▶ ORIGINAL TEST DRIVE 2 POST IS LOCATED HERE ▶ ALL NEW TOP LEVELS SHOULD NOW BE POSTED ON TAKE 2
▶ ALL CARRIED OVER OLD TOP LEVELS SHOULD BE LINKED, NOT COPY AND PASTED
【 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. 💕
Yeah, hate t'break it to ya, but I ain't got a clue what yer talkin' about. Also, I wouldn't have been able to warn ya, since I've been here for more than a month.
[He knows it doesn't make sense, but he knows what he knows, and that's Hiyori's words not ringing true for him because it wasn't something he experienced yet. He's already got the inkling from talking to others that time and space were both warped here, but there was something unusual he didn't expect when Hiyori started talking.
His tone had been playful at the start, but now, he speaks a little more seriously this time.]
Is this related to SS? So you remember me being part of that, and I didn't disappear?
[... That's weird. That's seriously weird. Hmm.]
How about that Knights kid-- Tsukinaga Leo. Was he there too?
[However, would Rinne really tell such a baldfaced lie? Even if he would, it doesn't explain why he thinks Hiyori would buy something so obviously fake. There's got to be something else going on. Which means he needs to put on his thinking cap.
Basically, it's time for a pop quiz! You remember talking to your roommate last night inside your room, but he has no recollection and claims he's been elsewhere for a month! What's the likeliest cause of this?
A) He hit his head on a rock and suffered some memory loss. B) He's extremely drunk, even though he literally just woke up! C) This isn't the real Rinne-senpai at all, but an imposter! D) It's Hiyori Tomoe who's wrong.
The last one can't be it. We can safely rule that one out. Which leaves A, B, and C. However, Hiyori can't smell any liquor on Rinne, nor does Rinne seem like an imposter. Which means it might be the memory loss one? He guesses?
Ugh. He shakes his fluffy head again. This is too confusing! He isn't coming to any conclusions on his own, so for now, he'll humor Rinne's question.]
In our room? No, of course he wasn't there. We worked together on a project recently, but I'm not too keen on having him over. He seems like he might draw on the walls and cause other trouble. But anyway, let's go back to your memory issue—since you don't remember last night, do you also not remember the qualifying round? You and Leo-kun were placed in the same region for that.
Nope! Never experienced it. I didn't even know SS has started.
[The way he speaks is gruffer now, voice lowered as he thinks on this. So there's a possibility that one could end up here, but also somewhere else? Since he appeared here before Hiyori, he would think he would be missing during the time in between. If Hiyori had come here from a time before him, maybe he'd chalk it up to picking him up from an earlier time.
Ugh, this needs some checking.]
Y'know, I never asked Lion-kun what he remembered. I thought we'd all have the same idea, but if yer sayin' we had a showdown and that we never left, this place is even more messed up than I thought.
All right! We're heading out, Hiyori-chan.
[He's demanding it, not sweet-talking him this time. Sometimes he's willing to indulge him, but this feels more urgent. He bounces back immediately when he says that, looking just as much as a confident dictatorial annoyance as he can be.]
I gotta check what's going on in the casino, and if I leave ya here, who knows what'll happen to ya. So get movin'.
[Yep. Rinne must've gotten drunk and hit his head on a rock! Poor him.]
Lion-kun? ... So the others are here, too, you mean? You should've said so earlier!
[He visibly relaxes a little. Thank goodness he doesn't have to deal with all this (whatever "this" is) with only Rinne-senpai for a guide. Feeling heartened, he moves to get out of bed. Which he would've done without Rinne telling him to! He doesn't like being ordered around, thanks!]
You're not taking me there to watch you gamble, are you? Even your priorities can't be that skewed...
[He pushes back the canopy, ready to follow Rinne despite his griping. He'd rather not go anywhere in this outfit, but until he can find a change of clothes, it'll have to do! He takes in the rest of the room—
And then his eyes threaten to pop right out of their sockets.
