TDM 04

[goldmods]

【 Thank you for choosing the Golden Peacock, 5-star resort and casino. You are currently registered as a WILDCARD in our system.

Due to a high volume of check-ins, temporary accommodations have been made on our brand new beachfront for new guests. We will endeavor to have all guests moved into their reserved rooms as soon as possible. We apologize for any inconvenience. Affected guests may convene with the nearest lifeguard or reception for a complimentary swimsuit, at their earliest convenience.

Please remember that beach-appropriate attire is mandatory. Guests found breaking dress code may be escorted off the beach until they return in proper swimwear. We hope you enjoy your stay, and have a beachy keen experience. 】

BEACHFRONT PROPERTY

A BRAND NEW DEVELOPMENT

As the resort moves into what it claims is summer, the days grow longer. The sun is projected well into the evening, the heat of its warmth dialed up to a level some guests complain is unreasonable. Then there’s the most excessive transformation of all – half the Cloud Dwelling Gardens have been transformed into a sparkling beach of white sands and blue waves, seemingly overnight. Statues nearby have been dressed up with wide hats and stylish sarongs. Upbeat music fills the air without any discernible source.

A section of the beach has been reserved for a collection of bungalows. These cute pastel homes open straight onto the sand, and are comparable in size and amenity to a rank 7 or 8 suite. All screens within these bungalows are fixed to a channel that airs reruns of Boobwatch around the clock, a classic TV series about blue-footed boobys running in slow-motion across the beach. Staff and long-standing guests all agree — there’s no better summer programming than this!

IT’S FREE REAL ESTATE

▷ Thanks to a classic move called “overbooking,” new arrivals are being checked in to all this wondrous new property that’s just opened up. The catch? Why, characters are stuffed up to 4 in a room, of course. Don’t worry, that’s what the bunk beds are for!

▷ Characters still wake up naked save for a robe, as is standard for the Golden Peacock. This round’s robes are a light and breezy linen, patterned with tropical flowers and colorful designs. Some of these robes are more sheer than others. Watch out that the gentle breeze on the beach doesn’t reveal more than you wanted.

▷ Existing characters are welcome to temporarily take up residence in any empty slots in these homes. The staff understand that sometimes you want to pretend to be a brand new guest again, all bright-eyed and ready for adventure. They can even lock you out of your real room for an extra bit of authenticity. No need to ask! It’s all taken care of already.

THOSE WHO POUND SAND

▷ Several lifeguards have been newly hired to protect the beach and its visitors. These burly fellows and lasses all have three things in common: skimpy swimwear, rippling muscles, and seagull heads. They spend most of their time hanging out in groups, flexing and gossiping loudly. If characters approach them for their complimentary swimwear, they will provide whatever they’re currently wearing for them to use... by force, if necessary.

▷ Characters who seem particularly vulnerable or are holding something particularly tasty may find themselves surrounded by these lifeguards out of nowhere. The seagulls are relentless, pushing and shoving and pulling hair until they get what they want. Hope you didn’t like your sand castle very much. Those on the lower end of the rank scale will suffer the worst harassment, and they may even go out of their way to harass wildcards, 2s, and 3s just for the heck of it.

▷ Being new hires and fairly low on the resort staff hierarchy, these troublemakers can be easily chased off by someone of a high enough rank, or an assertive enough presence to pass as one. T-they’re not scared! They just remembered they have a mandatory group cawing session to get to! Buzz off!

FUN IN THE SUN

DON'T FORGET TO OIL UP

What’s a beach without fun and games? Dreadfully boring! That’s why all of the beach classics have been expertly set up by staff, including strip volleyball nets, giant boob-shaped beach balls, and plenty of floaties for use in the shallower areas of the temporary ocean. A row of parasols with paired lounge chairs underneath them are placed in some prime viewing areas for festivities. Any time you get thirsty, there’s always a cooler full of canned drinks conveniently nearby, courtesy of Cock-a-Doodle-Doo’s. Sometimes you can hear the staff whispering to each other, “What if it’s too perfect? We won’t be able to deal with the ratings dip once the beach ends!”

