peacockstop | TDM 04

Entry tags:

!mod,
!tdm

TDM 04

【 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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

a show of strength.
[ Months ago, it might have taken a certain amount of goading, cajoling, and perhaps even bribery to convince Gladio to participate in even such an innocuous tournament. While he's certainly no stranger to showing off—and certainly unmissable for his size and obvious strength—nothing about this resort has ever rung entirely genuine for him. That is still the case now, especially with yet another change to the gardens, but it's been so long since he's gotten to experience anything like the outdoors, with a true feeling of warmth and sunlight, that he's willing to let down his walls, if only just a little bit.

There's been no shortage of boastful guests failing miserably, of course, the outer shell of the melons deceptively thick and hardy. He also has to admit that there's something lamentable about the amount of wasted food, especially with how red and juicy the flesh looks as it bakes out in the lamplight sun, creating a sticky sheen over the tarp with each (eventual) success. One thing he notes above all is that only a handful of participants seem to be checking their melons beforehand. A flick of the fingers and an ear that listens for the welcome, hollow thump of ripeness. He recognizes the trick, can practically imagine Ignis here, knocking away as if they're at some beachside stand in Old Lestallum, and it brings a soft smile to his face despite himself. ]

Care to throw your hat into the ring, big guy?

[ A casual, flirtatious offer from the MC, and Gladio turns that smirk towards her, folding his arms. There's a look on his face like he is considering his options, as the crowd groans in shared misery over another failed attempt. After a beat, Gladio turns his gaze to the guest beside him, and offers: ]

I feel like this could be more interesting. [ Such overconfidence. ] Go pick out a melon for me. If I get it in one, you join me at the bar for a drink. If I don't, you get to pick a date for us instead.

[ Is this actually a win-win for him? Yes but maybe that detail will slip by~ ]

a brush with romance.
[ While the lifeguards have left him alone for the most part, the last line of the agreement hadn't exactly sat well with him. He's not interested in trouble, and a scavenger hunt seems harmless enough. Besides, any excuse to bum around the beach a little longer is a good excuse. And what better excuse could there be, really, than to approach a stranger and casually ask for a harmless trade, or perhaps even to work together towards the goal.

Charming and charismatic, then, he makes pretty good progress fairly quickly (though he's saving those feathers for last. A drink is easy to acquire by offering to pay for a new one. And there are all kinds of things buried in the sand, if one bothers to dig even a little. Gladio approaches, then, all in black as usual, wearing a pair of sunglasses with another balanced on his head, a pair of leather sandals on his feet and another tied together with a length of discarded rope, dangling around his neck. His grin is easy, hopefully unsuspicious, and his Watch is prepped with the checklist of items just in case he's questioned about his motives. ]

This probably isn't the first time today you've been asked for this, but I was hoping you might be able to help me out with one of the kisses I need to collect for the scavenger hunt.

a glimpse of home(sickness).
[ It's not that he hasn't learned his lesson, between the other drink he'd tried today or even just his general experience with almost every consumable in the resort being a dice roll. It's simply that fireworks and a spot on the beach always feel a bit better with an icy drink in hand. He'd been tempted by the inclusion of the seaberry gin, and the ginger beer, and while it isn't anything he'd typically order, a fruity cocktail once in awhile isn't so bad. Besides, the lime juice is refreshing, and he figures that nothing so cheerfully colored can mean anything bad.

Famous last thoughts, of course.

The sun is long gone, but he takes up a place at one of the handful of bonfires crackling away in the sand. This, truly, feels like what he's been missing, as he takes his first sip. The scent of the wood and smoke, the rush of the waves as they crash along the shoreline—obviously it's the former that causes his eyes to itch and water, causes his chest to clench with a powerful ache. He sighs, heavily, to try to rid himself of the tightness, and turns to another seated at the same campfire, disappointed when the face doesn't look anything like Noctis. ]

You been here long? About three and half months now, for me, I think...

[ He takes another drink to stop himself, and to stop the strange compulsion to continue sharing. Though he'll have to swallow eventually. ]

ooc.
[ open to wildcards and other prompts above! gen or not-so-gen tags welcome. available via pm if you want to talk details but otherwise happy to roll with things~ ]

( one of his hands lifts, fanning lightly at his face--even if the sun isn't necessarily real here, it's a little hot, and he's tired of sweating through his unbuttoned, flowery overshirt, tired of feeling hot in his black swim trunks and matching flip flops. it's been at least an hour or two since they've gotten here for the day, and he's already parched, already wanting to jump into the water and swim out to see if there's anything lurking beneath the depths; maybe nothing as funny as a sea cucumber or anything he could make jokes over, but there might be fish, or jellyfish, or things to touch and feel and marvel over. it's been awhile since that trip to okinawa, awhile since things felt like fun and not lethargy--

but it's not worth it to let his thoughts go down that path. he's not going to let himself be dragged down by that. better to focus on the fact that it's been at least an hour or two and gladiolus hasn't even offered to buy him a drink until now. and it's all because of some contest?

standing at his side, playfully annoyed, his hand fans a little quicker. )

Haaaa? ( drawled out, like he doesn't think the bet is really worth it. still: ) Okay, big guy--

( his nose wrinkles, immediately grinning, but he quickly darts to the side to avoid being slugged, spanked, or something else retaliatory. instead, he pushes his sunglasses up into pale, messy hair, and moves to crouch near the crowd of watermelons, hands on his knees. naturally it's easy enough for him to reason out which is the best one: the six eyes immediately tell him everything he needs to know about the hardness of the rind, the thickness of the fruit meat inside.

so naturally: he picks the hardest one. patting both hands onto it, he looks over his shoulder, beaming. )

This one, ossan~.

