ercookies | TDM 002

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TDM 002

TDM 002: IF FOUND PLEASE RETURN TO

( 1 ) Around mid-morning, a message from the Augur appears on bracelets all across the city. "New organisms discovered. Domestication in progress."

The wark of a chocobo rises up from the outskirts of the city. Several more join in, forming a charming chorus. And, strangely, this is when new arrivals begin to show up.

Beamed in one at a time, scanned en masse, they are processed just as the first wave was. There's one major difference: whereas the old guard was given their bracelets and ushered into the City, the new folks are also given... collars.

Buckled, snapped, or otherwise fastened around their necks, a variety of colorful collars with some rather unusual novelty pet tags. (These are just a few suggestions. The typical “If found, please return to ____” is also very much acceptable.)

"You are new organisms. Domestication in progress. Compatible Eros energy will complete domestication."

No matter how hard they try, characters cannot take the collars off by themselves. They need a partner's help - but not just anyone will do. It very well might be the first person they find, or it might take several tries.

The robots grow bolder as the day grows on, targeting characters who aren't new, as well.

"Y̶o̶u̴ ̸a̷r̸e̷ ̵o̵r̵g̶a̴n̷i̷s̶m̸s̶.̶ ̶D̷o̶m̴e̴s̶t̶i̶c̵a̸t̶i̸o̴n̸ ̷i̵n̸ ̴p̸r̶o̵g̷r̵e̷s̵s̷."

Their antics die down by nightfall, but for the next day or two, the occasional malfunctioning 'bot may accost someone in the street, so stay on your toes!

( 2 ) An abandoned racetrack lights up the night. That's right: place your bets, folks, because these birds are about to run around a track while robots sell synthetic, overpriced aphro-popcorn.

...Did you say priced?

That’s right! If you participated in the orgy earlier this month, you'll find you have a stash of credits accessible in your app.

You've fucked money back into the world, so why not waste it?

(Opportunities to earn credits will come up periodically and won't always be sexual in nature, so don't worry if your character wouldn't have any yet.)

And if you don't have credits to bet with, why not get creative?

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N A V I G A T I O N

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Mandarin?

[ That's quite a compelling case, if he's telling the truth. And if he's just putting her on, it's all the same because she'd bet that he gives head eagerly if not expertly. His ability to read the subtlest signals must allow him to course correct with an efficiency that borders on anticipatory.

Body-reading isn't exactly mind-reading but one could bridge the difference with familiarity and deduction. Conclude why what works and what doesn't. He's gleaned enough of her background to do that. Another reason Jess has sex is to get out of her head. Sex with Matt would entrench her in it from the start. A lifeline of liquor would loosen her up; without it, she won't seriously consider exploiting his talents.

She might consider it musingly, on her own time, after having a bite to eat. ]

Damn. Good to know.

Spanish. It seemed like a good second language to pick up if I was going to work in Hell's Kitchen.

[There was also a little French in there, thanks to Elektra. When one dates above their class level, there's a few bonuses for it. Like being able to know the taste of high-end food and alcohol and knowing what was worth it and what wasn't.

She was quiet, thinking, and his lips moved into a crooked grin as he raised a brow at her.]

Jessica Jones, are you genuinely contemplating my oral skills beyond those of defending you in court? I'm flattered.

[His hand came up to smooth his tie down, a little gloating grin staying in place as he draped his arm along the back of the sofa. Truth be told, there were a few things about her that he was curious about, without the need for spiked food. Maybe it was because he was male. Maybe it was because he'd had a dry spell. Or maybe he just had good taste, despite what she might think.

He thought about just how dangerous she could be if she had any actual fighting skills beyond "Jessica Smash!" If she could pick up any boxing or martial arts? She'd be lethal.

And there he went, turning himself on again.]

[ Her shoulders slump dejectedly. Spanish? That's the same alphabet. Doesn't count. Chinese characters are intricate knots of lines, blunt and curving. Sexier between the legs, though Matt's Spanish is likely easy on the ears (well, her ears). ]

Considering I've never contemplated letting you defend me in court, it's not that high a bar to clear.

