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

[starcinoma]

Oof-

[ she takes the bap to her head with an admirable grace, her eager expression falling in shame. she's bad...? she's not the best? how could you say that to her, beautiful girlfriend who she loves very much?

(don't worry. judging from the tent in her swimsuit, she's not feeling too bad about it.) ]

I just missed you a lot, Finality...

[endyourstory]

I missed you too! You don't have to feel bad about it.

[ she giggles, patting Stelle on the head and tugging her toward a nearby outcropping. yeah, she actually doesn't really have the patience to trudge all the way back and through the hotel, either. years of being able to punch holes in spacetime really does a number on the desire to use any other form of transportation. ]

And...it's just Kiana right now, I guess. K-423. Other Sirin. None of the fancy titles, though.

[starcinoma]

You're still you, though. Both of you.

[ she stumbles as kiana tugs her, following her with an eagerness to each step. and as soon as they're behind the outcropping-

-yeah, kiana's getting firmly but lovingly pinned against the wall. this is where her tail would be lashing, if she still had it. ]

And... even without fancy titles, I'm just glad you're here with me. [ a smile, and a little kiss. ] Both of you.

[endyourstory]

Uh-huh. Of course.

[ another giggle once she's pinned, as she leans in to touch her forehead against stelle's. she reaches up with both of her hands, too, to ruffle the other woman's hair excitedly. as sexy as this all is, she's really more glad for the touch over anything - the time between the last dream and this one, back in isolation on the moon, was almost too much to bear. ]

...Yeah! I'm glad you're here, too. I don't know what I'd do in another place like this without someone familiar.

Besides hit on girls, I guess.

[starcinoma]

That's not fair. You'd also tell everyone how pretty Mei is.

[ fingers coil through her hair. and though it feels different than the last time - though her hair feels empty and kiana's fingers trace where antlers used to be - she leans into the touch nonetheless, shifting her legs until they fit perfectly against her girlfriend's. she rolls her hips; she presses her lips to kiana's, so hard they might bruise.

kiana feels so good. kiana smells so good. she wants to kiss her, taste her, bury herself deep inside her.

she's missed this so, so much. ]

[endyourstory]

Ahaha...yeah, probably. It'd be crazy if she was here too, though -

[ but then stelle's grinding against her and kissing her and for once the Talk About Mei part of her brain shuts off. there's a few things missing - stelle smells different and feels different, or...well, more like she did when they first met. which makes sense, now that they're both free of the other hotel's changes.

so really, it's not anything missing at all! it's nostalgic, the same as the difference between herself as Finality and herself as K-423. the stelle that smells and feels like this is still the stelle that she loves so dearly. she grinds back, pressing into the kiss just as hard as stelle's giving, tongue delving deep into the other's mouth with all the excited dominance she's usually possessed of, and it's that gesture that makes her think of something and pull back again, just ever so slightly. ]

Hey, I bet if you work hard enough you'll wake Sirin up.

[starcinoma]

[ for the first time since stelle's arrival, that provokes a genuine response - her eyes go wide, her pupils dilate, her breath grows shallow. it's tempting. it's really tempting. more tempting than she can possibly say.

but- ]

What if you get hurt? [ not that that's even a turn-off, but- ] What if you stay hurt?

[ this place is another dream. it has to be.

but-

but it's a dream she can't afford to push too far, just yet. she returns to the kiss, slower and more careful than before. ]

[endyourstory]

Haaah -

[ that reaction does more for kiana than any amount of aphrodesiac could - it's subtle danger, tinged with the memory of the deadly ferocity she knows first-hand stelle's capable of. it's all the adrenaline of fighting for her life with the comfort found in love and genuine connection, and her own breath quickens at thinking about it. she tries to respond, to encourage stelle's worst impulses so they can both indulge in their worst aspects -

but then stelle's lips are at hers again, and the rush of love is once more replaced with the calm of love. she follows her girlfriend's pace, hands wandering to her chest, softly cupping her breasts. ]

cw: dirty talk, talk of breeding

[starcinoma]

[ it's... strange. everything about kiana feels so familiar, and yet this situation feels almost alien. they've been together many times by now, yes, but how many times did they just- take their time? touch each other and kiss, soft and caring?

(she remembers one time, at least - but then, they hadn't escalated things even to this point. warm hugs. gentle kisses. fingers stroking through their hair. she'd invited kiana back to the express, told her she'd work with welt to find a way. just as intense as their regular mishaps, without even a fraction of the violence.)

she reaches up, presses kiana's hand a bit more firmly into her own breast. more pressure is fine. this is what she wants. when she finally pulls away from the kiss, her breath already heavy, it's to murmur into kiana's ear- ]

...remember what I told Sirin? [ remember what i told you both? ] How pretty she'd look with my kids?