Seashells have been arbitrarily scattered along the shoreline, coming in both natural shapes and ones a little more... erotic. The sexiest ones of all are conch shells that let you hear the moans of another guest when held up to your ear; supposedly, if you hook up with the person on the other end of the shell, you’ll be extra lucky in the casino for the rest of the summer. All in all, it’s a carefully tailored creation that can be called nothing short of paradise.

THE BEACH BUNNY BARBECUE BONANZA

▷ This booth constantly has smoke billowing out the top and is manned during the entire day by one man – Steve, formerly from reception. It seems this is his punishment duty for be-bathrooming all of the arrivals, last time. Those willing to lend Steve a sympathetic ear will be entreated to bring him water, since the sweltering heat of the booth dries him out like nobody’s business. No matter how characters try to help him, though, a tragedy always occurs and the water always ends up spilled across the sand. That curse really is something, huh?

▷ The signature item at this cookout are the Flamin’ Hop Skewers. Made due to the current overpopulation in the Conservatory, these spicy-sweet — emphasis on the spicy — glazed skewers temporarily grant those who consume them the soul of a rabbit, including their insatiable desire to mate. Any rabbits that resort-goers have formed an attachment with have not been culled, so don’t worry about your precious buns!

▷ The booth also boasts several other exotic meats and vegetables that are considerably safer to eat, for guests who find themselves unable to overcome their attachment. Some of these skewers also feature fruits, including the hybrid ones from the previous gardening collab with the Dizzy Pigeon. Characters are free to revisit any of the Orchard prompts under the Smoky Nectar section of our PREVIOUS TDM.

A SHOW OF STRENGTH

▷ When the projected sun is at its highest, staff members will start bringing out tarps and watermelons, fresh from the gardens. What’s that, you ask? Oh, of course these were donated willingly! What a strange question!

▷ The goal is to smash the watermelon the staff give you until the succulent red fruit inside is splattered all across the tarp, perfect for falling comically into or... eating, if you’re into that. The rules are that you must use your buttocks to do so, and you only get two tries. Successfully cracking open the watermelon on the first try will earn characters a large payout, and if it’s on the second try, a medium payout.

▷ Failing to bust a watermelon at all won’t have any penalties associated with it, and you can always try again tomorrow! In order to keep their watermelon supplies steady for the duration of the beach festivities, the staff do ask that guests attempt this no more than once per day.

DAYDREAM PARASOLS

▷ Every umbrella set up on the sands has two lounge chairs set up underneath it, with a shared table between them. The chairs are padded and oh-so-comfy — sitting in them for too long while another person is present will result in both characters falling into a deep sleep.

▷ While asleep, characters will discover they’re sharing a dream with their umbrella-mate. The dream is always set on the same beach as the waking world, but there are floating clouds and sparkles in a range of pastel colors. Other beachgoers are faceless, if not entirely absent. It’s just the two of you.

▷ Anything the characters think of can drift in and out of the dreamscape, including but not limited to items from home, scary monsters to dramatically rescue your partner from, and strange abilities to fly or float through the air. However, characters will also be at full suit activation in the dream. Once both characters orgasm or they naturally wake up from their naps, they’ll find things are entirely back to normal, as much as they ever are in the resort.

NOTES

▶ All new arrivals have been issued four food and four clothing vouchers. These vouchers are as good as money around the resort. The staff will strongly insist on characters picking out "summery" attire with it, though.

▶ Existing characters may be booted into the bungalows or locked out of their room against their will. We leave it up to player discretion if this happens and the degree to which they're removed from their normal suite.

▶ For the Daydream Parasols, wildcards may be afflicted by whichever suit their player prefers for the duration of the dream. This will have no bearing on their suit selection when applying, and suit effects should not manifest once back in the waking world. It's just a dream, after all!

▶ The dreamscape has no explicit time limit, so feel free to make them as long or as short as desired. Dreams should also be sexy first and foremost. While you can include your mom dying in the background if you'd like, you have to be horny about it too.

TWINKLING CURRENTS

THE PARTY NEVER STOPS

As the sun sets in a cascade of colors over the water, lamps are lit and floating lights surface from the depths. Stars twinkle in the sky, and Steve is finally released from his smoky shackles. Though the daytime amenities have gone to sleep, the night promises its own set of beachy wonders sure to please even the most distinguished of vacationers.

