uhmani | TDM #13

If the main hub and its features don't appeal to you, that's perfectly fine. This is the perfect time to configure your Digitized Technical Friend or your DTF status. A DTF is similar to a dæmon from His Dark Materials in that it is connected to and a reflection of a character's soul. These DTFs take shape accordingly and are projections similar to the NPCs. Think of them as your own personal Clippy except less annoying. Hopefully.

Once that's set-up, there are other locations of the main hub to investigate! You can visit the training grounds, music lounge, library, and onsen. Also, feel free to leave an offering for the resident deity of sleep (Hypnos) at his shrine! You can even visit The Peacekeeper themselves on the second floor. They're always happy to have visitors! They're also conveniently where you might place a complaint about that status of the main hub and its amenities. Even if you do complain, The Peacekeeper will encourage others to set off and find their own place to live out in the simulation.

Granted, the housing market in the afterlife isn't exactly robust. It doesn't help that every place you find has a leaky roof or broken window. No, unfortunately, that will need to be fixed the peaceful way. If you'd like more lighting or even cozier clothes, simulation inhabitants are reminded that 'peaceful interactions' are very important!

It might be a good idea to stick close to someone you know, for now, since even the smallest amounts of intimacy might see subtle changes occurring where they're staying. Perhaps that broken window is now fixed, the grime and dust seem a little less, or the floor doesn't creak quite as loud.

Larger changes, however, will only come after demonstrating more powerful peaceful interactions. If you want new hardwood floors or a fresh coat of paint on the walls, you're going to have to demonstrate how well you 'get along' with others against them first.

BASKETS OF PEACE

"Hello, inhabitants," speaks The Peaceekeper, "have you had a check-up recently? While we don't have to worry about disease here in Amani, your sexual health is still important in so many other ways!" It was recently suggested that perhaps they haven't been the most mindful in terms of encouraging inhabitants to have healthier sexual habits. No time like the present to work on correcting that oversight though.

How? With a gift basket, of course!

Each inhabitant - either new or established - will receive a gift basket full of fun things to try. Each one includes (but is not limited to):

Have some kinky fun! Enjoy yourselves! Don't be afraid to ask your fellow inhabitants either about the contents of the basket if you aren't sure. This is what being peaceful should be all about.

TRIPPING OVER TROPES

Due to the influence of Dirk Strider and Rose Lalonde both, The Peacekeeper has learned about an interesting phenomenon known as 'fanfiction.' It has studied the topic intensely for the last couple of days to try and learn more about its literary significance amongst the multiverse. It is an interesting insight in some of the inhabitants' cultures and what 'tropes' appear to be more common depending on the circumstances.

Unfortunately, such an influx of information sees the AI running Amani a bit more distracted than usual. The simulation - at least for a few days - is a bit more prone to glitches as a result. Only these aren't the usual ones like a hole in reality someone falls through and ends up somewhere unexpected.

No, these ones are as if the NPCs and inhabitants both residing in the simulation are having their pathways forcibly rewritten. It isn't very obvious, at first. Perhaps you're feeling a bit clumsier than usual and need to chase after a rogue piece of paper carrying on the wind that leads you running right into your current crush. Or maybe something gets unexpectedly spilled on you and the person you like is suddenly offering the shirt off their back (and leaving them shirtless, of course) even if it's out of character.

Finally, inhabitants might really start to catch on when whatever dwelling they enter there is only one bed. Have roommates? Too bad, looks like you might have to share for a bit! Oh, no, how unfortunate... However do you think this scenario will end? The Peacekeeper knows since, well, it's the one unwittingly writing inhabitants into these romance trope scenarios.

Thankfully, it will snap back to 'reality' within a few day's time having learned that, as with most good things, fanfiction should be taken in with moderation in mind.

FRUITS OF FALL

Last year, there was an emphasis on apples but there are plenty of other common fruits to be found growing throughout Amani. Due to The Peacekeeper learning about tropes though, some of them will have a temporary effect in that vein on any inhabitant who eats them.

And what are those effects, exactly? Well...

Pomegrante

malleable

new sliding scales

Blackberries

personality flip on its head

Peaches

swap kinks

Grapes

shared experience

swapping bodies and all that means

SEXY STAMP CARD

If you're wondering about these 'peaceful interactions' that keep being mentioned or what the kinks of the month are for... Here's your answer! Upon arrival, all characters will receive a digital copy of their very own sexy stamp card.

