【 Thank you for choosing the Golden Peacock, 5-Star Resort and Casino. You are currently registered as a WILDCARD in our system.
Due to unprecedented high demand we are temporarily unable to check you in to your reserved room. We apologize for the inconvenience. We have arranged for a temporary room while we work on processing your reservation as quickly as possible. We appreciate your understanding.
As a special wedding gift from us, we have arranged for you and your new spouse to stay in one of our junior penthouses while you wait. Congratulations on your new marriage. We are so pleased you have chosen our resort for your honeymoon.
You will be notified as soon as your official reservation has been processed. Your comfort and happiness are our utmost priority. We hope you enjoy the provided amenities and lose yourself in marital bliss. 】
EVENS
EVENS: NEW CHARACTERS
Music plays. Instrumental, the tune gentle enough not to disturb peaceful rest. The sudden insistent beep of the Watch is a cutting cacophony across an otherwise sweet lullaby. Upon opening their eyes, new arrivals will quickly discover that something is wrong. The quilt snug across their body is weighty. Crystals glint in a weave of embroidery and cotton shimmers with threads of silver. Dozens of decorative pillows surround the bed. The gauzy curtains of the canopied bed are drawn, obscuring the rest of the room.
Extravagant for a kidnapping. Too extravagent. What’s more, these new guests will find something even stranger than this new diamond-studded suite tucked into bed beside them. Someone else. Who are they, what are they wearing? What happened last night?!
Guests are encouraged to explore the resort from here! There are paper maps available for those who would like and staff are happy to recommend locations if they have any preferences. Enjoy your honeymoon, you lovebirds!
ODDS
ODDS: SPECIAL RE-ARRIVAL
Never trust a hallway in the Golden peacock.
Cross the wrong threshold and time begins to slow. A short hallway becomes long, sheds its doors, only leading to turns without end. Guests too eager to explore the resort have gotten lost before. For how long always varies, dependent upon capriciousness of the resort. Hours? Yes. Years? Yes. Every guest caught in the winding hallways has reported the same thing: time is different there and too difficult to discern.
Some wayward guests have been caught in the endless hallways since the FIRST TDM. Weeks pass before a single doorway appears in the distance. It creaks upon opening before everything goes topsy-turvy. These guests have been let out of a trap door in the depths of Crane's Respite.
All water corridors will eventually lead back to the populated areas of Crane's Respite. The waters are warm, the scent of bath salts returns, and staff are wild with joy at finally finding all of you. They have been beside themselves searching ever since you vanished!
NOTES
PROMPT NOTES
▶ Because we love all of the new characters premiering on this TDM, we kindly request that our Evens prompt be top level exclusive for new characters. Current characters are encouraged to tag in to these prompts with the caveat that they’ve been picked up from their assigned suite (or wherever else they were before) and dumped into the new arrival’s bed. We would like for new characters to have this prompt unique to their top level comments!
▶ Players are welcome to have their current character riff off of these prompts in the log community with the exclusion of the new arrival element. This request is just for TDM top levels.
▶ Current characters and new characters are both welcome to freely mess around with the Odds prompt with the exclusion of the arrival element. For new characters, players may participate with the idea that their character is exploring Crane’s Respite after their unique arrival in the Evens prompt. The Odds arrival element may also be utilized by current player characters who may have been on an unofficial hiatus in January and did not tag as much as they would have liked, to explain any long IC absence.
▶ Octopi may be killed. If a character decides to eat one of the octopi they may find themselves taking on some of its traits. Which traits are up to player discretion.
ELEVATORS
ELEVATORS
The house has recently ordered a full changeout of art in all high traffic areas. The elevators in particular have received special attention with many different famous artworks and portraits studded to the walls for guests to admire. These artworks are treasures of the modern world that one would typically see behind glass at a museum. Guests may even find works from their own world hanging in the elevators. Even famous works that maybe have been lost to time. So this is where they ended up. Is that Vermeer's The Concert?
Guests may find their elevator suddenly stopping without warning. The portraits on the wall stir, curiously studying them, but there are three main portraits calling the shots. The portrait that controls that particular elevator will make their demands known with the threat that, if they are not obeyed, you will be trapped forever.
Elevators will function after the portrait's demands are met. Guests that hold out and refuse may find themselves trapped upwards of twelve hours. Guests with the ability to do so may crawl out of the top emergency door, free to go wherever they want from there.
GREAT TIT!
GREAT TIT!
Great Tit! is the Golden Peacock’s popular dessert bar and cafe. With its bright pops of color and whimsical treats, guests simply can’t resist stopping in for a butt shaped cookie and hazelnut coffee. After catching wind that the resort has decided to celebrate a dessert shop's most lucrative holiday, Great Tit! is ready to impress the masses. Advertisements for limited edition drinks and desserts rain the main lobby; one can’t go three steps without slipping on a neon pink coupon for 10 percent off nipple buns. Guests that decide to pass by the cafe will find themselves assaulted with confetti cannons and eager employees ushering them inside.
