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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 |
1-ish! just lmk if you want changes
or: kaeya is schemin', as kaeya is wont to do? it's why he initially hangs back as he spies someone daring to go toe-to-toe with a particularly persistent robot, waiting to see if any assistance is required—and if said assistance would be worth his while. the robots are pushy, yes, but not hostile; he doubts this person is in any sort of danger.
and yet something catches his eye all the same: the familiar glint of what appears to be a vision, attached just above this stranger's wrist. interesting! so interesting, in fact, that kaeya soon presses forward, sidling right up to this strange scene.]
Now, now. There's no need to fight.
[hi, buddy. hello. hope you don't mind kaeya draping this towel right over your head, because that's precisely what kaeya is doing before addressing the robot.]
See? All taken care of. [which means little, coming from him, so as he glances over at this newcomber—] Isn't that right?
[the robot is ~watching~, as much as a robot can—and while kaeya can't wink, the energy is definitely there. a winking vibe... can u feel it...]
same with this, lmk if anything needs to be changed!
(But that is exactly the problem here: this is not Liyue. These are not the evils to which Xiao is intimately connected. He is not part of the pulse of this land, as he was back in Liyue, and being forcibly disconnected from all that he had sworn to protect is disorienting.)
He might chide the mortal for being so careless, but then comes the towel.
As times have changed in Liyue, so too have the people; there are some who revere the adepti less than in prior eras, who have the gall to impersonate them for monetary gain. But no one has shown Xiao such casual disrespect to his face before.
A beat passes while Xiao processes this surprise. Then:]
There is little 'right' about this situation. Least of all, your lack of respect.
[He sees your wink energy and raises you an expression of utmost disapproval, though he's poised as he pulls the towel off of his head - at least, as poised as one can be. If he happens to brush away some of the dripping water in the process, he will call it a happy accident.
The robot isn't advancing further, and though Xiao is still prepared to fight it if necessary, he eases off enough to turn his attention on Kaeya instead.]
I see you are keen on upholding Mondstadt's reputation.
[The freedom to disrespect one's elders, as it were.
That's right, Kaeya, he sees you. Well, kind of.
Kaeya seems familiar in that vague way that many people do when Xiao takes note of them. Perhaps he had been to Liyue in the past; perhaps he had uttered Xiao's name or partaken in the Lantern Rite festivities. It's possible that he registered within Xiao's consciousness before, but so have countless others.
He doesn't know him, but he can at least recognize him as originating in his world. Couple that with his attitude and outlandish outfit, and it's easy to guess where he comes from.]
it's perfect... sorry, xiao 😔
...well! someone so serious is sure to have a swell time, once they wander away from the beach. that in and of itself is almost as interesting as that anemo vision—which, in turn, pales in comparison to that callout, because hey: (mostly) nailed it in one. it's rather impressive, hence the lift of his brow before he brings a hand to his chin, glancing upward. time to feign thoughtfulness... hmm, hmm, hmm...]
Mondstadt's reputation... could it be our famed hospitality? Or perhaps it's our generosity. [he did give xiao a towel, and he is keeping that robot at bay by virtue of his presence, so! so. as he looks back down at xiao, smile widening:] You flatter me.
[be the bane of this irritating evil, king. please. but while he could probably continue right along, he drops his hand to his chest, going for a slight, yet respectful, incline of his head. no need to make enemies.]
My apologies if I offended you. I just know how... persistent our friend can be, when it finds someone in need.
[the friend, of course, being the robot, and case in point: it's still here! creepy!]
no subject
Namely, this kind of irritating behavior.
He would simply walk off without further comment, as there's no need for him to entertain a human intent on being...like this. But: the robot. Xiao eyes it again, a fleeting glance before looking back up at Kaeya, still unimpressed, but maybe with a fraction less disapproval than before.]
Your apology is accepted, though you would do well not to look for empty praise in criticism in the future.
[Words of wisdom from an adeptus! It's your lucky day, Kaeya. Please feel free to write them down and do consider that your payment rendered for your current role as a shield against robots.
...But it isn't like Xiao needs a human's protection from anything, let alone these towel-wielding monstrosities. Xiao knows he could fight them on his own, and he would be a poor excuse of an adeptus if needed a human to protect him. But there is the matter of Xiao not wanting to cause trouble in this new land. He will defend himself and others, and he doesn't take well to being forcibly extracted from Liyue, but that doesn't mean he wants to be the cause of trouble. That isn't his nature - it goes against what he is meant to do.
So: Kaeya-shield it is, though hopefully not for long. Surely the robot will move on eventually. Maybe if Xiao sighs and uses the towel some more? He tries it - takes it and pats his head, his neck, all the while looking unenthused. He speaks to Kaeya as he does so.]
How skilled are you in fighting?
[Walking up to strange robots in a strange land without a care in the world? Insulting an adeptus and being cheeky about it? Kaeya better be a decent fighter, because he's asking for trouble.]
no subject
...and really, who knows just how long they'll be standing in this spot? because as xiao, like, halfheartedly dries himself off, kaeya casts a pointed look over at their nosy friend. if this one is anything like the ones in the spa—which kaeya is sure that it is—then it's the clothing drawing its attention; stripping lonely newcomers down seems to be these things' raison d'être, and offering any sort of resistance just means they'll summon backup. annoying. not something kaeya wants to deal with, especially when there are other, easier options, so:]
An interesting question, [is his easy reply, because while his vision is hanging from his hip, he's just stepping right around that, thanks.] Is there a reason to fight?
[like, does this guy... know what this island is all about? does he know.]
no subject
Surely you are not as big a fool as you are making yourself out to be.
[To originate in a world where there are monsters and threats in droves - and to be forcibly removed from that world and deposited here, by something powerful enough to summon even an adeptus -
Is there a reason not to fight, would be the better question.
Xiao wavers - only barely, only briefly considering that this human might actually need real guidance, because his cavalier attitude seems to warrant it - but patient wisdom isn't exactly in his repertoire, and this man doesn't seem to have his wellbeing in the forefront of his mind, anyway.
He huffs and resumes toweling, now looking away from Kaeya entirely, off to the water, thinking of duty - and of the archons they presumably left behind.]
You cannot expect anyone to rescue you here. [Oh-so-begrudgingly, given his lack of connection with his land, and given its hold on him despite the power he has:] Not even me.
[In case Kaeya had somehow come to the conclusion that this short, ornery stranger would be able to save him from the theoretical threats that he will very likely bring down upon himself.
In short, Xiao knows nothing about the island. He merely understands the importance of being able to defend oneself - and that being able to do so with skill, not just with gifts bestowed by gods or elemental prowess, is especially important in a land that doesn't follow the same rules as their own.]