[ her hips roll forward against kiana's, involuntarily seeking a bit more connection. just a bit closer. just a bit more touch. ]

Maybe it'll actually work here.

[endyourstory]

I -

[ oh. she'd almost forgotten. of course it was something Sirin thought about regularly, but for kiana the memories were hazy and dull, especially in this place where finality doesn't exist to pull all the myriad pieces of The Girl That Is K-423 together into one coherent narrative of self.

so just like before the end of her story, it's only in moments like these where emotions and words remind her of those things "she" wasn't around for that she remembers. memories wash over her, and the feeling of stelle's breath on her ear and her girlfriend's warmth and closeness help all serve to make it that much more intense. kiana bites her lip and leans forward, burying her face in stelle's neck. her hands grope roughly, thumbs brushing over nipples through fabric, and while her voice doesn't carries only half the menace and none of the regal weight to it that it does when she's fully in the role of the queen of the void, the words still ring familiar as soft and muttered into stelle's skin as they are: ]

Try your hardest, worm.

[ and then she just giggles, undercutting any threatening aura she might've had. it's all airy whimsy and breathy, giddy arousal. ]

You're the one who gets to explain it to Mei if you manage, though!

[starcinoma]

[ for a single moment, the air between them shifts. the all-encompassing love becomes a love that threatens to burn them both away, gunfire and voidflame and feverish kisses that smear red like lipstick across their bodies. stelle presses against sirin, reaches up to grab roughly at her hair-

-and then laughs, gently pulling her back and breathlessly kissing at kiana's neck. ]

I will. Probably. [ stelle's voice isn't the most emotive, but there's tiny tells that she's teasing - the hint of a smile still on her lips, the way she intersperses her words with tiny kisses to kiana's neck. ] Or maybe I'll get Welt to do it. He's probably had to say all of it before, right?

[ she doesn't bother waiting for kiana's response. she leans in, biting at her neck - wide, deep, enough pressure to leave a mark but not to break the skin. ]

[endyourstory]

[ kiana inhales a sharp breath at the feeling of stelle's hand tangling in her hair, a dark spot in her heart anticipating what comes next...and then it's all gentle want and kind love. it's always beautiful to see stelle's smiles, the precious little subtleties of expression that make her so charming, and kiana rewards her by reaching up to pet her again, softly combing through her girlfriend's hair with her fingers.

and then - she's being bitten. marked. a sound escapes her halfway between an airy laugh and a moan, as she bares her neck more than stelle's already made her. ]

H-haha, no way! There's no mecha involved, he'd make it sound so boring.

[starcinoma]

[ that sound's so familiar by now - and yet she never gets tired of hearing it. she licks at the already-welted spot, planting little kisses and nips in between each breath. ]

Mm... Himiko, then? No, wait. Dan Heng. [ another bite, less sharp this time; she licks a trail up, all the way to her earlobe. ] He'd try to be clinical about it, but he'd still get all flustered.

[ one hand trails down, groping roughly at kiana's rear. and even like this, with the intensity between them, there's an air of fond reminiscence.

it's been hardly any time at all-

and it's still been too long. ]

[endyourstory]

[ a shudder runs through her body when stelle's tongue brushes over the mark on her neck - kiana staggers forward, a little, hands flexing and fingers digging into flesh. ]

Y-yeah, that's definitely the best choice...

[ it's been too long. especially since unlike mei or bronya, she's still yet to find a way to communicate with stelle outside of these bubbles. this physicality, in these moments, the feel of stelle's breath on her neck, stelle's fingers squeezing her flesh, the feeling of skin against skin - it's all she gets.

she reaches a hand down, looping her fingers into the band of stelle's trunks. ]

You know...we spent a lot of nights thinking about you. About the time we spent together.

[starcinoma]

[ there's a sadness that crosses stelle's face when she says that. she should be flattered. she is flattered. she's so, so delighted to hear that, to think that kiana remembered her - her voice, her scent, the feeling of being with her.

but- ]

I couldn't. [ the relentless pressure eases; she won't move to further things between them, not until she's gotten this off her chest. ] I wish I had. But- I didn't. As soon as I got back, it was like none of it had ever happened.