The balloons, the streamers, the crystal chandeliers, the diamond-studded draperies, the two winding golden staircases, and the sitting area with an enormous breakfast buffet... it's a lot to take in, even to someone like him who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth!]
Nope, just that guy. Well, at least before you came along.
[Which begs to question...]
Anyway, didn't see any of the guys in my unit on the list. So I don't know who else is around. That's why I'm taking ya outta here.
[Sure, he can gamble, but it's not the right time or mood for it. You don't just gamble for every situation, though he supposed he deserved that reputation.
The decorations are sure something though, even as he looks up. Huh.]
Wow, Jayjay's really messin' around, ain't he? I got a lot t' say to that guy.
[Himself, Rinne-senpai, and Leo-kun... honestly, he can't see any common thread there. He supposes he can name a few commonalities between Rinne and Leo: they're both redheads, they're both eccentric, they're not super reliable despite being leaders (or former leaders, in Leo's case), and they both do whatever they please! But it's not like any of those things apply to him, except for the last one. And anyway, where is everyone else?
His thoughts are distracted when he sees the room, his eyes wandering from one end to the other. It really is dazzling. Doesn't mean he forgives his kidnapping, though, and if anything, this raises some more troubling questions—like how much money and influence their kidnapper must have, if he can spot them accommodations like this. But the answer to that is "a lot of money and influence," if the kidnapper is who he thinks it is.
Though Rinne seems to have his own theory.]
"Jayjay?"
[He'd been moving towards the sitting area, his eyes on the breakfast buffet (are those salmon quiches? they sure look like it!), but here he throws a look over his shoulder.]
I don't know anyone with that name. Are you saying you know who's responsible?
Ya don't need to know him right now. Ain't like I've seen his mug before, so ya only have to think about yer chastity.
[You know, if Hiyori was actually sexless. He doesn't know his sex life, but from what he knows of Hiyori, this place will make him very unhappy. Since Hiyori had been heading to food, he just follows him. It wasn't like they had any other real destination. Rinne just needed to be sure they're still in the right place.]
After all, that's gonna be yer daily concern here, unless ya don't mind sleepin' with strangers.
[Why is Rinne deciding what he needs to know and what he doesn't need to know? Who gave him the right? Why is he being so annoyingly cryptic? And, lastly, what is up with all of these abbreviations?? He already complained about in his narration earlier, but now he's complaining again! LS, SSL, SS, ES, DDD, GFK, GP, and now JJ? Enough already! Stop!!!
Those are just some of the things he'd be complaining about if it weren't for the rest of Rinne's words. As it stands, however, he's got bigger fish to freak out over.
He stops dead in his tracks. Wait. Wait, wait, wait. What was that? What did Rinne say? "You only have to think about... your chastity?" Did Hiyori hear that right?
He's still as a statue and just as silent (enjoy that temporary peace and quiet). The gears in his head turn slowly, one disparate piece of information starting to connect to another. Waking up in bed with Rinne-senpai in a lovey-dovey suite for couples... waking up wearing white and a wedding veil, of all things... being told to worry about his chastity... being told to worry about his chastity by Rinne-senpai, whom he woke up in bed with...
An icy chill jolts down his spine. His blood turns cold, his expression transformed into one of pure horror. What Rinne said just now...
was an admission of guilt!]
You attacked me in my sleep?
[At first, he's too stunned to even yell. But that shock quickly turns to anger!]
How dare you! You are so getting sued...!
[Actually, he'd rather just hand Rinne the death penalty. They don't happen to have one of those around here, do they??]
[Alright, he calms down a little once Rinne denies the crime. But he's still on-edge!]
What do you mean, what to expect? Are you saying other people might attack me? I don't get it! Speak clearly, please!
[He puts his hands on his hips, still ignoring the breakfast buffet in favor of resolving this issue.]
And don't just say things about "sleeping with strangers." That just sounds like you're accusing me of something. I'm an exemplary idol, of course, so I'd never do anything like that.
