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peacockstop2024-06-15 12:00 pm
goldmods) wrote in peacockstop2024-06-15 12:00 pm
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
▶ 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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
▶ 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
▶ 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.
▶ 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.
tumbling down (or not)
( throughout the entirety of bakugou’s daring escapade, makoto is resting on the beach, legs extended into the gentle lap of the surf with his arms propping him up in the sand behind him. after the unrelenting energy of the day—be it others trying to either goad him into helping him with their scavenger hunts, or try this dubious cocktail or that equally-dubious kabob, or the occasional maneuver he has to do to avoid the ire of those ridiculous seagull lifeguards—he’s more than content to actually enjoy the peace and quiet of time kept to oneself. there are many things about the golden peacock that he prefers to where he was taken from. of course, he’d literally been taken out of hell to come here, so that goes without saying, right? but as terrible and sometimes hopeless as his situation in hell had felt, there was at least the partial freedom to step outside. when makoto had thought that his world might fall apart, and himself with it, he had stood on the balcony in the brisk cold with the demon who had claimed the last of his humanity. he’d attempted to smoke, then drink, and then he’d cried, but now when he thinks back on it, all he can think is that it had been fjord’s compassion and the bite of the night air which had saved him then. it had allowed him to bend, rather than break.
that first and only friend he’d made in hell wasn’t here now, and it just isn’t the same up in these upper levels of the resort, no matter how advanced the illusion is. there’s just something missing in the simulated sun and the modulated wind; it’s missing in the feeling of the sand and the salinity of the false sea air. even still, he knows it’s the closest he’s going to get. he tries to absorb it as much as he can, for all that it’s worth—even if, as a facsimile, it’s not worth all that much in the end.
looking out to sea, makoto pays witness to the tail end of the other teenager’s misadventure, though his weak, formerly-human eyes don’t allow him to make out many details at distance. he sees bakugou soar as a speck from the horizon, followed by a strange, sporadic tail of pops of light (explosions?), before leveling out and slowly getting larger. coming closer? at first he’d thought it was some weird malfunctioning firework, but if it’s coming this way—by the time he comes crashing back down into the water, he’s close enough for makoto to tell it’s another person. his eyes go wide, and he sits up. as luck would have it, the section of beach where he’s sitting is exactly the piece of shoreline bakugou arrives back to.
his eyes are still wide when he does, wide silver discs like coins shining out of blood-red sclera; it would seem he’d seen at least part of what had happened. )
Decided to be part of the fireworks? I think you’re a little early.
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[for a facsimile, it's annoyingly accurate. he's not going to think too hard about where the water comes from, whether it's reused like normal wave machines, and how it's treated to keep it... is "fresh" the right word to use here, or "clean"? this high up, it's easy to tell the sky is false, but the technology that makes it up is fucking impressive. just how high tech is this place? who the hell knows. maybe he'll figure it out eventually. the heat is real and the sand isn't fake. someone said this is a "new" experience, so that raises even more questions.
alternating between explosions with one hand and keeping the board at his side with the other, he bounces his way in long arcs through the air, until he's safe distanced enough to drop back down into the water and avoid any of those shitty gullguards. the board slices through the waves and he keeps himself pressed to it like a knife blade to sloop in the water at a curve, then pops back up once buoyancy shoves him through the surface. bwah! he gasps for breath quickly and climbs onto the surfboard before the next wave starts to build up. catching it, bakugo rides the wave across the ocean and finally glides back into shore with an easy motion.
a quick hook with his foot flips the board up behind him and he catches it under one arm, walking of the water with one hand scuffing the back of his head. probably enough adventure for the time being... almost getting turned into gear meat will do that. bakugo glances up at the voice, making a slight face when he comes in sight of what looks like a medical problem. are eyes supposed to be that fucking red?]
I'm not a fucking firework. [he just didn't have a death wish.]
