【 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. 💕
[ Navia doesn't even know this man's name, but the painted trio is eating up their performance. Meanwhile, she's ready to be as far away from this elevator as soon as possible, but the show must go on. ]
Don't say that. Why would I need a flower when I have you and your rosebud lips.
[ Archons, that was bad--like stage-opera levels of melodrama bad, and yet it doesn't seem to be quite enough to appease their captors. She hopes he's suffering as much as she is, at least. Maybe they have to escalate things a bit. ]
[Where's Reno at a time like this when he wants nothing more than to outsource this particular job to Turk Duty. Fucking hell. How nice it would be to just set the painting on fire and be done with it all — but that's sadly not an option at this point.]
Still. I'll set the error to rights as soon as we're free.
[Hint, hint. If only they were free. Wouldn't it be for the best if they were freed so he could go on being even more romantic. Really.]
Is that what you wish of me? Just a kiss...darling?
[He reaches for her hand, in part to see if she'll let him get away with taking it, and in part because if he is in fact going to have to kiss her, then he's damn well going to make sure it's thoroughly extravagant enough that he only has to do it once.]
[ Yes, well, Navia doesn't know who this Reno fellow is but she would probably be much happier dealing with him than with Rufus. She doesn't resist when he reaches for her hand, anyway, since he was good enough not to fight back when she'd taken his arm earlier. ]
Oh yes, I'm quite sure. [ Her free hand covers her chest, their performance reaching new heights. ] One kiss from you is all that my heart could endure, my love.
[ Translation: one kiss from you is all I can stand, so get on with it. ]
[— Which is what he offers by way of warning, keeping the hold on her one hand while reaching around to support her shoulders with the other arm behind them, and with a shift and a pivot he very much does sweep her down into a dip, as much for the sake of partially concealing their faces from view of the Trio as to make this all suitably theatrical.
He lets one beat pass, in part to play up the drama and in part to make sure she's not going to bite him by reflex or by design, and then settles for simply getting it over with — bringing their lips together with an intensity that approximates insuppressible passion.
And, well.
For all the associated reluctance, it's not altogether a bad kiss, either.]
so the question is, are they free now or does the trio want more?
[ A lack of vocal protest in this particular instance is roughly the same thing as begrudging consent. Navia is just as eager to be done with the charade as Rufus is.
She loops her arm around his shoulder as he dips her dramatically, and the part of her that isn't put off by his personality can appreciate the showmanship of it.--she's from Fontaine, after all. Trusting him not to drop her the moment she's unbalanced, Navia kicks up her leg for an extra little bit of pizzaz.
"Ooh, they look so sweet together," one of the Trio says, and she hopes that means they can go soon.
.... And yeah, the kiss is all right. She can admit it. ]
[Like Navia and her claymore-hefting ways, Rufus's rich-kid persona tends to disguise just how strong he is in the shoulders — from one-handing shotguns to dangling off helicopters, he's more than equal to the task of keeping her secure even if it means supporting basically all of her weight on one arm to do it.
Once they've carried on for a sufficiently adequate amount of time — not that he's counting — he brings her back up and sets her on her feet, keeping hold of one hand for added effect as he turns his attention to the Trio.]
I think I've made my intentions clear. I'd prefer to continue them elsewhere, in a setting more befitting my dearest. If you'd release the doors.
Navia releases a sigh of relief when the elevator begins to move again. She doesn't release Rufus' hand, though--the painting giggles at them and she's just not willing to take the chance that it will be displeased if she drops it like she's been burned.
However, when the elevator dings and the door slides open, Navia practically launches herself out into the corridor. ]
Archons, what a hassle. Whose idea was it to decorate with possessed paintings?
[They separate like magnets repelling as soon as they find themselves free to reenter the corridor, but there's a subtle shift in Rufus's demeanor once their captivity comes to an end; no longer beneath the threat of coercion, a tension that had previously settled into his stance eases just fractionally, and he regards his (presumably now former) one true love with an even look.]
Someone with a repellent sense of humor, that much is certain.
[Well, at least it's over, and only at the expense of a little tomfuckery and a not altogether terrible kiss.]
And how. At least we managed to escape. The dip was a nice touch, by the way.
[ Her posture has changed, too, loosening up now that the curtain has fallen on the stage of their romance. She tosses her hair once, turning back to look at Rufus with a brow raised at his question. ]
That was the plan. Unless... you were, perhaps, hoping for more of my company? We haven't even introduced ourselves.
