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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"I didn't say I needed to. Perhaps I'd like to. And perhaps you'd like to, if only to gain more data," Gen cajoled. "After all, you might want to discover if there's a difference between the magic, hm?"

His eyes went wide. "The robots I spoke with never mentioned that. Hm. You'd think they would? But perhaps they thought I'd want to stay once I was here that long."

Gen considered, even if it was with a little trepidation. "I wonder how quickly I can fill mine, then ..."

His ears twitched again and he blushed lightly. "Fine, if you want to touch them, go ahead. Just don't pull them, they're actually attached to my head." He commented.

He shrugged helplessly. "I don't know why they didn't. Someone told me that. I don't know if they are right or not, but it seems as good as any a way to try at least."

Except that for Senku that was going to be a herculean task, he figured. He sipped his drink.

"I don't know, perhaps you can proposition everyone you meet?"

"I promise to be very gentle with you, Senku-chan," Gen said, teasing but entirely sincere.

Gen hummed. "I suppose it's a good experiment, if nothing else. Though, we'd need to make sure we're filling both our cards so we'd both get home about the same time ..."

Which is why he blinked at Senku. "Ah, my dear ... while I doubt it's entirely practical to remain, ah, strictly monogamous in a prison like this one ... if we both like each other, why not help one another out with our captors' requests?"

"No, I understand the practicality of it." Senku responded easily, sipping his drink again. "It would be entirely unreasonable."

He was less worried about that and more about the fact that Gen would probably have no problem filling his card and he would inevitably drag his feet about it.

"I can't see any reason to decline your assistance."

"Good!" Gen said with a good deal of cheer, despite being in straggly wet hair and soaked-through clothes. And likewise ignoring how not-imposing he was now - he fixed Senku with a look. "Because if you think I'm going home without you, my dear Senku-chan, you're nuts."

Senku chuckled lightly. "That's a matter of debate." His ears were twitching again as though he were a bunnyperson.

"But I appreciate it. I'm going to try, at least, and I know that they reward you if you do what they want. Like improving your living space, that sort of thing, so I've heard."

Edited 2021-04-25 05:10 (UTC)

“That’s how the robots explained it to me,” Gen agreed brightly. “So. Since I’d prefer to live somewhere with a bit more creature comforts - at least something to the standard of the observatory ...”

His expression didn’t change much - cheerful and confident despite his bedraggled appearance - but. He still hesitated.

"Creature comforts." Senku snorted in amusement.

"Aren't you spoiled enough, Mentalist?" He taunted lightly.

"Why on earth would you call me spoiled?" Gen asked, laughing brightly, deflecting just a little bit.

Giving him a little more time to decide to just ... fine, let's do this, he thought.

"But, if I wanted to spoil you, my friend," Gen said, "is there a particular request you'd like my help filling so we can pay for our apartment's upgrade?"

Just, glossing over that would mean they'd be sleeping together. Look, Senku already confessed and belatedly accepted his confession. This shouldn't be difficult! Except ... he still thought that a lot of what the Augur might require could very well be difficult for his friend. Just because of ... everything ... he didn't want to force Senku into anything. Never.

"I thought you were going to pet my ears." Senku quipped with a light blush when Gen asked how he could spoil him. Nevermind that, he didn't say that, just going to push through it.

He understood what Gen was asking and he was already mentally preparing and resigning himself to finding sexual based experiences at least somewhat of an interest.

"We should probably see if there's some coordination on our cards which might make it a little bit easier to manage." He commented, ears twitching. "Not that...not that I don't want to help with yours, or I'm sure the uh, other way around." Ugh, where was this awkwardness coming from?

It was possible that he might've considered sleeping with Gen before, but he hadn't actually discussed it with him.

"I am going to pet your ears, if that's still all right with you, Senku-chan," Gen grinned, "but that's for science, not merely to spoil you."

So perhaps hinting that it was just a little to pamper Senku with, too. Well, if he enjoyed having his ears pet ...

Gen tried to read the expression on Senku's face. "I believe I just need to pull mine up on my bracelet. Though, I should say ..."

Another moment's hesitation. "My dear, you do realize. I don't wish to force you into anything? I can say I'm very willing to do a great deal of things with you, even without these incentives here ... but if you're uncomfortable, I ..."

The idea that he was strong-arming Senku into something he actively disliked chilled him to the bone.

"Of course it's necessary for science. Actually I haven't had anyone touch these ears before." He admitted. "I was a different animal when it happened before." He'd melted rather shamelessly when his fox ears and tail were pet, however.

He pressed his lips together. "I...I know that. You aren't." Senku shook his head. "No more than circumstances are at any rate. I've never backed down from a challenge before, I'm not going to start now."

He flushed lightly. "I um...because I like you it's entirely possible that I had considered if.." Senku waved his hand.

Ugh, this awkwardness. He hated it. Instead of using euphimisms and evasiveness, he was going to give up on that and be blunt. It was so much easier.

"If I was going to pursue you, or rather, have a discussion with you in regards to becoming romantically entangled, there was always the possibility I might offer sex as part of the deal. Not because I feel I have to." He clarified. "But because it might be something you'd enjoy and I would want...that."