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for all his myriad faults and inherent weaknesses, makoto isn’t the type to give up. he swims, fighting back even when there isn’t a chance in hell he could manage to do anything about it. what some might call foolishness is perhaps his only supernal trait: undying, tenacious determination.
anyways. makoto is just a little bitter about this new little feature of the gardens, even as he enjoys it however he can—that’s just because his room in the basement of the resort has basically flooded on account of it, requiring him to stay with others elsewhere. it’s not his preference. he’s the fiercely independent type. he’s also never been particularly sporting, so he’s the wrong audience to find any of bakugou’s surfing or antics with the board impressive or interesting. he’s more curious in the other teenager, though… honestly, the more he looks at him, the more he starts to get a bad feeling. when he had been human and alive, he… hadn’t had great experiences with the other students at school. even before the other young man replies to him, he’s getting the sense that perhaps he should have been more cautious—opening himself up to further youthful bullying is not something he’d like to do, at any point. he’d honestly prefer to field the attentions of a lecherous demon over those of a schoolyard bully any day.
but! maybe he’s getting ahead of himself. maybe that’s not even a concern.
he shrugs. ) Even if not, you have a very… interesting way of flying. ( as one gets closer, they might find that makoto’s strange eyes aren’t the weirdest thing about him—besides the deathly pallor to his skin, the most shocking thing tends to be the fact that his head appears to be sewn onto his body. he leans forward, elbows resting on his knees in the shallow surf as he asks, ) Did you see anything interesting out there?
no subject
bakugo hikes a leg up at the knee and starts working on the leash, tearing open the velcro before unbuckling the fastener inside with a few metallic clinks, before pulling the thing off his ankle. no point in tripping himself on the way back. he hooks the leash around his arm instead so it's not dragging in the sand, then looks back at the guy in the shade. hopefully he's in the shade; with that pallor of skin, a few minutes would probably burn him pink...
wait- why the fuck does he have sutures on his neck?! he thought the guy looked zombie-like from afar, but closer up, HE IS ONE! are they really dragging any person here? or was this guy dead before he arrived and reanimated? does he want that answered... maybe he'll come back to the "flight" topic later; discussing the mechanics of this place is more interesting.]
There's a wave machine beyond the edge of the ocean. It goes further down than a building floor would. [suggesting this beach thing might be one "floor" but the supporting mechanics of it take up more space. which is odd in a building.]
no subject
he hadn’t been sure whether he believed in gods, devils, or demons before he had successfully summoned one of the latter with a circle he’d drawn on his bedroom floor. he hadn’t been predisposed to—if there were any gods, they had seen fit to turn their backs on him, damning him for that which he couldn’t control. but now that he’s entered that supernatural world himself, becoming a demon in his own paltry right… he comes to realize that not everything in the world is a mechanism whose function and purpose can be clearly discovered from observation and experimentation. some things are more esoteric. magic is far more challenging to understand, and it’s rarely something that can be forced or strongarmed.
this place seems to be more of the latter than the former, in his eyes.
makoto definitely is sitting in the shade of an umbrella, though, ironically enough, if he weren’t actively thinking about how he might get burned, he probably wouldn’t—having a body that’s entirely based on self-conception is wild like that! not that he really understands that, having only been a demon for a few months. he leans forward a little to listen with interest as bakugou gives a short report on what he’d seen. he considers it, chin falling into one hand, thoughtful. )
The “space” of this place doesn’t always make sense.
( but that’s obvious enough once one spends enough time here. he keeps musing aloud, ) A wave machine, though… Maybe it has something to do with the maintenance levels beneath the basement floors. Connected to them, perhaps? ( his pensive expression for a moment shutters darkly, as if belying some sort of still violence. ) That’d explain why they’re flooding right now…
( leading him to his current state of inconvenience. )
no subject
the machines going on behind the ocean were an imposing mystery of occasional flashes of metal within the mist of crashing waves, like dark steel beasts turning and pumping beneath the waves. there was enough danger there for him to avoid going in for more exploration. getting crushed by gears on his first day here is not his definition of successful scouting around. much as he'd rather skip the scouting and just crash straight into the ones running this place! there's little he can do, especially after talking to a few people about the futility of breaking out of here. at least doing so all on his own with no plan or information...]
No shit. This place has 90 fucking floors. Not all of the sizes are consistent.
