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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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"It's not—" Mingjue echoes Huaisang once he lifts his head and speaks—only to stop, frozen, and stare. Face and tone blank, he says instead, "You're older."
Because Huaisang isn't the teenager he'd left behind. Now that the realization has hit, however, the clues are obvious, all the details that Mingjue hadn't quite put together until he could see the adult shape of his baby brother's face and the weight of all the years that he'd apparently missed.
At least he has an inkling as to what's going on.
His expression softens and he says, gruff, "The future treated you poorly." He lets out his breath. "If it's the same future as Xichen, then I'm sorry I died on you."
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As a teenager, Huaisang had often been pleased, even happy and excited, at such news. However, today, he sounds mildly disappointed and put out by it, his expression darkening into a sulky pout. He says nothing more about it. The last time he'd seen Lan Xichen here, he'd been quite a bit younger than he'd been in his time. He'd yet to forget his oath to Nie Mingjue and at that point, Huaisang had yet to sacrifice the withered remnants of their own friendship to deliver the justice his brother had deserved and been denied for too long.
The less he has to think about Lan Xichen or acknowledge his existence, the better, so he focuses on the fact that Nie Mingjue is alive and hugging him again. He'd almost forgotten what it'd even felt like or how warm and secure they'd always made him feel. Like the world isn't the scary, lonely place it'd become after his death. Like there was one person alive, at least, that he could still trust and believe in. He continues to just cling weakly, reluctant to let go, in case Nie Mingjue vanishes into thin air on him.
He's just missed him so much. And will probably be embarassed about showing so much genuine emotion in public but for now, he just doesn't care. They probably look bizarre to outsiders but back home, everyone had known them to have an especially strong bond.
"It's been ten years s-since I've s-seen you, da ge. S-Since I've become s-sect leader. Everyone's doing well now, by the way."
It might contradict what Lan Xichen knows about the state of the Qinghe Nie Sect under Huaisang's leadership but he'll cross that bridge when he gets to it.
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"A Xichen ten years earlier than you, from the sound of it," he tells Huaisang. "Which is—whatever deities run this place brought me right from the early days of Sunshot. You were barely sixteen. To see you like this—"
He lets out his breath. "You did good." Because that's all he'd have wanted his father to say if he'd ever had the chance to see him again. "With the sect, you did good. I never wanted to leave you alone with it."
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At least, Huaisang has enough restraint and presence of mind to stop himself from babbling details about the murder or how heavy of a burden bearing the truth alone for so many years had been. Or maybe he's just unable to focus overly long on any one thing with so many feelings overpowering him.
"I tried again. With the saber. Really hard. I was so scared but I tried again anyway. I... I still couldn't get much better. I wanted to try again for you but I still failed..."
Fresh tears well up and he buries his face in Mingjue's shoulder again. Of all the failures in his life, that one still hurts the worst. That even after his brother's death, even after he'd inherited his position, even throwing everything he possibly could into learning saber techniques, it still wasn't enough to make things right between them again.
"I found other ways though. I worked really hard at it," he mumbles. "I wanted to make things right again somehow."
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Ten years dead and Huaisang is offering no babble about the family he built or all the things Mingjue missed, just apologies and fears and failures scattered among the sorrow-in-joy of finding someone thought irrevocably lost. That's more upsetting than anything Mingjue's learned yet since his arrival. Worse because the fights over saber practice—he had those just recently, before the war and some after, prodding the child Huaisang was to put that brain to work, to use his saber, to at least try. How that became this, he has no idea.
"You were always smart. You are always smart. Of course you'd have found another way," Mingjue says helplessly. A fight he could handle, or his little brother's tears when they were childhood tears, but this kind of regret leaves him out of his depth. He flails for reassurances, some part of him despairing that his little brother never became accomplished at the saber, but if failing at it caused this much pain... "You did good, I promise. The sect's still standing, isn't it? Huaisang, it's fine, I'm proud of you anyway. You kept going after I was gone. I never thought trying to get you to use your saber would trouble you like this."