It's a sex casino with a pick-up game of 52, except ya ain't pickin' up cards on the floor. Yer picking up people to get nasty with to win and get outta here... probably.
[He hasn't actually had proof about the actual ability to get home from there, but you know, it was one of those things.]
Well, yer supposed to get a wish if ya win, but who knows if any of that's real.
Now you sound like you've been drawn into a cult...
[The kind of thing you hear about on TV sometimes. But would Rinne really fall for something that obvious? He's never been one to follow other people's demands.
But now another thought occurs to him. It's one that has his eyes narrowing, brows pulling towards the bridge of his nose.]
You're not saying that's what you've been doing?
[Picking people to "get nasty" with. Rinne can't mean that. After all, Crazy:B might have a rebellious image, but certain things would threaten anyone's career.]
Yeah, because believe it or not, I'm desperate enough to attempt anythin' to get outta here.
[The first time might have been him letting his guard down, but the subsequent ones? Those were by choice. He wasn't going to put up airs about that choice to Hiyori, not when it wasn't like his reputation was all that clean.]
I haven't mentioned any of ya, don't worry. It's all just me. So if ya wanna lay low and find a different way, I can pretend we ain't associated.
[So if he's worried about his reputation being soiled, well... Rinne never attempted to mention them.]
[No hesitation. No denial. Just a straightforward "yep, that's what I've been doing."
Surprise flickers across his face, before his lips press into a thin line. He's not angry, but he is disappointed. He's concerned, too, though. For the average guy Rinne's age, it wouldn't at all be surprising to hear he messes around with girls, particularly when his other hobbies are drinking and gambling. It'd suit the image of someone like him perfectly. But Hiyori knows Rinne is serious about becoming an idol, despite all his sloppy behavior, and he also knows a thing or two about public images being lies.
This isn't just sloppiness. This is "desperation," isn't it?]
There's no way someone like me can just lay low.
[He releases a sigh. Attracting attention is natural as breathing for him. He's famous, and so is his family name. (Though he also doesn't understand yet that neither of those things will hold any weight here.) And he can't easily dial down that dazzling aura.
He faces Rinne with a level stare. His eyes aren't entirely cold—there's sympathy in there, somewhere—but they're not entirely warm, either.]
I'd be more worried about how Ibara will react when he finds out.
["Will," not "if," because Ibara is nothing if not skilled at gathering intel. That's one small bit of hope in all this mess: he won't just take their disappearance lying down. But it's not at all Hiyori's style to sit around waiting to be rescued, so he switches to a different line of questioning. ]
At the very least, you didn't jump straight to that, I assume. You must have made some attempt to get out. What was it you tried that didn't work?
[He's used to judgment, and pity? Well, he got plenty of that back in MDM. It never sits well with him, but he's an idol through and through, and he doesn't let Hiyori see how that makes him feel. Instead, he ignores the implied question, and instead focuses on the actual one.
He doesn't need Hiyori prying into his sex life.]
Tried to break the windows, drive out the parking lot, see if any other exits work. Nothin' straight. Jayjay's not givin' proper answers either, though he's supportin' the idea that you can leave if ya play the game.
[And here's the part he's not too sure of, given their situation.]
Ibanyan's not the irrational type, but I ain't gonna tell ya what to do. It ain't like anyone here knows of ES.
[Hiyori takes note of everything he says with his excellent memory, but there's one part that sticks out.]
"JJ"?
[Rinne said that name before. He hadn't known what he meant then, either. Or who he meant, rather. But from context clues, Hiyori can guess at one thing.]
Is that the person in charge around here? The one who left us those messages?
He ain't exactly in charge, but he's got stakes in the place. There's a place called Roost that he's claimin' as his territory, but that place comes n' goes.
[Not that Rinne's been there yet.]
If yer lookin' for 'im, findin' that's the best place to start.
[He has other questions, but he elects to ask that one first. As for the information about the Roost, that gets filed away for later. He does have excellent memory—he just hates having to use it to remember stupid abbreviations.]