Guests will find a temporary communal shower room upon exiting Great Tit! where they can wash off after a fun day of rolling around in sugar. All guests will be gifted a tee branded with a, CHOCOLATE IS MY LOVER logo.
NOTES
PROMPT NOTES
▶ This portraits prompt has been triggered by several characters expressing interest in and investigating the lore of the resort paintings. This is just dipping a beginning toe in, but congrats to all for poking around!
▶ Portraits in the elevator should not be destroyed, purely for continuity’s sake. If a character would go far enough to attack one of the portraits, the portrait will slap them back with ghostly power.
▶ Characters may also figure other ways out of the elevator if they have specific abilities to do so. While the portraits can control the elevators, they cannot control your character(s). Any destruction to the elevator itself is liable to result in a rush of security dragging the culprit(s) away to the Iron Net.
▶ Great Tit! is running a massive sale! Even characters who are on the broke end of the spectrum will be able to afford to join in on the fun and indulge in sugar at these prices.
▶ Players are encouraged to make up any other elements for the Hall of Chocolate. If it’s a dessert and edible, it’s there. Enjoy your sugar coma!
▶ While the chocolate boxes are ICly limited due to Alessandro’s skills as a chocolatier, this is only an IC mechanic. There is no OOC limitation on this prompt as far as chocolate rarity goes.
THE NEST
ALICE AND THE PARROTS
Fashion boutiques are a dime a dozen in the Nest. The shopping hub is massive, lined with stores all trying to aggressively appeal to guests. A challenge in itself — but the guests of the Golden Peacock are no ordinary people. Used to being pampered and fed excitement, if these boutiques don’t bust their bottoms to appeal to the fickle nature of their patrons, they won’t be in business for much longer! One particular boutique, Alice and the Parrots, is riding winds of romantic thrill and churning out a couple of brand new fashion lines sure to draw in loads of chips.
Guests are welcome to try on clothes in Alice and the Parrots' dressing rooms. These dressing rooms are small and can only accommodate two people sharing at a time. Such is the life of a small boutique store. Sharing is no big deal, right? And there’s no way you can buy clothing this expensive without giving it a test first.
NOTES
PROMPT NOTES
▶ Players are encouraged to make up whatever cute outfits they would like for this prompt.
▶ Wedding clothes do not have to be cute and frilly; this section accommodates tastes of everyone.
▶ Alice and the Parrots is more expensive than Love Dove. Their clothing quality is excellent but their price tags are high. Staff may watch low ranks extra diligently to cut off any stealing. Thieves will be chased by NPC security! Anyone caught gets a day in the Iron Net.
CASINO CHAPEL
CASINO FLOOR
A Pop up Chapel has appeared in the Phoenix Casino. Guests are delighting in playing out weddings and pretending to get married — and a few guests are even tying the knot for real. They aren't worried about the sanctity of marriage; they can divorce tomorrow if they get bored of each other. And everyone knows that getting married doesn't mean you can't fuck whoever you want!
Since the resort isn't keeping track of how many marriages a guest has, all guests are encouraged to marry as many people as they would like. The more the merrier!
Wild wedding events will continue all throughout the month of February, until the guests find it's gotten stale. A divorce rush will round out the fun at the end of the month.
NOTES
PROMPT NOTES
▶ Weddings are not legally binding. Birdvis is not registered as a real officiant, but he does have an excellent beak and pompadour.
▶ Prizes from easy mode slot machines are automatic and do not require mod thumbs up to claim.
▶ Chip prize from difficult mode slot machines is automatic. The special prize is 5 reward points to add to your bank on rewards. Players who wish to claim the special prize should link the finished thread (the kink in question has been completed) under their rewards header with the header, Wedding Slot Machine. If you do any combination of 6/6 (finger hand lol) we ask you somehow make this sexy or involve a climax in order to claim the points.
BLANKET CW: Aphrodisiac; Compulsion; Costumes; Dubcon; Entrapment; Foodplay; Gambling; Lingerie; Matrimony; Tentacles; NSFW Images and Language; NTR; Nudity; Roleplay; Sacrilegious Themes
▶ All new characters on the TDM are WILDCARDS, which means they have not yet been assigned a card value. The house is still observing and deciding. As rank and suits are assigned upon acceptance your new character's suit will not manifest until they are accepted into the game.
▶ All TDMs are game canon. This TDM acts as the game's February event.
▶ Current characters may top level on the TDM. Please make sure to review the arrival prompt notes! Any current characters posting to the TDM should note they are current in their subject header.
▶ The top level directory is for new characters only. We want to make sure new characters are priority and receive attention!
▶ If you aren't satisfied with the prompts on this TDM please feel free to check out our LOCATIONS to explore more of the resort.
▶ Smut threads that take place on this TDM can be used for rewards. If both parties in the smut thread join the game, you may retroactively apply the character's initial card values to your 52 bank. If one character does not join the game the thread will not be applicable toward rewards (as that character would not have a card value). The character that does join would still receive a small payout for the encounter. Hopefully it was a fun thread anyway!
