TDM 03

[goldmods]

【 Hello, dearest guests. We hope you have been enjoying your time in the Golden Peacock and utilizing our many amenities.

Reception would like all guests to be aware that some new arrivals have been misplaced. Due to the nature of the resort, new arrivals may have been misplaced in unexpected locations. This includes your personal suites. We are very sorry for this inconvenience.

Please do not be alarmed if you come across a misplaced new arrival. We kindly request that any guests that find a misplaced new arrival escort them to the main hub, where we have arranged a central meetup where all new arrivals can claim their complimentary robes and welcome baskets.

All guests are invited to come mingle at the main hub and meet new arrivals. As always, we hope you have a pleasant day! 】

DEALER'S CHOICE

STEVE, WHERE DID YOU PUT THE NEW ARRIVALS?

The Golden Peacock has swept away the hues of winter and welcomed vibrant pops of color for a change of pace. Gone are the snow whites and cool golds. Vases of bright florals have been staged all throughout the general hubs and hallways. Statues have been cheekily decorated with bright clothes, such as charming hats and billowing dresses with cheerful prints. This peacock has cleaned up nicely, its brilliant feathers shaking with a warm palette to please the senses.

Staff are bustling during the decor turnover. While some diligent employees are steadfastly decorating the hallways with sprawling vines and spectacular blooms, others are darting back and forth in search of something. Or rather — someone. Several someones. Front reception is in an outright panic while flying over the phones and furiously slamming their hands on keyboards.

"Steve, I know you're new, but you can't just press any button that pops up on the computer screen! The new arrivals are supposed to go into temporary suites." Deborah, the head receptionist, sighs, "Now who knows where they are. I hope they're okay... I'm sure they're quite confused, wherever they wound up. Steve, stop crying. The house won't fire you for this. Probably. How's your resume looking?"

THE BATHROOM BUTTON

▷ Due to a mistake at front reception, new arrivals aren't waking up in a temporarily assigned suite like usual. All new arrivals will wake up in a bathroom somewhere in the Golden Peacock. Steve, bless his heart, chose the wrong button and directed all new arrivals to bathrooms. Why do they even have a "bathroom" button at front reception, anyway? Who is that for?!

▷ Players are encouraged to get creative and have their character wake up in any bathroom location across the resort. Please feel free to reference our LOCATIONS for ideas as to where your character might wake up. As long as it's in a bathroom, it can be anywhere. Almost all locations within the resort have a bathroom!

▷ Not even current character suites are safe. New arrivals may wake up in tubs, toilets, and showers in suite locations as well as general resort locations. For low rank rooms, the communal bathroom is also fair game for sudden new naked arrivals to wake up in.

THE MAIN LOBBY

▷ A welcome station has been set up in the main lobby. After getting their bearings and finding their way to the main lobby after an unexpected bathroom adventure, new arrivals will find racks of plush terrycloth robes and yellow tracksuits. They will also be given a welcome basket with general toiletries and snacks to get them started in the resort. Some gift baskets include special sex toys picked out just for them! They haven't tell anyone about that specific kink before? The house knows its guests well. No need to say anything at all.

▷ Front reception has arranged a welcome party to greet new arrivals and help get them more comfortable. Not because they feel extremely guilty about the bathroom mixup and are hoping that these new arrivals won't complain to the house. Definitely not! With the help of 24K and Birdbucks, new arrivals and guests alike will be treated to alcohol or coffee at the front desk's expense. The fireplaces are roaring and several couches have been set up to create a comfortable atmosphere. Some long-standing guests have joined in to tell stories about how much fun they've had at the resort while enjoying a drink by the fire.

TIME FOR BED... BUT?

▷ Due to the initial mistake at reception there are no empty suites available for new arrivals to borrow. Staff have set up twin-sized cots at the back of the main lobby for new arrivals while sprucing up the situation as a giant slumber party. All new arrivals will be assigned a cot and given a privacy screen. Unfortunately, there isn't much privacy to be had when you're shacking up in a public spot.

▷ Don't worry — this will only be until check-in has been properly completed and guests have been assigned to their correct suite. We're so sorry, please don't complain to the house! Or if you do, blame Steve!

