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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"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)

Senku took a moment, considering the card. "Here look these few things here are close to the bondage one. There's temperature play, that's self explanatory, rimming and cuddling."

He flushed lightly. "There, let's do that."

Senku was just going to torture Gen at this rate.

Cuddling, they could do. Had technically done, in a very platonic, it's cold in winter and we need to stay warm kind of way. Easy. And ... honestly, after all of this, Gen could probably use a cuddle.

Temperature play. Like ... ice cubes? Gen tried not to squirm from the idea. Rimming was something he'd done to other people, and the idea that Senku would ...

He swallowed. "Well. If you're all right with all of that. Uh, but, might I suggest, dear ... we don't do this here?"

Gen just wasn't prepared to tick off the exhibitionism square on his card, yet, thank you.

"Of course we're not going to do it here. Someone owns this place, I could probably get fired for that." He paused. "Actually I don't know if I can or not. It's just as well. I'll grab a parfait and refresh the ears so they last a little longer and we'll..."

Senku considered it. "We need supplies for some of this. Maybe we'd be better off checking out the hotel."

It was probably wise, he had no idea, but his apartment was flooded at the moment.

"I guess it depends on what kind of place they're trying to run," Gen couldn't help but quip. Look, it didn't take a genius - or even someone with a sixteenth of Senku's smarts - to figure out what the aim of most places on this island were.

For example. "Of course they're going to have 'well supplied' hotels," Gen realized aloud, and chuckled. "Okay. We'll check it out. I guess I'll pay you back for it when I've got some kind of money."

That made Gen pause for a moment. "Do you think they're hiring here?"

Senku snickered lightly. "Couldn't say. Pretty much everything here is on theme though."

He got up and rapped a knuckle on the table. "They are, from what I know. That's how I got hired here. And somehow haven't gotten fired."

It was quite possible that some people liked someone who seemed a bit more on the grumpy side. People had different interests after all. It didn't take long at all to make a parfait and he grabbed a spoon and paid for it before clocking out and coming back over with a bundle of his clothes.

Gen hummed a little. "They'd probably let me have some of those parfaits, then ... and then we can do a different experiment. Compare how you react when your bunny ears are rubbed, compared to me. Things to plan for the future!"

"Well, if they don't mind the fact I'm not a genius like you, Senku-chan, that is. I'll give it a try," Gen teased, and stood up when Senku brought over the bundle of clothing. "I don't suppose you've got a pair of rain ponchos in there?"

"I have the same rain poncho I use at home." Senku quipped all too easily. He had a spoon and he took a bite and offered it to Gen.

"You can taste it if you want. It's sweet, you'll like it." All it took was one bite to get the ears, if Gen wanted the experience there was no harm in it.

"Ah, you'll let me have a bite?" Gen blinked in surprise - but, "thank you, Senku-chan. Let me see how it tastes ..."

He didn't expect a single bite to work, but there it was. Leaning forward, he swallowed the tasty parfait and hummed a little in satisfaction. It was delicious. Gen beamed in obvious delight.

And a long white black rabbit ear, next to a long black rabbit ear, appeared right on the top of Gen's head.

"You know I don't care that much for sweets." He commented and quirked a bit of a smirk of amusement.

"What do you think?" He swiped the spoon back to take another bite with it and offered it out to Gen again.

Gen's ears twitched above his head, perked forward, in obvious interest.

"You just want me to become a bunny like you, my dearest," Gen teased, but. Surely another bite of parfait wouldn't hurt? He leaned in to take another bite of the delicious dessert. "Mmmm. So good."

Senku chuckled, not at all sorry. "You said you were interested." His own ears twitched, betraying his amusement.

"Besides I don't know how long we're going to sell this."

"Wait, do I already have them?" Gen blinked in surprise, and reached up to feel - yup. Soft, fuzzy bunny ears, that he could feel himself touch. "Holy shit. This is kind of ... cool and spooky at the same time."

