TDM 005

[etrayamods]

⏵ arrival ⏴ Arrival goes as anticipated. Characters awaken in a sterile hospital bed in a clean, white room to the hum of machines under the unnatural lighting common to well-kept institutions. Every bit was designed to be comforting and calming, even with the jarring undercurrent of this situation. The first face they see is Aurora's: her smile appears to be warm, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. She might offer a quick explanation, or leave characters to figure it out for themselves depending on their approach. The door to the room swings open, revealing a hallway that stretches out ahead of them. There’s noise from outside and strong pumpkin spice scents coming from the lobby. Ah, muffins and tea. Grab one and head into the crisp, sunny fall morning ahead. ⏵ potluck ⏴ Cutthroat Iron Etrayan Bake-Off As you step out of the arrival holding area into the main thoroughfare, the entire street has been turned into tents and chef stations to accommodate the activities of thirty people at once. There’s seats, trailers, and robots bustling about to make sure everyone is ready. A couple of cheerful robots in aprons and colorful sweaters approach and redirect you as you step towards the cooking area. There’s gas ranges, ovens, grills, blast chillers, mixers, and set walk-ins and pantries with just about every ingredient you can imagine. There are cameramen (also robots) patrolling the area to capture all your best moments and to broadcast them directly to your fellow citizens’ devices. Your instruction? “Make your signature dish. You have one hour, chef.” It can’t just be straightforward, can it? The land itself is held together with pure chaotic energy. If you’re lucky, all goes as planned. If you aren’t… well… Roll a Die 1 Your leg is now tied to another chef’s 2 Your meal is continually un-cooking itself. 3 All of your ingredients are pickled now 4 The longer you touch an ingredient, the bigger it gets. 5 Every time you lift your pot lid, a component changes. 6 The aromatics are glowing and flashing like LED lights. 7 Your knife has been replaced with a cheese grater. 8 The ingredients are now magnetically stuck together. 9 Your meal is becoming deep fried. 10 Kittens are multiplying out of the cupboard. * 11 All of your ingredients have become incredibly heavy. 12 Your cook pot moves burners whenever you turn around. 13 Eggs scream when you crack them 14 The kitchen has become incredibly slippery. 15 It’s soup now. 16 All utensils have been replaced with crustaceans. ** 17 Your knife has a mind of its own. Watch out! 18 Your fridge catches fire. 19 Your pasta is trying to escape. Go get it. 20 Any ingredient not in the pot starts to float away. * All kittens disappear at the end. ** These however, stay. ⏵ share a meal ⏴ As all the cooking concludes, you will be invited to plate your meal into one of many casserole dishes, regardless of what was made. A ladle will be tucked into the corner and placed on the table with a folded bit of cardstock declaring the chef’s name and the name of the dish. A helper camerabot will come around to each participant and ask for their thinking and their process. Even if you got away without having to cook, even looking towards the table of dishes will spur a helper bot to start making you a plate with one of everything. The helperbot will insist that it is rude to not at least try what their peers have made. In fact, if you are to fill out the score card for each person, you really must taste everything! The robots can’t try the food, so it’s up to you. The cards look like so. The grading system is opaque. Is it meant to be numbers? Stars? Letter grades? Well, you’re the judge. You figure it out. Chef: ___________ Dish:_____________ Judge:___________ Overall Rating:_______ Flavor Presentation Stackability Wet Originality Rizz ⏵ tummy ache survivor ⏴ No matter how well your compatriots cooked or baked their dishes, there are… factors. You see that carrot? It’s really just condensed chaos in the shape of a carrot. No matter how powerful you are, these particular ingredients may not mesh with your being. …And even if it is truly a carrot, do all the chefs know the proper cooking temperature of chicken? Even chickens are aliens to many. (Optional) Roll a Die 1 Tummy Ache. Go lay in bed. Complaining alleviates symptoms. 2 That plate of food has energized you. You feel compelled to race or spar. 3 The food has reminded you of home. You must tell someone a detail of your childhood. 4 That food was so horrible that it simply must be washed out somehow. Spicy peppers? Booze? Gravel??? You’re going to over do it. 5 You have now discovered your new favorite dish. Make them teach it to you or you’ll lose sleep over it. This is all you want to eat for the next week. 6 The oddity of the ingredients has transferred to you. You start floating away. 7 The range of food and textures have inspired you. Acquire an annoying new hobby or habit. 8 You are now haunted by the digital souls of chickens. ⏵ NOTES ⏴ Please direct all questions to our mod queries comment! ⏵FULL NAVIGATION⏴

Comments

me, laughing out loud. "ah not this woman again."