Flyers posted in the lobby and in the hallways promise of a bar ran by the most enchanting mermaids you could ever want to fuck, as well as a fireworks show in every color, including ones you’ve never heard of. With the seagulls gone to bed, peace settles across the sands, tinted blue, yellow, and pink from the myriad of lights. For those seeking a more subdued, romantic air — this is the beach for you.

SWIM UP TO THE BAR

▷ While the advertisements promised mermaids, they were careful not to include any photos or illustrations. Wading out into the sea to the floating bar quickly illustrates why: these merfolk are fish on top, not the bottom! If asked about this configuration or accused of being unsexy, they’ll lift their elegant legs out of the water and exclaim, “How else would you be able to fuck us if not for these!” Though a few guests seem unsatisfied by this clarification, there are no complaints about the drinks themselves.

▷ HOLDING ON TO SUMMER. This cocktail brings seaberry-gin, limoncello, white crème de cacao, and freshly squeezed lemon juice over pebbled ice, wrapping you in decadent flavors accenting the season. Drinking this cocktail can cause you to be overcome with the desire to lean back and sink into the ocean itself, but fret not! It also grants you the wonderful ability to breathe underwater, no gills required! And it’s topped with a yummy little ball of white chocolate.

▷ MANGO STAR. A delightfully bright drink in a highball glass, the combination of elderflower rose syrup and seaberry-gin floats a summery pink over the orange mixture of mango juice, lime juice and honey syrup on the bottom. On top are two cute little stars cut out of mango, accented with mint leaves. Guests who drink this cocktail report some confusion in the identity of other guests, as just one drink is enough to shift perception of others. Other characters may appear to be different guests of the resort, or familiar faces from home.

▷ SEABERRY FLORADORA. This is a vibrant cocktail made of seaberry-gin, ginger beer, lime juice and raspberry syrup, highlighted by floral ice cubes and edible flowers. Despite its bright pink color indicating a level of cheerfulness for the summer, this flavorful cocktail causes guests to be quickly overwhelmed with a sense of loneliness. The longer this sensation goes on, the more guests will try to seek out company to aid in the ache, even if it means appearing quite desperate in the process. Each successive drink will increase the severity of the effect.

▷ BLACKBERRY ROSEMARY GIMLET. Blackberries, rosemary sprigs, simple syrup, and a combination of seaberry-gin and lime juice make this aromatic cocktail. It’s double strained over ice and garnished with a blackberry on a pick, giving it a regal appearance. Drinking this cocktail causes obsessive and possessive behavior, however — sometimes to extreme levels. Should your partner choose this cocktail to drink, you may not want to mention anything that could make them jealous. Each successive drink will increase the severity of the effect.

▷ JUST SOME SEAWATER? Questioning the mermaids and mermen on how they came to be the way that they are will result in them offering you an item off the sea-cret menu. Taking a glass from the bar, they dip it into the ocean and offer it right over to you. Drinking the seawater does, in fact, turn you into a very sexy reverse merman or mermaid. This occurs whether or not you drink it from the glass or take in a gulp while swimming, so watch out!

ACROSS THE NIGHT SKY

▷ Where else could you get a perfect view of the stars? Despite the sea of lights below, the artificial nature of the skies in the resort means that all guests get an unrivaled view of the galaxy. Which galaxy? Why, any of them — characters will see a shifting range of constellations from night to night, including ones they don’t recognize, ones shaped a bit like something you might find in Love Dove, and ones that are identical to those from their home. Happy gazing!

▷ A fireworks show is held every night, from 10PM until 1AM. The noises are just loud enough to block out a whispered confession timed correctly, but aren’t quite enough to inhibit conversation. Most of the fireworks are from a design series known as Matteo’s Masterpieces, and range from the standard burst to abstract shapes to... well, you know. Unlike the sloppy doodles found in the margins of books while Swan Lake was decaying, all of the boobs and dicks blasted across the sky are very well rendered. For fireworks.