▶ We ask you to kindly add content warnings to your threads as appropriate.
▶ If you do not currently have permissions and kinks listed in your character’s journal we suggest leaving a note in your top level of any limits or boundaries for other players to reference.
▶ Thank you for spending Valentine's Day with us! You're our sweetheart this year. 💕
[ ooc: i’m so sorry here is another aventurine… prompts are below, so feel free to collapse his threads if you’d like to avoid spoilers! all his prompts are open to absolutely everyone, and i’ve no preferences or triggers. feel free to pm me if you’d like a custom prompt of any kind, i’m super easy… just like aventurine… face in hands. ]
[ aventurine wakes to an unfamiliar ceiling. this isn’t a terribly unfamiliar state of affairs, though it’s been a long time since it was concerning. a quick survey of the amenities: satin-smooth sheets, pleated ruffles, terribly gaudy ceilings, and the sweet scent of something distinctly like chocolate and strawberry lingering like the flashbulb recall of a kinder memory - tells aventurine that he is no longer in penacony, lest aventurine somehow has terribly misgauged the quality of the family’s collective imaginations, in which the next conversation aventurine will need to have with mister sunday is going to be quite a bit more interesting than the last one.
there is a still-dreaming body next to aventurine. the body is still warm. this also isn’t an unbelievable state of affairs. aventurine spends a moment cataloguing the slow, rise and fall of an unknown cadence, before concluding he can carve out a few moments for himself. aventurine slips from the bed with the fine, silent touch of a man used to waking first. his bare feet sink into the unmatched opulence of the carpet. in aventurine’s experience, the reason for unearned and unasked-for opulence is either that there is something someone wants from you, or that someone has already taken what they wanted. the touch to aventurine’s ear returns the bare prick of his fingernails against an empty piercing. what comes to mind, aventurine realises, is a saying that he hasn’t put significant thought into for a very long time: that a mountain never meets a mountain, but a man will always meet a man.
it’s twenty minutes later that aventurine makes himself known. it starts with the slow sinking of his knee into the plush mattress of pleated sheets, warmth gliding over the warm weight of the person sharing his bed. aventurine’s shadow comes to a slinking rests over the sharp relief of the person’s sleeping face. light percolates around the feathering edges of his blond hair like the halation of a golden dawn; his eyes, bands of peacock purple and cornflower blue and the colour of an unfiltered hallucination in stereo, are terribly amused. ]
You know, I’ve always been told that the only way up in the world is to marry into money. [ he says, with a little smile that never quite manages to reach his eyes. the chocolate-covered strawberry pinched between his fingers presses itself against your character’s lips. ] It seems that I’ve achieved that goal without even realising it. Good morning. Did you dream well?
[ because why let someone wake on their own terms when they can wake on aventurine’s terms? ]
[ Working 40 system hours and day leaves Topaz more tired than most. In slumber, she loses most of her edge: an ordinary young lady instead of a senior manager of their department. She's used to sleeping in a bed full of critters, but since they're gone, her bedmate will do. She latches on, pressing her cheek to him and breathes deeply.
The sound of his voice raises her hackles, her breath seizing in her ribs. She's not really one for pretending in the first place, but hearing him instantly makes her expression sour. Unable to feign sleep, she pushes his hand away, grumbling. ]
[ aventurine, who is certainly used to being the problem, laughs.
there's something almost helpless in the way he raises his hands, the chocolate-covered strawberry dropping with unceremonious aplomb where it is quickly lost in the plush weave of the carpet. ]
Hey, now, what's with the insinuation, Topaz? I'm hardly the biggest problem you have here. [ aventurine lets his fingers waggle. swathed in the silk, teal suit of a wedding gone horribly right somehow, he shifts just enough so that topaz is afforded an iota of her personal space. the passerine flicker of his smile never quite makes it to his eyes. ] It's just a question, anyway. You looked as if you were so very comfortable in slumber. You're used to your little pets protecting you, aren't you. I suppose it's worked out well for you, up until now.
You have it backwards. They're cute and small, so they need my protection.
[ Except for the big shepherd she has, but no matter of their physical size, her precious fur babies are little to her. Without seeming too thankful for the space she's been given, she'll take more. She pulls the sheets around herself for some hint of modesty. In an attempt to appear indifferent to their situation, she looks away and sighs. ]
If I looked that comfortable, then you should have let me sleep.
[ In the shade of the blankets where he comes to consciousness, blinking up at a strangely smooth face topped off with a bright mop of sunny hair, he doesn't at first register what's against his lips but there is a moment where instinct takes over. In a flurry of bedsheets and simple martial prowess, Tygra flips the young man onto his back at the same moment he bites into the strawberry, sharp fangs banked on a growl that emanates from his chest and fills the space between them (not much left, in fact) with vibrations. He's much larger than his attacker(?), broader and densely muscled beneath a fine layer of fur, and has no trouble looming over his captive.
He spits the strawberry to one side, ears laying flat as amber feline eyes narrow. ]
What exactly am I doing dreaming next to you? [ And then he notices, ] Naked?
