WEEK TWO

[killerwaves]

WEEK TWO

28 Vacationers

A week has passed on Sungem's Peak, filled with all kinds of interesting activities and discoveries. The return of the birdsong can almost disguise the disappearance of one of your number, if you're not too discerning or live in the Dove cabana.

Regardless, whether you've been relaxing and enjoying the amenities, or you've been focused on exploring the fine print behind your island vacation, come Monday there's something new for everyone to enjoy. Sometime overnight in the waxing hours when even the birds are asleep, a dock has risen up from the sea between the boutique and garden area. It leads to a walkway, or rather a railway, overgrown but entirely safe to walk on. Following it will grant you access to an entirely new island with plenty to see and do, complete with signage dubbing it Seagull's Playground.

Don't mind that you can't see the main island from there or vice versa, or that when you're walking on the railway between, you can't see anything but the ocean around you. It's all the more scenic, this way.

!

TASKS:

Island Spirit
What better way to bond with your fellow vacationers than to be friendly and express physical affection? This can be anything from a hug, to a kiss, to holding hands, cuddling...platonic or romantic of course.
(REWARD: RARE!)

Songbirds
Find another islander and sing a duet with them. It's not about skill, but about having fun!
(Reward: Common)

Sharing is Caring
Teach another vacationer something, whether this be new knowledge or a new skill.
(Reward: Common)

(( REMINDER: Task submissions are due Friday by 9 PM EST/6 PM PST. ))

(( OOC: Please note that murder proposals are now open and are due by Tuesday at 4 PM EST / 1 PM PST. Come one, come all, for ye olde murder traditional.

Also, as always, your admins can be contacted for a chat. ))

MONDAY • TUESDAY • WEDNESDAY • THURSDAY

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Comments

[conchy]

[That's right, Temenos: don't worry about him! He'll be the good boy he's always been on the inside. He'll even slip his hands into his pockets so there's less imminent risk of him reaching out to do anything Weird.]

I've been meaning to do a thorough investigation myself. Would you like to team up?

[And, because that alone is hardly incentive enough:]

It's as they say: great minds think alike. With your eyes and my ears, we'll suss out the mystères of the go-kart with ease!

[They're both detail-oriented, aren't they? They'll have these karts figured out in no time.]

[dupiety]

[He debates over it for a moment...and he's inwardly annoyed that there is a sliver of truth to what Lobelia said. He is good investigation assistant material...

Seemingly come to a decision, he sighs and reaches for his staff. He'll bring that and the paper play along.]

Very well. Let's see what mysteries these go-karts hold.

[conchy]

[Good man, Temenos! As much as Lobelia would love to applaud him for taking a leap of faith and accompanying him on this harrowing journey, he knows better. Some people just can't appreciate happiness when they see it, can they?

Setting his feet into motion, Lobelia skips off in the direction of Seagull's Playground.]

How familiar are you with such advanced technologie? I've only observed the go-karts at a glance, but their construction is like nothing that exists in the Skydom.

[Looking over at Temenos, Lobelia gives him a quick onceover.]

Heh... Such advanced machinery must be completely beyond you.

[dupiety]

[It's hard to appreciate Lobelia's brand of happiness, sorry.]

Solistia is currently in the middle of an industrial revolution, and technology has been advancing at a breakneck pace. Even so, everything on the island feels decades beyond it in comparison.

[So, yeah. It is beyond him, and he doesn't seem all that bothered by that weirdly judgmental tone coming from Lobelia. Hard to be offended when his world literally doesn't know better yet.]

What exactly are they? The "cart" aspect of it is a given, but...

[conchy]

Je vois! Technological advancement is man's goal no matter the time or place, it seems. Understanding how far that technologie has come in this world will surely prove beneficial to us.

[It's not a terribly long walk, and once they reach the karts, Lobelia makes a beeline for one. Bringing a hand to his chin, he studies its appearance.]

It's a véhicule, naturally, but it isn't very ergonomic. At most, you might fit one person in it.

[Which is to say that transportation isn't the main purpose of this cart, unlike the purpose such vehicles serve in their world. Lobelia hums.]

Père, why don't you situate yourself in the kart and put this theory to the test? I suspect you'll fit better than me.

[Uh huh. He just doesn't want to be the one to sit in the damn thing first.]

[dupiety]

[Temenos' stride slows as the go-karts come into view. Judging by the look on his face, he has absolutely no idea what to do with any of this.]

This is a vehicle...?

[Soon enough, he's circling the thing with a deeply pensive expression.]

It's entirely mechanical, not a horse in sight. Almost like that "locomotive"... [He murmurs to himself, lost in his flow of thoughts.] Is this right around the corner in Solistia with the advent of the steam engine?