[someone even mentioned one floor was like a small city. what the hell? bakugo narrows his eyes at the other boy in the shade, curious about his muttering comments. maintenance levels? basements? this guy's been here a bit, hasn't he.]
What do you know about the lower levels? [according to others, this beach is on the top floor...]
no subject
he’d never hurt anyone, when he was human. he had been adamant about that—it’s why he summoned J in the first place, even knowing that the demon would kill him when their contract ended. but if he hadn’t summoned a demon, if he hadn’t taken himself out of the world and instead continued to live in it…? he doesn’t know. he had always worried that he wouldn’t be able to keep himself from killing someone one day. now, it’s not really worth dwelling on the “what if’s”—as it is, his soul is as relatively untarnished as a young demon’s can be.
makoto smiles wanly at the mention of the resort’s myriad floors. ) Sometimes I think they do it to force you to take the elevators. ( hm… the way he says that is very ominous, as is his continued smile. ) Be wary of any that have portraits in them, by the way.
( the rumors that still swirl around him because of what happened in those elevators…
he tilts his head. ) Well, I live on one. When it’s not flooded, anyway. ( he purses his lips, thoughtful. ) I’m on the first basement floor, though, and I haven’t visited the one beneath mine very often. The rooms are small, unpleasant, and… haunted, from what I’ve heard. But that tends to happen in this place.
Below that floor are the maintenance tunnels. I’ve never seen them myself and don’t plan to… ( his expression darkens, and he suppresses a shudder. ) There are these creatures down there. I think people call them ‘crawlers.’ They’re the only thing I ever hear about when people talk about the tunnels.
no subject
focusing on the hotel is a better route and bakugou's upper lip twitches in a growl at the new information. something about the way this guy talks of elevators makes him think taking the stairs is going to be a better idea in the future.]
What the hell's wrong with the elevators? [who the fuck puts pictures in an elevator?! portraits make it even weirder.]
You make it sound like they flood a lot. [there's another fucked-up aspect of this hotel. why is it dumping water in the lower floors?! especially if said floors are supposed to be inhabitable. multi-floor basement is extra questionable.] Haunted? Bullshit.
[oh, actual useful information. bakugou latches onto the mention of maintenance tunnels, then makes a face when "creatures" get dumped in there alongside the aforementioned spooks.] What are the tunnels used for? Storing supplies, manufacturing things, getting places?
[just because makoto doesn't go there doesn't mean the guy doesn't know what their purpose is.]
no subject
makoto smiles with false cheer. ) You won’t think it’s bullshit for very long. If there’s one thing we know about this place, it’s that it’s absolutely haunted. The flooding is actually new, and I… hope it doesn’t happen again. But the ghosts are a common occurrence.
( in the instance of the inmates running the asylum, here it’s more like it’s the ghosts with their hands on the wheels and levers of this place. for example: ) Like the portraits in the elevators. The spirits in them like to trap people inside and not let them go until—ah. Well, until they’re satisfied with how well people play along to their demands.
( makoto tried to avoid the elevators when this was happening more often. it doesn’t really help when they move around the stairwells so that you can’t find them. despite his best efforts, he’d been caught in that trap three times. ugh.
he shrugs. ) I’ve just heard that there’s machinery down there as well. Who can say what any of it does? You could go take a look for yourself if you’re so curious. Just keep headed down.
no subject
Is this the first time an ocean's been here? [that feels like a real stupid question to even ask, but in the circumstances, feels appropriate. especially if the hotel wants to dump all the water into the lower floors without concern of who's been made to live down there. swinging back to the elevator's earns a disgusted look. bakugo doesn't need explanation to figure out what makoto's implying. another fucking perverted "game" of the people running this shithole.]
I'll stick to the stairs. [it's exercise and he's fully capable of "skipping" the stairs easily with his quirk. up or down. being trapped in an elevator in this place sounds like a bad idea anyways.]
Tch. If this place has machinery, someone's running it. [meaning there's some kind of command operating this place, and that suggests a weakpoint to attack.]
no subject
this expression sours somewhat at the indication of the ocean. yes, unfortunately the “summer fun” that the House is gifting to them comes at undue cost to those still living in the lower levels of the resort. ) I’m not sure if it’s the first time it’s ever been here, as I’ve only been a “guest” for the last six months or so, but it’s the first time it’s happened in that time frame at the very least.