[ in but a flashpoint of a heartbeat, aventurine is pinned to the bed. this, too, isn't a particularly unusual state of affairs, though the mattress is far softer and easier on his back than the various other surfaces aventurine has met over the course of his many years in the business. there had been a split moment's gamble, a ticker in the back of aventurine's mind as he observed the smooth transition of rest to aggression, the flex of the man's arms between the act and the motion - but death hadn't seemed imminent, nor grievous bodily injury, and so aventurine had let slip his grip on the reins to the imaginary element building along the tip of his tongue and let himself fall.
the strawberry bisects between fangs the consistency of small daggers. aventurine lets out a low, admiring whistle despite himself. his palms raise. he presses the backs of his hand to the bed proper in the universal gesture for 'i'm harmless, please', a gesture entirely contrasting with the little quirk of a smile tucked away in the corners of his lips. ]
You make those two things sound criminal. You could do worse than me, though I will admit you could also do better. [ aventurine smiles, sunny-side up. ] Ah, please don't hit me too hard. Our captors think we've been married. I don't want to do anything that would make them think otherwise until we know what they intend for us. You agree, right?
[ His grip relents a little as he leans up to look around the room, ears flattening back as he observes the whole get-up. Gaudy, very matrimonial in a totally over-the-top sort of way, he supposes ... Our captors think we've been married. Tygra ducks back down to scent out the young man's throat, unable to detect any unevenness in his heartbeat except for likely adrenaline. Nothing is tripping too fast to signify a lie.
When he looks at him again, he's less angry than annoyed. ]
[ the elevator comes to a sudden and unexpected stop. this continues not to be a terribly strange state of affairs. aventurine, swathed in the silk and teal of someone far beyond his station in life, merely turns a lazy glance first to the interrupted blinking of the elevator’s current floor number, then to the sole other occupant in the cloistered room. no, aventurine thinks, there is another. well, several others. they say art mimics life, though aventurine privately thinks that they likely didn’t mean for the saying to be so literal, even though there’s always been something fanatical about the way humanity pursued alternative methods to the creation of life when they already had a very effective way of doing so.
the young lady smiles from her portrait. aventurine, who had raised himself to be the very picture of polite society, waves back with a drumbeat flicker of his fingers. then, the purple and blue ribboned bands of his eyes turn back once again to the individual sharing his metal box in the sky. friendly, assessing. ]
I’d complain about the resort’s amenities, given how a resort ought to at least be convenient in the way it interacts with its guests, but I think both you and I know that the resort’s definition of convenience is its own. [ aventurine’s little smile quirks much in the way of a sharp knife’s edge, a single glint passerine motion before it’s replaced with something warm, and professional. he uncrosses his arms to the rasp of silk, and holds out his hand. ] Shall we take a moment to get to know one another? Aventurine; it’s a pleasure.
[ There's no such thing as a boring day in the casino. As much as Nero desperately wishes that he could just have and nice and normal day for once in his life. All he wanted was to get on the elevator and the portraits are being demanding. It's familiar, but at least the talking portraits he knew back home weren't demanding sex.
There's a slight slump of his shoulders. No way out but to comply. The best descriptor of his expression is resigned. It's not the first time this hotel's asked something ridiculous.
[ the young man's shoulder's slump. in them, aventurine reads resignation, the sort that comes less with the sisyphean burden of a singular, repetitive task, but the weariness that comes from having seen just a little too much bullshit with too little reprieve.
nero, the young man says, with eyes like a newborn sun, and aventurine tips his chin with a suitably sympathetic hum. ]
Is it? I've had weirder. And it seems that you have too. [ says aventurine with a laissez shrug of his shoulders. teal silk glints. ] Given how you're not the least bit scandalised by our lady on the wall's commands, Mister Nero, this isn't the first time you've been put in such a situation?
[ It's impossible not to feel like he's being watched here, between the portrait on the walls, and the man he's sharing the space with. The attention makes his skin crawl, but that's a personal issue. ]
That so? [ He knows he's a terrible liar, but is his life story being given away that freely? What a pain. ]
Nah, it's the first time somebody's demanded something like that from me. But life's pretty weird in general.
[ That's putting it lightly, but those situations don't really apply here. He hasn't seen anybody from home yet and with any luck it'll stay that way.