[ But she did mention having powers and he hasn't had a chance to figure out what that means yet. It could be interesting~. ]
[For all that context makes clear he's not necessarily aware of what the term translates to, his pronunciation is actually fairly good, hitting the accent and inflection with relative ease despite only having heard her say it once.]
As for your company, I doubt you'd grant it regardless, so that makes the point rather moot, doesn't it.
[A beat.]
Unless you were hoping I'd want more of it. Which seems the likelier possibility.
[ No one's ever called him that before, probably, and it seems that's all she's destined to know him as, since her comment about introductions did not, in fact, prompt him to make one. Annoyingly, his quip is the sort that seems truer the more its refutation is attempted--she's read romance novels, okay?--so she doesn't bother denying it outright. ]
Mm. Charming. Are you always like this or are you in a rare mood and I just got lucky?
Fitting. A little cabbage and a big thorn in its side.
[Which also kind of answers her question in and of itself, but the tenor of the remark is notably different than the way he'd sounded in the elevator. There, his quips had been biting and tense with a sort of simmering frustration; freed, they're more casual, treading closer to banter, more of a verbal tennis match than a knife fight.]
What did you mean, when you said your "powers" would make that situation worse?
A thorn? Hah! I am, indeed, and proud of it. Even if I am a thorn, I still helped you, didn't I?
[ His isn't the first side she's pierced, either. Monsieur Neuvillette would probably have a thing or two to say on that subject, among others. ]
But why would I tell you all about myself when I don't even know your name? Let us even the field a little, monsieur. Introduce yourself, and then I'll tell you about my powers.
You wanted to escape that elevator as much as I did. Maybe you helped yourself, and I reaped the benefits.
[Again, the continuation of the banter seems to work its magic; a few seconds ago, he might've made his exit like he was being repelled by a magnet, but his stance is settling fractionally here and there, as the conversation and the company both take a turn for the interesting.]
My name for your powers? If that's what you want. Rufus Shinra.
Let's just say that our collaboration was mutually beneficial and leave it at that, hmm?
[ Navia gives Rufus a once-over now, though it's not really sexual--more like she's sizing him up now that she has a name to go with the face. ]
Rufus. I'm Navia Caspar, and I'm a Geo allogene. That means that I can channel the elemental power of the earth, which is why I said it wouldn't be helpful in an elevator.
[This business of being on a first-name basis with people — or at the very least, hearing them use his first name and nothing else — is going to take some getting used to. He's far too accustomed to boss or sir, even in the most informal of cases.
But what really gives him pause, and comes accompanied by a slight narrowing of the eyes, is when she says the elemental power of the earth. Because there's a word for that, or something very much like it, where he comes from, too. And it's not "Geo allogene".]
And now that your feet are back on solid ground, Navia?
[Her eyes aren't green. They ought to be, shouldn't they?]
Are the powers of the planet back in your grasp once again?
[ She doesn't exactly like the way he says her name, either, or the way his expression shifts. What exactly is he thinking? How did he interpret her fairly straightforward explanation that it would make him take that sort of tone with her? ]
What do you mean, the powers of the planet? And solid ground or not, I'm not exactly interested in destroying the hallway with Geo shrapnel. An outdoor demonstration is best for most any element, though I suppose something like Hydro or Dendro might be safer to use inside.
[Hm. Okay, so potentially it's not what he thought it was, after all — which is what makes it all the more interesting, really. It's reasonably easy enough to parse from context that what she's describing must be similar to classifications of materia, but still.
So, not the powers of the planet, but the powers of "earth" — presumably, the physical terrain variety. She has rock powers. All right then.]
But your affinity isn't for Hydro or Dendro. You're only capable of one?
[ She nods. That's right, Rufus--girl's got rock powers.
Turning slightly, Navia angles her body so that her Vision is in plain view and taps it with the tip of her finger. It looks like a piece of jewelry, a gold filigree frame set with a gemstone cabochon. The gem is a yellow-gold color, and a geometric pattern catches the light inside. It matches her attire, too. ]
Only Geo. Each allogene only ever has one element. Visions are granted by the gods of Celestia and allow us to channel elemental energy. There are seven kinds: Geo, like mine; Anemo; Electro; Dendro; Hydro; Pyro; and Cryo.
