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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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."

Gen felt a little shiver of anticipation with the way Senku said that. It's ... it's a little like something out of his naughtier fantasies, really. Senku needing to experiment on him. He dried Senku's hair, being very gentle around the ears, and couldn't help but pet one.

So soft!

"I've been tied up before, too, of course," Gen then giggled. "For performances! So I'm aware of how it should feel if I'm properly restrained, prone or suspended. I'll be able to let you know if something doesn't feel right."

And smirked. "And I promise not to escape you unless you ask~"

Senku was all too willing to talk but the sudden gentle petting of his ear made him groan loudly. His tail was wiggling back and forth at a rapid pace.

"Uh." He had to get his train of thought back on track.

"I don't know if you want to escape, do you?" He was horrible at thinking like that but he scooted closer to Gen.

That groan had Gen abandoning the towel entirely. It's irresistible. Why wouldn't he drop everything to rub those soft, adorable bunny ears? Gently, he stroked them, rubbing his thumb in little circles.

"No, I think I'm exactly where I want to be, Senku-chan," Gen admitted, teasing yet honest. Senku could scoot up as close as he wanted.

He groaned loudly and let himself be guided a bit, putting his arms around Gen to balance himself as he leaned his head on his shoulder. "That's....hn. It feels really good."

He blushed a little bit. Not again!

"I'll show you...in a minute."

Gen gave into another impulse, turning his head to smooch Senku's cheek when he lay his head on his shoulder, as he continued to pet those ears.

"I'm glad, my dear. How does it compare to when you were a fox?" Gen asked. He wasn't teasing him! Okay, he was. But it's also a legitimate question! This was for science, after all.

"It's..." Senku knew he was being teased, he just didn't care. "It's not the same. The ears and tail were different more...sensitive." He said, nuzzling against Gen's neck. "Especially the tail."

The kiss is nice, but so is clinging to Gen, which meant potentially he was going to end up cuddling before and afterwards.

"More sensitive than even this?" Gen asked, and pouted. "I'm sad I've missed it now, you're already melting against me."

Not that he'd stop spoiling Senku like this, letting him lean against him, nuzzle his neck all he'd like. He wondered if he could make him moan again - so he reluctantly let go of one ear, to see what happened if he touched that adorable little bunny tail.

"Uh huh...I feel like this is some kind of cheat code. It's not fair." Senku pouted but he sighed softly as one of Gen's hands left his ear and he rewarded him with a groan when he went for his fluffy tail.

"Ah, that's!" He's blushing rather deeply. "This...this hardly seems fair!" He didn't know why this was such a trigger for him.

Gen tried not to giggle, though Senku probably heard it in his voice. "Do you want me to stop?"

Because he would, in a heartbeat, if Senku actually was feeling overwhelmed.

That didn't seem the case, though. Not at all. Gen reflected a fox tail would be easier for this, as he rubbed the upturned little fluff that was Senku's bunny tail. Maybe he could ask that cafe to make him a dessert that'd turn Senku into a fox again, or maybe a kitty? "You're so cute, Senku-chan ..."

"I'm not trying to be cute." Senku whined a little bit, nuzzling Gen's neck slightly as he was being pet.

He was letting out small little moans in succession when he was being touched and fingers digging into the best parts.

"How do you like it?" He asked, reaching up to pet Gen's soft ears instead, hands going up and down the length of them, a little smirk tugging at his lips.

"Mmm, oh," Gen hummed and sighed as his ears were stroked, it felt - tingly and good. It was kind of making it hard to concentrate on Senku - "you're trying to distract me, Senku-chan! That feels ... really nice."

Certainly not quite like anything he'd felt before, as much as he tried to think of it like a really good scalp massage. But of course he thought it was so different - he's never had bunny ears before!

"Now who isn't fair?" Gen asked with a smirk, and then groaned again when Senku pressed just right along his very delicate ears.

"I don't intend on playing fair at all." He said with a very amused smirk. "You wouldn't want me to anyway." He grinned and pulled back for a moment.

"Now then we have a long list of things to get through and I think the ritual is probably the best thing to try first. Some kind of strange ritual, intended on ending in sex." He mused.

"I wonder what kind of stamina you have." Senku kissed his neck experimentally.

"No, that'd be boring," Gen admitted against his better judgement. Cheating and tricking each other was, perhaps he could finally admit, a way that he'd been flirting with Senku in the past.

Gen squirmed more from the kiss on his neck than from the hands on his ears, biting back a groan, blushing. "Nnn. Well. I'm ... physically young still, and I've always had good stamina, my dearest ..."

He swallowed, and suggested me with a cheeky grin, "Shouldn't you tie me up for that ritual? You'll want me positioned Just Right for whatever you want to do~ ..."

00. Arrival

I. THUNDERBOLTS AND LIGHTNING

II. A TASTE OF ERKU

III. NOSTALGIA FOODS

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