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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He watches her pull the dress off and his eyes trace the glowing lines curling over her body, now almost entirely uninterrupted by clothes. This time he takes the hint without fuss, sitting up slightly to help her pull his shirt off and tossing it elsewhere.
Finally bare from the waist up, he reaches up again; but instead of taking her hand, he grabs her by the wrists and pulls her down, twisting in an attempt to flip them over and pin her to the mattress.
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Lioriley felt the shift in weight just as he grabbed her wrist, and knew almost immediately what he intended to do. Normally, she would not fight her partner in such moments if pushing her down was really what they wanted. But the suggested challenge had her wondering if he wanted her to try and counter it. No small feat, that, given their difference in strength and height and weight. And yet she tried all the same, pushing back against him and hooking her leg around his as they started to turn so she could gain some leverage, trying to ease him back the other way. "What are you doing, Felix? I cannot properly take care of you if we change places."
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"You told me not to hold back. So I'm not. If you want to 'take care of me,' then I suggest you figure out a way to turn the tables."
So she's a physical lightweight - so what? She said she had magic, didn't she? Besides, he's compromised and she isn't. She has a distinct advantage, there.
He pauses, though, furrowing his brow a little. "But tell me if you don't like this."
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"I like it, I assure you." She murmured, the curved lines on her cheeks flaring bright with her admission. Her fingers flexed in his grip, her plan to dislodge him already in motion, and she could only hope the tremble of her lips and the way she squirmed against him was distraction enough from her hands. A thin sheen of ice slowly formed along her skin, inching down her wrists to where Felix held them, cooling rapidly under his palms; sharp, stinging cold, the ice threatening to creep up around his hand as if to freeze it in place if he didn't remove it.
And if he did, she would be sure to take the opening and flip their positions again. If not. She could think of something else.
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So it's not until the ice is stinging his hands that he notices, snatching his hands back by instinct, head whipping up to look with a sharp intake of breath. "What--"
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In light of some sassy remark - of which she had approximately none anyway - Lioriley dipped down to kiss him, hard and hungry and almost desperate. No need for the implants influence when she was already aroused by the back and forth they had fallen into.
The hand on Felix's chest moved down quickly to grasp the front of his trousers to undo any buttons or strings that further hindered her from reaching her ultimate goal, hand slipping past the fabric once it was undone to coil her fingers around his dick and stroke the length of it.
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Her questing hand finds the laces she's looking for and the hard bulge that strains against his leggings under her palm. He makes another noise into her mouth that sounds a lot like he'd otherwise be saying 'fuck' as she pulls him out and strokes him; his hips thrust up into her hand, and not knowing what to do with his own hands under this sudden heady onslaught of sensations, he ends up just resting them on the bed on either side of his head.
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"I want you inside me, Felix." She whispered, close enough that each word had her lips brushing over his. Meanwhile, she shifted her hips and straddled him once more, using the head of his cock to nudge her already lopsided panties aside enough to slide along her slick folds. No point in risking her position of power to remove the last bits of clothing on them - and she didn't think Felix would mind much while she aligned his shaft with her entrance and slowly began to slip it in, warm and oddly tingly, like when he had his tongue on her earlier.
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She pulls back and he pants in little voiced gasps, pupils huge. She whispers close to his mouth and he between the words she says, the way she whispers them, the way she says his name again, the teasing brush against his lips that he can't lift his head to turn into a full-fledged kiss...all of it pulls a sound almost like an urgent whine from his throat. He nods rather than try to form words at this point.
Felix is as far from minding as he can get. "Goddess, fuck, fuck..." His mind empties completely of anything that isn't the hot, wet, electric feel of her around him; his hands come up to clutch at her, just to keep her close.
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"Mm. You feel wonderful." She praised, retracting her hand so it could join its twin tangled in Felix's hair. This one did not tug, and instead soothed along his scalp with slow rakes of her fingers through long strands of black. Slowly, her hips rolled in small circles to acclimate to the feeling of him inside her, before finally arching up to slide up along the length of his cock and then ease back down in a borderline agonizing rhythm.
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This time, though, he keeps them open, because he cannot take his eyes off the mesmerizing sight that is Lioriley slowly moving her hips up and down on top of him, back arched, bright and sparkling light winding around her body like streaks of falling stars against a midnight sky. She says words, and they probably mean something, but he's just listening to the sound of her voice. He bites his lip hard.
"Keep talking," he gasps, dragging blunt nails down her back and trying to thrust up into her faster without any thought put into it at all.
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"Mmn. It feels so wonderful, does it not? Taking me like this..." She didn't expect an answer, though she did hope he would not notice how she stumbled over some of those words - both out of embarrassment for saying them aloud, and the moans that slipped in between them.
Somewhere, deep down, she cursed her own regenerative abilities for so quickly easing the dull ache of his nails dragging down her back. It felt good when mixed with the pleasure of his cock slamming up into her over and over again. Oh well. It was hardly the end of the world. "Ooh, Felix. Yes, just like that." Said when she angled her hips on a downstroke, leylines strobing each time he seemed to hit some sweet spot.
