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

[knightowl]

[ An unamused glance at Damian. ]

I don't intend to stay in the Manor.

[brat]

The Tower belongs to the other Wayne.

( just in case that was unclear. damian's head jerks up, chin tipped towards the ceiling. )

He lived here with his parents. I would ask that you allow him to keep the space in which he feels most comfortable. He is young, the transition has been... difficult.

( and damian is protective of this younger version of his father, who is still adjusting to the idea of having an extended family. )

[knightowl]

I won't bother him.

[ It's for the best. His time has come and gone. This young man had the opportunity to make better choices and this Bruce did not want to be a hindrance or interfere. ]

I'll manage. You've been very helpful, Damian. Thank you.

[brat]

I may not be the Robin you're familiar with, but that does not make me any less of one.

( and a robin's duty is not to be subservient to batman, it's to keep him on track. to remind him what he is fighting for, to ensure he isn't making disastrous mistakes he won't be able to take back. they're partners.

it took damian a significant amount of time to learn how to play robin to his father after so long fighting beside grayson, but he's managed. )

And avoidance won't do you any good here.

( because damian will find him. or grayson will. or todd and drake. there's enough robins to go around. )

[knightowl]

[ Considering how this conversation started, Bruce thought the comment warranted. Damian certainly didn't have to help him, especially when he's not the father he remembers. ]

I'm not avoiding anything. [ Aside from decades of trauma that splintered his family! ]

[brat]

( the look on his expression could not read "are you joking?" any more clearly. his brow's raised, mouth twisted, in a way that says he knows exactly the kind of man his father is.

because he's damian. of course he does. and when damian does speak up, his tone is - dull. devoid of emotion. )

Ah. Of course. My mistake.

[knightowl]

[ At least Damian can admit it. ]

I've taken enough of your time. I'm going to look at the rest of this place.

[ Namely by finding a safe place to sit down and sleep. He's been through a lot. ]

[brat]

( handling his father but younger has been - significantly easier than this. damian had attempted to harm him, given they had run into each other in uniform and no one wears the cowl without damian's permission and gets away with it. but this is different.

he's old. older than anyone would have reasonably expected bruce to get to, given what he spends his time getting into. old and with no apparent knowledge of damian's existence, which isn't. . . odd, considering the way this place works, but he still doesn't like it.

damian ducks his head down. presses the domino mask back into place and runs his thumbs over the edges of it to ensure it's stuck on well. )

Watch yourself. Goliath. ( a hand raises, waving down the giant beast. goliath's wings flutter, before he seems to remember they're inside and instead opts to fall into step behind damian as he starts towards the tower's entrance. )