▷ The ghost that haunts the main lobby isn't thrilled about this either. He's just a nice, low-key ghost that likes to watch people and knock over cups at Birdbucks when no one is looking. How is he supposed to do that with these people sleeping in the main lobby? In an effort to spook off these new arrivals, the ghost haunting the main lobby may whisper some odd things into their ears at night. Odd things like, "The person next to you is watching you sleep, you should run away," and "You just farted and everyone knows it was you. You should leave." Surprisingly effective, no?

In the end, Steve didn't get fired. But he did get reassigned to trash duty.

FLORAL RIOT

A STRIKE OF COLOR

【 🌸🌸🌸 Come experience new floral delights! Prepare to be ravished by a symphony of color and aroma. Romance, love, and pleasure all await within corridors of beauty. 🌸 🌸 🌸 】

Days before the grand unveiling, the gardeners of the Cloud Dwelling Garden distribute flyers announcing that their special floral exhibition is now ready for guests to enjoy. Long-standing guests vibrate in anticipation, eagerly stomping around the gardens until the ribbon is cut and the newest resort amenity has been revealed. The gardeners make a point to approach new guests and encourage them to join in on the fun, explaining that the house likes to create a new floral experience for guests every few years or so.

Exhibition opening is set for mid-month. On the 15th precisely, the gardeners line up in front of the white sheet hiding the project, each taking a turn to bow and say a few short words about how grand and generous the house is for giving them such rewarding jobs.

The curtains fall away to a wall of shockingly bright florals. Guests ooh and aahh at not only the array of shades but at the luxurious meld of so many different kinds of flowers. Wisteria and roses, lilies and carnations. Lilacs, peonies, daisies, daffodils, sunflowers. More and more and more and more. The staff explain that this flower maze is perhaps their most intricate piece of work yet and that there is grand surprise waiting at the heart. Additionally, as part of the festivities, several prizes have been hidden around the maze at dead-ends. Long-standing guests clap and cheer before charging inside.

THE FLOWER MAZE

▷ The flower maze is a winding marvel of foliage boasting over ten feet tall. Like the hedge maze, there are various twists and turns for guests to explore. This maze is a coalition of every flower thinkable, with many squared sections highlighting particular breeds. Bright pops of whites, pinks, and yellows knit with deeper purples, reds, and blues. Trees rich with blossoms hang low. Bushes rich with waxy leaves guide the way to different hidden alcoves and pockets. The flower maze is complicated and very easy to get lost in for hours. However, there is nothing magical or paranormal about it. It's just a flower maze.

▷ Guests may find statues overgrown with ivy within the maze. Despite the flower maze being a new addition to the garden, these statues are marked with age. They are weathered, having survived through the elements despite there being no real weather in the garden. Some statues are chipped and missing appendages. Despite how these old statues feel out of place in a brand new exhibit, they do not give any sense that they aren’t simply decor.

▷ Romantic gazebos have been incorporated into the design of the maze. These are popular rendezvous spots for guests to overlook the sprawling flowers and small ponds on the comfort of a small couch or a swinging bench for two. Some special gazebos have been furnished with daybeds and other comfortable furniture.

▷ Treasure chests can be found hidden throughout the flower maze. Many of these chests are filled with sex toys and lubricants to help players get into the mood to play 52, but not only sex related items are available. Some chests may have clothes, some may have treats, some may even be filled with rocks.

▷ A few mimics have snuck in alongside the treasure chests. When opened, a mimic chest will curse the opener with a horny tongue. For a short period, the cursed individual will find themselves making erotic freudian slips. "How are you doing?" may end up coming out as, "How are you fucking?" While this curse will eventually wear off on its own, the embarrassment is forever.

THE GRAND FLOWER LAWN

▷ Guests that find the heart of the maze will discover the grand flower lawn. Also called the flower sea by staff, this brilliant landscape is covered in a lush carpet of flowers in shades of blue. Blue roses are the crown jewel of the flower sea, carefully dethorned so that guests may spread out on a velvety bed of petals.