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It's more than Huaisang should say but whatever strange drug that was in the food is still in effect. Before he can speak further, he's distracted by the sight of the puppets moving to bus his table. Suddenly, he lets go of Nie Mingjue and darts back toward his seat, arms waving wildly.
"No, no! I'm not done yet! Get da ge some food, too! Whatever he likes, I'll do whatever perverted things I have to do so he can have a nice life!"
Once the puppets are shooed off, Huaisang slides back into the booth, gesturing for his brother to take the other side. He continues speaking as if that outburst concerned.
"I'm just a lost cause with the saber. Hopeless. I always knew I was but I kept trying. But my body doesn't move like that. I don't think like that, either. It's too aggressive. Too overt."
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He's a sect leader. He has led men into battle. He's seen the awesome feats of cultivators up close and in person. He does not gawp.
But he feels rather like gawping at Huaisang as he slides into the boot across from him. The metal men back away and leaves Mingue with Huaisang, a tableful of familiar food, and another hundred questions.
"With your saber, you just—" Mingjue starts, because it's a familiar, well-worn argument, only to stop himself (he died and Huaisang tore himself up over these same arguments) and restart with an entirely different focus. "The hell you will be doing anything perverted for my benefit."
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Huaisang settles back into his seat and picks up his chopsticks once more, smiling faintly.
"It's a little different here. There's lights that turn on with a switch. Water that heats on its own and flows directly into the tub and sink. Sprays that emulate tiny waterfalls. I'm still not sure how the Augur and its puppets learned so much about it to make such an exact copy. It's very strange."
He takes a bite of his food.
"Honestly, I don't mind doing this type of work, da ge. I was able to secure strong allies and adequate resources to protect myself and those who live with me this way. We don't have a lot of people with us but they're pleasant company. I really like them."
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And then he snaps his mouth shut because he does not want to follow that thought. He knows enough about this place so far that to know when he's beat. Striking a tactical retreat, he backs up and pretends he didn't hear Huaisang say anything about it.
"I am moving in to my rooms there," is what he says instead. "They are eerily accurate. I was surprised they were empty."
Though when he follows upon on that, he can't keep the frustration out of his voice, "You always were better at knowing about people. Who all do you have here?" His tone is far less pleasant than the content of his words, but he's trying. He reaches out for his own utensils and considers the food in front of him. It looks amazing. "And is this food suspect too?"
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The physical changes had taken time to get used but Huaisang had rather enjoyed being a pretty, petite thing and sidling up to the others. And he'd looked quite fetching in the lingerie Shi Qingxuan had dressed him in!
"I wonder where I could find more of those clams. I had a really good time. I looked so pretty."
Munch, munch.
"Oh, I'm not sure who all is still around but Jiang-xiong and Wei-xiong used to be here before they both went away. Xichen-ge was here briefly then went away. Xiao Xingchen, Song Lan, and Xue Yang were here for a time. Then there's the cultivators from other worlds. Song Guiying was one such man and he had wings! He flew me to safety when we first met. It would've been romantic if we weren't running away from monsters."
He pauses for another drink before continuing.
"Then there's Shi-xiong. Shi-xiong is the best. When we first met, she was a woman and then I find out that she could be a man, too! And they're so beautiful in both forms. And really wonderful to talk to and spend time with. We share my room and take our meals and drink together and it's so wonderful. I love Shi-xiong. You should meet him so you can love him, too."
Is that a hint of starry eyes? Just maybe.
"Master Shen is great, too. And really powerful. He helped me a lot when I was here before. After everyone went away, I left him in charge of the Unclean Realm as caretaker in case I disappeared, too. And I guess Jin Guangyao is here, too."
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And he's hungry.
"If you say so," he says with an audible shrug and starts making his own inroads into the spread of Qinghe food.
Huaisang's words wash over him as he eats and his opinions on each new tidbit of imparted information are subsumed in his alarm that comes with the next and then the next after that. There's no way to keep up and he doesn't try, which feels comfortably familiar, oddly enough. Huaisang's greater talent with words applies across all realms, after all, including sheer quantity.