[metrop_lois]

[Hm? Well that's a change. Her brows pop upward a moment, she studies him critically again ... and then she shrugs as she turns back to her cooking. Hot pepper flakes, hot pepper paste, black pepper -- spicy kind of gal?]

But you do know about it. So you're from one of the other universes I'm going to guess.

[Now she minces up the garlic, popping it in as she talks like the somewhat-seasoned investigator she is.]

I know all about the multiverse believe it or not. Got a crash course on it thanks to a weird little guy with a dumb little hat.

[She doesn't care much for ... Mizypick? Mizzly? What was his name again?]

lmao that's definitely his first thought

[sonofzod]

[ The multiverse is a new concept for Hernan. Multiple worlds - that all exist in the same universe, he can understand. But he's new to the idea that there's some version of him that has a secret identity for some reason.

Either way, it cools some of the hostility. Some. ]

Who is your Superman? Or does he hide like the other one?

[metrop_lois]

[Hide like the other one? She quirks a brow up curiously.]

There's a Superman here?

[She's not dumb by any means but Lois isn't going to assume anything at the moment. Best to get the lay of the land so to speak.]

[sonofzod]

[ Secret identities are lame, Lois. ]

I am the only Superman that matters.

[metrop_lois]

[At that Lois does a double-take. Yeah she'd seen other Supermen in those projected images and even felt something of a similar vibe to Clark off of this guy but it's still something else to have it confirmed.

Then to hear him say that. It's just like all those other Supermen, doing things she could never picture Clark doing. Things she at one time might have thought her Superman capable of when she still was suspicious about him.

So the first thing that pops out of her mouth is:]

Oh yeah, you're definitely not my Superman.

[How does she even begin to imagine Clark with an ego?]

[sonofzod]

[ Honestly, he's not offended by it. It's not like she is the Lois he knows: obnoxious and close minded. He can appreciate not having to deal with her sarcasm and accusations, even if it doesn't really matter in the long run. ]

No, I do not hide.

[metrop_lois]

[She doesn't seem to mean it accusatorially at least. She takes the moment to chew on what he's said as she keeps on cooking, expression thoughtful.]

It's good that you feel comfortable enough to do that. Not everyone does.

[sonofzod]

[ he waves a dismissive hand. It took him a long time to accept who he was. He wasn't going to hide it now, or ever again. ]

Do you write flattering stories about your Superman, like the Lois I know does? [ the way he says flattering suggests the stories are not flattering at all ]

[metrop_lois]

[Ah, his Lois doesn't like him does she. That's just a hunch from one Lois to another.]

I only publish the truth. And it's very easy to write good, accurate stories about my Superman.

[Is she bragging? Just a little.

By now she's able to pop her chicken on to cook so as it does she leans a hip against the counter near her as her lips quirk just a touch.]

I'm taking it your Lois doesn't find it quite as easy?

[sonofzod]

[ He scoffs. ] She tends to forget important details or likes to pretend like they don't matter. All so she can call me a monster.

[ Those were terrorists he incinerated! ]

[metrop_lois]

[That makes her really frown.]

That sounds a little ... odd.

[Surely this other Lois had to have a good reason? Or well, maybe she thought she did much like the other Loises she'd met?]

[sonofzod]

[ It does sound odd, doesn't it? Hopefully, Lois realizes Hernan's an unreliable narrator when it comes to this sort of thing. ]

Glad you agree. [ Anyway. ] I hope that means you and I can get along, at least.

[metrop_lois]

[Lois purses her lips and gives a little shrug.]

That entirely depends on you, Mister Superman. I only give as good as I get.

[Then a downright sassy smirk quirks her lips.]

And maybe a little extra if you deserve it.

[Ask Alex Luthor about her right hook.]

[sonofzod]

[ You know what, that gets her a smile. ]

I think I can handle that.