I hope they don’t make a habit of it, but… as you’ve probably been able to tell, those with lower ranks don’t really get much of a say in the matter.
( the annoyingly brusque treatment of the gull-headed lifeguards is insult added to injury.
he grows more pensive at the mention of whatever might be controlling the goings-on. well, the answer to that is both obvious and… not. ) The House. They—or it—are what’s behind this place and its game. ( that much is obvious enough after cursory investigation, both from communications issued by the House and by the employees of the casino and resort itself.
it’s makoto’s own theory that has him tack on “it.” he doesn’t have much proof for it, but he gets the sense that there’s no individual or group of individuals behind this place. he thinks it’s the place itself—the House, literally and metaphorically. to exist, it must feed, and it feeds from the… energies that they bring along with them. perhaps he’s wrong, but just as he has no proof to back up his theory, he has none to disprove it either. )
Learning more about the House has proven challenging, though. They only speak directly through text on the Watches, and the employees never seem to know anything useful.
no subject
Six months, huh. Someone else said they were here that long too. Sounds like it's when this started...
[putting a time stamp on the beginning of the kidnappings isn't a huge help, but it might become relevant further down the road. if they can isolate what happened at the start and why it happened, maybe there's a way to reverse it.]
Those fucking ranks again. Is there a reason they've implemented that crap?
[yeah yeah, "the house" again. that idea this is some sentient construct that runs all the dealings in here. bakugo pulls a face at its return. as much as he wants to bust through the wall and break out, he's already dealt with two people who said that proved fruitless. not going to stop him from trying though... and he won't admit it, but makoto using "it" makes things a little easier to swallow, since "it" can still wind up being just some construct run by other people with strange abilities.]
Haa? How the fuck would the employers not know anything? Aren't they kidnapped too?
no subject
Started?
( he raises an eyebrow. )
There were people here as “guests” even when we arrived, even ones who seem to have been here long-term. There’s even a previous winner of the game still here in the resort, and… well, he talks like he’s been here a long time.
( makoto merely musters a fragile smile for bakugou at that question. hasn’t he figured out that there’s always a hierarchy, no matter where you go? some are just more obvious about it than others. the golden peacock’s rankings were similar enough to the hierarchy he had seen in hell, but even when he had been alive on earth, there had been a pecking order. wealth, fame, blood, education, status… it seems like a natural state of mankind, to try to figure out where they are among others. who is “above” them, and who is “beneath.” )
It’s just part of the game, I think. ( is how he decides to answer, though.
the last question is harder, because, honestly, ) I haven’t been able to figure that out, myself. ( he breathes a small sigh, as if frustrated. ) I’m not sure if they’ve been brought here like all the guests or if they’re… something else. All I know is that getting information out of them is basically impossible. You’d be better off trying to get answers out of the walls. Or—one of them.
( he indicates one of the gull-headed lifeguards, some distance away. probably menacing some poor newcomer or lower-ranked guest. makoto has been maintaining a wide berth between himself and them for that reason. )
no subject
So this place has been kidnapping people since who knows how fucking long?!
[dammit! so much for trying to pinpoint a piece of time as investigation. he goes for the next part, grasping at what straws show up in the conversation.]
What'd he get for winning?
[if this game really is that important, enough for there to be a damn "winner" in the first place, that prize must be something good. he heard from someone before that the prize is a "wish" of sorts, but that's fucking bullshit, right? that or it comes with a hell-load of caveats. something to keep whatever's running this place in the advantageous position.]
Them? [he follows makoto's indication, then bristles instantly at the sheer mention of those gull-headed freaks.] Hell no! [he'll try his luck with the hotel staff before approaching one of those damn birds again! bakugou's already blown up three flocks of their feathered felons.] Tch, has anyone been converted into a staff member?
[probably the only other logical conclusion.]
