PARTNER

[erkumods]

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

Comments

[tekkadan]

Mika wasn't sure how to process that information. Should he hope for their arrival to quell his loneliness? If they were here, he could protect them. But if they're here, he wouldn't know what other enemies might appear. He'd seen some odd looking people around while he was getting his bearings. Would it be more dangerous here? He did not know yet. The consequences for survival and 'gain' here would be difficult for the younger ones, though some of them had come from situations where he would not be foreign.

He was conflicted. His brow furrowed and he went quiet for a long moment, flexing his hands. His life had been very insular up to now. Being thrown out of his circle and away from the only people in the world he could trust felt ... wrong. Incredibly wrong. He felt unsteady and it frustrated him all the more.

"I see... hmm... people don't really give that kinda stuff to people like me. So I'll just go and get it on my own."

That made the most sense to him. At least he knew he could rely on himself.

[zechs_isonfire]

"That kind of stuff," Zechs repeated, his own brows furrowing, working that out - "you mean to say, help and resources?"

It's not that he thinks he could manage without - he thinks people simply wouldn't offer it?

He shook his head, expression stern. "I don't have any context or knowledge of how you were treated before - but things, perhaps only in some ways, are different here. You've little reason to trust me, as one example, but I would still attempt to assist you. I don't believe anyone should be left defenseless here."

[tekkadan]

"Yeah."

It was a simple response, devoid of anger or concern. He just knew how things were and always had been. Tekkadan always had to rely on itself. The Turbines were, in essence, the only real exception to the rule. He didn't assume it would be different here. Why would it be?

"Hm... having sex with me would get other people things, so I guess that part makes sense if that's assistance," he replied, flat out. "But no, I don't trust you. And I don't see why you'd help me otherwise. But if it makes you feel better to offer, I guess that's fine."

[zechs_isonfire]

"That's not the only assistance people are willing to offer," Zechs said, just as straightforward and blunt. "Even given these circumstances, people have varied interests, tastes, and drives. Understanding that, many people are simply helpful in exchange for labor, craftsmanship, or even simple favors. Some might offer sex. Only the robots seem to require it."

And he's not surprised by his statement, but; "It's a manner of not wanting to see someone defenseless or helpless. No matter whom they may be. It's nothing to do with an ... attempt to proposition you."

Zechs had thought he'd gotten over any awkwardness on this topic, but apparently not.