A hand rubs the back of his neck and then he looks over to Aventurine. ]
[ there is always something terribly entertaining, aventurine thinks, in observing the rapid claw of people towards things that they want. induced demand and a purposefully short supply means that the lengths that people will go to to obtain what they want have very little limits - case in point, aventurine has seen no less than three fist-fights and seven shouting matches break out over the length of the line and their place in it, and in one memorable moment, someone diving over a fence in order to avoid a mis-placed swing of an elbow. there’s something poignant to be said about capitalism’s place in being the determinator of love’s value, the notion that good, strong, robust, selfless love must come at great expense, or at least, in some ways, be terribly expensive. but that in itself is the kind of hypocrisy that aventurine is piously ignoring, and in any case, it isn’t as if he wouldn’t have benefited regardless.
case in point, this is the eight box of chocolates he’s pressed into a pair of desperate hands at a fun mark-up for convenience’s sake. three boxes remain at his elbow beneath the parasol that some enterprising young man had helped him set up over his little table out of the way from the inherent chaos of it all to block out the harsh blare of the resort’s lights in return for two pieces of truffle and a promise of more. aventurine toys with a chip flickering between his fingers. the red and white bands across the casino chip disappear beneath the press of his fingers, only to reappear in the languid unfurl of his other palm. aventurine checks his watch, then looks up at his companion over at the next table over.
the lean of his body is meant to be perceived, like a knife meant to cut. aventurine smiles, and lolls his head with the long dip of his lashes: ] I suppose there’s nobody you love enough to get a box of your own?
[ it is a truth universally acknowledged that a sigonian in possession of any free time whatsoever must be in want of something to sell.
the observation is neither novel nor interesting; but you might say the same for the ongoing commercial swarm. ratio -- now three hours past the tiresome epiphanies and obligatory mental breakdowns that come with waking into an alternate dimension where genius and dignity have no meaning, and everything's powered by fucking -- weighs his options, his chin tipped onto a hand, one foot ticking idly beneath the table.
( two facts of lesser import and greater meaning: one -- his table's clear, courtesy of a seller who'd managed to clear out all of her wares within five minutes of settling into the slot. two -- aventurine's table isn't. which means - )
he allows his gaze to drift over. ]
Try again. You lack the eloquence to use philosophy in a sales pitch.
[ ah, aventurine thinks, it really is a shame that the good doctor hasn't his usual bust. there's something here to be said about how the contours of the mask reveals more than it hides, the cosmic irony of it lending humanity through a facsimile of marble and stone to ratio's usual severity. it softens the taut pull of ratio's proud jaw, the sharp-edged frown lines painted red in the flaring pinions of spread-winged owls. aventurine likes ratio's bust in the same way that he likes the scent of the earth after rain, the same way he likes the buttersmooth lilt of a good waltz, the way he likes the kiss of a knife slipping in between the third and fourth ribs at dusk.
ratio's gaze drifts over and moors solidly in aventurine's business. aventurine's smile lilts in the way of innocence found only in newborn puppies and seasoned conmen. the way he lifts his hand, palm up in a show of evidently trustworthy innocence, is entirely for show. ]
Ouch. [ aventurine winces. ] You've a way of engaging in conversation that makes me feel as if I'd walk away with a strip of my skin torn clean off. Have you considered that I wasn't trying particularly hard because you lack appreciation for sales pitches?
[ unfortunately, the narration is incapable of responding with metaphors or paragraphs in kind, because aventurine is not the kind of man who warrants entire lines of a genius's attention.
he does, however, spare a glint's grim longing for his bust. ]
Words worthy of a man with aspirations no higher than rank P44.
[Aventurine leans in with the short of sharpness seem by the particularly persistent sellers in the Bazaar and Port Ormos. It is not necessarily a sign what they have to offer is a scam, but it's the kind of hawking you have to be careful of before you lose any control over the sale.
It's not hard to see where he's going with this, but the question still raises a brow.] Whoa, isn't that kind of a harsh question? Love enough?
[ the young lady has eyes like the brief spark of tanzanite.
aventurine is smiling as he allows that red and white chip play across his knuckles, back and forth, like a revolving pendulum. ]
It got your attention, didn't it? [ the chip disappears beneath the flicker of aventurine's fingers. he shrugs, all languid care. ] Honestly, I didn't think it'd work so well, but given the atmosphere and what these chocolates are known for, it had quite a few people recalculate their priorities.
I've heard they're good, but isn't it an easy enough sell just to avoid that? [She jerks her thumb back to the long, chaotic line leading into the chocolatery.
There is, in fact, another fistfight breaking out as they speak.] Unless you really raised the price that much.
[ at the sound of the machine settling, three words lined in a row like the lofty prophet of an incoming fate, aventurine leans over your shoulder. he is teal, and silk, and the purple glint of amusement as he surveys the words on your screen.
his presence, as it tends to be, is entirely uninvited. this isn’t a terribly unusual state of affairs for aventurine, who whistles low as he considers the implications. ]
They’ve given you an interesting one. Well? Were you considering the prizes involved?
[ the way aventurine leans back into the long, coiled line of his own personal space is that of something watchful and terribly amused.
from his ear, the glint of a pale, blue stone gambled for catches the resort’s harsh, overhead light much in the way of a silver sliver of sun. one, blond eyebrow quirks towards his ruffled hairline as aventurine leans a hip against the machine the next chair over. ]
[Those are the words that appear on the screen in front of the seated Italian gentlemen, donned in the suit provided to him by the hotel (with slacks matching the color of his blazer and black leather dress shoes). And yet, despite the implication of the words and the presence of another man hovering over his shoulder, he looks completely unfazed. Nicola could sense that he was being watched as he approached the machine so he isn't surprised by the man's appearance at all, and although everything about this situation is far outside his comfort zone, lying and putting on a cool facade are Nicola's specialties.