[He blinks, clearly wondering if he heard that right.]
A date with a cult leader, hmm...
[Boy is that "something" indeed. He can't fault Rinne for trying to meet up with someone who's got "stakes in this place," though. Nor can he act as though he wouldn't do the same in his shoes. Still, it's a bit concerning.]
Well, you already know this, but be careful. Anyone involved in this sort of cult is probably after one thing. And I'd hate to see you stoop that low, so try not to do anything you'll regret later, alright?
[Don't screw the shady guy for information, in other words. Rinne may already be going through an "empty meaningless sex" phase, courtesy of the game rules, but that's bound to leave a person feeling even dirtier.]
[He wanted Rinne's kiss, he refused. He was going to have to compensate in a different way without threatening him the way he wants to, because unfortunately, he had nowhere to go otherwise. This wasn't like Japan.]
Kyaha~ Ya worry too much. Have you forgotten what we put everyone through back home? I ain't gonna go down so easy, ya know.
[A blackmailed date with a cult leader. Fantastic.
But those last words manage to cut through to him. Rinne's always been difficult to control, hasn't he? Certainly he gave Ibara a run for his money over the summer. Even if he has been doing un-idol-like things, that doesn't mean he isn't fighting the system in his own way, or that he can't hold his own.
Hiyori nods once.]
I know I can't stop you. I'll just have to trust you know what you're doing. Do make sure to share any information you end up pulling from him, alright?
[He absorbs Rinne's words, his eyes traveling from the other boy—smiling and patting him on the shoulder, like a big brother or something (but then Rinne is a big brother, isn't he?)—to their glamorous suite. Of course he's always been good at finding enjoyment wherever he goes. And even though his number one priority is getting back to SS and the rest of his unit, there's no reason he can't enjoy some luxuries before he leaves.
He finally manages a smile.]
Well, I can't say that attitude is wrong. I'd hate to burn myself out. And after that whole ordeal, I'd say I deserve something good.
[Like the breakfast spread laid out a few yards in front of them. Still smiling, still speaking, he steps up to the table.]
I've got a long day ahead of me, from the sound of it. And there's no sense in trying to fight a saboteur on an empty stomach, so I'll just have to partake in some of the delicious-looking food right here.
[He plucks one of the miniature quiches off the tray and places it on a plate.
And then turns and holds the plate out in Rinne's direction.]
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peacockstop2024-02-19 10:08 pm
@tfy
Yeah, hate t'break it to ya, but I ain't got a clue what yer talkin' about. Also, I wouldn't have been able to warn ya, since I've been here for more than a month.
[He knows it doesn't make sense, but he knows what he knows, and that's Hiyori's words not ringing true for him because it wasn't something he experienced yet. He's already got the inkling from talking to others that time and space were both warped here, but there was something unusual he didn't expect when Hiyori started talking.
His tone had been playful at the start, but now, he speaks a little more seriously this time.]
Is this related to SS? So you remember me being part of that, and I didn't disappear?
[... That's weird. That's seriously weird. Hmm.]
How about that Knights kid-- Tsukinaga Leo. Was he there too?
no subject
Huh?
[It's all he can do to repeat himself.]
A whole month? But that doesn't make any sense!
[However, would Rinne really tell such a baldfaced lie? Even if he would, it doesn't explain why he thinks Hiyori would buy something so obviously fake. There's got to be something else going on. Which means he needs to put on his thinking cap.
Basically, it's time for a pop quiz! You remember talking to your roommate last night inside your room, but he has no recollection and claims he's been elsewhere for a month! What's the likeliest cause of this?
A) He hit his head on a rock and suffered some memory loss.
B) He's extremely drunk, even though he literally just woke up!
C) This isn't the real Rinne-senpai at all, but an imposter!
D) It's Hiyori Tomoe who's wrong.
The last one can't be it. We can safely rule that one out. Which leaves A, B, and C. However, Hiyori can't smell any liquor on Rinne, nor does Rinne seem like an imposter. Which means it might be the memory loss one? He guesses?
