【 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. 💕
[Shang Qinghua finds himself in the casino at least a handful of times a month. The new slot machines they've put in for this whole... wedding theme, seem somewhat lucrative. Hard mode comes with apparently a large payout if you complete the task, which is randomized like the 'sexy dice' game they'd had when he first arrived. He could use some money, honestly. He's not broke, but he'd like to splurge a little, on himself and maybe on a friend, get some cute clothes. (It's so, so tempting, now that he's in a place with modern clothes and a handsome cultivator's body worth looking at.)
He's stepping up to one of them to pull for a task, when he hears just to the side, a roar of How shameless!.
Oh. That's right. There are new arrivals now, aren't there? People who are probably just as broke and confused as his group was when they showed up at the resort. Shang Qinghua tries his best to look placatingly friendly as he turns to the person who yelled, a... very big man, completely unaware that he's looking at his dear friend Guangyao's... person?]
Ah, did you pull a bad location? It's probably nothing those people haven't seen before, honestly. They'll forget about you as soon as you finish and walk away.
Freezing at once, every ounce of Nie Mingjue's aura seemed to exude murderous intent as he slowly turned to glare at the small bystander who so innocently attempted to interject. His mouth dropped to a severe frown as the words of his requirements repeated in his mind.
Ejaculate... The altar... Ejaculate... Altar... Ejaculate on the let al--]
There is no way I will be doing that!
[He had done plenty of things in the past! So much debauchery and so many shameful acts in a year! But to just arrive at some new location where he knew no one save for his younger brother, get up on a stage, and just proceed to make a perverse fool of himself! In front of everyone! He at least has his pride!!!! (Somewhat)]
And who are you to so casually speak to me as if it is no big deal!?
[Oh. Shang Qinghua has an automatic reaction to murderous intent - and that is to shrink down, to try and make himself smaller. He's used to being around demons, and it never stops being terrifying, being the object of a powerful someone's ire. He winces.] I don't even know what it is you aren't wanting to do- [He tries to explain, hands up, palms out. Since the pulls go to individuals' Watches, he was only making a guess about the location, judging on the man's eyeline and where he was looking.
It's that last question that gets to him, honestly. That who are you to so casually speak to me, like Shang Qinghua is nothing, and it's not like this stranger would even know if he's nothing or not! He swallows an angry retort, his self-preservation higher than his irritation right now.
He dips his head, smile gone tight.] This one is Peak Lord Shang Qinghua, of Cang Qiong Mountain Sect. I arrived last month. In the time I have been here, I've learned that there are bigger things to worry about than lewd acts, and I only thought to reassure.
[Granted, he doesn't really look like a cultivator, in denim shorts and an oversized hoodie, long hair pulled up in a messy bun, but he is, and god damn it, he deserves a little respect!]
[That was not something Mingjue was prepared to hear. In all his time traversing from one debaucherous world to the next, it had been some time since anyone had given him such a proper greeting, nonetheless, as to state oneself as a clan leader of all things!
Although the names of the locations were unheard of and foreign to him, the title was something he understood far too clearly.
Could it be that the one he was speaking to was a fellow cultivator?
With sudden surprise and an urge to back-peddle (if only slightly), Mingjue offered out his arms in response. Giving a similar formal greeting in turn as he nodded his head to a slight bow.]
Nie Mingjue, sect leader of Qinghe Nie sect. Former prisoner to Reparacijia.
[With that, he lifted his head to meet Shang Qinghua's gaze, his expression still heavy with suspicion, even if the urge to grumble and panic over his circumstances had depleted ever so slightly.]
What do you mean there are bigger things to worry about?
[Being forced to sexually display oneself on an altar before strangers for money seemed pretty damn worrisome to him.]
Mm. This one is the esteemed logistics master of Cang Qiong's An Ding Peak. [Since apparently titles mean something to this guy. Luckily the way his sect is set up, it's easy to give his actual titles and have them sound more impressive than they really are.
He's definitely hit on something, and he's watching with professional curiosity as the man seems to stiffen and lose some of his murder-aura. A cultivator? The greeting is familiar. And then he says- Nie. Former prisoner. Shang Qinghua has spoken with Jin Guangyao enough, heard enough about the man he was buried with, to put two and two together to make four. His eyes widen a little, very briefly, before he manages to smooth his expression back out, hoping not to alarm Nie Mingjue.] Eh... Well met, Sect Leader Nie.
[Boy this one's going to have a hard time here, isn't he? Hopefully Jin Guangyao is able to ease him into things when he finds him.] This place isn't quite what it seems, I'm afraid. The, uh, sexual nature of some games is perhaps one of the least insidious parts.