SANDY SCAVENGING

A GAME OF BEACHES

It wouldn't be the Golden Peacock without a game for guests to play! All guests that wander into the beach area may find themselves receiving one of two Watch messages. Some very special guests may even receive both challenges — or continuously receive a new challenge when the last 24 hours is up. The resort just wants you to have the most fun possible!

SCAVENGER HUNT: EASY MODE (SFW)

Hello, dear guest. You have been randomly selected to play our EASY MODE: SCAVENGER HUNT! You have 24 hours to complete this hunt. Once completed, please submit your collected items to the nearest SEAGULL LIFEGUARD to claim your reward of Great Tit! Dessert Vouchers and a large payout.

Guests who do not complete the hunt in 24 hours will be hunted down and then publicly spanked by a SEAGULL LIFEGUARD.

Please note that items scavenged may not be personal items. They must be collected from other sources. Good luck!

1. Collect one unfinished drink.

2. Collect two kisses.

3. Collect three pairs of sunglasses.

4. Collect four sets of sandals.

5. Collect five feathers from a lifeguard.

SCAVENGER HUNT: HARD MODE (NSFW)

Hello, dear guest. You have been randomly selected to play our HARD MODE: SCAVENGER HUNT! You have 24 hours to complete this hunt. Once completed, please submit your collected items to the nearest SEAGULL LIFEGUARD to claim your reward of Naked Yolk Kink Vouchers and an extra-large payout. Winners will also be given a limited edition WINNER pin. Any guests wearing a WINNER pin will be treated as kings and queens of the beach, and be permitted to command any other guests as they see fit.

Guests who do not complete the hunt in 24 hours will be hunted down, stripped, and then strapped into the fuck pillory by our SEAGULL LIFEGUARDS. Losers will be free game for other guests to use for their pleasure.

Please note that items scavenged may not be personal items. They must be collected from other sources. Good luck!

1. Collect one cup of cum.

2. Collect two bite marks.

3. Collect three pubic hairs.

4. Collect four nudes (nude images).

5. Collect five bathing suit bottoms.

NOTES

▶ All effects from the swim-up bar last around 2-3 hours, but may be extended by having another drink.

INTO THE DEPTHS

IT'S HIGH TIDE WE GET OUT OF HERE

Though the beach experience is perfect on the surface, things are less elegant behind the scenes. Wave-making machines pulse and rattle down below, shaking the ceiling of the basement suites. Water leaks from pipes, streaking across walls and pooling on the uneven floors. The maintenance levels are abuzz with staff setting out buckets and pans, shooing lost guests away with a heightened level of urgency. Someone got a little too enthusiastic with mopping, they claim. Nothing to worry about at all!

Even the ocean itself isn’t without its issues. Despite appearing as a boundless expanse from the shore, the walls of the Golden Peacock are a very real factor. To avoid any undue damage to the screens that comprise the sky, the sea stops abruptly before it reaches them, cascading into a waterfall all the way down to the depths of the resort. Gentle currents become swirling vortexes and choppy waves, sure to pull down any guests that aren’t careful about where they swim. A few gull-guards patrol the line of buoys that mark the end of the safe swimming area, but the primary line of defense the resort relies on is the utter disinterest most of its guests have.

TUMBLING DOWN

▷ Characters who stray past the line of buoys out in the far sea will find themselves caught in a riptide that sucks them straight over the edge of the water. This applies both to characters swimming, or characters in some sort of vessel, such as a small rowboat borrowed from the staff.

▷ Feel free to make up any sort of vehicle rentals in general, as long as they’re reasonable in size — they should be able to accommodate 1-2 characters at most. A waverider would be okay, but a yacht would not.

▷ While falling down the waterfall, characters will temporarily black out before hitting anything solid. They will resurface anywhere there is standing water, whether that be a flooded hallway, in the Crane’s Respite, or even in someone’s open toilet bowl. There are no limitations on where in the resort the resurfacing can happen; even the bathrooms at Roost aren’t safe from this teleportation.