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Now, he's just listening to the cadence of her voice, the way she moans his name and makes the consonants sound like caresses, and watching the way her light pulses in time with their thrusts. Feeling the soft warmth of her breasts against his chest, the tickle of her hair spilling onto his skin, the burn in his scalp that reminds him of her control every time he moves, the way her magical lines buzz and hum wherever they touch him, making his whole body feel so much more sensitive.
There comes a point when he feels like he's been on the cusp of orgasm for forever, wave after wave of intense pleasure crashing over him every time she arches to push him back into her tight heat, or speaks, or moans. His hips jerk with less rhythm and his body tenses like a bowstring. Every breath is a shallow gasp, every sound a wordless moan or heartfelt curse.
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As she had anticipated - the longer they continued, the more difficult it was for her to form proper sentences. And after spearing herself down upon him a few more times, hips rolling when their bodies collided, Lioriley could only fully form one more thought before she was entirely lost in the drunken haze of lust and the fervent need for her own release:
"Come for me, Felix." She whispered, lips catching his in a soft kiss that contradicted the rough tug of her fingers in his hair. Her own muscles tightened, coiled around him to pull him in deep, wanting him buried in her when and if he obliged to her request. "Please."
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Once he’s spent, he lies there beneath her panting for breath, arms draped loosely around her, in too much of a daze to do or say anything.
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She waited a few seconds, letting them both recover a bit before she spoke again. "Have you - do you feel better?" a pointed press of her fingertips to his temple, as if to silently indicate the implant. Or whatever it was that the Doctor had done to him.
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For now, anyway. Who knows when they'll do this to him again.
It takes a few minutes for him to be able to formulate actual sentences. Eventually, he lifts one hand to trace a finger along one of the leylines on her back. "What are these for?"
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While Felix regained his composure, she carefully dislodged him from inside her, settling atop him with a low, shaky sigh, fingers running gently through his hair. His question was... unexpected. "My leylines? All Lunari are born with them - they help to regulate the flow of magical energy inside of us." To put it simply.
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The fingers in his hair are nice, he decides, still a little bit hazy. It doesn't occur to him that this might be an ideal time to talk about whatever it is the automaton wants him to talk about, before he recovers enough to definitely not want to talk about anything.
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Still carding her fingers through his hair, she regarded him with a curious expression. "Was something troubling you earlier?" Before she arrived and before the whole...implant thing. Surely he was in therapy for a reason.
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Without realizing he's doing it, he tilts his head a little to lean into her hand, even as he huffs in halfhearted annoyance, closing his eyes. "Everything about this place troubles me. We're all just glorified prisoners dancing to the Augur's disgusting tune. Forcing people to be intimate with each other when they don't even know each other, or...or even when they do." Stop thinking about the boar. "It's monstrous."
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She listened intently, her expression a mix of sadness and sympathy. His was a sentiment she fully understood, and it made sense why he would be upset because of the circumstances. "I am inclined to agree. When I was told that the Augur required aid in reviving the island, I wondered why it did not simply ask for the assistance. So many would have been happy to oblige." Plenty seemed totally fine with the arrangement. "But there are bright sides to it all, I think. There are others here I would have never met, would not have even known existed, if I had not been brought here. I do not know if you believe in fate, or if you think it silly to even suggest such a thing...but we all must have been brought here for a reason beyond those already stated."
Ah. She went on a bit of a tangent there. Lioriley cleared her throat. "I believe the best you can do is hope to find others willing to aid you. People you can trust so you are not thrown into such situations with strangers. I...um. I would offer to be one of those people, but I am uncertain if that is something you would like." They had only just met for real. But they also just fucked so. ???
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He scoffs. "The Augur is a machine. It doesn't care what we want or how we feel. It's not a person. And no, I don't believe in fate. Maybe we were just the ones it could get its grubby hands on. Sometimes people just vanish, and it doesn't seem to care."
Then he cracks one eye open to glance up at her warily. "Why are you so nice? You don't know me at all. I could be a malicious bastard for all you know. Why would you just offer something like that so easily?"
His eye closes again as his brow furrows. "Besides, in some ways the strangers are better. Having people from your own world here, people you've known for years, and being expected to...ngh." She can feel him tensing up a little beneath her, as he declines to finish his sentence.
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He had a good point, but Lioriley never did like to be so pessimistic. "Someone created that machine, surely. So maybe it is not the Augur itself we should judge, but those that made it. Either way, I like to think it is not so random."
Once again his question threw her off, and she frowned in turn. "Because I do not believe you inclined to cause me harm. I see no benefit in being cruel or leaving you to potentially suffer alone when I am willing and able to aid you." Basically: she was nice, and if she didn't offer she would probably regret it for the rest of her life, even if the situation was not dire.
Tempted as she was to ask him to continue that thought, she decided to focus on the other part of his sentence. "They will not be strangers forever. Unless you planned to hide from all those you were intimate with."
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His eyes open fully this time and his head tilts a little so he can see her better; his gaze is measuring. "I see." Then he scoffs. "Of course I'm not planning to hide from anyone. That's not the same as having history with people from before this place."
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The end~