Ugh. He shakes his fluffy head again. This is too confusing! He isn't coming to any conclusions on his own, so for now, he'll humor Rinne's question.]
In our room? No, of course he wasn't there. We worked together on a project recently, but I'm not too keen on having him over. He seems like he might draw on the walls and cause other trouble. But anyway, let's go back to your memory issue—since you don't remember last night, do you also not remember the qualifying round? You and Leo-kun were placed in the same region for that.
no subject
[The way he speaks is gruffer now, voice lowered as he thinks on this. So there's a possibility that one could end up here, but also somewhere else? Since he appeared here before Hiyori, he would think he would be missing during the time in between. If Hiyori had come here from a time before him, maybe he'd chalk it up to picking him up from an earlier time.
Ugh, this needs some checking.]
Y'know, I never asked Lion-kun what he remembered. I thought we'd all have the same idea, but if yer sayin' we had a showdown and that we never left, this place is even more messed up than I thought.
All right! We're heading out, Hiyori-chan.
[He's demanding it, not sweet-talking him this time. Sometimes he's willing to indulge him, but this feels more urgent. He bounces back immediately when he says that, looking just as much as a confident dictatorial annoyance as he can be.]
I gotta check what's going on in the casino, and if I leave ya here, who knows what'll happen to ya. So get movin'.
no subject
Lion-kun? ... So the others are here, too, you mean? You should've said so earlier!
[He visibly relaxes a little. Thank goodness he doesn't have to deal with all this (whatever "this" is) with only Rinne-senpai for a guide. Feeling heartened, he moves to get out of bed. Which he would've done without Rinne telling him to! He doesn't like being ordered around, thanks!]
You're not taking me there to watch you gamble, are you? Even your priorities can't be that skewed...
[He pushes back the canopy, ready to follow Rinne despite his griping. He'd rather not go anywhere in this outfit, but until he can find a change of clothes, it'll have to do! He takes in the rest of the room—
And then his eyes threaten to pop right out of their sockets.
The balloons, the streamers, the crystal chandeliers, the diamond-studded draperies, the two winding golden staircases, and the sitting area with an enormous breakfast buffet... it's a lot to take in, even to someone like him who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth!]
Now this is something... Who arranged this?
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[Which begs to question...]
Anyway, didn't see any of the guys in my unit on the list. So I don't know who else is around. That's why I'm taking ya outta here.
[Sure, he can gamble, but it's not the right time or mood for it. You don't just gamble for every situation, though he supposed he deserved that reputation.
The decorations are sure something though, even as he looks up. Huh.]
Wow, Jayjay's really messin' around, ain't he? I got a lot t' say to that guy.
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[Himself, Rinne-senpai, and Leo-kun... honestly, he can't see any common thread there. He supposes he can name a few commonalities between Rinne and Leo: they're both redheads, they're both eccentric, they're not super reliable despite being leaders (or former leaders, in Leo's case), and they both do whatever they please! But it's not like any of those things apply to him, except for the last one. And anyway, where is everyone else?
His thoughts are distracted when he sees the room, his eyes wandering from one end to the other. It really is dazzling. Doesn't mean he forgives his kidnapping, though, and if anything, this raises some more troubling questions—like how much money and influence their kidnapper must have, if he can spot them accommodations like this. But the answer to that is "a lot of money and influence," if the kidnapper is who he thinks it is.
Though Rinne seems to have his own theory.]
"Jayjay?"
[He'd been moving towards the sitting area, his eyes on the breakfast buffet (are those salmon quiches? they sure look like it!), but here he throws a look over his shoulder.]
I don't know anyone with that name. Are you saying you know who's responsible?
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[You know, if Hiyori was actually sexless. He doesn't know his sex life, but from what he knows of Hiyori, this place will make him very unhappy. Since Hiyori had been heading to food, he just follows him. It wasn't like they had any other real destination. Rinne just needed to be sure they're still in the right place.]