A RISING FLOOD

▷ Drainage is a difficult aspect to manage. Though the majority of the seawater is recycled to maintain the ocean above, enough of it is siphoned off for deeper filtration that the resort’s plumbing systems simply can’t handle the volume. Leaks are happening on all floors below ground, increasing in depth the further down into the basement characters go.

▷ Characters living in the rank 2, 3, and 4 suites may notice that in addition to having leaks in the hallway, their own rooms are also flooding. This can range anywhere from a constant, unpleasantly damp floor, to having an entire cascade of water blow them and any other unsuspecting guests down several hallways the moment their door is opened. Life vests are recommended.

▷ The flooding will intensify as the event goes on, culminating in some of the maintenance levels being entirely underwater towards the end of the event. Once the event is over, the flooding will recede within about a day, leaving only a few water stains here and there as evidence of their presence.

NOTES

▶ Any amount of standing water is a valid target for a character’s resurfacing, even something as minor as a glass of water. For situations where a character would not actively fit into the source of their arrival, they will be violently flung out of it, knocking over or spilling it in the process if that’s possible.

▶ As always, players are free to control the level to which their individual characters are affected, and being flooded out of their space is not mandatory.

---

OOC NOTES

INVITES | RESERVES | APPLICATIONS

▶ BLANKET CW: alcohol; altered states; aphrodisiacs; breeding urge; delusions; forced clotheswearing; hallucinations; harassment and bullying; jealousy; thalassophobia; transformation; unreality

▶ All 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 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 June event. The beach will ICly be present from June 15th - June 30th.

▶ Current characters may top level on the TDM. 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 prioritized and receive attention!

▶ If you aren't satisfied with these prompts, please feel free to check out our LOCATIONS to explore more of the resort! There are recent additions to the locations page as well, for those who have yet to see them!

▶ 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 regardless!

▶ 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.

▶ Don't forget your sunscreen! We'd hate for any chicken wings to come out burnt.

NAVIGATION • LOG • NETWORK • OOC • MEME

Comments

Ianthe Tridentarius | The Locked Tomb | Current Player/New Character

[vorrible]

arrival

[It is quite jarring to go from a station isolated 40 billion light years away from the rest of civilization—and also under attack—to a bustling beach. Whether this is salvation, madness, or disaster, she can't yet say. Probably a mix of at least two out of the three.

After exiting the bungalow where she awoke, Ianthe walks barefoot through the sand with her purple and gold (very on-brand, she'll give it that) robe fluttering in the artificial breeze. That's the first thing she really takes note of, aside from the people—that all of this, the sky, the breeze, the waves, is an elaborate bit of set dressing. This makes more sense to her than the alternative, though it gives her no comfort beyond that.

She'll sidle up to the nearest person who doesn't have a fucking bird head and ask,]

Quick question. What the fuck?

[For someone wearing only a flimsy, loosely-belted robe, she doesn't seem particularly self-conscious of being exposed. She also cuts a rather imposing and perhaps unsettling figure, being that she's over six feet tall, built like a gangly scarecrow, and her right arm is a fleshless gilded skeleton. ]

barbecue bonanza: hybrid fruit skewers

[Later on, having at some point added a gold and black one piece swimsuit under the robe, she's drawn to the barbecue booth by the smell of cooked meat. She's totally indifferent to the plight of what's-his-name, flashing a voucher at him and walking away with a couple of skewers of indeterminate meat, vegetables, and fruit (which may turn out to be a pearapple or a cherryuzu).

The taste is better than she expects, if a bit odd, and she polishes off the first one rather quickly. As she swallows down the last bite of unknown fruit and sucks the skewer clean, Ianthe suddenly zeroes in on someone nearby with a gleam in her eye.]

Have you tried these? They're delectable.

scavenger hunt: hard mode (nsfw)

[Though she is skeptical of the message, she also doesn't feel like fighting a bunch of seagull-headed freaks trying to drag her to the fuck pillory, so hey ho.

Bathing suit bottoms are the easiest item on the list. Those she can just snatch—and she does, scoping out any that might be left unattended by skinny-dippers or exhibitionists, though she's not above plucking a pair of tie-side bikini bottoms right off or pantsing someone in baggy swim trunks if she has to.

