ercookies | TDM 012: SLINGING IN THE RAIN

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TDM 012: SLINGING IN THE RAIN

00. Arrival

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. If you don’t manage to get away from them quickly enough, they may even usher you toward the Laid Bare Spa, where new arrivals will be offered free massages, a sauna, hairstyling, and their clothing may come up permanently missing. But you will be given a complimentary towel to leave with if needed!

Feel free to explore the Island, though there isn’t much to see beyond what arrivals before you have helped to rebuild. 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 place to live in the now, whether a rundown apartment in the City, a tent on the beach, a bed in the barracks, or your own space at the House of Worship. Your inventory will be found a day later, wrapped up haphazardly and delivered to each person's makeshift home.

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I. THUNDERBOLTS AND LIGHTNING

Erku's new arrivals may not be the only residents left dripping wet. Although the weather on the Island is almost always dreary, clouds begin to multiply and darken over the days before that first arrival, turning ominous shades of purple and blue which may look familiar to Islanders who have been around since Erku's beginnings. Perhaps robots will advise Islanders to fortify their shelters and get ready to accept refugees, and they hope their charges take the warnings to heart! When the rain finally falls, it is a non-stop torrent. Even though the weather is warm, the rain itself chills to the bone.

Shacks and beach tents won't stand up to the downpour for long, and the shabby apartments may leak and flood. New arrivals who aren't handy enough to make quick repairs may be forced to take shelter in the homes of current Island residents, or else huddle together in the 12 rooms of the barracks for the full week that rain falls on the Island. Cats, dogs, and little dragons will also be begging Islanders for a warm place to stay!

Beware of lightning strikes, too, because the skies rumble with thunder throughout the storm. Buildings and residences are frequently damaged by strikes. They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and that's very true on Erku - Islanders who are struck by the lightning might find themselves temporarily blessed with god-like super strength.

Such power might not always be a good thing for those who aren't used to wielding it, so please be careful not to damage your friends or property! Islanders may choose to keep their new powers, but a bingo square can be used to wish them away.

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II. A TASTE OF ERKU

In need of shelter and credits? Then the robots have a task for you! Erku's robot population has taken note of how much Islanders seem to love the humble potato, and they want to contribute! Ready as always to please, the robots have filled the hospital cafeteria with mountains of potatoes in every imaginable variety and color: russet, red, gold, purple, chartreuse, sweet, savory, spicy, and so many more! But wait, there's more: they have provided knives, cutting boards, and peelers too, and are eager to see Islanders work their magic in their open cafeteria kitchen! Robots will monitor every dish produced, as they are eager to improve their food replication repertoire.

No worries if you aren't culinarily skilled, however. Islanders will be rewarded in credits for whatever they can contribute, whether it's a gourmet meal or simply a basket of peeled potatoes. Robot-provided potato preparations are also freely available to snack on while you work, though as always, they're liable to be spiked with something to encourage Islanders to get more "friendly" with one another. Of particular note is an invention the 'bots are quite proud of, sure to delight your organic tastebuds: the potato cocktail, which packs quite a punch and - strangely enough - tastes just like a hearty steak dinner?

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III. NOSTALGIA FOODS

Seeking a bit of refuge and some comforting food to warm you up? Signs and flyers are out informing residents of the Straight From Home Special going on right now at the Flashbang diner! Come In For All The House Favorites! For the next few days anyone can walk in and receive a free meal (or two if you’re really nice) from the robot cooks behind the counter!

And it just so happens that they know exactly what you want. You will be served a meal of your favorite foods from home just the way you like them. Did you tell them? No. How did they know? Don’t bother asking, they’ll just say that the Cook Always Knows. The robot waitresses will make sure your drinks are topped up and you have everything you need, just like any hometown diner or pub you may have heard of.

Eating any of the foods will bring out such nostalgia. Feelings of fondness, sadness, longing, anything when you think about the memories of your past and even of recent events. You won’t be able to stop yourself from sharing those thoughts and feelings with those around you. You’ll want to talk about your life, your opinions on the weather, the sex you just had last night and in great detail. The waitresses are listening and so is everyone else nearby.

When you leave the diner you might just have to keep on sharing your thoughts about anything that comes to mind. Walk by someone you think is attractive? You’ll have to tell them. Don’t like someone’s outfit? Definitely have to tell them. Suddenly remembering having sex on the beach? Maybe the person next to you on the trolley won’t mind hearing all about it!

The effects of the nostalgia will last for half a day or until the completion of an auspicious act.

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N A V I G A T I O N

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Oddly enough - despite going from bleeding out on the ground, watching the wave of light close in on him to ending up in a robot hospital on a sex island - Gen never doubted his sanity. What he was feeling, seeing, experiencing, was real. All of it seemed crazy. But he knew he was awake and he knew he was himself. This world might be nuts, but he wasn't.

