Updating environmental system to version 2.69...
When you blink your eyes open, it is to the glare of blinding overhead lights and the sight of a pair of glassy mechanical eyes boring into your own. The face above yours moves like liquid mercury, forming an approximation of a figure that you recognize and trust implicitly: a friend, a loved one, a caretaker. Perhaps even a god or a goddess. From its lips fall the patterns of a language that is strange and robotic, and yet familiar to you:
Everything is fine.
Welcome to the ̶͓̃N̵̼̈ă̷͙m̴̝͋e̵͕͐l̴͔̋e̷̦͘š̴͙s̵̬̚ ̵̝͌I̴͙͐s̵͖̄l̷̞̓à̴͖n̷̺̏d̵̮͠.̶̼̊<
Darkness overtakes you once again. In the blackness of your dreamless sleep, you are sure you hear a strange chime. You are conscious of a choice:
Yes
Y̶o̶u̶ ̸h̵a̸v̸e̵ ̸c̷h̸o̶s̵e̵n̷ ̶w̶i̶s̵e̴l̷y̸.̷
The Augur thanks you for your loyalty.
I. Orientation
With your support, the Nameless Island will thrive and prosper -- but it may require a little more energy than usual to sustain. Step outside and you will soon see why: the skies are calm, the seas are clear and blue, and the pink sands of the beach have never looked more inviting.
Rome wasn't built in a day, but a facsimile of it certainly was. Enjoy new facades for all of the structures in the Nameless City - everything has been retooled, renewed, and restored to be sleek, shiny, and the absolute height of high tech, eco-friendly luxury, with lush greenery and futuristic architecture blending together seamlessly. You have been transported from the hospital directly to your new residence in either the Apartments or in the House of Worship, sparsely furnished with all the basics and some of your belongings. A friend, partner, or stranger may be there with you. This may be your roommate, but this place isn't hurting for space. No robot will stop them from selecting their own room if they wish.
The Augur calls everyone to the Loudinus Amphitheater, an outdoor stage nestled among the tropical foliage where 'bots put on a play about the purpose of the island, the Auspicious Acts, and the history of the past year, including the all-too-recent attack on the Augur. The robot sex scenes are numerous and explicit, and you may find yourself watching a horribly butchered version of any of your old encounters.
Pick up a free Playbook, a comprehensive list of the dramatis personae with detailed character profiles, and learn a thing or two about your fellow Islanders. No detail is too trivial!
(This play will be streamed to all devices to be viewed remotely, and a digital download of the Playbook is also available.)
II. With Great Power
As a boon for taking on guardianship of the land, characters will find themselves sublimating into the purest form of themselves, embodying a particular trait, quality, or concept to the point where they might as well be revered as its new lawful ruler. That's right: you've become as gods, right down to the development of unique magic powers OR changes to your form which reflect the very core of your being. Enjoy being able to create water, fly with your brand new wings, or even summon geese... among other things.
Of course, with semi-phenomenal, nearly-cosmic power comes semi-phenomenal, nearly-cosmic responsibility! After each expenditure of your new powers, you find yourself becoming weaker, hungrier -- but what you're craving isn't food or rest, it's eros energy. The more outrageous your power or transformation, the more your body will crave the completion of an Auspicious Act. Those who do not gather Eros Energy will be driven mad by this lust, until they begin to lose touch with their sense of self - perhaps even some of their most defining memories.
If the burden proves too great, these powers or changes may be wished away with a request to the Augur and the exchange of one Act.
No
You have chosen to exist away from the Augur's wisdom and b̷e̴n̸e̵v̵o̵l̶e̴n̵c̴e̸.
Please accept your gracious punishment. Have a p̴l̷e̷a̵s̴a̸n̷t̵ day!
III. Dis-Orientation
You awake outside of city limits, out of sight and out of mind, but with the looming sight of the bright and shiny Nameless City always on the horizon. What surrounds you is not luxury, but instead drab, run-down buildings and despair. Your orientation, an extravagant and sexually explicit play which describes the purpose and recent history of the Island, is remotely streamed to your device. Watch it if you wish. Meanwhile, there are a few 'bots to be seen among the rubble and rundown buildings that surround you -- but are they friend or foe? Ask them questions about what has happened to you, and they will be vague and evasive. You're inside a simulation, they say, and this is all very temporary while the Augur's systems update.
They do have one answer for you: if you want into the Nameless City before that time comes, it will cost you an Auspicious Act... and a visit to the Augur. The 'bots will escort you there, if you wish.
These robots are a far cry from the well-oiled machines of the Nameless City, though they're no less helpful. In a rundown shack, a robot bartender dispenses rations and bootleg moonshine. (You can even check out the bathtub it's brewed in!) The liquor is definitely real, and it can definitely strip the rust right off the robots. Whether it's fit for human consumption remains to be seen. Regardless, it's going to give you the night of your life - drinking the stuff may cause a variety of effects, from normal intoxication, to erections lasting more than four hours, to wild hallucinations.