[ this time, it's her turn to lean into kiana. ]

Maybe it's just another time thing. Maybe I'll get to remember once that story reaches an end.

[endyourstory]

...Huh, yeah. I guess that's one of the advantages of Finality.

[ it's just another reminder how distant she is from the world now. viewing the passage of time from the outside, like film projected onto a screen. even as much as she tries to ground herself, it's never the same as it used to be.

she's never regretted it, not even for a second. this was how she wanted her story to end - any other option was unfathomable. but sometimes - ]

You know...you never told me what "Trailblaze" is supposed to be.

[ - sometimes she just wishes it was less lonely. ]

[starcinoma]

To trailblaze is... Following a road that you've only ever heard about. Heading without hesitation into the stars. [ a beat. ] Turning the unknown into the known, and the unknowable into the unknown.

[ ... ]

You're not mad?

[endyourstory]

...Well, that sure explains a lot about you, Trailblazer.

[ and it's not a concept unfamiliar to herself, either. when she thinks about it, it's the path she walked all her life - if only to find an ending. yet another similarity between the two of them, even if her own journey sounds so much less grand than stelle's.

the question stirs her out of her thoughts, and she just smiles and gives stelle a quick peck on the lips. ]

Why would I be mad? It's not like you threw away the bond between us, or anything. The fact that you're here now is proof of that. What you're doing out there - it's important. You don't have time to worry about some "goddess" forever away. I, on the other time, have all the time in the world to worry, so you just leave that up to me.

[starcinoma]

Does it?

[ -but it's not like that matters. not when they're talking about so much that's important. not when they're speaking of aeons and paths and dreams. and especially-

not when her girlfriend is being self-deprecating. ]

I do have time. [ there's a surprising firmness to her voice. ] I don't want to forget you. There's already so much I don't know-

[ -you shouldn't have to be another part of that.

she leans in for another kiss, trailing down to her chin and then her neck. sorry, kiana. old habits and all that. ]

...you said your powers are gone, right?

[endyourstory]

[ she opens her mouth, trying to blurt out "of course it does, you raccoon" to give the conversation some levity. she's not quick enough, though, and by the time even the tiniest noise leaves her mouth stelle's moving on and arguing and kissing her and the words she was about to speak turn into a little squeak. ]

Um - yeah. At least for now, anyway.

[starcinoma]

Good.

[ well, if that isn't the most ominous way to get back into things. not that kiana has to wonder for long - not with the way stelle practically dives back into kissing her neck.

and then sucking on her neck-

and then sucking harder. sorry, kiana. your girlfriend gets like ONE CHANCE to actually leave marks that don't heal immediately, though, and you can bet she's gonna do it. ]

[endyourstory]

[ honestly, it's a little less than what she expected given how things like this went in the other hotel. it's still more than she was actually braced for, though, indicated by the way the hand still in stelle's trunks just drags helplessly downward and the surprised moan she whines out.

the second she has her voice back, though, she stammers out a challenge: ]

Come on, I know you have more than that - Stelle, I need you so bad -

[starcinoma]

[ well, that's one way to get her attention. there's a high sound at the back of her throat, almost plaintive; she bites down hard, pulling back almost immediately to stutter out- ]

Careful! Careful, not- Don't put too much weight on it-

[ please don't yank the bengis kiana. it hort when you yank the bengis. ]

I'm trying! Just- Give me a second. I want to do this while I still can...

[ she sets about leaving another matching hickey - this one further up. all but impossible to hide with anything short of makeup. ]

[endyourstory]

[ of course, all of that - the sound, the pain, the feeling of being marked, the knowledge that it'll stay, that people will see - it just sets kiana off even more. she does let go of stelle's trunks, but in turn roughly pushes against her, tangling a hand in her hair. it's followed by a frustrated pouty whine, the sort that she hasn't herself made since her classroom days, though - of course, stelle might recognize it as a sound sirin's made much more recently. ]

Mean! You're being so mean, you - you -

[ worm. ]

- really, really, really sexy woman I love!

[starcinoma]

[ she knows that tone. she's heard that tone enough times to know exactly what this is. for a moment, she considers going for another one, just to make the both of them wait...

...but she's not patient enough for that either. so instead, she decides to jump forward a few spaces, clawing at kiana's swimsuit until she finally gets enough of a hold to tug it down. ]

There. Better? [ and while she distracts kiana with a kiss, she tugs her own down and out of the way, too. not like it was doing much to hide that bulge in the first place. ] And I think you're cute, too.

[ really cute, if the way she presses against kiana's leg is any indicator. ]