ercookies | TDM 020: FROSTED FLAKES

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TDM 020: FROSTED FLAKES

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Augmentations c̴̦͋o̷͓̺̘̓m̸̮̈̾́p̸̻̃l̵̠̱̤̅e̷̢̧̺͐̃̽t̸͈̓ḙ̴͙̓͘.

Proceed . . .? Y/N

> Y

Your eyes blink open to the blinding glare of 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 N̵̩̈́̓ä̶͇́͂͘m̸̠͒e̴̞̻̾ͅl̷̹̄͝ḙ̷̺͗s̵̳͊̀ṣ̵̱̚ͅ ̶̧͒̄Í̴͔s̵̡̛̺̍̓ļ̵̥͖̄͛͌ḁ̸̳̟̒́n̵̻͑́͗d̴̩͕̰̂̊̔

Darkness overtakes you once again.

I. Arrival

When you awake, you find you have washed up on the otherworldly pink sands of an impossibly beautiful beach, the tropical scenery spoiled only slightly by your seasickness. New arrivals, waterlogged and covered in sand, 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, all is available for your use. Stake your claim on a place to live in the now, whether an apartment in the City, a shack on the beach, or a bigger space at the House of Worship with friends. Your inventory will be found a day later, wrapped up haphazardly and delivered to each arrival's home.

II. Tropical Snow

The Augur hasn't forgotten your festive needs, Islanders!

Though the Island weather remains sunny and tropical, a powdery snow has begun to fall from blue skies, collecting into pristine piles overnight. Fortunately, unlike some other snowstorms Islanders might have experienced, this one won't freeze you. In fact, the temperature of the powder is perfectly pleasant, even though everything else about it is exactly as one might remember from white holidays past. It even sticks together nicely, making it absolutely perfect for snowballs, forts, and sculptures, and the 'bots encourage Islanders to enjoy this little treat from the Augur for the limited time that it will last. Even robots pelted by snowballs will chirp cheery encouragements.

It is, however, a little slippery… and a bit tacky. And sweet? Catching snowflakes on your tongue has never been so rewarding.

III. It Came From Above

In addition to the Island's traditional cherub dragon helpers, Islanders may notice a newcomer to the skies above: these zippy little drones, which flit about playfully and broadcast festive songs from Islander memories whilst they assist the dragonets in decorating the hospital and other public buildings in wintery colors and charming strings of lights. Make sure you mind your head, because the more mischievous of the drones have minds of their own when it comes to decorating sometimes! If you're looking a little dour, you might become the next surface wrapped up in lights and tinsel. Maybe even with someone else, for pleasant company of course!

Oh, and those mistletoe bots? They seem to pick targets at will, locking on and hovering overhead until their ~~victim~~ new friend gives someone a kiss. It's not unusual for a mistletoe bot to take a real shine to one Islander in particular, following them all day long.

If asked for assistance with a drone, Island robots will helpfully inform you that the drones make excellent pets! Just be sure to pick one that doesn't bite.

IV. Sticky Circumstances

The robots may have made a veeerryy slight miscalculation.

As time passes, the mysteriously room-temperature snow that blankets the Island begins to… well, melt. Except, it doesn't melt into water. What results instead from this well-meaning experiment is a slippery, sticky, sweet substance just like icing sugar… but everywhere. On the sidewalks, on the buildings, sliding in globs off the leaves of every palm tree. While it may taste good, and pests like ants are never a problem in paradise, it's quite a nuisance!

Robots will offer credits for assistance in clean-up, rewarding especially handsomely as the mess seems to gunk up their joints. With enough help from Islanders and drones, the mess could be cleaned up within the week! If an Islander would rather just enjoy their Island-wide slip and slide, however? The 'bots won't fault them.

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N A V I G A T I O N

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Xue Yang isn't expecting those fingers to go into his hair instead of Xiao Xingchen washing his own, and it suddenly occurs to him that they've never actually done this before. All those times that they've showered together he'd already be hard by now, and soon one or the other of them would be held up or pressed against the wall as they resumed fucking.

He's never really been attended to like this before, with the calm patience that Xiao Xingchen always has. The closest that he'd had was... back in the Jin sect, maybe? When he'd been forced to look a bit more presentable for one reason or another, and back then the grooming had been met with resistance at every step. Xue Yang has never actually... relaxed like this, for something like this.

Xiao Xingchen's fingers in his hair are gentle, soothing, and he wonders for a moment if he can doze off standing up in the shower. But what happens in the end isn't dozing off at all: little by little his focus slips, until it's as if he's disconnected from the world almost entirely. The feeling of Xiao Xingchen grooming him drown out everything else, even the feeling of the water cascading down the rest of his body. He's experienced something like this once before, but he doesn't realize it, doesn't remember it, and isn't even thinking enough to realize something odd is happening.