He looks at the other man with a convincing warm and friendly smile.]
That's right. I must admit I'm curious about the special prize, and of course more money is always good.
[It's not hard to guess where this is going. The most logical explanation for his actions is that he's looking for someone to complete his own challenge with. He must have chosen a difficult one as well if he's willing to accept the possibility of having his ass licked. Nicola responds to the offer lightheartedly.]
You need a partner for your own challenge, don't you? What did you get?
[ the young man turns to look at him. the way he does so is understated, the kind of elegance in the swivel of a cat's single, lazy ear. it is because that aventurine knows that the young man knew that aventurine had been observing him that he allows the purple-blue hallucination of his gaze glide in the way of a slow elevator crawl from the tips of the man's fine leather shoes up to the crown of his golden hair.
lapis lazuli, he thinks. ]
A treat and pleasure both. [ says aventurine, and then he smiles in open, terrible rue: ] Oh, sorry, did you mean what my slot machine gave me?
[ because aventurine knows that the young man knows that aventurine knows the game is afoot, his eyes curve as he tips his head in a gesture of acquiescence.
It asked me to "suck hand on the altar". [ aventurine lies, as easy as anything, not because there is any reason to, but because a lie suffices just as well when the truth amounts to the same thing, and why waste a perfectly good truth? itp two blond men with issues lie to each other. ] Coincidence, isn't it? I suspect that with the current festivities, the machines may be rigged for that particular location. I haven't the means to prove it, however - my sample pool is currently two.
[ Childe glances at the man leaning over his shoulder. A lopsided grin sneaks onto his face, but his eyes are (always) dark. Still, his amusement is genuine. ]
Well…a bathroom isn't really my first choice of where to get down, but…
[ He lets his gaze roam over Adventurine's form. ]
What kinda deal were you thinking? I'm a pretty easy guy to make a deal with, turns out.
[ That is absolutely not true; it really depends on the day and what the deal is. He doesn't like deceit, after all. But he does like winning, so if his roll says 4 1 2, then ride ass in the bathroom it is. ]
[ dark eyes, aventurine thinks. they remind him a little of the imaginary tree, the construct of creation that's said to power the ever-hungry expansion of their endless universe. or something like that. aventurine, whose eyes are the colour of an unfettered drug hallucination and which also exude no light, considers the eager tilt of the young man's head.
in turn, the solid elevator slide of aventurine's gaze from the young man's toes to his head. 4 - 1 - 2, the numbers call, and aventurine smiles. the smile hardly ever reaches his eyes, but that's far from the point, which apparently is this: ]
Oh, the easy sort of deal. [ aventurine says, easy as anything, ] I rolled a set of words earlier, and I was simply thinking I'll help you with yours, and you help me with mine.
[ in vivid demonstration, aventurine lifts his hand and forms an 'o' around his lips. he grins. ] I'm also headed to the bathroom, and mine asks me to get down on my knees.
[ suck cock in the bathroom, apparently, is the name of the game. ]
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peacockstop2024-02-10 11:29 am
aventurine / honkai starrail / ota.
001.
there is a still-dreaming body next to aventurine. the body is still warm. this also isn’t an unbelievable state of affairs. aventurine spends a moment cataloguing the slow, rise and fall of an unknown cadence, before concluding he can carve out a few moments for himself. aventurine slips from the bed with the fine, silent touch of a man used to waking first. his bare feet sink into the unmatched opulence of the carpet. in aventurine’s experience, the reason for unearned and unasked-for opulence is either that there is something someone wants from you, or that someone has already taken what they wanted. the touch to aventurine’s ear returns the bare prick of his fingernails against an empty piercing. what comes to mind, aventurine realises, is a saying that he hasn’t put significant thought into for a very long time: that a mountain never meets a mountain, but a man will always meet a man.
it’s twenty minutes later that aventurine makes himself known. it starts with the slow sinking of his knee into the plush mattress of pleated sheets, warmth gliding over the warm weight of the person sharing his bed. aventurine’s shadow comes to a slinking rests over the sharp relief of the person’s sleeping face. light percolates around the feathering edges of his blond hair like the halation of a golden dawn; his eyes, bands of peacock purple and cornflower blue and the colour of an unfiltered hallucination in stereo, are terribly amused. ]
You know, I’ve always been told that the only way up in the world is to marry into money. [ he says, with a little smile that never quite manages to reach his eyes. the chocolate-covered strawberry pinched between his fingers presses itself against your character’s lips. ] It seems that I’ve achieved that goal without even realising it. Good morning. Did you dream well?
[ because why let someone wake on their own terms when they can wake on aventurine’s terms? ]
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The sound of his voice raises her hackles, her breath seizing in her ribs. She's not really one for pretending in the first place, but hearing him instantly makes her expression sour. Unable to feign sleep, she pushes his hand away, grumbling. ]
The problem is I woke up, and you're here.