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( he has his own minor evidence, though he isn’t really sure how the pieces line up necessarily. makoto has in his possession a mirror which reveals the “other” side of the Golden Peacock—one where, rather than gilding and glitz and glamor, it’s instead decrepit and decaying. even more alarming is that the long-term guests that had preceded his own group appeared similarly ghastly and desiccated. he isn’t really sure what it means, since this “other” world is also a place he’s physically visited on his own. is it the “truth” of what’s around them, or a parallel world?
he’s still investigating that himself. but, for now, he keeps this information close to the chest; he tends to offer it only when he trusts someone… or when he feels like it’s a good enough bargaining chip to get something from them that he wants. )
I… don’t think he’s told anyone that. At least, not from the rumors I’ve heard. He’s rather hard to get information out of. ( makoto had been going about it in a different approach, fostering a relationship with the ghost based on what he hopes are… shared interests. that guy still owes him a date (and, by that, he means a guided tour of his collection of repossessed limbs and organs). )
You could try to ask him more yourself. His name is J, and he runs a place called Roost in here. The thing is, the Roost moves every night, and the entrance is typically hard to find… But he does reach out to us sometimes. He finds us interesting, for some reason.
( a thought occurs to him: ) He’s a ghost named J. There’s a demon here named J, too, but— ( makoto’s expression is becoming particularly strained as he fringes on this topic. ) I recommend staying away from him.
( they have a… complicated history.
his hand goes to his chin. ) I don’t think so… But I haven’t really heard of anyone asking, or being asked. But I guess it’s possible.
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[there's no reason for this guy to lie to him, and he's been frank about other things so far. taking into account what bakugo's hear from other people, a grim prognosis spills out in front of him. taking down a villainous syndicate with perverted intentions after six months isn't hard at all. (he says.) but destroying something that's been going on for fucking years?! that's going to take a lot more effort. effort that he's had repeated people say is hard to earn any kind of reward for.]
If you ever see him, pin him to the damn wall and get some answers! [right, because it'll work like that without a problem. going after someone with lore information that seems to be based on just rumors is a shit gamble. but with nothing else to do other than grasp at straws, why the hell not? he scuffs at the side of his head in frustration. it's a lot of information to process and none of it is comfortable. that said... he gets a name and location.
does this mean J is safe now? maybe not. whoops. leveled the live grenade at your companion, huh, makoto.] The Roost? Is it some kind of restaurant or something else? How the hell's a door hard to find?
[it's a door that has to be big enough for someone like makoto to go through, right? a brief grunt acknowledges the ghost vs demon aspect, but dismisses the warning. if he has a reason to go after the demon to get out of here, then he'll go after the damn demon. it's that fucking simple. until then, warning at least noted.]
They probably won't answer low ranks with anything helpful.
[he slams his fist into his palm. time to threaten the staff.]
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then again. makoto has heard rumors of guests sleeping with him, so he’s probably more tangible than one might assume a ghost would be. even still, one can only really intimidate information out of someone when they have something to fear they can lose. it’s not like you could threaten someone beyond the coil of mortality with pain or death. or, well, you could, but it wasn’t going to be effective. makoto would know, because he’s tried (though with demons rather than ghosts).
no. he’s been trying a different tactic with J—it’s likely a longer game than bakugou has patience for, but it’s more in-line with his own traits and talents. ) I’m working on getting answers. ( probably not a very convincing thing to say when lounging on the beach, but he seems to believe it! ) I don’t think he’s the type of individual you can just strong-arm your way into getting your way with. He only works in trades. If you want something from him, you’d better start preparing something he’d find valuable.
( he’s not particularly concerned about lobbing this grenade because, regardless of how formidable bakugou might be, he knows there are people in this resort just as powerful if not more so. if they haven’t forced J to give them answers, he doubts bakugou will. that, and roost… )
The door moves. Every night. And it doesn’t really advertise itself. So you basically need to either get really lucky in stumbling across it or you need a way to find it reliably.
( which makoto happens to have. (: whether or not he would trade a use of it to bakugou, however… )
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as for threatening a ghost, bakugo's not someone who really believes in spirits or ghosts outside of some traditional idea that they might exist in some... weird manner. haunted house bullshit or lingering spirit in a festival. it's crap. throw some salt, draw a circle with chalk, chant something, there are apparently ways to deal with ghosts. if a ghost is sticking around some place, that means they have something to hold onto, and thus something to lose. not his expertise and he's not dwelling on it!
bakugo narrows his eyes at makoto's answer.] Uh-huh. With no success.