All there is is Xiao Xingchen's touch. ]

[Xiao Xingchen works the shampoo all the way to the ends of his hair, pleases with his own work as he looks over the wet and glossy strands. Combing out the lather to help wash out the hair, his fingers brush along his scalp to the hair behind the ears and down to the nape of his neck.

Satisfied as the shower washes away the last of the lather, Xiao Xingchen hums a bit as he picks up the shampoo bottle and starts the same process with his own hair. Even if this was his nameless friend, he wouldn't go out of his way to ask for help like this, and especially not after Xue Yang has... "helped" enough already.

As the pitter of the water drops against their skin continues, he's combing through his hair with his fingers when he notices something odd.

He asks with some suspicion:]

... Are you alright?

[ Xue Yang doesn't react even once Xiao Xingchen stops, instead standing under the water motionlessly as if waiting for something. It's only with that question that his mind starts to process again, responding slowly at first.

Suddenly he blinks, eyes focusing again, and it takes him a moment to regain awareness of his surroundings. He's... in their shower, right, that's not a surprise. Xiao Xingchen is still behind him. But there's a weird, floaty feeling all throughout his body that wasn't there a moment ago, and he doesn't know where it came from or what it is.

He doesn't respond to the question because he didn't even really hear it in the first place. ]

[Despite himself, Xiao Xingchen begins to worry. Never has Xue Yang been so quiet or still for long while he's awake. He always has to do or say something, from what Xiao Xingchen has observed. Somehow, this reminds him of those robots when they're not doing anything...

The last of the shampoo washes out of his hair before he speaks up again.]

Xue Yang?

Hm? What is it, daozhang?

[ He turns, all traces of his lingering confusion gone from his face. Xue Yang only barely noticed his own spacing out, so it doesn't seem like the sort of thing Xiao Xingchen would have noticed either.

He does subtly run his thumb across his fingers though, feeling the slight tingle that's almost but not quite like the pricking sensation of circulation returning. The water feels a bit warmer than it did before, too. ]

Perhaps you are still tired.

[Xue Yang was expending more of the energy throughout the night, Xiao Xingchen supposes. He might have not slept long enough. At least it makes more sense than anything else, so he continues, wiping the last of the shampoo bubbles off of his skin.]

By the time we're dressed, the batter should have rested.

[Though he remembers his search earlier and remembers that he has to ask:]

... Do you even have any other clothes to dress yourself with?

What's that supposed to mean?

[ He murmurs it mostly to himself as he steps out of the shower and sets about drying himself off. He's not particularly thorough about it, even leaving his hair alone to air dry. ]

I have two sets of clothes, and those weird robes from the dicks festival if I need something else. Why?

[After stepping outside, Xiao Xingchen lightly pats himself down with a nearby towel, diligently drying himself off when he turns and sees Xue Yang not doing that. With a light sigh, he turns and reaches up to pat Xue Yang's hair down as well.

Might as well tidy him up some more, now that he's started.]

Last night is the only time... anything like that will happen. [He moves around to smooth the towel down the hair by Xue Yang's face.] I also must borrow some clothes of yours. What you gave me yesterday needs to be washed, and I can't walk about in the city like that again, either...

[ Xue Yang lets him do it, though his expression betrays a hint of surprise and confusion about it.

He's quickly distracted by the declaration though, and drops his gaze to Xiao Xingchen's body. Warmed by the shower as it is, his skin is flushed enough that the marks from the outfit are almost completely gone, but Xue Yang can still imagine what it looked like. ]

I can get you something else from the shop if you'd like. Or you can walk out of here wearing my clothes if you like that better.

[ ... Would it be transformed to match his current form while he's still the nameless friend and Xiao Xingchen is wearing it, or would it change back to match his normal form? He's never really considered that. ]

[Once sufficiently dry and seeing that Xue Yang is as well, Xiao Xingchen takes the robe and pulls it around himself, tucking it in around his chest.

He turns to the door to head to the room.]

... The festival robes will trouble you the least, I suppose.

[As he says this, however, the towel loosens and nearly falls off before be catches it.

Hopefully it's not as bad with that fabric. He at least guesses those clothes at least don't rely too much on the form of the individual... though he had only passed through rather than stayed to pay much attention to everything.]

[ Xue Yang almost goes to catch the towel himself (of course not with the intention of returning it) but Xiao Xingchen is faster. Alas.

He's not going to go get the mentioned clothes himself right away, of course. If Xiao Xingchen isn't going out just yet, there's no need for him to get dressed. (Well, there's no need for that anyway, but his face apparently isn't thick enough even after all this time.)