[ She can't have him getting too big for his britches. Validation is available for him elsewhere, if he really wants it. Nobody else can take an educated jab at his legal capabilities, which she's happy to target over his probable sexual prowess. A woman as ferocious as Elektra wouldn't settle for less than proven confidence. ]

You've been smart enough to avoid having to wind up in court. You, Jessica Jones, are actually on the right side of the law. It's one of the reasons I took Foggy up on taking your case- which you didn't need a lawyer for.

[And that was another thing he liked about her, another similarity between them. She bent the law. Sure, she took evidence from a crime scene, but they hadn't been able to prove it. And she was... different. Enhanced. The cops had jobs they were qualified for, but there were some things they just couldn't handle. Like resurrected ninjas assassins. Or Elektra. And Jones had swept right in the middle of it and done the right thing. That was what separated her from a certain ex of his. They were both lethal as hell and gorgeous, but they were on opposite sides of that line. He had to get Elektra to blur hers towards being good. Jess... he just had to try to keep her sober some times. Or maybe join her in a beer after enough shit had hit the fan.

But he hadn't missed the slump of her shoulders at his answer, and he felt his lips turning up again.]

Considering where most of the crap we've had to deal with originates, maybe it wouldn't hurt to pick up a little Japanese or Mandarin.

[ His opinion of her is too high by a mile. Evidence that there's plenty his jacked up super senses and diligent digging haven't and can't uncover. Reva. Ruben. Luke. Murder, desecration, stalking. The rage that breaks free when she's ripping robots limb from limb, that pulls her deep down inside her head to a place she never wants to go again. A few secrets are still hers but no relief comes with the reminding.

She can ruminate on so little of that while he's grinning like a thousand watt bulb. He offers up a deflection before she has to craft her own; she's grateful enough for that that he can keep on grinning a bit longer. ]

I only had to deal with that crap since I met you. You pick it up. I'm gonna punch robots. [ They're multilingual. ]

[Rage and relief didn't make her a bad person. Someone dying at the hands of someone else because of their sick fascination with her wasn't her fault. Maybe one day they could chat about it and he could try to get her to believe it. He'd probably fail, but hey, he'd try. She wasn't a saint. She wasn't a paragon of virtue. But she wasn't a bad person.]

Fair. But whatever shall I do with any newfound knowledge of my multilingual skills? If you punch a robot like you throw cars, I think I might just camp out and enjoy the show.

[ She punches robots much harder. Her grudge against cars isn't nearly as fresh a wound. ]

With or without a visual interpreter?

[ The rest of the audience might question what a guy with a white cane finds so fascinating about a series of crashes and clangs. Jess is curious how sustainable his blind act will be in a city with the population of a secluded hamlet. Arguably, the need for Daredevil does exist, in the form of the haywire enforcers. But the need to obfuscate his identity? It's still too early to tell.

She's not hiding her abilities, nor is she advertising them, and she's met others with the same approach. ]

Possibly both. Though, 'clang clang crack bang "Motherfucker"' kind of speaks for itself enough to give even the blind a head's up. Not that I need it.

[Was she actually concerned about him keeping up his schtick? Aww. Jess.]

Besides, I, ah... didn't exactly come here empty handed.

[That's right, Jess. Daredevil, or his suit at least, was here.]

[ Less concerned than she would be back in New York. For now.

As for the cleared obstacle of acquiring the right gear, Jess puts that on the Augur, not him. It makes more sense than the alternative. It's what he died in. ]

That getup is someone's kinky shit, guaranteed. [ Useful for an anonymity square, among others. From a practical angle, she doesn't see the logic. No nurses, journalists or fellow lawyers to protect. Wearing it for his own peace of mind? She's the last person to begrudge him that. ]

[He was touched. Really. All the way down in his warm fuzzies. It showed by the grin he kept plastered on his face, those deep smile lines by his eyes very visible.]