[A logistics master. So this one was some form of cultivtional scholar?
Although Mingjue's gaze remained intense as he stared at Shang Qinghua, he seemed no longer as aggressively assertive as he had only moments prior. Instead, he seemed still, calm, and severe. It was as if what that other cultivator spoke of was far more critical than any matters regarding ejaculation.
Of course, it was not his Mingjue's time dealing with others who relied on the abilities of dual cultivation for ulterior means.]
Right then. And what are the true insidious intentions that are in store for us then?
[Shang Qinghua's eyes are clever, flicking around them to keep an eye on the surroundings. It's always unpleasant to talk about the few little things he's learned in the month he's been here, but Nie Mingjue should probably know some of it, if he's going to waste his energy freaking out about public indecency.]
We still don't know that. [He says, quieter, words weighty.] Only that there are powers are play here we do not fully understand. Some of the long-term guests you might find around? They're dead. Some have been here so long they've forgotten most everything except partying.
Which is why I say that public acts of indecency won't faze them, and they'll very quickly forget about you too.
[True enough, the explanation was something that Mingjue was surprisingly accustomed to. His expression far from phased at the concept of trapped occupants or those who have fully sunken so far into a life of debauchery that they no longer cared about much else. If anything he seemed almost entirely uninterested in the concept.
Of course there were greater powers at work! There were always greater powers! Surely it was another group of strange beings trying to utilize the power of dual cultivation for some means or another.]
So?
[And so he gave just as blasé of a response back to prove it. Crossing his arms and huffing out slightly as he mulled over where this conversation may be leading.]
I could care less about what the other recipients remember. What I don't like is that they wish for me to present myself so brazenly like a fool in heat!
I am not a show horse made to mate for public interest.
[If people wish to see such a display from him they need to earn it!
[He's not sure what reaction he was expecting. Probably not a flat 'so?' like he's just explained that the weather outside is sunny, or something. Aaaand then he's back on the whole... public exposure thing.
Guangyao really must have to put up with so much, if this is actually his da-ge.]
...So, don't play the slot game challenge...? [His voice is equally flat, glancing around just to double check that there's no staff member trying to force things.]
Ah, Nie-zongzhu, I'm really not sure why you pulled for a challenge if you're so against it. You win some and you lose some right? Did someone say you had to...?
Not that Shang Qinghua's statements were wrong necessarily. And truthfully, Mingjue respected someone speaking to him like this over someone who would talk to him kindly for ulterior motives. As far as he could tell, the more petite man at least seemed like he could be believed.
This is what led Mingjue to be equally upfront about his current predicament.]
Playing these games is how one acquires funds in this world, right? How else can I ensure I have enough for this night's meal?
[His brain to mouth filter is nearly nonexistent, and also, it's not like Nie Mingjue has any power over him, a fact that his brain is catching up to from his initial instinctual cringe-back. In fact, he's the one with the power here! He has chips, he has experience! He has a high rank that the staff respects! (If Nie Mingjue tried to deck him here and now, though, there isn't much he could do about it.)
So, yeah, he's a rude little man.]
There are other gambling games. [Everyone's focus is on the slots right now because they're new and exciting, but Shang Qinghua frequents the blackjack table a couple times a month. Flat and blase, he adds,] Or you can have private intercourse with someone and get a deposit into your chips account afterward.
[No, he's not offering. What he will offer...] I'll buy you dinner if you're so hard up.
[Shang Qinghua is absolutely still a rude little man, his first thought is valid.]
I will. [He says, his smile the picture of a benevolent immortal master, though the suspicion makes perfect sense to him in a place like this. He'd be suspicious too. So maybe Nie Mingjue is not as ridiculous a man as he thought. ]
I do not. [He also agrees, chuckling. ] Are you familiar with a Jin Guangyao? I think you might be. He's become a dear friend to me. Consider it a favor more for him. The friend of my friend is also my friend, hm?
[Something about how that smile was forced irked Mignjue. It reminded him of the smile his younger brother would give if he wanted something. Or the smiles Guangyao would give when he wasn't sharing the whole truth with him... Speaking of Guangyao--]
You know Jin Guangyao?
[As dubious as Mingjue was, he could not help but be intrigued at the sudden mention of his sworn brother's name. It was a name that held a lot of complicated and strong feelings for him—considering where Mingjue had just come from before the hotel, perhaps even more complex than he had initially.
But Mingjue also knew not to accept someone's being here with straight enthusiasm either. In these past few days, he had already encountered many familiar names. And each time the interaction was different, no, the person was different from how he expected them to be.]