There's a slight odd chill as he steps out of the bathroom, enough that he suppresses a shiver, but it's gone quickly. ]

Daozhang, you should bring your extra clothes back here, since you're going to be living here again.

[It isn't as if Xiao Xingchen had forgotten, but Xue Yang reminding him still makes him slow in his steps.

Even if he has a slightly clearer mind to think, he still doesn't regret his choice. Living like this won't be that different. It's easier than being alone or causing trouble for anyone else, and he might even prefer a life of having someone to take care of over wandering around aimlessly. He ignores the idea of being taken care of or whatever Xue Yang is more competent at—anything like that has been Xue Yang simply serving himself, surely.

As he's told himself, none of what he does here changes who he really is.

Xue Yang isn't terrible to live with, at least.]

I don't have much to bring.

[He does have a few outfits that he wouldn't use at the cafe, but...

Just as he's about to search through Xue Yang's sparse closet, he remembers something.]

Do you still have what I wore the last time I was here?

[ Xue Yang pauses for a moment, the question making recognition light up on his expression. ]

Oh, yeah. I left it where you store your clothes for you.

[ He just hasn't looked there since doing so, and so it had completely slipped his mind. ]

[Xiao Xingchen considers going to find it, but... decides against it, and searches for the robe. Easier to handle for now, and he can take the clothes he used back to the cafe later. It isn't because he doesn't want to think about everything that led up to that moment—though by now, there are some things he doesn't entirely mind talking about.

He's had some time to process it. Even if none of this will ever really make sense, he knew he would have to adjust to change very quickly ever since he left the mountain.]

You were so sure that I could come back here. Or perhaps I should say that you wouldn't take no for an answer.

[He says it with a bit of a huff as he takes off one loose white sheet for another, setting the folded towel aside. Now, how will this stay in place? Without the right texture, it's a lot more precarious than the towel, he finds. It continues to slip out of place before he can even think to move.]

[ Xue Yang watches Xiao Xingchen struggle with the robe for a little while in amusement, then goes over and starts to fix it for him, wrapping it over one shoulder in the strange style it was meant to be worn in. He had a decent amount of practice putting it together, given how much he took it off and put it back on when he first got it. ]

Of course, daozhang. This is the way things are supposed to be.

[ There's nothing proud or arrogant about how he says it, just as if it's a simple fact. ]

I'm the one who's best for you. No matter what happens, you'll come back here to me.

[Xiao Xingchen sighs again in resignation, both to Xue Yang's words and the help he gives, even brushing his hair out of Xue Yang's way when it will help. As unbelievable as all of his words are to Xiao Xingchen, it still doesn't matter what Xue Yang believes. Still...]

Does it not matter to you whether the matter of my returning is either enthusiastic or reluctant?

[He tugs a bit at the fabric to ensure that it's secure, and it won't slip off. When it seems to be the case, he gives Xue Yang a look so they can move towards the kitchen and talk.

At least with showing some reluctance, he'd think that Xue Yang should not expect to get Xiao Xingchen to believe any tricks he might still want to pull. Is this the endgame of Xue Yang's plan with him? Does he want anything more from him than food, sex, and his company? After some time agonizing over what he knows of Xue Yang, Xiao Xingchen isn't as troubled by everything he learns... for now. So asking these questions starts to feel more natural.]

[ He follows Xiao Xingchen, tailing closely at first but he gives him space again as they get back into the kitchen. ]

Should it? Either way you're here.

[ As someone who's never really had to navigate friendships, with his closest aside from Xiao Xingchen being a partner in crime to someone about as terrible as himself, he doesn't really understand the resulting differences between the two options. It doesn't occur to him that things might not be the same when someone comes to him by choice or not. ]

[Right, Xiao Xingchen must have forgot. Xue Yang is not the type to care about the means of how he gets what he wants; it's what he wants and what he doesn't. Xiao Xingchen thought his life would be simple, but a life like Xue Yang's sounds much simpler. No wonder why the world is as it is... Xiao Xingchen can see more clearly why a world like that would need saving.

Maybe it's funny that Xiao Xingchen took so long to figure that out.

He steps into the kitchen and turns the stove back on, glancing over the batter. Everything looks good here, at least. Good and evil have started to feel more and more abstract, the longer he's been here.]

Just wait at the table. This won't take long.

I want to watch you work anyway.

[ And to punctuate his point, Xue Yang leans slightly against the wall as he settles in to take in the sight of Xiao Xingchen. Even with the strange robes, there's still plenty to look at as he moves about.

