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

[blumenthal]

Appreciating the view as Shaun crosses the room again certainly isn't beyond Caleb, who leans against the edge of the bath to watch him. And he's glad he did; otherwise he would have missed his unexpected casting. "Remarkable," he murmurs, mostly to himself, though even the soft rasp of his voice is audible in this room.

He accepts the goblet with a bewildered shake of his head, amazed and intrigued.

"Thank you. It seems you are a generous man in every respect, Shaun Gilmore." The juice is sweet and cool, perfect for his parched mouth, and he finishes the goblet quickly. It's deeply fortifying, which only serves to confirm that it must be what he thought, even if it shouldn't be possible this way. "Is this...a Heroes' Feast?"

[gloriouslygood]

"It is." Shaun smirks slightly as he brings the pitcher of juice over to the edge of the bath. He sits down and dips his legs into the water. "I enchanted the dominos years ago to help my friends when they couldn't cast it for themselves."

He could tell by the way Caleb asked the question that he knew it was a spell no sorcerer should be able to cast.

"Casting the impossible is a talent of mine." Shaun would happily explain how he did it. He liked talking about magic and his skill. It was a fine line to walk because of what someone like Caleb could use him for but he didn't think Caleb would do that.

The wizard was... well, he didn't seem the type and Shaun was a good judge of character.

[blumenthal]

"I will have a list of questions about that at some point in the near future," Caleb says faintly, like he might already be making that list in his head. "If you are at all inclined to a discussion of arcane theory outside, ah," he lifts a hand from the water to indicate the room at large, but also to encapsulate the fact that we just had sex, "this setting."

He leans back against the stone wall of the bath behind him, sinks a little further into the water just to feel its warmth, and considers his next request for a long moment before he makes it. Shaun probably won't refuse, he reasons, but Caleb is cautious by default.

"For now, could we...play that game again? The guessing one from earlier. Just for a short while."

It would be nice to have Shaun close again for that reassuring skinship, and to have something to concentrate on so that he can clear the fog from his mind.

[gloriouslygood]

Shaun chuckles and nods. “I would love to talk magic with you. One of my best friends back home is a very powerful wizard. We often meet for dinner and conversation. Her wife finds us amusing.”

Oh, he would miss dinner with Allura and Kima. Those were lovely nights. Hopefully, neither will worry too much when he doesn’t schedule another one. Or when Sherri sounds the alarm that he’s missing. He’ll worry about that once he’s settled and understands the island better.

At Caleb’s request he slides back into the water and turns to face Caleb. “Of course we can. It’s a fun game, isn’t it?”

And this time Shaun would make sure his touches weren’t sexual. He isn’t try to rile Caleb up again though the temptation is there. The tattoo has faded away now. There’s not need for more. Now, of Caleb seduces him Shaun will certain give enthusiastic consent.

“Let’s see... something to challenge you...” Shaun draws a constellation across Caleb’s shoulders. He’s curious to see just how many subjects Caleb knows. He seems very bright. And his skin is so soft and warm from the water. It’s a delight to touch.