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TDM 012: SLINGING IN THE RAIN
| 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. 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. 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? 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. N A V I G A T I O N |
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"I see. That would be convenient. I know so little about their lives now," he murmurs to himself along the way then falls quiet.
Once they're actually in Jin Guangyao's quarters, Huaisang raises an eyebrow at the maid outfit on the wall, lips quirking in a slight smile. It's pretty charming for one of the odd outfits the outsiders wear. As for himself, he never had quite made the jump to their clothing, preferring the familiar comfort of his own robes. When Jin Guangyao speaks, he snaps out of his tired daze a bit.
"That would be helpful. Thank you. If you have a spare under robe I could borrow for the night, I would appreciate it. That is, unless you have an objection to me sleeping nude in your bed."
He's half-joking. Honestly, Huaisang should probably get a bath first before slipping into bed but he's just so tired.
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He made a thoughtful face, He really didn't have any spare clothing to lend him. The one he was wearing was all that he had, the qiankun pouch that carried his spares were woefully left behind in the temple.
"Sadly, this is all I have. I don't mind if you're naked. I have enough blankets to share. It shouldn't be too cold." only on helping him undress, he noticed how much sand salt was on him. Neither of them would be comfortable in the state he was in.
"Let me give you a bath first, you have sand in your hair and it'll get all over the sheets if you sleep right now. Come on." He reached out and grabbed his hand leading him to the adjoined bathroom.
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Huaisang allows himself to be led toward the bathroom but not without a pout and yearning glance at the bed. It's not as if he likes being dirty and he knows he'd regret it in the morning anyway. But it'll take effort for him to stay awake.
It's been a while but given how much time Huaisang spent in bubblebaths the last time he was here, he still remembers how to work the faucets. He starts drawing the bath himself then steps back to wait for it to fill.
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Guangyao gave a small laugh and began to help untie his hair, using a small comb to shake out the sand from his hair, and untangle any knots, working quickly, he will deal with sweeping up the mess after work the next day.
"You don't have to be too thorough, just enough for the salt and sand to go. I'll go get the bed ready, let me know if you want me to wash your hair for you."
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"You can wash my hair. I'll be done quicker that way and then we can both go to bed."
Once the tub is full, Huaisang turns off the faucet and sheds whatever layers of clothing that remain and sits down in the bathtub. He lathers up a washcloth with soap and gets to scrubbing off the sea grime.
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"You have as much seaweed in here as you do hair. You're practically a water ghoul now." He said laughing softly. It was a silly comment, but it was better to wind down from their serious conversations earlier.
With a small mug he kept on the side, he began to wash out the soapy and sandy mixture from his hair.