IV. It's Morphin' Time
Later, the rogue robots bring some scavenged technology: small, pink globes with "PROJECT DAEMON" etched on the side. These globes bond to specific individuals and morph into different creatures based on the emotions that those individuals exhibit: someone feeling brave might find themselves with a bright, roaring lion, while someone scared may find themselves pocketing a small mouse. A singer may find themselves warbling alongside a siren.
They shift often and at will, and they are here to help you survive in this landscape. Need someone to help you catch fish, gather firewood, or find you a partner to complete that Auspicious Act? This little critter has your back!
These creatures can communicate with everyone in simple language, but you'll soon realize they're not just voicing their own thoughts, but the thoughts of the person they've bonded with.
These are temporary creatures who will run out of power by the end of the month, though they can be resurrected with rewards at a later date.
Continue
V. The Doctor's Back In
All of this must be a lot for Islanders to take in and process. A lot of new information, new feelings, and new surroundings to become acquainted with. But they should know they are not alone here. Dr D. Love is still as present as ever to help anyone who may need to work through accepting their new situation. He and his helpers might even be rather insistent on you having a session!
Whether you're in the city or out of it, you may suddenly awaken to find yourself sitting in a comfortable chair in the doctor’s newly remodeled office that is tastefully decorated with finely detailed, “hand” painted posters of beings in positions of pleasure. So many positions. Or you may find yourself in the Immersion Room, an equally tastefully decorated room filled with a large, comfortable bed (perfect for group therapy sessions!) and shelves full of toys and other supplies. For the duration of your session, enjoy access to anything one might need to help relieve the stress of their body and mind on their own - or with a partner, who might have been brought here just as unwittingly as you were.
The Doctor is there to help you work through your feelings and discomfort if needed, please have no fear. He knows some of you may be resistant to his help, but he’s as cheerful and devoted as ever, to the point of not letting you leave the building until you’ve admitted to whatever feelings you are holding back - not just to him, but also to your therapy buddy. What's the diagnosis? The fact is, you must not be receiving enough pleasure. You are too tense, you need to relax and allow yourself to embrace the carnal nature of this world and what it can provide you.
The more you resist, the more the Doctor shall insist. He may even choose to activate your Neural Implant, which all Islanders have been gifted with upon arrival. Said neural implant may cause immediate arousal, sexual attraction to those near you, and even turn various parts of your body into extreme erogenous zones! Once activated, the Implant's effects may kick in at the most random of times.
The Doctor knew all you needed was the right motivation.
OOC Notes:
Welcome to the updated Erku! As this is a setting shift and a re-launch of sorts, this TDM is open to top-levels from both current and prospective players. Feel free to tag around with reckless abandon, and have fun!
Whether you are new or old, it is entirely up to you as to whether your character wakes up in the Nameless City or in the ruinous world of the Simulation. Even characters who acted to attack in the Augur in Event 16 may wake up in the City and vice-versa, according to player preference. This simulation is a temporary run and will last for about two weeks (in other words, the duration of the TDM), at which point all characters will wake in their new Nameless City apartments. Even if you choose "No", you may future-date prompts for the City for this time period.
For now, previously requested safe havens and residences are not currently accessible. They will be made available again in following Simulations, but 'bots are inclined to leave characters in mystery and suspense about this!
Feel free to ask questions below.
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N A V I G A T I O N
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no subject
[It is a nice knife, one that she reaches for instinctively without thinking better of it. The weight of it is already familiar in her grip as she tosses it up and catches it deftly--too deftly. If she's trying to be inconspicuous, Aby is doing a piss poor job of it.]
I'm not doing anything in public, to clear things up. [A grand statement to make against the backdrop of performed pornography right before them.]
no subject
[ Yes, he is in fact picking her up. Especially now that he's seen her handle a knife with ease. It makes his pulse pick up as he imagines the blade sinking into flesh: his, hers, both, he isn't too picky. She knows how to use the weapon and isn't afraid of it.
The backdrop of the performances is all but forgotten to him. ]
My shop's kind of far but we can fly there. Or if you have one of those rooms, we can go there instead.
no subject
[Not to say Aby is not intrigued. This is the most amount of thrilled she's felt since her arrival on this forsaken island and it's miserable transaction system. Goosebumps blossom along her forearms, and not unpleasantly. Besides, she could probably take this crazy person on, both figuratively and in the murder sense.
Probably.
The tapping of one foot is an indication she's not up to sweeping the offer off the table yet.]
no subject
Sure, that sounds about right. So you're interested, right?
[ She hasn't handed back his knife, after all.