I know him, yes.
[Standing up straight, Mingjue crossed his arms and quizzically perked up a single bushy eyebrow.]
How is he a friend of yours? And how much did he tell you about me?
Mhm. We met here. Woke up tucked together into a tiny bed in the basement, actually. [And then got locked in a closet. And then slept together at a singles mingle. They just sort of clicked, the two of them more similar than different in a lot of ways.] He's mentioned you a few times, but nothing too substantial. I recognized the name.
[He will avoid mentioning too much. It's for Guangyao to have this conversation with Nie Mingjue, not Shang Qinghua, but even though this is awkward, it still would have felt off not to mention his friend at all. He'd hope any friend of his would assure Mobei-Jun about Shang Qinghua's presence if he showed up.]
[Mingjue felt a pit drop at the base of his stomach with that thought. Was it the same Guangyao that had been with him? Or was it a Guangyao that was from a different world? Could it even be a Guangyao from a different time? The longer he traveled between worlds, the more his knowledge of such things grew and the more complicated such things seemed to become.
Mingjue had already run into one friend who didn't even remember meeting him but had also run into someone who remembered everything. What would happen if he were to see Guangyao again?
Never one with a good poker face, the worry was ingrained in his expression. But he bit back on his words, knowing full well how overwhelming it may come off to someone he had only just met.]
How is he?
[How is he taking all this? Is he coping with the world all right? Is he safe? Is he stable? What does he know? What does he remember?]
He is. [It's fascinating, watching the different emotions play across that surly expression. Not very good at hiding, or maybe Shang Qinghua is just good at reading people by now. Or both. He's still not disabused of his assumption that Guangyao is the brains of that operation.
He chuckles, unable to hold it back, when Nie Mingjue just asks how he is. The concern is sweet, and his friend deserves sweetness.]
Doing well, as far as I know. But that's something you should ask him when you see him, right? [Cheerfully,] I'm sure you will soon!
[Mingjue looked down at the floor sluggishly. He could not quell the worry he felt despite Qinghua's reassuring words. The questions still spiraled in his mind, both worrying him and leaving him hopeful simultaneously.
After all, it could go either extremely well or very very poorly.]
Tell me, were his words of me positive?
[Perhaps that was a good way to word it? A hopeful attempt to pry any more information from his surprisingly vague conversation partner.]
You will. [Shang Qinghua hopes that's reassuring, but he's well aware that he doesn't have a particularly trustworthy face. You can't fully get rid of the curse of transmigrating into a traitor rat.] If not, you can contact him on this. [Here he holds up one fist, pulling his hoodie sleeve down to show his Watch, permanently strapped to his wrist like everyone else's.
The question almost makes him want to laugh. He really shouldn't be having fun with this, but he thinks his friend will forgive him a bit of teasing on his beau.] Overall positive, I'd say. Though he may have called you stubborn at least once? I'm trying to recall.
[Possitive? So Guangyao did not despise him with every fibre of his being! That was a good sign! And just as much as earlier, the relief seemed to show in his expression. His posture immediately fixing itself and the wrinkled crease between his eyebrows suddenly vanishing.]
I see.
[He says, as calmly as possible, as if trying to surpress the excitement that immediately overcame him.]
I will not deny my stubbornness when handling him at times, although I must say he is just as much so.
[He's really not good at hiding his expressions from sneaky twinks. Shang Qinghua tries very hard not to laugh at the obvious relief Nie Mingjue seems to be feeling.]
Guangyao? Stubborn? I don't think I've had the opportunity to witness such a thing. [He says around a stifled laugh, and yes, they are on first name basis by now.]
Right, right! Come on, let's go to the Red Cardinal. You'll prefer the fare there. I certainly do.
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peacockstop2024-02-10 11:29 am
IV
He's stepping up to one of them to pull for a task, when he hears just to the side, a roar of How shameless!.
Oh. That's right. There are new arrivals now, aren't there? People who are probably just as broke and confused as his group was when they showed up at the resort. Shang Qinghua tries his best to look placatingly friendly as he turns to the person who yelled, a... very big man, completely unaware that he's looking at his dear friend Guangyao's... person?]
Ah, did you pull a bad location? It's probably nothing those people haven't seen before, honestly. They'll forget about you as soon as you finish and walk away.
no subject
Freezing at once, every ounce of Nie Mingjue's aura seemed to exude murderous intent as he slowly turned to glare at the small bystander who so innocently attempted to interject. His mouth dropped to a severe frown as the words of his requirements repeated in his mind.
Ejaculate... The altar... Ejaculate... Altar... Ejaculate on the let al--]
There is no way I will be doing that!