[apparently. this guy's relaxed back on a beach, the very antithesis of getting answers! then again, it's not like the blonde's doing anything to drag answers out of J either. apart from learning about this spook.] What's he find valuable?
[makoto's not wrong; bakugo's already come across people who are powerful and they're obviously still trapped. that makes a reality that's hard to argue with. but damn if he's not going to try! lobbing grenades and all.]
Tch, if this guy does regular business with people- [especially at some damn club or restaurant or whatever the fuck the roost is] -he has to be located regularly.
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regardless of whether or not he believes in it, this whole casino and resort basically is a giant haunted house. ghosts are a common feature (and typically the culprits behind the irritating “pranks” that get played on them, forcing them into untoward situations), and not to mention all of the different types of individuals who are brought here as guests. makoto might not command much of an oppressive aura right now, but he is a demon… albeit a fresh-faced and largely powerless one.
he did have someone threaten to try to exorcise him once, though. he still doesn’t know what, if anything, would happen…
makoto huffs. ) Not yet. Some things take time. Rome wasn’t built in a day.
( and as one might suspect, J tends to juggle a lot of attention from a lot of people. makoto is still waiting for a date he had been promised… )
Information, actually. Or… I guess it’s more accurate to say that he likes secrets. Things that you tend to keep hidden from other people.
( hidden depths, obfuscated darknesses sequestered within people. makoto had already given him several morbid secrets about himself, much to his delight. )
He contacts us sometimes on the network, so there’s a possibility that could happen. He also made Roost stay in one place for a while a few months ago. Outside of something like that happening, though… there are some people who have ways to find Roost more reliably. You might just need to ask around.
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ghosts. if that's what's behind a lot of this shit, there'd better be a way of dealing with them! what do they need, a rosary and a cross, salt with talismans, a fucking vacuum cleaner?! this guy's someone who would definitely try to blow up a goddamn ghost and then yell about it being a cheat after failing. how do you fight an undead disembodied spirit? maybe he'll find out.
that huff doesn't change bakugo's mind at all.] And we've got all the time in the world here.
[he's not saying that in a positive sense. this mysterious J person seems to have more answers, but if he's also a prisoner as well, his knowledge about what's going on has to be likewise limited. unless he's in with whoever, or whatever, is controlling this place.
bakugo's expression flattens despite his usual angry visage. one corner of his mouth twitching in irritation, brows angling lower. seriously? this person's going to do trades in shitty secrets?] So he wants a means to embarrass or blackmail people.
[because apart from demanding proof of trust, those are the only other two reasons people would ever ask someone for personal secrets. it's an invasion of privacy, that's what it is. mentions of the network and roost picking a location are a better reveal and bakugo narrows in on them.]
Fine. [he'll do his own investigations and research.] Let me know if you find out anything extra.
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the young demon has his own irons in the fire. as far as he can tell, J seems to be a faction onto himself, seemingly opposing to the House within the resort itself. it’s a curious situation that he would like to learn more about before he decided how to make the best of it for himself. the goal of “getting home,” which most were so devoted to, is less important to him than gaining power. winning the House’s game could seemingly be used for any goal, if they really would grant any wish, but it does lead him to wonder—was there anything to gain by supporting J instead? or, perhaps, attempting to play both sides off one another to take whatever boons either would give him?
it’s the type of thing that would take time to figure out, which is why he’s here right now, on the beach, trying to enjoy himself.
makoto smiles. ) Some of us, more than others.
( he’s not even mortal anymore. he would admit that does make him a little more amenable to the “wait and see” option than those still tethered to its wheel.
he nods. ) Basically. He seems to like favors and secrets, either told to him in confidence or told to… everyone.