▷ It isn’t impossible for our hardworking gardeners to miss a thorn or two. Even with careful checking, a few thorns have escaped scrutinizing staff. Guests pricked by a thorn while on the rose lawn will begin to feel drowsy. Effects may range from light exhaustion to falling into deep slumber. The cure for the rose's thorn curse is a kiss. Don't worry: true love need not apply in this case.

▷ Picnic baskets are available for guests that would like relax out on the lawn. Included in the picnic basket set: a blanket and set of pillows, fruit sandwiches, champagne, small cakes, and cookies. Hot tea and coffee is also available upon request. Staff are happy to accommodate any other special requests as well. Ask and ye shall receive.

SPECIAL LAWN GAMES

▷ All guests lounging on the lawn will receive a cheerful message on their Watch: 【 WOULD YOU LIKE TO PLAY A LAWN GAME? 】

Guests that select the NO option will be left to their snoozing and merriment. Guests that select YES will receive a follow-up message.

▷ 【 Thank you for participating in the Lawn Game. Please choose one of the below options. You will be informed of what surprise task you have chosen after selecting an option. All level one tasks will reward in a small payout upon completion. All level two tasks will reward in a medium payout upon completion. All level three tasks will reward in two extra-large payouts upon completion. 】

LEVEL ONE

【 1♡ 】Serenade another player with a romantic ballad.
【 1♢ 】Perform oral sex on another player.
【 1♧ 】Discover a secret about another player.
【 1♤ 】Steal an item from another player.

LEVEL TWO

【 2♡ 】Confess any romantic crushes you may have to another player. The player need not be one of the crushes in question.
【 2♢ 】Find a unique item to use as a dildo. Allow another player to use this unique item to fuck one or more of your orifices.
【 2♧ 】Describe, in explicit detail, one of your erotic fantasies and/or desires to another player.
【 2♤ 】Take on a submissive role and please another player, either sexually or non-sexually.

LEVEL THREE

【 3♡ 】Make passionate love to another player while in the missionary position.
【 3♢ 】Engage in any sex act involving penetration on the Grand Flower Lawn with another player.
【 3♧ 】Participate in a sex act you have never engaged in before with another player.
【 3♤ 】Kidnap another player for 24 hours.

▷ Players will be prompted to select an option without knowing what the corresponding task is. The task will be sent to their Watch after they have selected an option. To see what your character is lucky enough to receive as their task, simply click the dropdown!

▷ There is no penalty for characters that wuss out and are unable to complete their prompt aside from a mocking message to their Watch,【 LOSER, LOSER, LOSER. BIG LOSER. 】

The flower maze will only last as long as the most fleeting flowers do. The flower maze will remain open to the public for several weeks, after which it will close for further remodeling.

"We'll be open again with another complex arrangement," one of the gardeners explains cheerfully. "A maze isn't fun once you've learned the layout. We'll open again after creating a whole new design for guests to enjoy. Maybe even some new flowers, too. A lot of the ones on the lawn got funky after guests came all over them..."

SMOKY NECTAR

DRIBBLE OF SWEETNESS

The conservatory is even busier than the gardens. Unlike the easygoing staff in the garden, employees in the conservatory are busy zooming to and fro with brooms while trying to get a handle on the unexpectedly huge amount of pollen. From flowers, from trees — so much pollen. The ground is coated and the air is thick. Several long-standing guests visiting the area have fallen into sneezing fits. Even with cleaning efforts to mitigate the build-up, the pollen becomes thicker as the weeks go on. Staff eventually give up on trying to sweep it away.

This pollen is not standard. Guests that inhale this pollen will begin to feel feverish and strange. Continued exposure to this pollen will heighten a desire for sex to the point of all-encompassing need. Orgasms become much more intense. Nipples are constantly hard. Guests may also be overwhelmed with the urge to "fertilize or become fertilized" — to aggressively deliver or receive cumshots. Gardeners soon realize that normal pollen has been tainted by the cross-breeding of their new spectacular fruits, resulting in an extremely potent sex pollen that affects people and animals. This sex pollen is stronger than any of the current aphrodisiacs in the resort, baffling the gardeners. They weren't even trying to make horny fruit!