It's been so long since he's been able to watch Xiao Xingchen work like this. Xue Yang wouldn't admit he's missed it, but it's definitely something that he's taking advantage of now that he's back. ]

[Xiao Xingchen almost wants to roll his eyes, if he could stoop to that. Not yet pushed to a point like that, he decides to continue as if he doesn't feel the gaze on him, trying to not feel conscious of the side of his chest peeking out from the gauzy fabric.]

Suit yourself, though I don't understand what the appeal could be.

[With the pan hot enough, he takes a scoop of the batter with his ladle and spreads it around the pan in a singled practiced motion. Not even a single drop falls where it shouldn't as the thin layer quickly fluffs up while it cooks. The air fills with the warm baked and buttery scent, and he also wonders if the aphrodisiac can affect them this way.]

Were you watching me... even when I couldn't see?

[Is it just the shape of this robe? Or during those times that Xue Yang sat by the side while Xiao Xingchen cooked like this, did he also find this so interesting? He can't help but idly wonder.]

[ The scent has Xue Yang's mouth watering, his eyes glued to the pan almost even more than to Xiao Xingchen. While he's certainly able to cook for himself, nothing quite matches up to all the sweet and savory foods that Xiao Xingchen cooks for the two of them. That cafe of his has also certainly expanded his repertoire for the better.

Xue Yang glances towards Xiao Xingchen at the question, and despite everything that's different now it's not hard to call up the image of a blind daozhang deftly working in the kitchen of a coffin house from his memory. ]

Of course. What else would I watch?

[They need very little time at all to cook, and Xiao Xingchen needs only a moment to slip the crepe from the pan onto a plate. Light and soft with just a bit of crispness... circumstances aside, Xiao Xingchen approves of them in his mind. With a generous scoop of fruit preserves to fill them - placed with a bit of hesitation, knowing their effects - he supposes that he's made due even if they don't have all of the ingredients used at the cafe.

He nudges it across the counter as he pours more batter into the pan to make the second crepe.]

Hm... I was certain that you would have something else to entertain yourself. Really, it's a surprise that you'd enjoy living with me even tolerable after experiencing whatever luxuries you could afford during your time in Jinlintai.

[Life with Xiao Xingchen isn't exciting, and he considered the young man flighty and impulsive as many young people are (excluding some like himself, perhaps). Trying to understand what interests Xue Yang, and what keeps his attention, makes Xiao Xingchen idly curious.

Even if Xue Yang won't share too much about the distant past, surely discussing this much can't hurt.]

[ At the word "luxuries" his face scrunches a little, not even the crepe offsetting the reaction he has to the word. ]

Daozhang, do you really think I'm the type who enjoys the "luxuries" they had there? They'd spend all that wealth on gold and fabrics and other bullshit like that. You think I'd want to show off that I have money? I don't need any of that shit. If you're not having fun with it you might as well not have it at all, and most everyone there wasn't any fun.

[ He takes the crepe and has a big bite of it. His eyes immediately light up. ]

Even the food wasn't as good as this. None of it was sweet enough. You're a lot more fun than any of them, and you make better food, and you're not full of self-important bullshit. Of course I like living with you.

[Xiao Xingchen blinks. The answer is more elucidating than he had expected, and as suspicious as Xiao Xingchen has advised himself to be about whatever comes out of Xue Yang's mouth, there's no reason to doubt any of it. He would have taken the "fun" as mocking - and he doesn't doubt there's still an element of that to it - but surely he would have gotten tired eventually if Xue Yang's approach was that simple.

That would require a belief that Xue Yang is not so broken as to only find the suffering of others fun. Perhaps it adds another layer of flavor to the sweet taste. Yet, despite his opportunity to harm him physically... while also knowing that Xue Yang isn't exactly the greatest at impulse control—

He shouldn't think take anything at face value, but he can't ignore anything he learns. Maybe a clearer image of Xue Yang isn't out of reach, and if he must stay with him, he'd be unwise to not observe more carefully.]

How strange it is... that we can agree that such a place wouldn't befit either of us.

[Placing the crepe on the plate, he turns to look around the room.]

I ought to have expected that. The Augur would have granted you anything to decorate this place, and you would no longer need to hide. [He takes a small bite.] Of course... I had considered that you lived in a secret castle hidden from my view while we were apart.

[He had a lot of time to consider many possibilities about how Xue Yang managed it.]

[ Xue Yang gives a snort, and has to quickly swallow his bite of crepe so that he can laugh. Even though he's laughing at Xiao Xingchen there's no edge to it, instead it's simply genuine amusement. ]

A secret castle? That's a good one!

[ He laughs a few seconds longer then starts to calm down. ]

Secret castles are so boring if you don't have anything to do there. I like my shop where I can try out all sorts of fucking things a lot better. And having you around to do things with is the best of all.

TDM 020: FROSTED FLAKES

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