Yet.

Perhaps he was dreaming after all? There's that familiar voice - Gen turned.

There was Senku. In a Playboy-style bunnygirl outfit. With nothing underneath, very clearly, and ... real bunny ears? For some reason, his scarred body (- so Senku didn't get hit by the wave before he arrived here either?) filled out the little one-piece well. As did ... Gen's eyes drifted downward, forgetting himself. He'd had opportunities to look before, but seeing Senku cupped and well-defined in the tight stretchy material -

His eyes snapped upward again. There's a reason he never stared before, and he wouldn't start now. No matter where they'd been kidnapped to. Senku was here and he was alive.

"Senku-chan - you're ..." questions could come later. (Was Senku blackmailed to work here? Threatened?) His friend had nearly died. It didn't matter that he was cold and wet and freezing - he was drawn to Senku like a magnet, coming in close as his eyes remained wide.

He was surprised, he wasn't seeing things, there his general, his best friend at this point (no one tell Taiju) was standing out there in the rain. Thanks to his conversation with Makoto, he also knew that he wanted Gen to be more in his life.

Senku let him approach, he was going to let him come in and pay for him to eat, he wasn't a heartless monster, his ears were twitching as Gen got close.

He's amused, delighted, confused, worried, and a whole host of other feelings, but under the awning, once Gen is there he holds out his hand to grasp his shoulder and draw him closer.

"I need you to hold still a moment."

Gen was the best Mentalist on Earth. Before or after the petrification. He would put money on being the best one on this island, too.

"Uh." Okay, perhaps not his finest example of flowery eloquence. Gen was a little distracted by the twitching ears as he stepped under the awning of the cafe, and the high heels, and the - he looked at Senku's face again, pulling himself back together.

Senku got a far more usual smile, charming and a little silly, as Gen said, "If I must, but what I'd really like to do, my dear, is get out of this rain."

His friend was here and he was alive, not bleeding out, not turned to stone. His hands twitched, hidden in the long and soaked-through sleeves, restraining his desire to touch him. Gen was aware of where the boundaries between them were.

"I'll let you come in, I'll get you something to eat, I promise." Senku took a step closer to Gen, in the heels he's actually taller than him for a change, by a whole inch and he kept his hand on Gen's shoulder.

Senku leaned in and pressed his lips to Gen's, lingering for a moment, if he wasn't shoved away.

It wasn't too steamy or anything, it was just a firm, decisive kiss.

When he pulled back, Gen could see him blushing lightly. "Come on, come in, you're soaked."

He turned and got the door for Gen, his tail was twitching happily.

Gen thought that the heels actually suited him - how long had he been working here, could Senku walk in heels before? From experience, Gen knew they took a bit of practice to really walk in - and -

Senku was kissing him.

All meaningful thought - (how long had Senku been here? why was he working in the cafe? how did he get rabbit ears?) - completely vanished.

Senku didn't willingly kiss anyone and he went up and kissed him.

Perhaps the scientist was only blushing very lightly - Gen was as red as a tomato, and he tried to take his hand as Senku turned away. "Wait!"

It wasn't hard for Gen to catch his hand and he turned around again, tilting his head. His ears were angled, so he was in a good mood, confident and relaxed, his tail had said he was pleased with what happened.

That might only work if Gen could read bunny body language. Senku's expression wasn't any different from normal.

"Don't you want to come inside?" He couldn't help but ask.

"I do, trust me, but -"

It's really unfair that Gen had to parse rabbit body language after Senku basically up-ended two year's worth of his expectations of what the genius did and did not like. Flipping over a table of cards that were laid down over years.

Frankly, it was easier to read Senku, for all that he tended not to overly emote. If one worked with him and lived with him for years, certain little things gave him away. ... Which, fine, were only reinforced by the tail and ears.

So, Senku wanted to kiss him. Of his own free will? He was happy about it. And -

"- why kiss me now?" Gen asked. That seemed the most important. After all this time - Gen didn't look upset. In fact, he was stepping up close to him again, keeping a hold of his hand, watching his face. Like he needed to know.

Edited (ninja edit for punctuation) 2021-04-19 05:07 (UTC)

If it was easier to read his human features, at the question Senku didn't let go of his hand, nor did he back away from Gen, but he did glance away somewhat. This meant it was feelings related, and he had a hard time expressing them. His ears twitched as though they didn't know how to react.

He huffed lightly. "It was..." He looked like he was having a hard time getting it out.