[He had done plenty of things in the past! So much debauchery and so many shameful acts in a year! But to just arrive at some new location where he knew no one save for his younger brother, get up on a stage, and just proceed to make a perverse fool of himself! In front of everyone! He at least has his pride!!!! (Somewhat)]
And who are you to so casually speak to me as if it is no big deal!?
no subject
It's that last question that gets to him, honestly. That who are you to so casually speak to me, like Shang Qinghua is nothing, and it's not like this stranger would even know if he's nothing or not! He swallows an angry retort, his self-preservation higher than his irritation right now.
He dips his head, smile gone tight.] This one is Peak Lord Shang Qinghua, of Cang Qiong Mountain Sect. I arrived last month. In the time I have been here, I've learned that there are bigger things to worry about than lewd acts, and I only thought to reassure.
[Granted, he doesn't really look like a cultivator, in denim shorts and an oversized hoodie, long hair pulled up in a messy bun, but he is, and god damn it, he deserves a little respect!]
no subject
[That was not something Mingjue was prepared to hear. In all his time traversing from one debaucherous world to the next, it had been some time since anyone had given him such a proper greeting, nonetheless, as to state oneself as a clan leader of all things!
Although the names of the locations were unheard of and foreign to him, the title was something he understood far too clearly.
Could it be that the one he was speaking to was a fellow cultivator?
With sudden surprise and an urge to back-peddle (if only slightly), Mingjue offered out his arms in response. Giving a similar formal greeting in turn as he nodded his head to a slight bow.]
Nie Mingjue, sect leader of Qinghe Nie sect. Former prisoner to Reparacijia.
[With that, he lifted his head to meet Shang Qinghua's gaze, his expression still heavy with suspicion, even if the urge to grumble and panic over his circumstances had depleted ever so slightly.]
What do you mean there are bigger things to worry about?
[Being forced to sexually display oneself on an altar before strangers for money seemed pretty damn worrisome to him.]
no subject
He's definitely hit on something, and he's watching with professional curiosity as the man seems to stiffen and lose some of his murder-aura. A cultivator? The greeting is familiar. And then he says- Nie. Former prisoner. Shang Qinghua has spoken with Jin Guangyao enough, heard enough about the man he was buried with, to put two and two together to make four. His eyes widen a little, very briefly, before he manages to smooth his expression back out, hoping not to alarm Nie Mingjue.] Eh... Well met, Sect Leader Nie.
[Boy this one's going to have a hard time here, isn't he? Hopefully Jin Guangyao is able to ease him into things when he finds him.] This place isn't quite what it seems, I'm afraid. The, uh, sexual nature of some games is perhaps one of the least insidious parts.
no subject
[A logistics master. So this one was some form of cultivtional scholar?
Although Mingjue's gaze remained intense as he stared at Shang Qinghua, he seemed no longer as aggressively assertive as he had only moments prior. Instead, he seemed still, calm, and severe. It was as if what that other cultivator spoke of was far more critical than any matters regarding ejaculation.
Of course, it was not his Mingjue's time dealing with others who relied on the abilities of dual cultivation for ulterior means.]
Right then. And what are the true insidious intentions that are in store for us then?
no subject
We still don't know that. [He says, quieter, words weighty.] Only that there are powers are play here we do not fully understand. Some of the long-term guests you might find around? They're dead. Some have been here so long they've forgotten most everything except partying.
Which is why I say that public acts of indecency won't faze them, and they'll very quickly forget about you too.
no subject
[True enough, the explanation was something that Mingjue was surprisingly accustomed to. His expression far from phased at the concept of trapped occupants or those who have fully sunken so far into a life of debauchery that they no longer cared about much else. If anything he seemed almost entirely uninterested in the concept.
Of course there were greater powers at work! There were always greater powers! Surely it was another group of strange beings trying to utilize the power of dual cultivation for some means or another.]
So?
[And so he gave just as blasé of a response back to prove it. Crossing his arms and huffing out slightly as he mulled over where this conversation may be leading.]
I could care less about what the other recipients remember. What I don't like is that they wish for me to present myself so brazenly like a fool in heat!
I am not a show horse made to mate for public interest.
[If people wish to see such a display from him they need to earn it!
HMPH!]
no subject
Guangyao really must have to put up with so much, if this is actually his da-ge.]
...So, don't play the slot game challenge...? [His voice is equally flat, glancing around just to double check that there's no staff member trying to force things.]
Ah, Nie-zongzhu, I'm really not sure why you pulled for a challenge if you're so against it. You win some and you lose some right? Did someone say you had to...?