Sexy Stamp Card

Issued by: The Peacekeeper

1 2 3 4 ♡

6 7 8 9 ♡

❤

<div style="width:100%;padding:10px 10px 0;font-family:garamond, georgia, serif;font-size:20px;font-style:italic;letter-spacing:2px;text-align:left;">Sexy Stamp Card</div>
<div style="width:100%;padding:0 10px 10px;">Issued by: The Peacekeeper</div>

<div style="width:100%;display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;justify-content:center;align-items:center;gap:10px;font-size:16px;font-weight:bold;color:#13336b">

</div>

</div>

</div></div>

<div style="max-width:300px;width:100%;margin:-10px auto 0;text-align:right;font-size:10px;"><a title="code credit!" href="http://10billionghosts.dreamwidth.org" style="text-decoration:none;color:#eee;">❤</a></div>

</div>
</lj-raw>

Completing peaceful interactions (i.e. kinks) will reward characters with stamps that they can turn in for re-gains and many other things! While the example one here is the standard issued card by The Peacekeeper, players are more than welcome to customize it how they see fit. Have fun with it! NOTES

★ *While this effect of the gender sliding scale will be opt-in entirely and only temporary, it is a feature that inhabitants can purchase in the future with stamps if they'd like!

★ We are currently at 30/40 slots taken! Anyone wishing to claim a character must have an invite from someone currently in the game and follow the proper rules in place to be accepted into the community!

NAVIGATION

F.A.Q. ★ RULES ★ CHARACTER CLAIM ★ LOCATIONS ★ MAIN NAVIGATION

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Whoa--" Erika reaches out on reflex to steady Rosie - and, as soon as Rosie starts downplaying her sudden rush out of the party, Erika looks her over with faint suspicion.

She knows how Rosie gets about this shit. About... anything she thinks could make her seem less "fun".

Something is wrong.

"Yeah, no problem... you okay with company while you get that air?"

"Oh, uhm." The blond pauses and tucks a stray, displaced curl behind one ear. While her instinct is to say 'no,' she bites that back with a sigh.

"Yeah, sure. Can't promise I'll be, like, good company but..." Erika is on the right track. Rosie's worried about not being fun enough, that her company needs to be good, or that she just needs to leave because the alternatives are much scarier.

Yeeeep, she was on the right track.

"So?" Erika answers without hesitation, raising her eyebrows. "I'm not looking for a performance, here, Rosie. Frankly, I mostly wanna check on you."

So?

So, she thinks, she needs to keep that to herself. No one needs to know that she's upset, that she's unsure, that she's anything but perfectly pleasant and fine- The train of thought is stamped out. It's a sign that she is making progress, thankfully, even if it was still the immediate place her brain went.

"Me?" she questions. "Oh, psht, I'll be alright. It's just... a lot. So, I wanted to get some fresh air for a minute." Run away, she doesn't say, since she's been caught in the act now.

Hmm... well, Rosie admitting it's a lot is progress, honestly.

"Thanks for telling me that much," she answers, right away. That goes first. "Once we step out... if you wanna talk about anything in particular that's been a lot, I'd be happy to listen."

Erika thanks Rosie for telling her that anything is wrong in the first place, but it's still difficult. The woman is still a little cagey despite herself; this has never been an easy topic to talk about, honestly. Even with Seteth, she tried to avoid it all costs. But like with him she has to try and trust that Erika is genuine in wanting to listen. It's inconceivable that she'll be happy to hear about any of it, of course, but Rosie understands it's more the sentiment.

"Uhm, yeah, no problem," she starts with as they head outside. Once there and away from the confines of the party, the blond takes a deep breath. The instinct to say that she really should just go, she'll be 'fine', and so on is strong. Later, they'll kick in again to a point she can't ignore and actually end up fleeing but... For now? For now, she wants to try.

"Anyway, it's not like. A big deal or anything, just. I knew Rose was into petplay and all, I just didn't... I'm not, like, kinkshaming or anything." No one could likely ever accuse Rosie of all people to judge others for their kinks, after all. "I just know she likes it and putting collars on people but I... I can't do that. Wear one. Be a pet. And it sucks, really, because I wish I could and should probably just be over it by now but it's... complicated."

Erika raises her eyebrows, slowly, as Rosie explains, since... well.

"Oh my god-- Rosie. Like... fuckin', same, is the thing. Same as you said, no judgment on people who are into it - but I got my reasons not to be about it, fuckin' shocker there, and it's fuckin' inescapable around here. Not that someone needs, like, a reason not to be into something, but--" She huffs out a breath. "Point is, Rosie, you're not obligated to 'get over' not wanting to be collared."