I'll tell you more, if you'd like, but only if you tell me more about yourself first.
[ Arching her brows, she lets the offer dangle. He can chalk it up to an interest in him if he wants to, but she's not going to spill all her knowledge without something in exchange, and the fact that she had to barter information just to get his name makes her think he's normally a very private person.
She'll learn something about him either way--should be interesting. ]
[Ah, there — Electro, Pyro, and Cryo are easily guessed, and generally unsurprising. He doesn't hesitate to turn his attention to the gemstone when she reveals it either; it's very clearly not materia, and yet seems to serve a similar enough function. The concept of mounting the stone for convenient use is familiar, at least, though the fact that she's only capable of one type is curious.]
And what exactly are you interested in knowing?
[He says, letting his gaze flick up slightly from the gemstone to her eyes.]
I'd hate to offer something of lesser value in exchange.
For starters, I'd like to know what you meant when you talked about the powers of the planet. You gave me a look when you said that, and it was different than the looks you were giving me in the elevator.
[ She sets her hands on her hips, her posture prim and dainty. He wants to know about her powers, so she might as well find out what sorts of powers people have where he's from. Why are her powers so interesting to him anyway?
Personal information is the next step, if she decides it's salient, but there's a push and pull that has to be observed here. Ask for too much from the get-go and he'll be reluctant to give anything at all. ]
Did I? I wasn't aware you were so invested in the way I look at you.
[It's a little dig, to be sure; one that's more to fill in space while he considers how best to answer her question at all. The fact that Navia seems confident and versed in the use of her powers is one distinct way they don't seem like the more mystical attributes of the Ancients; he's personally always been more than a little bit skeptical of the veracity of any of it, and how much was just wishful thinking.]
Regardless. Assuming you believe the rumors, the powers of the planet are supposedly afforded to superior beings of wisdom and grace that the mundane can only aspire to imitate. Naturally I presumed you were one of them.
Yes, you did. [ Her tone turns crisp, just for a moment, but then she smiles and lifts a finger as if imparting a little lesson. ] It behooves every young lady to be aware of the way the men around her are looking at her. Safety first, you know.
[ Not that she would expect him to understand that. He doesn't seem like someone who has ever once experienced the pang of fear caused by the sudden realization of vulnerability, or who has much in the way of empathy, for that matter. She's been wrong about people before--she'd been wrong about Neuvillette, for one--but this isn't the same sort of circumstance at all. ]
Hmm. Naturally. As it happens, it is the gods who decide who receives a Vision. No one is entirely sure what criteria have to be met, and it seems to differ between the elements. That's why someone can only have one Vision, and one element. A Pyro wouldn't have the disposition to wield Cryo.
Does it. Well, as your one true love, I suppose I'm obligated to be offended by that. Direct such filth to me, dearest; they'll disappear.
[It's a comment so dry that it's genuinely hard to tell if it's sarcasm or not. The way he opts to briefly examine the fingertips of his gloves, the way he might his fingernails if they weren't covered, is equally obfuscating.]
[ ... She doubts his sincerity. If there were an X button, she would be pressing it. ]
Yes, well, the last man who tried to harm me is sitting in a prison cell at the bottom of the sea.
[ She can make people disappear too, see? Though that man hadn't had any designs of a sexual nature against her--he wanted to kill her outright because he, you know, hated her for... being born. It's a sore subject, okay? ]
The gods of Celestia, keepers of the Heavenly Principles.
[ Which is a vague answer, sure, but what good would that knowledge do him here? They couldn't be farther from Celestia than they are now. ]
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peacockstop2024-02-10 11:29 am
no subject
Don't say that. Why would I need a flower when I have you and your rosebud lips.
[ Archons, that was bad--like stage-opera levels of melodrama bad, and yet it doesn't seem to be quite enough to appease their captors. She hopes he's suffering as much as she is, at least. Maybe they have to escalate things a bit. ]
Won't you kiss me, my love?
no subject
Still. I'll set the error to rights as soon as we're free.
[Hint, hint. If only they were free. Wouldn't it be for the best if they were freed so he could go on being even more romantic. Really.]
Is that what you wish of me? Just a kiss...darling?
[He reaches for her hand, in part to see if she'll let him get away with taking it, and in part because if he is in fact going to have to kiss her, then he's damn well going to make sure it's thoroughly extravagant enough that he only has to do it once.]
no subject
Oh yes, I'm quite sure. [ Her free hand covers her chest, their performance reaching new heights. ] One kiss from you is all that my heart could endure, my love.