( a cloud passes over his expression as he mentions that. you have to be careful about certain conversations you have on the network… sometimes it doesn’t really tell you that they are impossible to lock or keep private. makoto has gotten more and more cautious about what he’s willing to share via text. )
Will do. ( if this information has value to bakugou, makoto is more than willing to deal in it—that’s what a proper demon would do, after all. though, he does say one last thing, ) …For whatever reason, J seems more interested in our groups of guests than others before us. I’m not really sure why… but it makes him more likely to reach out once every few months or so, or at least that’s how the pattern has seemed thus far. It’s worth asking around, of course, but you might have your own opportunity to try to get answers soon enough.
( or maybe not. it’s not like he understand’s resort-J’s thoughts and plans any more than his own master’s. )
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Meaning they can send us home as quickly as they kidnapped us?
[he doesn't take the comment to be makoto personally. even if this guy looks like a vampire crawled out of a coffin. minus the stereotypical cape and dark suit. the idea of staying here the rest of his mortal life is fucking ridiculous.]
Tch. Bastard. If you tell him in confidence, how do we know he's going to keep it confident?
[bakugo notices the dour glamour pass across makoto's expression, assuming it's due to J's request for secrets than something else. he already figured the network is being monitored, since someone already pointed out the watch on their wrists are tracking them all the time. way to make him feel even more imprisoned and watched. good thing bakugo's not keen to talk about sensitive shit over text.]
Our group? [the young hero furrows his brows in clarifying suspicion.] You mean people from the past six months and on? [because that's the time frame he learned from someone he knew who was brought here with others. the hotel had been doing it long before, but something about the past six months had been different. makoto's comment makes the singled out period even more questionable. for whatever reason, as he said.]
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( okay, maybe that’s considered slimy or rules lawyering, but who knows? he figures that the House is just out for whatever they get out of all of the guests playing the game. they might even appreciate the cleverness involved. that, or maybe they would hate it and try to twist or punish it somehow. it’s a mystery!
he shrugs. ) I don’t think you can. I think… you just have to decide what’s worth telling, even if you risk that secret getting out.
( the ones that makoto shared over the network had been things that squirmed beneath his skin to have others know, but they wouldn’t have sent him into a spiral of panicking if they were suddenly public knowledge. what he’d told J in private, however… he at least hopes that the ghost also values their friendship, as that would keep it between them.
makoto nods, fingers interlacing in his lap. ) I think so. Or, at least, I didn’t really get the sense that it also applied to other people who arrived prior to my group. I feel like I remember rumors that this place hasn’t taken such large groups of new guests in a while, or nearly so often? ( or was he just thinking he remembered hearing that… you might have a bit of an unreliable source of information, bakugou, but it’s a possible piece of the mystery. unfortunately makoto is far less interested in solving it than he might be. )
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I know what I'll wish for when I win.
[this place isn't the only one that can try to bend the rules to their advantage. casinos always try to put the advantage in their favor, so he doesn't expect anything less in whatever this place opts to give them. knowing how to combat them at their own game is going to be important.]
Fine. I'll think about what I want to tell him. It won't matter if I can't meet him.
[that's more important. learning how to get an audience with this J person and go from there. if it's really a random crap shot as makoto makes it out to be, he'll have to keep an eye out and be ready. that's all he can do.]
If this place has been kidnapping as long as you say, it wouldn't suddenly decide to take more people without a reason.
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the young demon chooses this moment to stand. the other teen is a little bit taller than him, but considering most people in the golden peacock are a good deal older than they are, it’s actually not so much of a height difference as he’s used to. that’s kind of a relief, in its own way. he hates having to look up so much to people all the time—though, on the whole, demons had tended to be even taller. )
My thoughts exactly. ( they’d come to the same conclusion, with the limited information they were given. what was it that changed, that caused so much more people to be brought here? is there any other way it could be addressed? makoto isn’t even really sure if addressing the “needs” of this place will return them home any quicker—if you catch three fish but only need one for dinner, why one earth would you let the rest go when you could instead of keep them to eat for later? ) It hasn’t been very easy learning more about this place, but it’s not impossible, and I think we’ll get the clearest picture if we all work together.
And if we’re potentially going to share information, we should know one another’s names, right? ( he cants his head slightly to one side. ) Mine’s Makoto.
( just makoto. he intended on letting his family name remained buried with his human body. )
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