It helps to be reassured that she's not strange for not being into it. Erika's right though that it seems like such a prolific kink in Amani especially, which is maybe part of the issue. Power and control isn't a foreign concept for Rosie; it's just when put into the idea of master and pet that she gets a little... touchy.

"I mean, I know I don't have to, just- Ugh. This seems even more silly, I guess, I just worry that, like. If I'm not into certain things, it'll be like. A deal breaker, y'know? If I can't provide something for someone I like then they'll just... find someone else. Someone better." That if she can't do whatever they like, they don't like her

That she won't be enough.

If she can't provide something for someone she likes... obviously, the implications with regards to Rose Lalonde are far from the most important thing here, but Erika will still take note of that.

Anyway. Obviously, the broader mindset here is a bit more pressing. "Hmm... I mean, I get what you mean. Like, it can feel like shit not to know if something you just can't do is gonna be a requirement for someone, right? But, like, if there's enough to a relationship for it to be worth pursuing, then your not being able to do one thing shouldn't be a deal breaker."

Of course, much as she'd like to leave it at that... "And if it turns out it is a deal breaker for someone... I mean, that'd suck, no doubt. But it shouldn't be up to you to mold yourself to be everything someone wants, y'know?"

For as little time as Rosie has known R.L., the woman has certainly left an impression. How many people can she say actually moved the stars to impress her for a first date? For as easy as the blond can be, she knows that it sets the bar low; why would anyone go above and beyond when the bare minimum will do? So when people go that extra mile, it really stands out.

"Yeah," she agrees. "I mean, I guess... It never used to be a problem? Or, no, that's not. It was a problem. Just in a different way. Like we talked about, uhm. My job before and how, well, I wasn't really like..." A sigh. "They were clients, not potential partners. It was a job and sometimes, you know, you just have to do what's expected of you." Erika can probably guess what she's implying: she has been collared before, treated like a pretty 'pet' against her own wishes. "Anyway, it wasn't like. Great. Obviously. But it's like- I don't know. If I could do it then, why can't I just do it now?"

She knows why, but the point remains: she's forced herself before, so why can't she just...?

"Molding myself into whatever people wanted was all I did for so long. I don't want to do that anymore, no, but it did make some things easier." It meant she could get anyone's attention that she wanted instead of floundering and feeling like a failure for being unable to be what someone likes.

"Maybe because you never wanted to. Because now you know that you don't have to." Erika nudges Rosie gently with a shoulder. "And protecting yourself by not repeating shit you never wanted to begin with is a good thing.

"Anyway, I do get that - not to the same extent, but a bit. But easier isn't always better."

It doesn't feel like a good thing. Rationally, Rosie is aware that the things that are good for you though... often times don't seem like it until later. Rationally, yes, but emotionally? It's terrifying, that thought of rejection due to her inability to please someone. Of not being enough for someone.

All she's ever wanted is to be enough.

"Maybe," is all she settles on, at first. "But, yeah, I still... I know I'm reckless, sure, but I wouldn't... Mm. Everything I've done here, I've wanted to. It's been my choice." Even the dagger. Especially that. "I never want anyone to feel like that's not the case, but wanting to... doesn't always mean I'm prepared for, like, what that actually is." Maybe the idea is more romantic than the reality. "So, I don't know. Maybe I should more time seeing what does feel right or what doesn't instead just, well, letting it happen or trying to force myself to like it."

Erika nods slowly as Rosie speaks, brows pulling together a bit. Wanting to not always meaning she's prepared... Erika remembers something like that coming up before. The way Rosie gets ahead of herself, ends up in over her head without anyone knowing that was what would happen.

As concerning as the topic already is, Erika can only feel immense relief that she's even thinking of a way to work on it. "That sounds like a great plan."

It's a bit of a problem, she acknowledges. People like Seteth had learned of this weakness though and accommodated; he knew and put things in place to prevent her from going too far. Now? Now, it's all been on her and sometimes she just... She doesn't know where the limits are until she's passed them.

Then, she doesn't know how to stop.

"Yeah, I mean. I'll probably need some practice still with it all but that's... I feel like I should just know these things already, right? Like, ugh. Get it together, self."

"How're you supposed to already know something you weren't in a position to figure out 'til recently?" Erika raises her eyebrows pointedly.