Do you really have a problem with it, or do you just like giving me shit about it?

[He suspected the latter. Horn head, the scarf comment, and everything else she'd flung at him about trying to keep his identity limited to a few, it hadn't been vehement. More sarcastic, which fell in line with everything he knew about her. He rested his head on the arm that was braced on the back of the couch, then let out a sigh.]

It's not exactly set up to be kinky. Unless you find not getting stabbed a turn on.

[ She hums a flat "mmmm" as if she's constantly on the verge of deciding that for herself. His suspicion is correct: She likes giving him shit about it. It's his life to fuck up, a mantra she usually sets in the past tense. She respects that insofar as he doesn't go dying on her anytime soon. ]

That's on here, actually. [ Jess waggles her wrist, indicating the Futurama-esque bracelet and the A5 program within. Now that she mentions it, her eyes fall to his bracelet, which appears exactly the same. Surely there's a cleverly concealed speaker or headphone jack. Please be a headphone jack. ]

[He can pick up the waggle of her wrist, his own left hand lifting from where it rested on his thigh as he held it up for her.]

I haven't exactly tinkered with it. The, ah, robotic assistants around here weren't too helpful with figuring it out, and they don't seem to have braille on them. I know it's working. I know there's buttons, but whatever it showed, I can't see.

[For all that he could 'see', he had limitations. He might be able to pick up depressions written on paper, but a frequently used notepad would have too much overlap for him to pick out anything useful. TVs and movie screens were about light shows, and while he could hear it working and the electricity used to power it, the change in light wasn't perceptible to him. Holographs worked the same way. He hadn't found a headphone jack on his, but even if he had, he had no headphones. Boohoo his life, Jessica. Poor blind lawyer.]

I can figure out how to, ah, access a call? Make one. Receive. But someone else mentioned a card. You want to poke around on it?

[ Despite the fact that he's being earnest, she can't help herself. ]

You play that card a lot? [ Asking attractive women for a helping hand. She's never seen him in action but she can imagine it without any trouble. It could make for a decent date, visiting a museum and learning about his companion as well as the art. Instances like that, he wouldn't be embellishing anything. She's more interested in if he plays it up in situations his senses compensate for, flirting on easy mode to tide over the touch-starved.

Jess nonetheless accepts, taking his wrist in one hand and accessing the interface with the other. Personally, she likes her card to be private, but her preference is immaterial. After the random TMI glitch, there was no way to know who in town had read jjones's dirty laundry list.

"Please be a headphone jack" was for his sake. She is absolutely game to exploit his ignorance for more teasing ammo. ]

If it ain't broke...

[He can hear her moving, feel her fingers around his wrist. He could try to memorize where she's pushing, but really, he's just enjoying being around someone he considers a friend. New place, new threats, new day- same Jessica Jones. Besides, for all that his world's gone to shit in so many ways, there's something to be said for just being able to sit and breathe.

If she winds up finding his card, a few things might pop out at her: Bondage; Spanking, paddling; Obedience; Fighting, wrestling... Yup. Fine. Either the card guessed really well, or he was more transparent about his things than he knew.

Still, he couldn't see what she could, so he waited with that innocent look while she fiddled with his wrist unit.]

Anything?

[ It's kinda busted, in her opinion, but not gravely. He's charismatic enough on his own not to have to seal the deal by acting helpless. Jess doesn't suspect him of persuading anyone through outright trickery. Like she said, it's a card to play and the hand he's been dealt.

But if she's ever in a position to wingman him, she'll enjoy salting that game. ]

Plenty. Bondage, fighting, spanking. [ She drones with the aplomb of someone rattling off a grocery list. She glosses over "obedience" though she can hazard a guess at what side of the equation he'd be on and she has no problem with it. She also guesses that as the obedient party, he'd still be a smarmy shitheel. ]

[Those brows crept higher and higher as she read off his list, surprise etching itself across his features at what he was, apparently, expected to do.]

...

[His mouth worked, but nothing came out and he had to cough and lick his lips to try again.]