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there's something almost helpless in the way he raises his hands, the chocolate-covered strawberry dropping with unceremonious aplomb where it is quickly lost in the plush weave of the carpet. ]
Hey, now, what's with the insinuation, Topaz? I'm hardly the biggest problem you have here. [ aventurine lets his fingers waggle. swathed in the silk, teal suit of a wedding gone horribly right somehow, he shifts just enough so that topaz is afforded an iota of her personal space. the passerine flicker of his smile never quite makes it to his eyes. ] It's just a question, anyway. You looked as if you were so very comfortable in slumber. You're used to your little pets protecting you, aren't you. I suppose it's worked out well for you, up until now.
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[ Except for the big shepherd she has, but no matter of their physical size, her precious fur babies are little to her. Without seeming too thankful for the space she's been given, she'll take more. She pulls the sheets around herself for some hint of modesty. In an attempt to appear indifferent to their situation, she looks away and sighs. ]
If I looked that comfortable, then you should have let me sleep.
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He spits the strawberry to one side, ears laying flat as amber feline eyes narrow. ]
What exactly am I doing dreaming next to you? [ And then he notices, ] Naked?
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the strawberry bisects between fangs the consistency of small daggers. aventurine lets out a low, admiring whistle despite himself. his palms raise. he presses the backs of his hand to the bed proper in the universal gesture for 'i'm harmless, please', a gesture entirely contrasting with the little quirk of a smile tucked away in the corners of his lips. ]
You make those two things sound criminal. You could do worse than me, though I will admit you could also do better. [ aventurine smiles, sunny-side up. ] Ah, please don't hit me too hard. Our captors think we've been married. I don't want to do anything that would make them think otherwise until we know what they intend for us. You agree, right?
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[ His grip relents a little as he leans up to look around the room, ears flattening back as he observes the whole get-up. Gaudy, very matrimonial in a totally over-the-top sort of way, he supposes ... Our captors think we've been married. Tygra ducks back down to scent out the young man's throat, unable to detect any unevenness in his heartbeat except for likely adrenaline. Nothing is tripping too fast to signify a lie.
When he looks at him again, he's less angry than annoyed. ]
I'm not going to hit you. What's your name?
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002.
the young lady smiles from her portrait. aventurine, who had raised himself to be the very picture of polite society, waves back with a drumbeat flicker of his fingers. then, the purple and blue ribboned bands of his eyes turn back once again to the individual sharing his metal box in the sky. friendly, assessing. ]
I’d complain about the resort’s amenities, given how a resort ought to at least be convenient in the way it interacts with its guests, but I think both you and I know that the resort’s definition of convenience is its own. [ aventurine’s little smile quirks much in the way of a sharp knife’s edge, a single glint passerine motion before it’s replaced with something warm, and professional. he uncrosses his arms to the rasp of silk, and holds out his hand. ] Shall we take a moment to get to know one another? Aventurine; it’s a pleasure.
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There's a slight slump of his shoulders. No way out but to comply. The best descriptor of his expression is resigned. It's not the first time this hotel's asked something ridiculous.
Gold eyes meet Aventurine's multicolored ones.
A sigh. ]
Nero. Weird way to meet people.
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nero, the young man says, with eyes like a newborn sun, and aventurine tips his chin with a suitably sympathetic hum. ]
Is it? I've had weirder. And it seems that you have too. [ says aventurine with a laissez shrug of his shoulders. teal silk glints. ] Given how you're not the least bit scandalised by our lady on the wall's commands, Mister Nero, this isn't the first time you've been put in such a situation?
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That so? [ He knows he's a terrible liar, but is his life story being given away that freely? What a pain. ]
Nah, it's the first time somebody's demanded something like that from me. But life's pretty weird in general.
[ That's putting it lightly, but those situations don't really apply here. He hasn't seen anybody from home yet and with any luck it'll stay that way.
A hand rubs the back of his neck and then he looks over to Aventurine. ]
What're you comfortable with?
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003.
case in point, this is the eight box of chocolates he’s pressed into a pair of desperate hands at a fun mark-up for convenience’s sake. three boxes remain at his elbow beneath the parasol that some enterprising young man had helped him set up over his little table out of the way from the inherent chaos of it all to block out the harsh blare of the resort’s lights in return for two pieces of truffle and a promise of more. aventurine toys with a chip flickering between his fingers. the red and white bands across the casino chip disappear beneath the press of his fingers, only to reappear in the languid unfurl of his other palm. aventurine checks his watch, then looks up at his companion over at the next table over.
the lean of his body is meant to be perceived, like a knife meant to cut. aventurine smiles, and lolls his head with the long dip of his lashes: ] I suppose there’s nobody you love enough to get a box of your own?
i ain't reading all that.
the observation is neither novel nor interesting; but you might say the same for the ongoing commercial swarm. ratio -- now three hours past the tiresome epiphanies and obligatory mental breakdowns that come with waking into an alternate dimension where genius and dignity have no meaning, and everything's powered by fucking -- weighs his options, his chin tipped onto a hand, one foot ticking idly beneath the table.