Nudes, well, again there may be some people going at it in public with zero sense of decorum, and she'll snap some candids if she can. Otherwise, she's left with approaching likely targets—those who give off a vibe of being confident, shameless, maybe a smidge enamored with their own looks—and flashing her most coquettish smile.]

Show me yours and I'll show you mine?

[Pubic hairs—good God, really?—she can, with any luck, acquire from the stolen swimsuit bottoms. If not, she'll see if she can two-for-one any of the other list items. Bite marks are a bit trickier, because her Lyctoral healing will instantaneously erase them from her own skin. She'll have to bite someone else and get pictures to have something to turn in.

As for a cup of cum, if she's come this far already, she won't be stopped at the last hurdle. Scavenging an abandoned cocktail glass, she'll look for a horny idiot and impatiently thrust the receptacle at him.]

Get your dick out. This should only take a minute.

[With the creative application of flesh necromancy, that is.]

wildcard

[Open to playing with other prompts as well, particularly the cocktail effects, or threads set in other locations in the resort! Ping me on plurk @ onedumbjoke if you want to hash something out. Ianthe's permissions/kinks are here, using an old post as a placeholder for now.]

barbecue bonanza: hybrid fruit skewers

[air_head]

You're offering? So kind of you!

[The effortless attempt at modesty over that shiny swimsuit is endearing to Shi Qingxuan, almost reminding her of someone else. For her part, she's foregone all and any steps at cover-ups, strolling out without the annoying buzzing of Ming Yi to either put something on or slather that funny smelling oil on her body.

The suggestion is all Shi Qingxuan needs to lean forward for a bite. If it's a misunderstanding--and how could it be?--she could just apologize later.]

[vorrible]

[Wellll, she hadn't intended to share her own so much as make conversation, but the warm, fluttery feeling settling into her chest after tasting that tangy fruit means she doesn't mind all that much. More than that, she finds it cute, and she indulgently holds the skewer out for the woman to taste and even turns it at an angle for a better bite.]

Good, isn't it?

[She prompts with simpering sweetness. Ianthe can't quite pinpoint what brought on this sudden surge of fondness, clueless that the food could be the cause rather than mere correlation, but she's leaning into it for now.]

[air_head]

[The fruit explodes in her mouth, leaving the pulp to disintigrate over her tongue at its leisure. Two streaks of juice trickle treacherously along the corners of her lips, leaving one trail to drip down Shi Qingxuan's chin, and then her collarbone.

What a mess.]

Excuse me! [Not that she seems much bothered, wiping at one side of her mouth with the back of her hand. On the bright side, it's not as if she's wearing much to be stained at this point, not that laundry has ever been specifically Shi Qingxuan's problem. That's for other people to worry about.]

How did you luck out with so many anyway?

[vorrible]

[Her eyes track the trail of juice as it spills over her collarbone.]

It must be my winning personality.

[Haha, as if. More like she chose to ignore any fine print about how many skewers a voucher entitled her to, and good ol' Steeb was too intimidated or sweaty or cottonmouthed from dehydration to contradict her.]

Is there meant to be a limit?

[air_head]

The limit is only your imagination!

[Not to be one to reward bad behavior, but it's the least amount of pampering they deserve for being hosted at the resort against their will at all. The implication dawns on Shi Qingxuan a moment too late, a laugh puffing past her lips.]

Haha, you weren't really asking. Let me know if you decide to go back for refills.

hybrid fruit skewers ( HELLO! I love Ianthe and am so excited at the idea of her at GP! )

[tohell]

Would you be willing to share if I haven't? [ J counters, using the end of his leonine tail to flip open the top of a nearby plastic cooler. It's packed to the brim with cubed ice and assorted beverages, both spiked and alcohol-free options alike. Sparkling water makes an appearance too, alongside sugary fruit juice with cutesy cartoon animal mascots on the can, as if to mock anyone who'd choose it. ]

In exchange, I'll let you take your pick of refreshments, just to make things fair. [ The way he lays down the terms of this arrangement while stretching out comfortably in his lounge chair, sunglasses doing nothing to obscure a third eye, blood-red and locked not upon the sharp angles of a feminine face or scantily clad attributes, but the glimmering of a metallic skeletal arm—well, no part of his demeanor gives the impression that altruism is what's driving this bargain. 