When Huaisang stops for air, Mingjue makes two pointed comments.
First, "Monsters?"
And more importantly, second, "Someone lives in your room with you? Huaisang."
He's just been one giant slab of consternation since he arrived, but someone who makes Huaisang look like that can't be all bad. Even if he's not quite sure what to make of them."
"I would like to meet them," he says and then it's like his mouth runs away with him, because he follows up with, "How are they able to switch? Not the clams?" He's not...sure why he asked, though he is curious, since the question is pretty damn rude. But he's already making a mental note to avoid shellfish.
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He smiles to himself, picturing Shi Qingxuan in mind.
"No one's more beautiful than Shi-xiong. No one. I'll introduce you soon. I want you to meet. He's really important to me. Every day is brighter and more wonderful when he's around. Even wine tastes better with him and I drink a lot."
Probably more than is healthy for Huaisang but with a mind like his, dulling his wits a little helps him get through each day a little more easily.
"There's monsters around, mostly outside the city. Or at least, there was. Sometimes they attacked the city itself. I tried to gather people to help fight them off but it didn't go over very well."
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"Stronger than me?" Mingjue asks, amused, then declares, "I would like to meet. As soon as is convenient for them. And you. Since you like them so much. I can threaten them to be good to you. You didn't have anyone you liked quite this much when I knew you."
Something's taken hold of his tongue now that he's a good ways through his meal, but in a way subtle enough that he only feels like he is speaking perhaps more than he was used to.
"Where did you meet them? You said they were a girl, at first? A lady? What style do they cultivate?"
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He's beaming happily, downing more wine, leaning forward with sparkling eyes and flushed cheeks. But at least, he doesn't seem terribly concerned about the giant statues?
"I didn't know it at the time but later I found out that Shi-xiong is a heavenly official! Lord and Lady Wind Master! We have a statue of her and everything in the courtyard now."
Huaisang tears up a little bit just thinking about the statue. It truly is an exquisite work of art.
"I don't even mind that it strips me whenever I get close. It's an honor to be naked before her."
Then Huaisang's expression shifts from one bordering on straight-up lovesick to one that's startlingly stern.
"But no threatening her! Or him! No raising your voice to them or saying anything harsh! You'd best be on your nicest behavior with Shi-xiong and Lady Wind Master, you hear? Because Shi-xiong is the best and deserves the best."
/steeples fingers. We have entered the Nonsense Zone.
Wow. Wow. He is just spitting out all sorts of nonsense that he'd never be able to make leave his throat on a normal day.
But somehow, his mind glosses over the fact that the more he eats the worse it gets, and he frowns over the directive to leave the Windmaster alone. And eats some more of his Qinghe food with a bit more relish. "Are you sure I can't threaten? Because even if there is a statue of them in my courty—that's who that statue is of? A god?! Huaisang! That thing is a menace! The courtyard is the worst place for it if anyone wants to get anything done at all! Where did it even come from?"
definitely the nonsense zone lol
Not that Huaisang's ever particularly thought of it that way until it popped in his head right now.
"Just imagine it, da ge! A statue that can strip men of their armor and disarm them! Lady Windmaster's only a menace to those who don't walk carefully around her! She can be very useful. And she's so beautiful to look at under the moonlight with a glass of wine in hand."
He's steadily running out of food.
"I'm not sure where it came from though but I assume Shi-xiong prayed to the Augur for it. A god needs followers."
Not that Huaisang is intimately familiar with the inner workings of being a god.
/nudges some ancient, almost-complete fluff your way
At Huaisang's point, however, he can only open his mouth and pause. "I'm imagining it," he agrees, and it's very much a thoughtful agreement. "That is...tactically sound. If lewd."
That last bit is a grumble because, well. Topless.
"I guess if it belongs to a god then I shouldn't worry too much about it, either. But, ah—" He eyes his brother. "If your Windmaster is a god, can they fight the god of this island? Because that would be very useful. I would stand by their side if they could do that."