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Not that Shang Qinghua's statements were wrong necessarily. And truthfully, Mingjue respected someone speaking to him like this over someone who would talk to him kindly for ulterior motives. As far as he could tell, the more petite man at least seemed like he could be believed.
This is what led Mingjue to be equally upfront about his current predicament.]
Playing these games is how one acquires funds in this world, right? How else can I ensure I have enough for this night's meal?
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So, yeah, he's a rude little man.]
There are other gambling games. [Everyone's focus is on the slots right now because they're new and exciting, but Shang Qinghua frequents the blackjack table a couple times a month. Flat and blase, he adds,] Or you can have private intercourse with someone and get a deposit into your chips account afterward.
[No, he's not offering. What he will offer...] I'll buy you dinner if you're so hard up.
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[All right. So the young lord couldn't be that rude if he was offering a complete stranger who was new to the world free food.
Mingjue will strike that thought from the record, for now.]
That is rather charitable of you.
[Although Mingjue didn't quite trust such niceties. Not many do things out of mercy without intention for something else, right?]
Surely you don't do this for every newcomer who is down on their luck and unsure of how these games work.
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I will. [He says, his smile the picture of a benevolent immortal master, though the suspicion makes perfect sense to him in a place like this. He'd be suspicious too. So maybe Nie Mingjue is not as ridiculous a man as he thought. ]
I do not. [He also agrees, chuckling. ] Are you familiar with a Jin Guangyao? I think you might be. He's become a dear friend to me. Consider it a favor more for him. The friend of my friend is also my friend, hm?
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You know Jin Guangyao?
[As dubious as Mingjue was, he could not help but be intrigued at the sudden mention of his sworn brother's name. It was a name that held a lot of complicated and strong feelings for him—considering where Mingjue had just come from before the hotel, perhaps even more complex than he had initially.
But Mingjue also knew not to accept someone's being here with straight enthusiasm either. In these past few days, he had already encountered many familiar names. And each time the interaction was different, no, the person was different from how he expected them to be.]
I know him, yes.
[Standing up straight, Mingjue crossed his arms and quizzically perked up a single bushy eyebrow.]
How is he a friend of yours? And how much did he tell you about me?
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[He will avoid mentioning too much. It's for Guangyao to have this conversation with Nie Mingjue, not Shang Qinghua, but even though this is awkward, it still would have felt off not to mention his friend at all. He'd hope any friend of his would assure Mobei-Jun about Shang Qinghua's presence if he showed up.]
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[Mingjue felt a pit drop at the base of his stomach with that thought. Was it the same Guangyao that had been with him? Or was it a Guangyao that was from a different world? Could it even be a Guangyao from a different time? The longer he traveled between worlds, the more his knowledge of such things grew and the more complicated such things seemed to become.
Mingjue had already run into one friend who didn't even remember meeting him but had also run into someone who remembered everything. What would happen if he were to see Guangyao again?
Never one with a good poker face, the worry was ingrained in his expression. But he bit back on his words, knowing full well how overwhelming it may come off to someone he had only just met.]
How is he?
[How is he taking all this? Is he coping with the world all right? Is he safe? Is he stable? What does he know? What does he remember?]
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He chuckles, unable to hold it back, when Nie Mingjue just asks how he is. The concern is sweet, and his friend deserves sweetness.]
Doing well, as far as I know. But that's something you should ask him when you see him, right? [Cheerfully,] I'm sure you will soon!
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[Mingjue looked down at the floor sluggishly. He could not quell the worry he felt despite Qinghua's reassuring words. The questions still spiraled in his mind, both worrying him and leaving him hopeful simultaneously.
After all, it could go either extremely well or very very poorly.]
Tell me, were his words of me positive?
[Perhaps that was a good way to word it? A hopeful attempt to pry any more information from his surprisingly vague conversation partner.]
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The question almost makes him want to laugh. He really shouldn't be having fun with this, but he thinks his friend will forgive him a bit of teasing on his beau.] Overall positive, I'd say. Though he may have called you stubborn at least once? I'm trying to recall.
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I see.
[He says, as calmly as possible, as if trying to surpress the excitement that immediately overcame him.]
I will not deny my stubbornness when handling him at times, although I must say he is just as much so.
[Just so you know.]
Anyway, you said we were to get something to eat?
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Guangyao? Stubborn? I don't think I've had the opportunity to witness such a thing. [He says around a stifled laugh, and yes, they are on first name basis by now.]
Right, right! Come on, let's go to the Red Cardinal. You'll prefer the fare there. I certainly do.
After a crazy busy week I am back!