As a demon, all that glitters with hints of gold will forever draw his eye. And the flesh-free ornament Ianthe's arm has become, in all its gilded bone glory, has the same morbid allure of a fatal car crash. But there's more to it than that. Curiosity, or far worse, the sudden and ironclad grip of his keen interest, is more likely the culprit. ]

hello!! excited to be a menace

[vorrible]

[For her part, she's simply fascinated by whatever is going on with this man's anatomy. She's seen plenty of those gull-headed lifeguards by now, so he's not the first chimeric being she's encountered here, but this takes it to a new level. There's an elegance to his blended features that the bird men, appearing clumsily-grafted by comparison, are lacking. What is he?]

Let me see what you have. These are quite juicy, but I could go for a tipple to wash them down.

[She goes to peer into the cooler, daintily poking through the assortment with a rustle of ice and the soft clink of metal-on-metal. Spying a canned margarita that promises 10% alcohol by volume, she plucks it out and flicks open the tab with a golden distal phalanx.]

Ooh, fun. Here you are, then.

[She offers her remaining skewer, the end pinched between her fingers like a cigarette, for him to take.]

fruit skewers!

[belheir]

[Oh yes, he knows those fruits. He'd been almost waylaid by them the other month when they'd first made their appearance. That being said, he did also just watch her absolutely pound them back and then lick up the juice.

Oh dear.

The absolutely lanky teen that she's just questioned isn't wearing anything too special. Just a pair of solid blue swim trunks, though his torso and upper arms are littered with various scars. Scratch marks, bite marks with too many teeth to have been from a normal animal, and a nice fist sized scar centred in the middle of his chest that's healed particularly unevenly.

That being said, he just looks mildly concerned for her.]

Uh. Did anyone tell you the name of the fruit on those skewers...?

[This lady is about to learn a very important lesson, isn't she.]

[vorrible]

[It's a mildly interesting set of scars, though her attention is sidetracked almost immediately by the question. What is that supposed to mean?]

They did not. Care to enlighten me?

[She didn't ask what any of it was called before eating it because it hadn't seemed important at the time. Probably some local—to wherever this is—species, who cares. She supposes it's possible it might be something one needs to build a tolerance for, but if the fruit turns out to contain some kind of toxin she can always manually flush it from her system. Maximize her liver and kidney function for a while.

She'll wait for the explanation before jumping the gun on that, though. Maybe the fruit just has a stupid name.]

[belheir]

Pearapple and cherryuzu.

[Which would seem to be the be all end all of it, but that's never really the case with these things. Kazuya rubs the back of his neck a little sheepishly.]

Most of the food here is drugged in one way or another. One of those makes you feel intensified positive emotions, the other intense negative emotions. Though maybe they'll cancel each other out, since you ate them together?

[Hard to say. He does not envy her for eating them together.]

[vorrible]

Hm.

[—is all that she says at first. Those are stupid names. Did they just mash two fruits together? Why? Beyond that, well, it doesn't sound like she's in for a great time. There's a certain... giddy energy welling up in her already that could lend itself just as well to elation or violence.

On second thought, maybe everyone else is going to have a bad time instead.]

Perhaps I'll discover a new feeling. Why is the food drugged?

[belheir]

Usually it's because they want to encourage you to have sex.

[Blunt. To the point. He's already been drugged often enough that while he is, in fact, a little mad about it, he sees it as something like dealing with the weather. Annoying, but able to be dealt with.]

I'm not sure what sort of negativity would lead towards that sort of thing, but they've brought all sorts here, so who knows.

[vorrible]

So, do not eat or drink anything unless I'm prepared to jump someone's bones after. Noted.

[She sounds piqued, but not as upset as one might reasonably expect for having been told that the refreshments are a roofie roulette. Maybe that's the positive side of the fruit at work, or maybe her perspective is just that skewed.]

I can imagine quite easily how one would lead to the other. Have you never had hate sex?

[Said in a tone much like, "Have you never had pizza?"]