"'Should know' is relative, man. Like-- y'know, using a phone and stuff is pretty basic for us because we're used to it, but some of the ye oldes around here still seem to have trouble with using the DTFs that way. It's just not something they had the opportunity to figure out before."

It's... a good point that Erika brings up. Yet, part of her still believes there are just things that she should, she doesn't know, have intuited by now or something. Everyone else seems to have an understanding of limits and boundaries; why doesn't she? The only conclusion is that she's failing, somehow, and that feels awful.

"I guess," she answers, not sounding very convinced (or convincing). "Still, I... It just seems like everyone else gets it and I don't. Y'know? I feel like that about a lot, honestly. Other people know how to handle their feelings better or express themselves right and I'm just over here fumbling around like an idiot."

"Other people've had different opportunities. Different influences." Erika shrugs. "And, I guarantee you - a lot of us also feel like we're fumbling around like idiots, whether we admit to it or not."

"Maybe," the woman concedes. While she knows other people fumble, it's strange. It never feels like in the same ways. Or, maybe- As obviously so? Maybe it just feels obvious to her.

"That helps a little, I guess, to know it isn't just me. Even if it still seems like it a lot of the time."

"It's not a 'maybe', man. It's just fact, even if it may not feel like it."

She laughs quietly. "That's 'cause you're inevitably more aware of your own internal experiences than other people's. You notice your own fumbles, while other people's have a better chance of slipping by your attention... even if, internally, they're ready to climb into a hole and die about it, and some of what you get stressed over may barely have registered to them."

It doesn't feel like it, but... Rosie will try and take Erika's word for it. What else can she do but trust in the other woman right now? The alternative is going on how she has been and, well, even Rosie's getting tired of that.

"I know we are our own worst critics and all that," she sighs. "I guess all I can do is keep... trying to figure it out where I can. Even if that sucks sometimes. Even if I just- Hm." Even if all she wants is to feel like she's enough for someone. That she can provide what they want, need, and that she's... enough.

"Thanks for, like, talking this all out with me. I know it's lame and difficult."

Erika tilts her head, when Rosie cuts off there. "Even if...?"

The actual question part of that, even if what, remains unspoken. Rosie can answer or not, as she prefers; pushing her to say something she may not be ready to could be pretty counterproductive.

Anyway. She shakes her head slightly. "It's not lame. Difficult, sure, but only 'cuz shit that really matters tends to be."

"I just... wish I could be everything someone needs sometimes, I think. Which, like. That's stupid, right?" She knows it is. She also is plenty aware that: "And hypocritical. I don't expect any of my lovers to be everything so, like, why do I think I need to be?" Why, indeed? It's a question she really hasn't taken the time to try and answer. All she knows...

"All I know is that it just, like, hurts. When I feel like I can't give something to someone I love. Or even just like! I want to give them everything I can, more-" Since she knows that's what she always desires: more.

"Sorry, this probably isn't making a lot of sense anymore."

"Ehh... maybe stupid, sure. But I'm pretty sure everyone wants something kinda unreasonable, and that something is probably hypocritical, too." She huffs quietly. "Or, who knows - maybe they don't, and I just think that 'cause I'm the kinda asshole who does.

"Anyway, also-- I think that's a trauma thing? Like, no kidding, if you haven't had shit for stability, you're gonna want it. And being everything to someone, especially if they can support you... sure sounds stable." She shrugs. "So... no, I think it makes sense. Might not be healthy, no, but... everyone feels some unhealthy shit. If they're lucky, they learn how to work around it."

For a while, she thought what she had with Charlie was the stability that she craved after a nomadic, inconsistent lifetime. Then, she met Seteth. She learned what stability actually was in being with him. He was dependable, reliable, and everything she'd never known. He was so good for her, but she almost ruined it all.

Maybe she would have if he had stayed. "Yeah," she agrees, to the part about everyone feeling some unhealthy things. "Guess I still need to learn how to work around mine." Even if it still feels like she should know, should be better- She's trying, at least, and hopes that counts for something.

"Thanks though, for listening. I should probably... get back in there, actually, and try to tell Rose bye properly instead of just running off." Unfortunately, that's what she does anyway but in this moment she genuinely did think she'd do something right tonight.

Erika nods, also genuinely thinking Rosie is going to go do what she probably should now, but... well, sometimes that's how it is. "No problem - and that sounds like a good plan."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

TDM #13

wooo

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

cw: sexual abuse

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

wrapped!