After all, that's gonna be yer daily concern here, unless ya don't mind sleepin' with strangers.
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Those are just some of the things he'd be complaining about if it weren't for the rest of Rinne's words. As it stands, however, he's got bigger fish to freak out over.
He stops dead in his tracks. Wait. Wait, wait, wait. What was that? What did Rinne say? "You only have to think about... your chastity?" Did Hiyori hear that right?
He's still as a statue and just as silent (enjoy that temporary peace and quiet). The gears in his head turn slowly, one disparate piece of information starting to connect to another. Waking up in bed with Rinne-senpai in a lovey-dovey suite for couples... waking up wearing white and a wedding veil, of all things... being told to worry about his chastity... being told to worry about his chastity by Rinne-senpai, whom he woke up in bed with...
An icy chill jolts down his spine. His blood turns cold, his expression transformed into one of pure horror. What Rinne said just now...
was an admission of guilt!]
You attacked me in my sleep?
[At first, he's too stunned to even yell. But that shock quickly turns to anger!]
How dare you! You are so getting sued...!
[Actually, he'd rather just hand Rinne the death penalty. They don't happen to have one of those around here, do they??]
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[Why is he like this? Rinne isn't offended about being sued, it isn't like he hasn't told people to try before, but also, attacked him in his sleep?
Wait.]
I didn't touch ya! I wouldn't sleep with ya in the same bed if it was up to me, but that's why I'm warning ya of what to expect here.
[Really, why did he jump to conclusions all the time? (Maybe because Rinne is so cryptic when he talks.)]
Will ya calm down for a sec?
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What do you mean, what to expect? Are you saying other people might attack me? I don't get it! Speak clearly, please!
[He puts his hands on his hips, still ignoring the breakfast buffet in favor of resolving this issue.]
And don't just say things about "sleeping with strangers." That just sounds like you're accusing me of something. I'm an exemplary idol, of course, so I'd never do anything like that.
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[He hasn't actually had proof about the actual ability to get home from there, but you know, it was one of those things.]
Well, yer supposed to get a wish if ya win, but who knows if any of that's real.
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Now you sound like you've been drawn into a cult...
[The kind of thing you hear about on TV sometimes. But would Rinne really fall for something that obvious? He's never been one to follow other people's demands.
But now another thought occurs to him. It's one that has his eyes narrowing, brows pulling towards the bridge of his nose.]
You're not saying that's what you've been doing?
[Picking people to "get nasty" with. Rinne can't mean that. After all, Crazy:B might have a rebellious image, but certain things would threaten anyone's career.]
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[The first time might have been him letting his guard down, but the subsequent ones? Those were by choice. He wasn't going to put up airs about that choice to Hiyori, not when it wasn't like his reputation was all that clean.]
I haven't mentioned any of ya, don't worry. It's all just me. So if ya wanna lay low and find a different way, I can pretend we ain't associated.
[So if he's worried about his reputation being soiled, well... Rinne never attempted to mention them.]
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Surprise flickers across his face, before his lips press into a thin line. He's not angry, but he is disappointed. He's concerned, too, though. For the average guy Rinne's age, it wouldn't at all be surprising to hear he messes around with girls, particularly when his other hobbies are drinking and gambling. It'd suit the image of someone like him perfectly. But Hiyori knows Rinne is serious about becoming an idol, despite all his sloppy behavior, and he also knows a thing or two about public images being lies.
This isn't just sloppiness. This is "desperation," isn't it?]
There's no way someone like me can just lay low.
[He releases a sigh. Attracting attention is natural as breathing for him. He's famous, and so is his family name. (Though he also doesn't understand yet that neither of those things will hold any weight here.) And he can't easily dial down that dazzling aura.
He faces Rinne with a level stare. His eyes aren't entirely cold—there's sympathy in there, somewhere—but they're not entirely warm, either.]
I'd be more worried about how Ibara will react when he finds out.