He stands up and indicates towards the exit. ]
no subject
[Would it be better to drag him like a half digested kill back to the pad she shared with her friends? Probably not, or at least not much better. Then again, she could count on the two idiots to be there in a pinch.
Well, just on the one idiot.]
I'm keeping this. [she slips the knife into the side of her belt, a makeshift notch.] Until you up your offer.
no subject
He wants to fuck her anyway though, so he continues. ]
What else are you interested in? My shop has all sorts of different things to play with, and you can try out whatever you want.
no subject
Handcuffs, and not the fuzzy kind. I can improvise for the rest. [It's worryingly refreshing for Abigail to level with this kind of transparency, someone who seems to have most of their cards on the table, and not for once be two metaphorical steps ahead.
She thinks, for now. In fact, it's something of a relief.]
I'm still not going back with you. Bring your cuffs to here. [Is it Laurent's address she texts him? It certainly is.] And don't bring anyone else with you.
no subject
I'm not parting with my knife.
[ Xue Yang says it easily, but his smile starts to take on a slight edge. ]
It stays with me, whether you come along or not.
[ She can hold it all she wants... but she won't own it. ]
no subject
[It's nothing worth antagonizing a dangerous stranger over. Abigail tosses the knife back by the edge, trusting the weight of the handle to anchor it properly.]
Any other demands?
no subject
Dying's annoying and I'd rather not deal with it but if you kill me it wouldn't be my first time.
You said we'll meet back up at this place, right?
[ He checks the address to verify he has a decent idea of where it is. ]
no subject
To have a passing knowledge of the possibility is one thing. To hear it from the mouth of the horse, well...]
Hmm. Get to it before I change my mind.
[It's not a threat as much as a real possibility of Aby getting promptly bored and distracted, not necessarily in that order. When the time comes, there is, miraculously, a lack of the usual roommates around. The young woman hasn't warned them of her potential activities in advance, and if they happen to stumble in for an unpleasant surprise, then that's their problem.]
Oh, you actually made it.
[Is all the greeting she gives as the door, as if she's not partially complicit in the entire solicitation.]
no subject
[ He strolls in as relaxed as if he lives here as well. As Xue Yang looks around, he pulls the handcuffs from his sleeve (metal and with no padding or other frills) and tosses them over his shoulder to her, a ring with the key to unlatch them on it following quickly.
He then pulls out the knife. This one he doesn't toss, but holds it in his hand loosely, almost as if he expects her to pull it from his grip. Xue Yang still is only studying the place itself, not looking her way again just yet. ]
So where do you want to do this? Should I get naked first?
no subject
friendroommate had asked, and Aby isn't about to become useful just yet. She does the bare minimum, and the couch is good enough for her in return.They certainly won't be using the couch for this, now.
Testing the weight of the cuffs in her hands and finding them to be the real deal, she leads the way to Makoto's bedroom. It's the less tidy of the two, but the mere thought of Laurent's questionable activities in his makes her shudder.]
I don't know. Whatever turns you on, I guess. [And yet, she stands there expectantly, as if waiting for a show, foot tapping and cuffs swinging deftly from her fingers. Aby's eyes don't leave the knife in the young man's hand.]
no subject
He spins the knife around so he's holding it in a reverse grip, letting him manipulate his clothes without the blade getting in the way. If she's expecting a full show she won't be getting one, but he does take off his clothes at an unhurried pace, shedding each layer with ease. Xue Yang never quite seems to mind the blade in his hand but never forgets that it's there, even passing it between hands to pull them out of sleeves without risking catching the fabric in the process. Finally the last of his clothing falls to the floor, revealing a half-hard erection and leaving him naked aside from the shock collar and his bracelet. ]
Alright. Much better.
no subject
You're gonna hold onto that forever? [She arches an eyebrow, making no effort to lift off her own shirt or pull down her shorts, even if she kicks off her flipflops, bare feet carrying her closer to where Xue Yang is standing.] Seriously, you feel threatened by me? You could snap me in half.
[Which is true, all things considered, even if the wirey girl is sturdier than she looks. Despite the taunts, a firm hand pushes Xue Yang onto the bed, palm connecting with his chest, before she climbs onto his lap. For now, the cuffs are tucked into the back of her shorts.]
no subject
[ For one he isn't sure she could catch it, and he doesn't want her getting turned off by an unintentional slice wound on her hand. Just because she can toss a knife doesn't necessarily mean she can grab it when someone else tosses it instead.
He lets her push him into the sitting position, and when she gets into his lap he grabs her ass and pulls her hips closer so he can press his cock against her. His free hand is the side opposite the handcuffs so he doesn't wind up touching them, but he wasn't grabbing for them anyway. Instead Xue Yang pushes his chest into that touch as he leans in and tilts his head a bit, angling himself for a kiss. ]