"Mm. All the more reason to experiment," Gen said cheerfully. He wondered if Senku would be able to get off work now? Patience, he told himself. Patience.

And they had more important things to discuss first, anyway.

Gen admired his blush, feeling his chest squeeze with feeling from Senku's confessions. It's awkward, true, but it's honest. The bluntness was real, and incredibly refreshing - he felt, if they could keep up that honesty, he'd always know where he stood with Senku.

"Well, since we are romantically entangled, Senku-chan ..." Gen thought that's where they were going, with Senku finally returning his confession, right? "... then you should know that I enjoy a great many things. Whatever you'd like to try, I'm game for, my dearest. But ... that being said. If we're trying something and you're uncomfortable, if you need to stop at any time - even if you think I'm enjoying it - please let us stop anyway. I wouldn't enjoy it if I knew you weren't ... if you weren't doing okay."

Despite all of that, though, Gen offered a shy smile. "If you'd agree to that? I'll try anything with you, my dear. Even if many of the squares on this card are things I've never tried myself before."

He rested his chin on the palm of his hand and nodded. "Yeah." They were going to be romantically entangled and he was fine with it. He might've protested more a year before but frankly running for your life put things into perspective.

"It's fine." He shook his head. "Besides, I'd tell you if I couldn't do something." If nothing else, Senku would probably be compelled to, and Gen knew as well as he did that he had little control over those kinds of impulses.

"I haven't really tried any of them so, I suppose, it's going to be an experiment."

That little 'yeah' might be underwhelming for some people - but to Gen, coming from Senku, it meant a lot. He gave him a shy smile.

Which turned cheeky in turn. "Mm. I'm sure you will. You're not usually too shy about telling people what you think about something, my dear."

This island, though. The circumstances here made things ... muddled, and strange. But Gen felt a lot more confident, if he had Senku's word that he'd tell him if he didn't want to do something - Augur be damned. He had to giggle. "You know, there's a certain appeal to that, Senku-chan ..."

"Were you expecting something different?" Senku asked, ears twitching as he grinned mischievously.

"Experimentation is important in figuring out what works in any given situation. Although, to be honest, I can't imagine where to start with that." He hummed. "I hadn't thought much about it at home at all."

Gen shrugged. "We'll just have to start step by step, that's all," he suggested.

"If what you were told is true - if finishing these requests is our ticket home," Gen said, "then maybe the best way to start is with our robot-given lists. Not normally something I would've recommended, if we were home and you wanted to experiment ..."

He had to giggle, and elaborated, "I would've started us off with something simple, and worked our way up."

"Bah, simple." Senku waved his hand a little bit. "Who cares about simple? We should try and do as many as possible."

No one could ever claim that Senku didn't have wonderful, crazy ideas.

"It can just be a big experiment anyway to see how many of these things we like. And hopefully it will knock a bunch of them off and we'll be that much closer to being done. We can at least get five, can't we?"

Wonderful, crazy ideas, which still caught Gen by surprise, even after knowing him for years. He wasn't sure why he expected anything different, in hindsight. But he was still very surprised.

"Err." Eloquent, Gen. The Mentalist tried again; "Five? At once. Which five were you thinking we'd try?"

"What about this line here?" Senku gestured. "Look one's even an empty choice, we can pick what we want."

Did that make it better?

"I suppose that'll make it easier to knock off our list if we can do ... whatever we want ..."

His eyes went a little wide as he looked at the row. Well. Bondage he'd technically done for his acts, he wouldn't freak out if he was tied up. Gen figured that Senku could probably make him beg, too, if he felt so inclined. Tickling, though? That just seemed silly. And ...

"How do you propose we do a ritual, my dear?" Gen asked. "I suppose if we pretend something is an altar that you're tying me to ..."

Later, much later, Gen would realize that he just naturally assumed he'd be the one tied down and experimented on - and have a long think about what that said about him. But he wasn't considering that now.

"I don't really know, we'll figure it out." Senku commented. "I asked someone, they don't know what ritual really is either, so I mean, unless we give it some kind of meaning...I don't know." He chuckled lightly. It could be very strange.

Gen sighed and laughed, just, accepting this as a thing that was going to happen. "All right. Well - it'll be part of our experiment, then. Maybe we're making a new ritual for the Kingdom of Science. You're its leader - what could a bunch of robots have to say to tell us what our kingdom's rituals are?"

"Wait let me see yours too. I want to make sure you have these." He leans closer to him to grasp his wrist. "If not, you're going to be tied up longer. We have to make sure it's even, don't we?"

"What -" but Senku was already grabbing Gen's wrist, and pulling up his grid of tasks. On the one hand, he knew that Senku was right, if filling the card would send them home. He didn't want to be stuck here any longer than Senku, and wouldn't want either to be left behind.

But, "My card certainly isn't the same as yours!" Gen squeaked, "Well, some of them are the same - I think we both have bondage, but -"

Edited 2021-05-08 04:17 (UTC)

00. Arrival

I. THUNDERBOLTS AND LIGHTNING

II. A TASTE OF ERKU

III. NOSTALGIA FOODS

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