( two facts of lesser import and greater meaning: one -- his table's clear, courtesy of a seller who'd managed to clear out all of her wares within five minutes of settling into the slot. two -- aventurine's table isn't. which means - )
he allows his gaze to drift over. ]
Try again. You lack the eloquence to use philosophy in a sales pitch.
what good is ur degree????
ratio's gaze drifts over and moors solidly in aventurine's business. aventurine's smile lilts in the way of innocence found only in newborn puppies and seasoned conmen. the way he lifts his hand, palm up in a show of evidently trustworthy innocence, is entirely for show. ]
Ouch. [ aventurine winces. ] You've a way of engaging in conversation that makes me feel as if I'd walk away with a strip of my skin torn clean off. Have you considered that I wasn't trying particularly hard because you lack appreciation for sales pitches?
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he does, however, spare a glint's grim longing for his bust. ]
Words worthy of a man with aspirations no higher than rank P44.
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happily kicks the fourth wall on my way out
WHY.
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It's not hard to see where he's going with this, but the question still raises a brow.] Whoa, isn't that kind of a harsh question? Love enough?
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aventurine is smiling as he allows that red and white chip play across his knuckles, back and forth, like a revolving pendulum. ]
It got your attention, didn't it? [ the chip disappears beneath the flicker of aventurine's fingers. he shrugs, all languid care. ] Honestly, I didn't think it'd work so well, but given the atmosphere and what these chocolates are known for, it had quite a few people recalculate their priorities.
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There is, in fact, another fistfight breaking out as they speak.] Unless you really raised the price that much.
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004.
his presence, as it tends to be, is entirely uninvited. this isn’t a terribly unusual state of affairs for aventurine, who whistles low as he considers the implications. ]
They’ve given you an interesting one. Well? Were you considering the prizes involved?
[ the way aventurine leans back into the long, coiled line of his own personal space is that of something watchful and terribly amused.
from his ear, the glint of a pale, blue stone gambled for catches the resort’s harsh, overhead light much in the way of a silver sliver of sun. one, blond eyebrow quirks towards his ruffled hairline as aventurine leans a hip against the machine the next chair over. ]
I don’t suppose you’d like to make a deal.
i'm sorry for my rng
[Those are the words that appear on the screen in front of the seated Italian gentlemen, donned in the suit provided to him by the hotel (with slacks matching the color of his blazer and black leather dress shoes). And yet, despite the implication of the words and the presence of another man hovering over his shoulder, he looks completely unfazed. Nicola could sense that he was being watched as he approached the machine so he isn't surprised by the man's appearance at all, and although everything about this situation is far outside his comfort zone, lying and putting on a cool facade are Nicola's specialties.
He looks at the other man with a convincing warm and friendly smile.]
That's right. I must admit I'm curious about the special prize, and of course more money is always good.
[It's not hard to guess where this is going. The most logical explanation for his actions is that he's looking for someone to complete his own challenge with. He must have chosen a difficult one as well if he's willing to accept the possibility of having his ass licked. Nicola responds to the offer lightheartedly.]
You need a partner for your own challenge, don't you? What did you get?
i love it... grips ur hand
lapis lazuli, he thinks. ]
A treat and pleasure both. [ says aventurine, and then he smiles in open, terrible rue: ] Oh, sorry, did you mean what my slot machine gave me?
[ because aventurine knows that the young man knows that aventurine knows the game is afoot, his eyes curve as he tips his head in a gesture of acquiescence.
It asked me to "suck hand on the altar". [ aventurine lies, as easy as anything, not because there is any reason to, but because a lie suffices just as well when the truth amounts to the same thing, and why waste a perfectly good truth? itp two blond men with issues lie to each other. ] Coincidence, isn't it? I suspect that with the current festivities, the machines may be rigged for that particular location. I haven't the means to prove it, however - my sample pool is currently two.
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Well…a bathroom isn't really my first choice of where to get down, but…
[ He lets his gaze roam over Adventurine's form. ]
What kinda deal were you thinking? I'm a pretty easy guy to make a deal with, turns out.
[ That is absolutely not true; it really depends on the day and what the deal is. He doesn't like deceit, after all. But he does like winning, so if his roll says 4 1 2, then ride ass in the bathroom it is. ]
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in turn, the solid elevator slide of aventurine's gaze from the young man's toes to his head. 4 - 1 - 2, the numbers call, and aventurine smiles. the smile hardly ever reaches his eyes, but that's far from the point, which apparently is this: ]
Oh, the easy sort of deal. [ aventurine says, easy as anything, ] I rolled a set of words earlier, and I was simply thinking I'll help you with yours, and you help me with mine.
[ in vivid demonstration, aventurine lifts his hand and forms an 'o' around his lips. he grins. ] I'm also headed to the bathroom, and mine asks me to get down on my knees.
[ suck cock in the bathroom, apparently, is the name of the game. ]
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not me spelling aventurine wrong all this time HOW EMBARRASSING I'M SO SORRY
gently slaps this prompt on the booty