I'm sorry is that... what is that?

Fetish bingo. [ She refuses to say "Auspicious Acts" out loud. As well as mentally, most of the time. A spade's a spade. Pretending otherwise is tossing a flowery veil over a real nasty business.

Jess relinquishes his wrist. She's read every one of his squares but she won't rub it in unless he wants her to dictate them to him. ]

Because I guess not all sex energy is made equal.

Sex... energy.

[If he hadn't taken off his glasses, he'd be adjusting them at the moment. For now, he was leaning back against the sofa and fiddling with his tie. Matt Murdock was a fidgeter. And he was trying very hard to wrap his head around... well, all of this.]

What, like... some kind of pink bunny?

[ When he says that, her the first place her mind goes is the vibrator brand. Second is the battery mascot. ]

I told you, I don't know how it works. But you do something that's on your card, the smart-bracelet can tell. [ It can't be simple pulse monitoring. Any sex will ramp your heart rate up, as well as scores of other activities. These devices can differentiate one sexual act from another. ] It gets marked off.

[And that goes to show what he knows. There was a vibrator brand? Tell him more...

He sits there and tries to mull over her words. Sex bracelets, monitoring, robots, energy, and all of them stuck here to what purpose he hasn't yet figured out. A sigh, and his hand comes up to rub over his face.]

And then what?

Living conditions improve.

[ Each word is couched in its own set of sarcastic airquotes. Because, for whom? The robots? They're robots. The computer's a computer. There are no citizens of this city that appears to have been built for, if not by, humans. No remains, no corpses or bones, that she's found or that anyone else has mentioned. ]

There any proof of this?

[Yes, because for a guy that dated someone who was a living weapon and was now undead and he hung out with another guy that was bulletproof and some punk kid that punched things with his glowing fist of glory... proof was clearly high up on his list of necessaries.

He realized how ridiculous it sounded, but it all sounded utterly nonsensical.]

And if people don't play along?

Nope.

[ She leans forward and picks her water back up. The glass is empty and set down again as he poses his second question. ]

I don't know. [ She swallows the last dregs of water left in her mouth. Admitting the truth is also admitting she's "played along" herself. It wasn't her intention but it qualified, according to her A5. ] Maybe that's why they grabbed you. [ And the other clueless newbies wandering out of the hospital. ]

[He can hear that she's done her drink, handing over his own in case she felt like continuing to wet her whistle. She seemed to need the oral fixation part of it more than he did. He had his tie to fidget with. He was good.

As for the judgement she was worried about; never coming. Not from him. Jessica was refreshing to him in a variety of ways. She was comfortable in her sexuality without being the type to shove it in places it wasn't welcome. If they hadn't crossed paths the way they had and he'd met her someplace else, he'dve found her intriguing. What he could see of her through his world on fire view spoke of a very generous mouth. He was glad his eyes didn't fix on anything, otherwise he might have been caught staring. Besides, Foggy would be the first to talk about all of Matt's 'conquests'. It was mildly embarrassing, but he knew it was done with affection, so he let it slide. There wasn't a malicious bone in Franklin Nelson's body.

Her suggestion, however, has his tongue coming out to wet his lips.]

They grabbed me because of what- none of you were playing smash the nookie noodles together to their liking? Seems counterproductive.

Edited (lost a word) 2020-06-28 21:33 (UTC)

Maybe we just weren't using enough fun euphemisms for it.

[ Good lord, Matt. The further he gets from four letters, the more perverted it becomes.

Jess ignores the glass of water he's offering back to her and slumps back against the couch. ]

Or they think it's not the right mix of people. More partners for us to choose from, quantity over quality. I haven't taken a poll. The only part I can wrap my head around is the abduction itself, and that's barely. [ The Chitauri invaded through a giant portal in the sky. She accepts that those are possible and that the teleporter could be a smaller version of the same phenomenon. But their weapons and ships weren't powered by sex, she assumes, and nothing here resembles the aesthetic of their ships or soldiers. ]

TDM 002

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