["Will," not "if," because Ibara is nothing if not skilled at gathering intel. That's one small bit of hope in all this mess: he won't just take their disappearance lying down. But it's not at all Hiyori's style to sit around waiting to be rescued, so he switches to a different line of questioning. ]
At the very least, you didn't jump straight to that, I assume. You must have made some attempt to get out. What was it you tried that didn't work?
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He doesn't need Hiyori prying into his sex life.]
Tried to break the windows, drive out the parking lot, see if any other exits work. Nothin' straight. Jayjay's not givin' proper answers either, though he's supportin' the idea that you can leave if ya play the game.
[And here's the part he's not too sure of, given their situation.]
Ibanyan's not the irrational type, but I ain't gonna tell ya what to do. It ain't like anyone here knows of ES.
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"JJ"?
[Rinne said that name before. He hadn't known what he meant then, either. Or who he meant, rather. But from context clues, Hiyori can guess at one thing.]
Is that the person in charge around here? The one who left us those messages?
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He ain't exactly in charge, but he's got stakes in the place. There's a place called Roost that he's claimin' as his territory, but that place comes n' goes.
[Not that Rinne's been there yet.]
If yer lookin' for 'im, findin' that's the best place to start.
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[He has other questions, but he elects to ask that one first. As for the information about the Roost, that gets filed away for later. He does have excellent memory—he just hates having to use it to remember stupid abbreviations.]
And he's never heard about ES?
[That, he has trouble buying.]
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[So that's... something. Probably.]
It's mostly the people here. Ain't got anyone who's heard of it from who I've run into.
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A date with a cult leader, hmm...
[Boy is that "something" indeed. He can't fault Rinne for trying to meet up with someone who's got "stakes in this place," though. Nor can he act as though he wouldn't do the same in his shoes. Still, it's a bit concerning.]
Well, you already know this, but be careful. Anyone involved in this sort of cult is probably after one thing. And I'd hate to see you stoop that low, so try not to do anything you'll regret later, alright?
[Don't screw the shady guy for information, in other words. Rinne may already be going through an "empty meaningless sex" phase, courtesy of the game rules, but that's bound to leave a person feeling even dirtier.]
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[He wanted Rinne's kiss, he refused. He was going to have to compensate in a different way without threatening him the way he wants to, because unfortunately, he had nowhere to go otherwise. This wasn't like Japan.]
Kyaha~ Ya worry too much. Have you forgotten what we put everyone through back home? I ain't gonna go down so easy, ya know.
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But those last words manage to cut through to him. Rinne's always been difficult to control, hasn't he? Certainly he gave Ibara a run for his money over the summer. Even if he has been doing un-idol-like things, that doesn't mean he isn't fighting the system in his own way, or that he can't hold his own.
Hiyori nods once.]
I know I can't stop you. I'll just have to trust you know what you're doing. Do make sure to share any information you end up pulling from him, alright?
wrapping this up!
[He pats his shoulder in an attempt to reassure him.]
It ain't that all the time. Yer gonna have to learn to appreciate the good in order not to lose yer mind while avoidin' the bad, but that's just life.
sounds like a plan
He finally manages a smile.]
Well, I can't say that attitude is wrong. I'd hate to burn myself out. And after that whole ordeal, I'd say I deserve something good.
[Like the breakfast spread laid out a few yards in front of them. Still smiling, still speaking, he steps up to the table.]
I've got a long day ahead of me, from the sound of it. And there's no sense in trying to fight a saboteur on an empty stomach, so I'll just have to partake in some of the delicious-looking food right here.
[He plucks one of the miniature quiches off the tray and places it on a plate.
And then turns and holds the plate out in Rinne's direction.]
But first, mind testing this for poison? ♪
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[He snorts, but shakes his head, grinning as he waves his hand.]
I got some alcohol to my name over there, so I ain't spoilin' my appetite. Kyaha~ Good luck!
[Bye. He's definitely getting drunk now that he saw that booze.]
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