[ Translation: one kiss from you is all I can stand, so get on with it. ]
no subject
[— Which is what he offers by way of warning, keeping the hold on her one hand while reaching around to support her shoulders with the other arm behind them, and with a shift and a pivot he very much does sweep her down into a dip, as much for the sake of partially concealing their faces from view of the Trio as to make this all suitably theatrical.
He lets one beat pass, in part to play up the drama and in part to make sure she's not going to bite him by reflex or by design, and then settles for simply getting it over with — bringing their lips together with an intensity that approximates insuppressible passion.
And, well.
For all the associated reluctance, it's not altogether a bad kiss, either.]
so the question is, are they free now or does the trio want more?
She loops her arm around his shoulder as he dips her dramatically, and the part of her that isn't put off by his personality can appreciate the showmanship of it.--she's from Fontaine, after all. Trusting him not to drop her the moment she's unbalanced, Navia kicks up her leg for an extra little bit of pizzaz.
"Ooh, they look so sweet together," one of the Trio says, and she hopes that means they can go soon.
.... And yeah, the kiss is all right. She can admit it. ]
i'm fine with them getting set free if you are!
Once they've carried on for a sufficiently adequate amount of time — not that he's counting — he brings her back up and sets her on her feet, keeping hold of one hand for added effect as he turns his attention to the Trio.]
I think I've made my intentions clear. I'd prefer to continue them elsewhere, in a setting more befitting my dearest. If you'd release the doors.
[Will they, though? WILL THEY???]
no subject
Navia releases a sigh of relief when the elevator begins to move again. She doesn't release Rufus' hand, though--the painting giggles at them and she's just not willing to take the chance that it will be displeased if she drops it like she's been burned.
However, when the elevator dings and the door slides open, Navia practically launches herself out into the corridor. ]
Archons, what a hassle. Whose idea was it to decorate with possessed paintings?
no subject
Someone with a repellent sense of humor, that much is certain.
[Well, at least it's over, and only at the expense of a little tomfuckery and a not altogether terrible kiss.]
Taking your leave, then?
no subject
[ Her posture has changed, too, loosening up now that the curtain has fallen on the stage of their romance. She tosses her hair once, turning back to look at Rufus with a brow raised at his question. ]
That was the plan. Unless... you were, perhaps, hoping for more of my company? We haven't even introduced ourselves.
[ But she did mention having powers and he hasn't had a chance to figure out what that means yet. It could be interesting~. ]
no subject
[For all that context makes clear he's not necessarily aware of what the term translates to, his pronunciation is actually fairly good, hitting the accent and inflection with relative ease despite only having heard her say it once.]
As for your company, I doubt you'd grant it regardless, so that makes the point rather moot, doesn't it.
[A beat.]
Unless you were hoping I'd want more of it. Which seems the likelier possibility.
no subject
[ No one's ever called him that before, probably, and it seems that's all she's destined to know him as, since her comment about introductions did not, in fact, prompt him to make one. Annoyingly, his quip is the sort that seems truer the more its refutation is attempted--she's read romance novels, okay?--so she doesn't bother denying it outright. ]
Mm. Charming. Are you always like this or are you in a rare mood and I just got lucky?
no subject
[Which also kind of answers her question in and of itself, but the tenor of the remark is notably different than the way he'd sounded in the elevator. There, his quips had been biting and tense with a sort of simmering frustration; freed, they're more casual, treading closer to banter, more of a verbal tennis match than a knife fight.]
What did you mean, when you said your "powers" would make that situation worse?
no subject
[ His isn't the first side she's pierced, either. Monsieur Neuvillette would probably have a thing or two to say on that subject, among others. ]
But why would I tell you all about myself when I don't even know your name? Let us even the field a little, monsieur. Introduce yourself, and then I'll tell you about my powers.
no subject
[Again, the continuation of the banter seems to work its magic; a few seconds ago, he might've made his exit like he was being repelled by a magnet, but his stance is settling fractionally here and there, as the conversation and the company both take a turn for the interesting.]