[All he can say for sure is that he knows Partitio would appreciate this far more than him.

Suddenly, he hears Lobelia calling out to him, and...haha, oh no he doesn't. That's Temenos' strategy for this kind of situation. He's quick to turn it around.]

Ah, but shouldn't the one who suggested the journey over here have the first go at it? Don't be shy. You were very eager just a moment ago.

[conchy]

[Temenos makes some thoughtful observations — as expected of someone so clever — but Lobelia will have a better idea of what they're working with once this machine comes to life. That's all the more reason why Temenos should do him a solid and sit in it, but it's no surprise that he won't, prompting Lobelia to laugh.]

Heh-ahaha! You're horrible, Père! Should I suffer injury at the hands of this machine, I'll expect you to tend my wounds!

[That's what good, god-fearing men do, right? Right. Situating himself inside the kart, Lobelia wastes no time poking buttons and stepping on pedals. Before long, that results in the cart roaring to life.]

Voilà! Your guess was largely correct, but the kart seems to use a different fuel source to propel it forward. Mm, it sounds like a liquide...

[Not much gets past Lobelia's ears, but he won't know for certain until he's ripped the thing apart in search of its secrets. Still, they've yet to determine what the purpose of this kart is, so with that, Lobelia waits until Temenos is distracted and within grabbing range to sling an arm around his waist and drag him into the kart.

Flooring the accelerator, they shoot off at a blistering... 20mph. Well. That's not exactly fast, but just fast enough that Temenos might want to stay put on Lobelia's lap. Are they having fun yet?]

1/2

[dupiety]

Oh, I am horrible, am I? Are we going to ignore your suggestion to have me get in first, then? [Lobelia managed to get Temenos' teasing lilt to make an appearance...well done.] We'll see about healing you if it comes to that.

[He has absolutely no plans to heal any of Lobelia's potential injuries, but he won't say that aloud.

He moves to the side of the go-kart so he can observe Lobelia's attempts to start the thing. Sure enough, it starts up and Temenos peers around to take in all the new sounds and movements. It reminds him more and more of the locomotive, save for the lack of steam rising from the tailpipe... It's like a different fume altogether.]

A liquid, hm...? [He's surprised Lobelia can tell. He definitely can't hear that closely.] Then the pedals inside must be what propels and brings it to a stop, I imagine. It seems useful, so long as you have ample fuel, though transporting people and goods seems rather limi--

[dupiety]

[He's cut off from his observations by a hand on his waist. Unfortunately, Lobelia gets too good of a hold on him before he can properly react, so down onto his lap Temenos goes.]

Lobelia, what are you--?!

[Yet again he isn't able to finish a sentence, because that pesky thing called instinct kicks in and he grabs onto Lobelia's shoulders as they suddenly go rocketing down the track. While it's not particularly fast by most vehicle standards, it's novel enough to put Temenos on alert. He's not properly seated in this thing! He could be flung out if Lobelia turns a corner too sharply!

It's why he looks at Lobelia not with embarrassment for being trapped in his lap until this wild ride is over, but absolute exasperation.]

You devious, irritating fool...I should have known you'd do this.

[conchy]

[What a marvelous reaction! Lobelia can't help but belt out a delighted laugh, doing exactly what Temenos doesn't want him to do and taking a hard turn around the curve of the track. Hang on tight, daddy.]

Heh-ahahahaha! If only you could see the look on your face! What delightful sounds you make!

[He'll just have to hope all this jostling doesn't dislodge the conch from his pocket that he's recording Temenos' disdain with.]

Are we not having amusant? Calm down— non, keep shouting! Your shrieks of frustration are musique to my ears!

[dupiety]

[Temenos' fingers dig painfully deep into Lobelia's shoulders as they round the corner.]

If I wouldn't also be putting myself at risk by doing it, I would be so very tempted to throttle you right now.

[Gods. Temenos rarely feels this trapped and he hates it. Worse yet is that he knows Lobelia's getting a kick out of it.

But he's not completely out of options. He can at least blue ball the audiophile by not giving him more sounds to savor. He'll just have to put all of his concentration into actually partaking in the go-kart experience. It really is nothing like riding a horse or being transported in a carriage. It feels faster, but much more dangerous...doubly so, considering neither he or Lobelia had seen a go-kart before today.]

[conchy]

Heheh! That hurts!

[Try not to punish him for his sins while he's driving, please. Thankfully, this track is wide enough to make up for the fact that Lobelia does not, in fact, know how to drive. At least they've managed not to fly right off the course...?]

Feel free to inflict whatever châtiment you wish when we've completed our journey. In the meantime...