The effects of the sex pollen will ease after a few days unless exposure is continued. Guests with too much exposure to the sex pollen may find themselves passing out from violently intense successive orgasms. Any guests found unconscious post-orgasm will be delivered to the Broken Wing clinic for recovery.

THE ORCHARD

▷ The gardeners are thrilled to present this season's fruit orchard. When the previously closed-off portion of the orchard opens, guests will find that some of the delicious fruit hanging on the trees are ... strange. In collaboration with the Dizzy Pigeon, the gardeners of the conservatory have crossbred several standard fruits to create new fruits with delicious, never before seen flavors. Sure, there are the typical apple and orange trees to pick from, but why not give something new a try? Each of these new breeds have been imagined with paying homage to one of the glorious suits in mind.

▷ ORANGEBERRY: A blend of oranges and blueberries. This delicious new citrus has a hard outer peel but tender flesh inside. Sweet with a slightly tart aftertaste. Bred in homage to the Diamonds suit. Those who eat this fruit may experience heightened sensitivity to touch and temperature for a short period time.

▷ PEARAPPLE: A blend of pears and pineapples. A brilliant combination of mildly sweet with a punch of tang. The outside of this large fruit is rough and prickly. Once cut into, the flesh is firm but juicy. Bred in homage to the Hearts suit. Those who eat this fruit may experience intense positive emotions, such as a sudden onset of one-sided love or excessive positivity, for a short period of time.

▷ PEAPLUMTO: A blend of peaches, plums, and tomatoes. This succulent fruit is powerfully sweet, with a fuzzy skin and silky inside. A new favorite for juicing. Bred in homage to the Clubs suit. Those who eat this fruit may find themselves being extremely impulsive for a short period of time.

▷ CHERRYUZU: A blend of cherries and yuzu. These tiny bunches of fruit are sour enough to make the strongest-willed person scrunch their face up! Small but powerful, these fruits are satisfying to bite into with a pop. Bred in homage to the Spades suit. Those who eat this fruit may experience intense negative emotions, such as sudden possessiveness or jealousy, for a short period of time.

THE BUTTERFLY DOME

▷ The butterfly dome is exploding with color. Bright dots of yellow and orange speckle greenery without restraint. An assortment of butterflies lazily fly from buttercup to tulip. These butterflies are unafraid of people and may approach guests, dusting them with the thick pollen that coats their wings before they flutter off elsewhere. The pollen here is thicker than anywhere else in the conservatory. Guests may feel the effects of the sex pollen more strongly while in the butterfly dome. Breathing in pollen for one hour in the butterfly dome is equal to breathing in pollen for several days in the rest of the conservatory.

▷ Several flowers glitter with moisture in the light. Upon closer inspection, guests will find that it isn't morning dew — it's floral nectar. Its light and smoky scent may trigger an intense desire to drink. Guests that give in to the urge and drink the nectar will find themselves overcome with unbearable thirst afterward. No amount of nectar, water, or any other beverage will satisfy. The thirst can only be satisfied by swallowing semen or vaginal fluid. The longer one goes without satisfying the thirst, the thirstier they will become.

BUNS GONE WILD

▷ The normally docile giant flemish rabbits that wander the conservatory have gotten into the spirit of 52 as well. These romantic rabbits have been mating relentlessly since the pollen hit, and now the vegetable patches have been overrun with hundreds of young rabbits looking for food. No vegetable is safe while dozens of baby rabbits are running free, not knowing that they shouldn't eat directly from the patches. Due to the recent vegetable shortage restaurants in the dining quarter have been complaining about not getting their produce deliveries. It's a real problem!

▷ The gardeners have been begging guests to assist in catching these baby rabbits. There are too many for them to catch on their own. Guests who are willing to help will be instructed to catch the young rabbits and deposit them into the large wooden pen built to house them. However, this won't be an easy job — these little rabbits are fast!

▷ While the gardeners can't offer chip payment for the help, they will happily give any guests that assist good plots of land to raise their own vegetables. Rabbit adoption is also on the table!