My name for your powers? If that's what you want. Rufus Shinra.
no subject
[ Navia gives Rufus a once-over now, though it's not really sexual--more like she's sizing him up now that she has a name to go with the face. ]
Rufus. I'm Navia Caspar, and I'm a Geo allogene. That means that I can channel the elemental power of the earth, which is why I said it wouldn't be helpful in an elevator.
no subject
But what really gives him pause, and comes accompanied by a slight narrowing of the eyes, is when she says the elemental power of the earth. Because there's a word for that, or something very much like it, where he comes from, too. And it's not "Geo allogene".]
And now that your feet are back on solid ground, Navia?
[Her eyes aren't green. They ought to be, shouldn't they?]
Are the powers of the planet back in your grasp once again?
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What do you mean, the powers of the planet? And solid ground or not, I'm not exactly interested in destroying the hallway with Geo shrapnel. An outdoor demonstration is best for most any element, though I suppose something like Hydro or Dendro might be safer to use inside.
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[Hm. Okay, so potentially it's not what he thought it was, after all — which is what makes it all the more interesting, really. It's reasonably easy enough to parse from context that what she's describing must be similar to classifications of materia, but still.
So, not the powers of the planet, but the powers of "earth" — presumably, the physical terrain variety. She has rock powers. All right then.]
But your affinity isn't for Hydro or Dendro. You're only capable of one?
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Turning slightly, Navia angles her body so that her Vision is in plain view and taps it with the tip of her finger. It looks like a piece of jewelry, a gold filigree frame set with a gemstone cabochon. The gem is a yellow-gold color, and a geometric pattern catches the light inside. It matches her attire, too. ]
Only Geo. Each allogene only ever has one element. Visions are granted by the gods of Celestia and allow us to channel elemental energy. There are seven kinds: Geo, like mine; Anemo; Electro; Dendro; Hydro; Pyro; and Cryo.
I'll tell you more, if you'd like, but only if you tell me more about yourself first.
[ Arching her brows, she lets the offer dangle. He can chalk it up to an interest in him if he wants to, but she's not going to spill all her knowledge without something in exchange, and the fact that she had to barter information just to get his name makes her think he's normally a very private person.
She'll learn something about him either way--should be interesting. ]
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And what exactly are you interested in knowing?
[He says, letting his gaze flick up slightly from the gemstone to her eyes.]
I'd hate to offer something of lesser value in exchange.
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[ She sets her hands on her hips, her posture prim and dainty. He wants to know about her powers, so she might as well find out what sorts of powers people have where he's from. Why are her powers so interesting to him anyway?
Personal information is the next step, if she decides it's salient, but there's a push and pull that has to be observed here. Ask for too much from the get-go and he'll be reluctant to give anything at all. ]
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[It's a little dig, to be sure; one that's more to fill in space while he considers how best to answer her question at all. The fact that Navia seems confident and versed in the use of her powers is one distinct way they don't seem like the more mystical attributes of the Ancients; he's personally always been more than a little bit skeptical of the veracity of any of it, and how much was just wishful thinking.]
Regardless. Assuming you believe the rumors, the powers of the planet are supposedly afforded to superior beings of wisdom and grace that the mundane can only aspire to imitate. Naturally I presumed you were one of them.
[He says, dryly.]
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[ Not that she would expect him to understand that. He doesn't seem like someone who has ever once experienced the pang of fear caused by the sudden realization of vulnerability, or who has much in the way of empathy, for that matter. She's been wrong about people before--she'd been wrong about Neuvillette, for one--but this isn't the same sort of circumstance at all. ]
Hmm. Naturally. As it happens, it is the gods who decide who receives a Vision. No one is entirely sure what criteria have to be met, and it seems to differ between the elements. That's why someone can only have one Vision, and one element. A Pyro wouldn't have the disposition to wield Cryo.
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[It's a comment so dry that it's genuinely hard to tell if it's sarcasm or not. The way he opts to briefly examine the fingertips of his gloves, the way he might his fingernails if they weren't covered, is equally obfuscating.]
Which gods would those be, precisely?
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Yes, well, the last man who tried to harm me is sitting in a prison cell at the bottom of the sea.
[ She can make people disappear too, see? Though that man hadn't had any designs of a sexual nature against her--he wanted to kill her outright because he, you know, hated her for... being born. It's a sore subject, okay? ]
The gods of Celestia, keepers of the Heavenly Principles.
[ Which is a vague answer, sure, but what good would that knowledge do him here? They couldn't be farther from Celestia than they are now. ]
My turn. How does this information benefit you?
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