[ By now, they have a rapport, if not something akin to routine. And part of that routine involves far less of Gladio being perhaps as chivalrous or charming as he might otherwise be. (Read: If Satoru wanted a drink, he was welcome to ask at any time.) There are hang ups, lingering since that fateful night in March, that he's still working through—even and especially now, when Satoru agrees to see the new sights, to sweat under the sun with him in the kind of clothing Gladio prefers. Sure, he'd complimented the kid in a teasing, backhanded sort of way when he'd slipped into that gaudy printed shirt, mostly because he looked so good in it. And maybe that's a new part of the routine, or a new branding of the old one: Gladio fighting with his increasingly hard to ignore inclinations, and the questions about himself those inclinations try to force him to face.

Not even for the first time today are they are the forefront of his mind, gaze drifting over the shape of Satoru as he sizes up the row of potential watermelons. There's plenty he still doesn't know, maybe doesn't really want to know, about what he can and can't do with those strange powers of his. Not that he really knows whether to believe some of the things Satoru says about them, with how fantastic some of them sound to him, a guy who's seen all kinds of technology that apparently only shows up in "science fiction" movies in Japan. He's rolling that conversation over again in his mind when Satoru turns to him, grinning suspiciously. ]

I already regret this. [ Said to himself, to the heavens, as he rolls his eyes and gestures to the MC to take that one to the tarp. He meets her there, rolling his shoulders, and not so surreptitiously adjusting himself in his shorts. The tarp is as sticky as it looked from the sidelines, his sandals sounding like Velcro as he approaches the center, in full view of the throng of hopefuls and, honestly, just horny onlookers.

And he takes a few moments after it's set down, since there's no hard time limit, to knock on the shell himself and heft it a little. His gaze is razor sharp as he glances at Satoru, mouth frowning with his consternation. He's no expert at this by far, but he knows a set-up when he sees one.

A choice word is muttered under his breath as he shakes his head, his breathing already slowing, focus honing deliberately. It's just another form of training: a way to channel his strength and spirit from top to bottom instead of bottom to top. He has the leg strength, the core strength for this; he has the knowledge of his body for this.

And yet, despite all of this—from his practiced squat to his booming kiai—his hard, targeted landing only manages to just crack the rind, not shatter it. The rind itself responds in kind to the assault by sending a discomforting spike of pain through his glute and hamstring on the left side, though he only furrows his brow to show it. ]

Ah~ A real shame, big guy! We all thought you had it in one!

[ Not helpful, lady. He doesn't dare glance at Satoru as he re-centers for attempt two. ]

Wah~. ( he says, a soft echo, as the staff move to take the watermelon from in front of him--it's going to be a hard sell, he knows, especially with gladiolus' reaction, but a part of him thinks that with the amount of power that he knows gladiolus has in his body, maybe it won't be so bad. maybe he won't break his ass trying to win a bet.

or maybe he will. he's not entirely sure which outcome he wants, as he pushes back up onto his feet, immediately skirting around the crowd that's gathered around the ring. with a few gentle elbows, he makes it to the front, already grinning as he lowers his sunglasses back down, as though they might help shield his amusement.

there's a large, loud sound, and he thinks that maybe gladiolus has cracked through the center of the earth--but it's just that the watermelon has split, just a little bit; he offers a careless shrug, but gladiolus isn't even looking at him, already circling around like he's going to go back in for another smash.

with a soft frown, he immediately juts a hand up into the air, yelling-- )

Wait...! Wait! Look at that!

( look at what? most of the crowd turns to look at him, and the announcer even looks at him in expectation--of course, his other hand is curled down at his hip, fingers flexed to flick the smallest burst of red out towards the crack in the fruit.

with another shout, he waves his free arm around, as though impatient--

--and the watermelon immediately cracks, split apart, pieces exploding out...all onto gladiolus' front. )

[ Is it disappointing? Of course, mmaybe not even so much that it happened in front of a crowd of strangers, but that it happened in front of the kid. Not that he's gunning to impress him at this point, at least not with the strength that he'd dismissed at a glance the very moment they'd met. But his ego still feels bruised maybe even more than his ass as he sizes up the barely-there dent he's made in the melon Satoru had picked out. Definitely on purpose. Maybe he does want to be impressed, despite what that mouth of his says.

Speaking of his mouth, the shouting of course catches Gladio's attention too, brow dark with irritation. It's not so much at the interruption as it is...well, okay, it's probably mostly the interruption, dragging out his humiliation just a little bit longer, probably with some smart-ass comment about his failure. Color him surprised (which apparently is red) when the melon suddenly bursts open, as if the crack had released some sort of pressure built up within the rind and all it needed was a few moments more to react.

The flesh inside isn't particularly sweet, but a large piece of it does splat against his cheek before falling uselessly to the tarp, beside his sandal. It's perhaps the only time his all-black outfit has proven to be of any benefit, since at least it won't stain despite the way he's absolutely covered. ]

Would you look at that, folks! [ There's excitement in her voice, but more than a little skepticism in her expression as the MC redirects everyone's attention to the tarp. ] I've certainly seen stranger things in this competetion, but since I didn't see anything at all, it seems like our Strongman managed a one-shot after all~ Come collect your participation ribbon, big guy.

[ Sheepish, confused, and drenched in watermelon juice, he squelches his way toward the table to get his ribbon as his Watch chimes with his prize money. He then makes a bee-line to Satoru, sticky hand scooping him up by a scrawny elbow to scoot them hurriedly away, towards the nearest drink stand. ]

You're buying. Drinks and an ice pack.

OOC NOTES

Gladiolus Amicitia | Final Fantasy XV | 9♦️ (current player)

a show of strength.

listen here you little--

don't kill him~

SIGH the emasculation......

a glimpse of home(sickness)

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a glimpse of home

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a brush with romance

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a brush with romance.

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brush with romance

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