The sex pollen will fade out within a few weeks, when the new breeds of fruit have all been harvested and delivered to restaurants. The gardeners collectively agree to be more careful when engineering new breeds in the future. "I do think," reports one worker in the conservatory, "the house will be impressed that we've managed to engineer an even stronger aphrodisiac. Great things happen on accident!"

PETAL-STAINED LIPS

A BLOOMING DISEASE

👩‍🦰 "Hack hack, hack hack... what do you mean, 'please cover my mouth when I cough'? I'm a rank nine. Nine! You can't tell me what to do. Now, clean up this mess. I've been coughing up flower petals all day." 👩‍🦰

Wet, smudged petals scatter across the floors of the Peacock. The source is initially unclear, since the perfectly groomed flowers in their decorative vases are in perfect condition. Soon the number of guests coughing into their fists begins to rise and more soggy plants plague the hallways.

After the garden and conservatory unveil their Spring additions the clinic will begin to over-run with guests complaining of various symptoms. There aren't enough beds and there certainly aren't enough doctors and nurses to meet rising demand. Guests continue to visit the clinic complaining of some sort of flower cold while spitting up petals and leaves. Advanced cases involve a deeper spread of vines through the patient's body.

Though this illness manifests in many different ways, the head doctor in charge is quick to clock that it's the Blooming Disease working its way through the resort's population. Not an especially dangerous disease. More troublesome than anything and a mess to clean up. Luckily, there are extensive notes in their files about this particular disease and how to treat it.

THE BLOOMING DISEASE

▷ A strain of hanahaki disease is running through the resort. Unlike the typical hanahaki disease that is brought on by one-sided love, this blooming variation has no single discernible cause. The nurses muse that it is perhaps a side effect of the intense pollen from the conservatory, but this is speculation.

▷ Similar to the standard hanahaki disease, the main symptom is coughing up flower petals. However, the blooming strain manifests in many different ways, and doctors have seen variations of petals and vines creeping out from every orifice. Players are welcome to get as creative as they like with how the blooming disease presents.

▷ Doctors will make one point thoroughly clear: while medications are available to ease discomfort, the cure for this subset of hanahaki disease is sex. Only fucking another person will completely eradicate the disease. If the disease is not treated it will progress until the afflicted patient has turned into a monstrous pile of flora themselves.

▷ It is possible to catch the disease more than once. Having sex will cure it but some guests have caught the disease in quick succession, requiring multiple sessions of vigorous fucking. Doctors are unsure as to why some guests only catch the disease once while others are susceptible to catching it multiple times. The nurses gossip about how they think it's those guests particularly desperate for love that are prone to re-catching it, but again — speculation.

ALL HANDS ON DECK

▷ Without enough manpower in the clinic to meet demand, guests that have experience in the medical field have been asked to volunteer their time to help treat those suffering with the illness. Those kind enough to join in the effort to mitigate the disease will be given a full kit of medical supplies, which they will be allowed to keep once their stint in the clinic has finished. For the duration of their time working in the clinic they will be fully considered staff doctors and able to direct both employees and guests as they see fit.

▷ Guests that do not have medical experience but who wish to help in the clinic will also be accepted. While they will not have as much power as experienced guests assigned to the doctor role, they will be onboarded as nurses and given basic tasks. All nurses will be given scrubs which can be kept after their job has been completed. Nurses are expected to defer to doctors but can dictate to patients.

▷ All guests that assist in the clinic will be given an extra-large payout for their efforts. The head doctor in charge will be so grateful that he will be happy to grant any other small favors and gifts if asked. While something like taking one of the patient beds would be too much, he will turn a blind eye to guests who want to pocket items like scalpels and stethoscopes.

CLINIC ENERGY

▷ So many guests have piled into the clinic that private rooms are no longer available. Large rooms will be utilized as group hubs with many patient cots, while smaller rooms normally meant for one patient will be doubled up on. All guests staying in the clinic for treatment will be paired with at least one other patient due to space constraints. Private rooms will be available only for patients separated out for treatment with one of the doctors or nurses.