[belheir]

[Well. He was expecting a bigger reaction, but honestly? He's relieved that she doesn't seem to mind, nor does she take out what he just told her on him. Very "Don't Shoot The Messenger" of her. He approves.]

... Is that seriously a thing? I can't imagine wanting to have sex with someone I hate at all, honestly.

[Especially at this point in his life. It feels like that might get a little too bloody, and not exactly in a fun way.]

[vorrible]

[Warming to the topic, she leans in with a theatrical flourish.]

Of course it is. Hate is a passionate feeling. Picture this, you're having a heated argument with someone you despise, things get a little physical... then a lot physical.

[She raises and lowers her eyebrows deviously.]

Someone gets slammed into a wall or a table, someone bleeds, you can vent all that aggression with a bang.

[belheir]

I dunno, that doesn't really seem like something I'd do. I get there being rough sex, but I don't think I'd go out of my way to have sex with someone I dislike.

[And yet, Akechi exists. Though maybe that's just a higher tier of "annoyance" than "actively dislike". That being said:]

I feel like I'd sooner probably just end up killing someone like that.

arrival

[molotovmoustache]

[Baptiste stands at the shore, watching the ebb and flow of the tide. He hasn't put together all the different technologies that have gone into this elaborate set dressing because those technologies are a far-off dream in the world he knows. Instead, his intense eyes search for something he's far more attuned to: supernatural influence. While it's clear that he's been spirited away from the camp his troupe had set up for the night, the hunter works to puzzle how. An unruly fae who feeds off indulgence and taboo? An elaborate mindmaze from a bloodsucker? An illusion from a particularly talented mage? The list of possibilities stretched on - but whatever it was there was one thing Baptiste knew as a hunter.

If he was alone against it - he was in a world of trouble. Undeniable Red Flag #2 for any seasoned hunter has arisen: Don't be a hero. Never work against the supernatural alone.

Yet a sharp question pulls him from his thoughts, his brows raising in amusement as he barks out a laugh. He turns to better look at the owner of this clever little quip, only to find his eyes going upward to fully capture the visage of the tall woman. Her gilded bones do not escape his notice. His gaze lingers.]

Glad I'm not the only one asking that. Between waking up stripped of my effects and trying to dodge the glances of birdmen - I was starting to wonder why more people weren't asking that very pertinent question.

[Baptiste's eyes finally tear away from the skeleton arm, instead rising to get a better look at her face. She wasn't a LaFontaine - but the brand of intensity set in her very person could've had him believing they were family. Something about the way her brow set, perhaps? He couldn't not see his sister in her.]

[vorrible]

[For her part, Ianthe sees nothing kindred or familiar in the man she's singled out to address. He's simply the first person she's spotted with regular human features and a pulse and, she can hope, some level of brain activity. Baseline qualifications, but one must start somewhere. She flicks a pale lock of hair that the breeze has blown across her face away with her flesh hand.]

Most people don't ask enough questions.

[Or the wrong questions. She has a rather dim view of the general population's critical thinking skills.]

Where were you before this?

[There were only six people on the Mithraeum—God, Augustine, Mercymorn, Gideon (the First), Harrowhark, and herself. This man and anyone else in the same predicament must have been taken from somewhere else. That already indicates an enormous range, given how far removed from everything the station was. Nothing inhabited for light-years and light-years around. Ascertaining where exactly he came from may give her a better sense of scope, at least.]

[molotovmoustache]

[The very fact that she sees nothing kindred would only strengthen his argument.]

[Baptiste captures his chin, rubbing the side of his pointer finger against his scarred chin as his brows furrow in a motion of faux-pondering. His lips purse together.]

Chicago? I had just finished our nightly show in Chicago, Illinois for the 1893 World's Fair.

[His answer is simple, but it offers an important detail. This man - having just awoken to a feast of technologies his brain could barely parse - had been so far removed from the possibilities of "space stations" or "distant galaxies" that the idea to elaborate on his planet doesn't readily reach him.

Until he catches another glance of that golden skeletal limb, at least.]

I can add planet Earth if that gives any sort of guidance.... Well does any of that have any significance to you?

[A smirk plays on his features as he waits for her answer.]