"It was brought to my attention that I..." He pressed his lips together. "Just because it took me so long to process, I shouldn't just let the opportunity slip by. Someone told me that if you confessed to me, which you did, and you didn't move on, which I don't think you did, that you might be waiting for me...to figure things out, or to answer you or something like that so it's-" He was blushing darkly.

"It's an answer. But uh, you don't have to accept. Two years is unreasonably long."

All right, well, the robots hadn't done something to Senku. (Nobody had told Gen yet that's something they could do - but they kidnapped a bunch of strangers and asked them to have sex with each other to rebuild civilization. He wouldn't be surprised if some chemical encouragement happened.)

That was ten billion percent his friend. A little awkward about feelings, but earnest when he finally did talk about them. Gen wouldn't be surprised if he complained how gross and sappy this was in a few minutes. But despite his struggles to communicate them, no matter how much he blushed - Senku still made his feelings clear.

Gen figured that Senku should be rewarded for that honesty. And the genius didn't like sappy conversations - he preferred action.

So, Gen went up on his toes to reach Senku, his free hand moving to the back of his head - so that he could kiss him hard, with feeling. All of the passion and emotion that Gen had been keeping bottled up for years, finally bursting open. And probably leaving Senku without if Gen accepted him or not.

Words were far more likely to get a complaint of being sappy, and as it was he was doing it enough for the both of them. Besides, he didn't really need another confession from Gen, he'd already had one. A huge one at that.

He was just a bit slow on the uptake.

Senku returned the kiss easily, still holding his hand and appreciating for just a moment the contact which was a line they hadn't crossed before, where they flirted with other lines in the past. He'd had time to consider that while he was here on his own, just how he felt about things and how so few barriers existed between him and Gen.

He was kind of stupid for a genius, he thought.

When they parted he was breathing a little heavier, although one could wonder if he was supposed to be kissing people on the clock. Probably, considering this place and its varied themes that all led back to one place. Gen could probably feel his ears twitching with his hand on the back of his head.

"...Also...hi." Senku offered, flushing lightly. "You kept me waiting here Mentalist in this place."

It's a very good kiss, no matter that it seemed clear to Gen that Senku had no experience. That wasn't important at all - it's still Senku. Someone who Gen had concluded must have been utterly uninterested in romance, and he had decided to be okay with that. Except now, he was confessing in turn, and there was this, and.

... It still sucked that they'd both been kidnapped, obviously, but Gen still selfishly felt better. Would've done so even if Senku didn't return his feelings, because together, they could tackle anything. But knowing Senku felt something for him in turn was phenomenal.

His smile was bright, and he laughed softly. "Hello, Senku-chan. How long have you really been waiting? I've only been -"

The wet clothes he was in made him shiver involuntarily, beating out his urge to suppress them, and he winced. "- Ah, perhaps we should get inside after all."

"Few weeks." Senku said as he beckoned Gen inside, getting the door for him and letting him come where it was warm and dry.

"I'll get you anything you want." Senku promised.

"Grab a seat. I'll take a break and sit with you." His tail was still twitching, that fluffy ball betraying what a good mood he was in.

With the huge bombshells of Senku being alive and then Senku returned his feelings having hit Gen, leaving him scrambling a bit after that explosion - well, he had a few braincells free now to appreciate the little bunny tail.

And the ears.

Senku was cute. Help.

"Anything?" Gen couldn't help but ask cheekily, but then looked confused all over again. "A few weeks? You couldn't have been abducted too long before I had been, though? We were just ..."

Did he have to say it?

"We were just...?" Senku asked, tilting his head a little bit, encouraging Gen to continue, while also pointing at the menu.

"And yes, anything you want." He said with a bit of a teasing smile. He had a bracelet on just like Gen likely did, so he had been through a similar process as Gen.

He'd at least adapted to the outfit he was wearing by the time Gen arrived.

Perhaps someone (like Ryusui) would've been able to take all of this in stride, especially given the confession. That sort of shameless flirt would be able to just say, 'but you're not on the menu.'

It rattled around Gen's brain instead, a comment he discarded as he looked at the facts. Senku had adapted to the outfit and the heels and at least had done enough networking or interactions to get a job here, willingly or through coercion. His body language seemed relaxed enough, though, so perhaps it was willing. Hm. When in Rome, perhaps? What other jobs would be available on an island like this, after all?

"What's the last thing you remember?" Gen prompted Senku, instead of answering his question.

"You didn't answer my question." That didn't escape Senku's notice and he leaned against the table.

"You should tell me what you want so I can take a break." He tapped his toe a bit on the ground.

"These shoes are brutal." He said, straightening again. "Want me to pick something for you?"

"And now you're avoiding mine, my dear," Gen said, and decided - things were weird enough. What would really be the worst that would happen, if he said this and Senku didn't know what he was talking about? What would it even mean? Another mystery they'd have to solve together.