▷ All of the rooms in the clinic are fully stocked with condoms, lube, and sex toys. After the head doctor announces the cure for the disease, nurses will make sure every room has supplies available for patients to use. They will encourage guests to go ahead and get fucking since it's the only cure! While doctors and nurses are available to fuck as well, they are short-handed, so most patients will have to make do with other patients. To those stubborn guests who don't want to fuck for their health, staff will firmly explain that if the disease progresses they'll be reduced to nothing but a pile of vegetation.

▷ Patients with particularly bad cases of the disease will not be allowed to leave the clinic until they are cured. Patients that have only been lightly affected will be given a prescription to fuck and sent on their way, with strict instructions to return if they do not fuck and the disease progresses.

The height of the disease will hit toward the end of the month. Thanks to the hard work of the doctors and nurses in the clinic, cases will begin to decrease as the days pile on, with the majority of the affected guests treated and sent on their way by the beginning of May. Activity in the clinic will begin to decline as patients fuck it out and cure the disease, with only a handful of scattered cases heading past the first week of May.

PROMPT NOTES

PROMPT NOTES

▶ Arrival, The Bathroom Button: Multiple versions of arrival are possible. Characters may be flushed down the toilet or tub to wake up in several different locations across the resort.

▶ Gardens, The Flower Maze: While players are welcome to imagine whatever they like in these chests, we do ask there be some limits. Characters should not find their special awesome sword or other personal items that were taken away by the resort upon arrival, for example. Items that would generally be available within resort stores or without regains are fine.

▶ Conservatory, General: While this location is currently being influenced by sex pollen, players that do not enjoy this kink may have their character immune to its effects. This will not affect engaging in the hanahaki prompt.

▶ Conservatory, The Orchard: Players are encouraged to get creative with effects from these fruits. While we've offered a couple suggestions, any of the affiliated suit's effects are available to tap into. For example, consumption of Orangeberry, aka the Diamonds fruit, can cause any Diamond-adjacent physical effects.

▶ Broken Wing Clinic: Players are allowed to get as delicate or grotesque with the presentation of the Blooming Disease as they’d like; you can even use this as an opportunity to engage in some vine-y bondage play. From the medical perspective, feel free to envision access to any sort of equipment you’d like, so long as it makes sense within a (sexy) clinical setting.

OOC NOTES

GAME UPDATE | RESERVES | APPLICATIONS
BLANKET CW: Altered States; Aphrodisiacs; Body Horror (potential); Dubcon; Illnesses; Medical Play; NSFW Language; Paranormal; Somnophilia; Sex Pollen; Sex Toys

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▶ All new characters on the TDM are WILDCARDS, which means they have not yet been assigned a card value. 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 April event.
▶ Current characters may top level on the TDM. Current characters posting to the TDM should note they are currently in-game in the subject line.
▶ The top level directory is for new characters only.
▶ 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.

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▶ 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.
▶ 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.

NAVIGATION • LOG • NETWORK • OOC • MEME

Comments

[dianxie]

[ Having gotten out of the habit of formal greetings since no one else here really knows what they are, he's quick to give a polite bow with clasped hands after the stranger inclines his head. ]

I hadn't noticed, in all honesty, as I came here to see the new flowers. There are so many more than usual! Have you been in the maze long, sir?

[godsbabydaddy]

[It was only right, to give someone so pretty a proper greeting. Not that Tianlang-Jun stayed proper, flashing a playful grin soon after.]

Not long. I heard there were prizes to be found in the maze and decided to give it a look.

But you're quite right about the flowers. Their gardeners earn their pride here.

[dianxie]

Prizes? Ah, I wouldn't hurry to win any prizes here, as a suggestion. They are never quite what you had in mind.

[ He offers the other man a bluebell from his little handful and shrugs, smiling. ]

This has no ulterior motives, at least.

[godsbabydaddy]

If my good friend means the pillars and oils, this lord has already seen them. Though some are quite different from what I've seen before.

[He happily takes the flower to tuck into his hair. See, he can be pretty too.]

No? Good to know. The bunnies didn't seem to either.