[...He's going to earn his punishment, stealing a kiss from Temenos' lips while he's busy malding. Lobelia's timing is exact, planting that smooch right before flying into another sharp turn. If this is how he dies, Lobelia is going to guarantee his ticket to hell is first class.]

[dupiety]

[This would be when Temenos' heart skips a beat at the suddenness of which Lobelia initiates their shared first kiss...if this was an actual romantic moment. Instead, he seizes up like a cat that's been sprayed with water. He doesn't even have time to process it either thanks to Lobelia's impeccably terrible timing. A sudden jerk to the side nearly sends him toppling over the side of the kart and he has to once again begrudgingly cling to the man trapping him here.]

What- [Temenos is a man rarely at a loss for words, but Lobelia has quite possibly broken him for the moment.] Why.

[Logic tells him it's for the task, but something so far as a kiss wasn't necessary.]

[conchy]

[Whatever whirlwind of confusion could be unfolding inside of Temenos' head? The only downside of this plan is that he can't study the man's expression whilst driving... Alas! The powers that be didn't instantly send down a bolt of lightning to smite him, so if Lobelia's gotten away with this once, he might live to see round two.]

Heheh! Need you ask?

[Because I felt like it. They're approaching the finish line, so he needs to choose his words carefully now that they've slowed enough for Temenos to end his pitiful existence without getting injured in the process.]

I hope whatever item you receive for this task will make a suitable gift! It's rude not to return a gift, you know.

[dupiety]

[Temenos, internally: I want that twunk obliterated.

That answer only serves to earn a flat stare from him, though. Since this hellish ride is drawing to a close, he's able to withdraw his hands long enough to clasp them together and utter a small prayer.

Lobelia will immediately feel hot and tingly, and not in the sexy way. It's like the sun's rays are searing right into him. It's mild and will leave him with very minor injuries at most. This is intended as a warning of sorts.]

How's this for a return gift, hm?

[conchy]

[What do you know? This twunk would love to be obliterated. They have so much in common, truly...

...Ah, but what's this? He feels so warm and tingly! Is this the magic of sharing a kiss? Amazing. He can feel it spreading throughout his entire body...! But it's, uh, getting a little uncomfortably hot. Very uncomfortably hot. Why does he feel like he's on fucking fire??]

Oh—! This sensation is—! Haha- augh! Hehehehe! What a merveilleux power...!

[Finally, a proper reward for his efforts! As an aside, Temenos might want to extract himself from Lobelia's lap before he has even more to regret.]

[dupiety]

[Of course he likes it. Of course he likes it. Why does it feel like any experience with Lobelia is satisfying only for Lobelia?

...

Well, that's not entirely true. Even though it's not the reaction Temenos was hoping for, he still feels something akin to relieved stress after having inflicted bodily harm on his temporary captor. He can concern himself over having felt anything remotely positive about this later. Or not, because this really doesn't deserve any amount of space in his brain.]

You are absolutely pathetic.

[He sneers as he shifts to pull himself out of the kart.]

[conchy]

[Hey, he's been called worse! It says something that Temenos isn't trying to wipe him off the face of the earth like a particularly stubborn stain. In fact... maybe he's inviting harm upon himself by simply saying this, but Lobelia takes his chances, gazing up at Temenos with a smile on his lips.]

Se détendre! No one got hurt. More importantly... you almost look happy, Père.

[Why might that be, he wonders? Maybe Temenos needed a little thrill in his life?]

[dupiety]

[As much as he'd like to smite Lobelia into ash, that would create more trouble than it's worth. He'd prefer to solve a murder, not commit one.

He returns Lobelia's smile with a cold one of his own as he looms over him, covering him in shadow.]

"Happy" is a strong word. [He was just trapped in a metal death machine and kissed against his will. He's not happy.] And yet I only have myself to blame, don't I? I willingly followed you here.

[It's going to take a long time for him to admit that he's beginning to enjoy how much Lobelia challenges him. No one has managed to get under his skin quite like this disaster of a human being.]

[conchy]

[So cold! Temenos has the unpleasant manner of a disgrunted nun, but Lobelia can't help finding this side of him charming. It was worth going the lengths to smash his veneer of unflappable calm to pieces, but what joy might wait in store for him if he were to smash the rest of Temenos to pieces...?

Anyway. Nice go-karts! Lobelia wouldn't mind taking them out for a spin some other time, but he can't imagine Temenos will come willingly, but that's alright. Lobelia doesn't care what he wants. Go on a date with him again some time, Temenos!]

You're as sensible as you are cruel! Still, I hope you found some enjoyment in our outing. Wasn't it palpitant?