"Mmm, very well. The last thing I remember was almost being petrified, again, but at least it would've stopped the Americans, hmm?" Gen smiled innocently. "Seemed rather dark to talk about on our first date. If you've been here for a little bit - I'll trust you to pick out a tasty lunch for me, Senku-chan."

Edited 2021-04-19 06:07 (UTC)

"Hm." Senku commented without really commenting on Gen's report and he nodded. "Give me a minute."

He disappeared behind the counter for a few moments. He could suppose that the Americans were still a problem but the petrification was new. Meaning his trip to Manaus, which was where they were heading was at least somewhat fruitful.

Senku moved about, making them both a green tea latte and put in an order for Gen. He went back to his table to drop the drinks off and disappeared again.

Manaus, and then what? They'd need resources. Araxa? Maybe. At some point the Americans caught up though, but the petrification...either they found a Medusa that worked, or they fixed one. Interesting.

He finally came back, a thick piece of chocolate cake that he set in front of Gen and a plate of omurice. He set it down and pulled out the ketchup bottle and drew a little bunny on top, adorable whiskers and all.

Senku sat down across from him, slid out of the shoes and sipped his latte.

Gen looked at him as he - for the uninitiated - appeared not to react at all, focusing on work. But the Mentalist's eyebrows raised. No rolled eyes, no sarcastic little quip. No, 'is that all?'

"That's news to you, then," Gen realized, informing him of this as he came back with his lunch. "And you can't be from my future, somehow, because you clearly haven't been petrified. How am I from yours?"

... He couldn't help but giggle a little at the ketchup bunny. Gen supposed he'd be good and eat his main course first, before dessert, like a boring person. He dug into the omelette. "You've got hidden talents I never knew of~"

"You're from my future, clearly." Senku hummed. "And likely more than a few weeks, I should think." He sipped his latte.

"I just built the motorcycles, we took off across the desert." Senku informed him, because it was only fair and he didn't keep secrets from Gen anyway.

"So I can guess our trip to Manaus is fruitful in some way...and as an educated guess I can suggest we'd go to Araxa next, but I am sure I'm missing details. The Americans caught up." He summarized.

"I'm not that surprised." Of course he wasn't. His brow furrowed though, he was worried about it.

"Petrification..." He turned the cup in his hands and looked at Gen suddenly. "Accident, or last resort?"

"You just built - a lot more than a few weeks," Gen agreed, surprised.

He bit his lip, his performance as the cheerful Mentalist dropping completely for a time. It wasn't a laughing matter, really. There's a reason he had gawked at Senku, relieved to see him alive. And, fine, every time travel movie or book he'd ever seen said that telling someone the future never ended well. Ever. But ...

... How could've things gone any worse?

"Last resort," Gen said, quietly. "Again, you can understand then why I thought it was a rather dire topic."

He was expecting that to be the answer but he couldn't help the way his shoulders slumped. The frown was likely familiar, in those moments before everything would go to shit in the future, Senku was wearing this very expression.

He looked tired. He looked miserable. He looked his age for a change, like the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

Senku sat back a bit and took another sip, letting it relax him. Things around here had various effects.

"Got it." He responded finally. He didn't really need further details. He could only imagine what would cause them to pull that drastic trigger.

"In the meantime." He said, while they couldn't do anything about that, or continue their game of four dimensional chess such as it was. "We're trapped here. It's an unusual place."

"In the meantime," Gen agreed, because - as much as he ached for Senku, as much as he was worried about his friends - about the entire world - about - there's nothing he could do about that here. Hell. There's nothing he could do about it there, either. He had been dying, and he was about to get petrified. Which would at least solve the dying part.

Gen gave him a wry little smile, just, going to not focus on any of the impending doom at home. "In an unusual place - with unusual work, and animal features, my friend."

There was nothing he could do about it right now. He'll remember, though, for when the future comes to pass.

"I needed a job." He commented. "This whole island is like a sex-based theme park." Senku sighed lightly.

"And the ears come from a parfait I ate. It's kind of a little fun, I guess. I was a fox for a bit too."

"I imagine being a waiter at a maid cafe would be a lot better than other options given at a sex-based theme park," Gen mused, alluding to what he easily imagined people would do for pay here. Not that he was judging. But he did think that would make things rather messy for some people.

Didn't these robots know anything about human psychology?

Dumping heavier things entirely behind him, his little smile turned into an outright grin. "You're awfully cute like this, Senku-chan, but I think you'd be cuter as a fox."

00. Arrival

I. THUNDERBOLTS AND LIGHTNING

II. A TASTE OF ERKU

III. NOSTALGIA FOODS

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