He looked amused and he reached up to touch one curiously, fingers stroking the soft fur of the black ear.

"You could pull yourself out of a hat." He snickered, all too amused by his own sense of humour. He took one more bite and offered the last of it to Gen. "Finish that and we'll go."

"Oh!" Gen squeaked in surprise, blushing a tiny bit. It felt ... a little like someone was rubbing your scalp, or maybe right behind your ear, in just the right spot. Shivery and tingly. It almost distracted him from the fact that Senku made a terrible joke.

Almost. He had to giggle at it. "Yes, I suppose I could, that would be something, wouldn't it? I think I'll ask you not to yank on them, they seem ... sensitive."

It was important to give your scientist boyfriend data, okay? He took the parfait eagerly to eat the last bites.

"I'm sure you'd find a way to make it an illusion without actually harming yourself." He snickered. Was that blind faith in Gen's abilities as a mentalist? Maybe.

He put the dish back where it needed to go and went to grasp Gen's wrist to pull him back into the rain. It was maybe most impressive that Senku was able to walk so fast in heels.

It was just practice. "Come on, let's be quick!"

That was actually one of the highest compliments Senku could give him - especially when he usually scoffed at his Mentalist tricks. His eyes twinkled as he grinned. "You flatter me, my dear~"

But now was the time for Gen to be pulled along, through the pouring rain - just as cold as before! He did spare a thought to be very, very impressed with Senku's ability to move so fast on such slick surfaces in those high heels, indeed. Part of him was mentally ready to reach out and catch Senku when he slipped at any moment.

They'd only get soaked through again - but fortunately, Gen figured, once they were in their hotel room, they probably wouldn't need a lot of clothes for much longer.

The hotel wasn't too terribly far, and walking quickly enough to get Senku breathing a little heavily wasn't entirely unexpected when it came to him.

Probably the best news out of the whole thing was that a simple explanation that they wanted to do the Augur's bidding meant they got their room for free.

The room itself seemed to be much bigger than one would've thought looking at the building and there definitely seemed to be a wide variety of things they could use as needed. Senku hadn't been before and he found himself staring a little bit wide eyed. It was also dry and that was a blessing at that point.

An ensuite bathroom had towels and he grabbed one and tossed it to Gen before taking one to his own hair and ears.

Of course it was free if they were going to - Gen mentally threw up his hands. At least, he was beginning to get the sense that this island could be a little predictable, which was reassuring in a way.

~~He'd be proven wrong in a few weeks, but, details~~.

Gen caught the towel gratefully and began to furiously dry himself off. "Some of the tools left here seem a little ... exotic. We might want to do a lot more research before we begin experimenting with those."

"Well I'm thinking we only need to use what we need to fulfill the requirements, Mentalist." Senku commented.

"The rest...well..." He trailed off a moment. "I don't know about and some things I'm not terribly confident I know how to use them to begin with."

He considered it a moment. "But what I do know is that there's a library with lots of pornography and detailed instructions, so I've been told." It was disappointing.

"I'm just saying for the future, Senku-chan," Gen said, because while he should've guessed Senku would try and knock out as many ideas as possible in one go - he also knew this wouldn't be the last time he'd try something so ambitious.

He hummed thoughtfully. "Detailed instructions, at least, are educational. Porn isn't really, but I'm not surprised. No reference books about science, my dear?"

His heart went out to him. He went over to the bed - "Come, sit here, I can dry your ears better and we can try our first experiment."

Senku wasn't going to complain, he went over and sat down on the bed so Gen could get at his ears and hair with the towel. "Yes, I'm already thinking about what to do with you." His ears twitched, his tail wiggled with amusement the little puffball moving back and forth.

"Details are probably fine, but I think we'll be okay with what we're going to try. I know better than to do things like cut off circulation to your limbs or anything of that nature, so you don't need to worry about that."

00. Arrival

I. THUNDERBOLTS AND LIGHTNING

II. A TASTE OF ERKU

III. NOSTALGIA FOODS

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