[dianxie]

[ Pillars and oils, that makes him bow his head with a nod as a blush stains his cheeks. What a courteous way to describe the toys! His eyes only widen when the stranger puts his gifted bluebell in his voluminous hair and then Xie Lian relaxes a lot more toward him, a sunny chuckle on his breath. ]

The bunnies are the most innocent creatures in this whole realm, they live close to my little treehouse in the Vale. May I walk with you awhile? I can answer any questions you might have.

[godsbabydaddy]

[It was a poetic way, and this demon was all about the poetry. Especially the spicier poetry. He offered Xie Lian an arm.]

Of course. I can only count myself fortunate to find such a lovely guide.

Our little furry friends seemed to only want to explore the offerings of the vegetable garden, it's true. It didn't take much control to send them back home.

[dianxie]

[ Flattered and well-bred enough to keep quiet about it, he looks up in surprise at the mention of sending them back home. ]

Forgive my bad manners, my name is Xie Lian. [ He cocks his head, teasing lightly to see how it's taken once again. ] Who is the fearsome lord that so dutifully commands all our resident rabbits to their dinner table and out of trouble?

[godsbabydaddy]

[He didn't recognize the name of course, though he had to laugh softly at the comment.]

Tianlang-Jun. Rabbits are much simpler to control than anything you'd find in the demon realm. [His lips curved into a playful smirk as he looked back down at him.] Which perhaps my dear Xie Lian should avoid if he thinks he has ill manners.

[dianxie]

[ Quite the name. He deliberately keeps a lid on his surprise when he hears Demon Realm, deciding to give Tianlang-Jun the same benefit of the doubt he would to anyone from Ghost City.

His arm curls around his new companion's and he steers him toward the Vale. ]

Demons and ghosts have manners, they just relate more closely to their emotions. It's harder to offend a ghost than it is a Heavenly Official who puts on airs and graces.

[ Slipping his own tidbit in there ... ! ]

[godsbabydaddy]

[An open-minded young man, clearly. Which just made him all the more charming to the demon. He smiled when Xie Lian took his arm, happily allowing himself to be led.]

I haven't met many ghosts, but I would consider myself as an expert on demons. So I will say that some demons have manners. Many are just boorish brutes who wouldn't recognize a ballad if it was tattoo'd on their faces.

[Sigh. Xie Lian, see how he sighs? Of course, it was hard to miss the little hint from his new friend.]

And do you have much experience with the Heavens?

[dianxie]

[ Such a sigh! He can't help the laugh that bubbles up, charmed even as he keeps an eye on Tianlang-Jun for any insincerity; the other man is, for now, just a witty companion. Xie Lian won't judge how he knows so much about demons.

He gives a nod and looks ahead, a little abashed. ]

I'm a martial god, technically. Back home, I decided to live amongst mortals instead and collected scraps for sale. It was a peaceful life compared to ... what came before.

[godsbabydaddy]

[Well, that certainly captured Tianlang-Jun's interest, eyes lighting up.]

Well, then we have some things in common. It's said that my ancestors were thrown from the heavens, many generations ago. Too long to know if it's true, anyway. But I agree that living among humans is much more enjoyable.

[Oh, has no reason to be ashamed of why he knows so much. And isn't particularly hiding it, between the red eyes and the glowing mark on his forehead.]

Though perhaps peaceful wouldn't describe things for me. But certainly more pleasant.

[dianxie]

Ah, then Tianlang-Jun is a curious and handsome blend of both.

[ Xie Lian has idly wondered what kind of child he and Hua Cheng would have, if ever, but the thought returns unbidden now. It's not one for a place like the resort so he isn't going to bring it up, but it's a pleasant notion and Tianlang-Jun is certainly the best of both worlds.

From what he has seen so far, anyway. ]

I had some ... issues with the Heavenly Emperor. [ The face he pulls hints at some wild complications. ] Do you prefer peace or excitement?

[godsbabydaddy]

[Wild complications are clearly the best kind of complications.]

This lord wouldn't say that he's met any sort of 'heavenly' emperor. Only the demon one. Three, actually, over my lifetime. Though it's a question if one could count the second as meeting...

[Seeing as that would be him. Still, happily preens under the compliments. Yes, he is very handsome indeed.]

A blend of the heavens and the abyss, you mean?

[dianxie]

I've never seen any abyss, but ...

[ Giving him a considering look, Xie Lian hums. It's good-natured teasing, even if he's being honest with it. ]

Tianlang-Jun has a certain roguish appearance often absent from the Heavenly Realm.

[godsbabydaddy]

My lovely friend, I would advise you keep it that way. The Endless Abyss is no place for a stroll.

[He tapped his chin, pretending to think it over.]

Clearly, your Heavens are lacking. Perhaps I should wander in to see where my ancestors fell from, once I return home. The brat's already taken control of the empire, after all. I have time on my hands.

[dianxie]

"The brat"?

[ Aha, that sounds like it's going somewhere awkward yet interesting ... ]

[godsbabydaddy]

Hm? Ah, my unfilial son. Has no respect for his father.

[Sighs and pouts like he absolutely didn't nearly kill him and his future husband. Details, details.]

He's half human, you know. Unfortunately, he wasn't lucky enough to resemble me much.

[dianxie]

Oh ...

[ Family drama!! But, even so, Xie Lian tries to find a silver lining to cheer up his new friend. ]

Sons aren't very good at showing they care for their fathers but they always take inspiration from them, one way or another. I find that's the case. Perhaps yours also suffers the same problem of feeling he has a lot to live up to.

[godsbabydaddy]

[Drama, see warfare. Laughs, patting his hand.]

You don't know Binghe, my friend. There's only one man's opinion and affection he cares about, and it isn't this old man's.

Alas. But I had all of my nephew's affections, at least. My sister's son. He didn't take after our side either, unfortunately, but at least he was sweeter. Son of a snake demon.

[dianxie]

Binghe ... ? I feel like I've heard that name before somewhere. How strange.

[ Likely when one of the SVSSS lads was explaining how their world had been transmigrated into, but the latter was far more interesting than a random name. Xie Lian isn't great at remembering broad swathes of infodumps. ]

What does a snake demon look like?

[ He's imagining a very tall, angry grass snake with similar red eyes. ]

[godsbabydaddy]

Oh ho~? Perhaps there's someone else from my world here. Luo Binghe, for his full name.

[Would love to find out who. His son-in-law? Master Liu? His charming little sister? Will have to go looking for them.]

That depends on the form. I never met Zhizhu-lang's father, but I've seen other snake demons. Many of them resemble mortal snakes in their beastly forms, only larger. My nephew could take a form like that, actually. It came in handy when we camped out.

His natural form was a tragedy. Heavenly demons often mix poorly with other races. But I was able to give him the power to craft a prettier shape.

[dianxie]

That was kind of you, I'm sure it meant the world to him.

[ His warm approval of Tianlang-Jun's actions prompts him to be more open about his acquaintances, because yes Tianlang-Jun is apparently a Demon King with a throne usurped by his son but he doesn't sound particularly vengeful about it. Xie Lian is also certain he has never heard Tianlang-Jun's name mentioned in warning.

(Everyone also had a bias against Hua Cheng to begin with, so ... ) ]

Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua are friends of mine, do their names sound familiar?

[godsbabydaddy]

[The response of recognition was immediate, of course, a grin splitting his face.]

Oh, very! Shang Qinghua is the new Mobei-Jun's little human, and Shen Qingqiu is this lord's son-in-law! Or, at least, I'd heard that they eloped. You have excellent taste in friends.

[dianxie]

Eh, Shen Qingqiu is married?! [ Xie Lian's confusion is just as thick, as the person who had to jerk off Shen Qingqiu to stop the man letting himself turn to stone. That guy was so bad at flirting he offended Xie Lian into leaving their date and then Shang Qinghua had to intervene to mend ties. ] He never mentioned a husband ...

[ That man seems to have no romantic desires at all! ]

I know a little about Mobei-Jun, though. Shang Qinghua is very much in love.

[ Xie Lian is fairly certain that's why Shang Qinghua likes Xie Lian's own husband so much, there are certain similarities in Type(TM). ]