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

[Ali is a dragon trying really, really hard to look like a human and live among humans. He's got it about 90% down but still has some odd behaviors. He tries to be the reasonable one but he wears his emotions on his sleeve so it's easy to see what he's feeling. He's also from his world's equivalent of the 1920s. Ali shares a world and backstory with

virtuesignal. (I did TDM him last time but let's go with him being new this time.)]

I. it's free real estate

[Waking up in a room he most definitely did not fall asleep in, wearing clothes he most definitely was not wearing, and sharing a room with someone he most definitely was not near, can be pretty jarring to even the most put-together person. Ali is not very put-together though, and as soon as he wakes up he's sitting up quickly and smacking his head against the bunk bed above him. He lets out a yelp of pain, grabs his forehead, and falls back against the bed he had been in. He's definitely awake now.

If you catch him later though. He's inspecting the (currently off) tv like it's some fantastical object he's never seen before.]

It's not a painting, it's not a statue...what is this?

II. bunny bbq (potentially NSFW)

[Now out of that practically useless robe and into some swimming trunks, Ali has taken to the beach to see what is going on. He has a lot to investigate, but unfortunately the smell of cooking meat catches his attention quickly. He's about to pass it on and circle back later after his investigation, but his stomach grumbles in hunger rather pointedly, so he sighs and heads over to the grill. Food first, then looking around.

Ali is no stranger to rabbit meat, he's eaten it many times throughout the centuries of his life. But these skewered bits of rabbit meat are far larger than anything he's ever had, and he's staring at the skewer in his hand.]

Should I be concerned about what they're feeding these rabbits?

[He does have a second skewer though, which he will offer to anyone who comes to speak to him. Did he get 2 thinking he would need that many, only to find out just how much meat is on one of these things? Yes, yes he did.]

III. scavenger hunt (easy)

[What's that commotion over there? why are those lifeguards squawking and running down the beach? And who is that absolutely bolting away from them as fast as he can?

The answer comes quickly, as Ali runs up and shoves five feathers into your character's hand.]

Here, hold these.

[And then he's off again.

It might not be the best time to be left with those feathers though, as the lifeguards are coming this way and they're pissed off.]

III b. scavenger hunt....2!

[Hello there stranger, Ali is coming over and holding up an unfinished drink.]

Trade you this for something? I have the feathers and two pairs of sunglasses so far.

IV. wildcard

[Throw something here or come talk to me at

husbando and we'll plan something!]

[A man wearing an airy white shirt - wearing it unbuttoned as a compromise with the life guards - and swim shorts pauses, hearing the voice close to him. Not wearing his usual blindfold, a pair of pitch-black sunglasses turns to the source of the words. Xiao Xingchen carries a basket half full of produce in the crook of his arm. He had walking through the marketplace somewhat aimlessly until he ended up here.

It takes a moment for him to understand what the person might be getting at, before he lets out a light laugh.]

I understand your concern, but I don't believe you need to worry about that. If there's one thing to be said about this place, they certainly spare no expense in regards to the food.

[It's all too good. Perhaps the vegetables are a way to make up for the way he eats when he starts to feel different. Though now that he lingers here, the scent begins to make his mouth water and he swallows more audibly than he expected, expression as easy to read as a dog in front of something that's caught his interest.

Perhaps his making-up for recent choices can wait until later...]

They certainly don't, do they?

[He saw the swim-out bar and all the drinks there. That has to be an expensive endeavor, and he hasn't even gone out to see the prices on the drinks yet.

What he can see, though, is how interested this man is becoming in the skewers. Smiling a little, he holds one out to the other man, who he hasn't realized is blind yet.]

Here. I doubt I can eat two, so you can have the other if you like.

Really? Oh, that's very generous of you. But please allow me to provide you with something else that you may enjoy in exchange.

[Perhaps he only has a basket of boring vegetables right now, but he does save his money between the different payouts he's received. And as much as Xiao Xingchen could make up a reason to refuse - which he probably should do - the scent is far too tempting to ignore. His stomach protests the very idea of letting this go, so he decides to take the risk.

Never did he enjoy people noticing his blindness right away, but now with a fashionable item to hide where his eyes would be, the other man not noticing makes him pause in his surprise. This is certainly different. He can only make a guess that the other man is reaching out a bit over the level of his waist, so he slowly, tentatively tries to reach out for it. If the man said that but is not actually holding it out, this will be rather embarrassing...

His hand grasps at air at first, erring a bit lower so he doesn't grab the meat itself. It takes a moment of reaching around, accidentally brushing his hand against the other man's before he can pinch the wooden skewer between his fingers and carefully pull it away.]

T-Thank you.

[At least he now has it in hand. It smells even better when this close to him.]

[It isn't until he sees how much this much his man struggles with grasping the skewer that Ali finally realizes he must have vision problems. He freezes up for a moment, letting Xiao Xingchen fumble for a bit while he mentally screams at himself and tries to decide if he should keep acting like he didn't notice or if he should apologize profusely for not noticing. What does he do???]

Y-you're welcome!

[Maybe if he stuffs his face with his own skewer he can delay deciding what to do. So he'll do exactly that and start eating. It helps that the skewer smells so good, and once he eats a bite he sees how good it tastes too.]

[Xiao Xingchen is more than ready to change the topic. As he eats, he can only wish he could make a better assessment of the man, in the same way others can read him. The silence as they both take a bite of their respective skewers feels as if it lasts minutes, rather than a few seconds as he chews and swallows in as tidy of a fashion as he can. He still doesn't dare to speak with food in his mouth, but he tries to be quick in speaking up again.]

Are you one of those who recently came--[the smile he puts on flickers further as he catches himself]... was taken to this place?

[Though he assumes a bit from that comment about the rabbits alone. His sense of time has been tested, where day and night and day melt into each other, but he overhears talk of new people in what feels like certain intervals.

On top of that, he realizes that he's perhaps become too comfortable with this place. Even forgetting the nature of why he is here.]

I do not mean to pry, of course. I only hope I can be of help.

[He's as willing to be helpful as he is hesitant to ever ask for any for himself.]

[The commotion is what had drawn Baptiste near in the first place. The squawking paired with the sound of ruffled feathers promised him the perfect set-up to reassert just what link of the food chain he intended to be on in this place. Yet this place provides yet another surprise as a set of feathers is shoved into his hand. Baptiste blinks, turning to get a glimpse of the man who shoved stolen goods (he could only assume) off on him. Yet the thundering of footfall promises him no time to waist. So instead, he slips the feathers into the side of his little bathing bottoms as he turns around and opens up the bottle of water at his side.

He takes a swig of it as the lifeguards grow ever closer before he produces a lighter in his other hand. A flick of the wrist and an honest-to-god wink come together before Baptiste flicks open the cap to the lighter and grinds the wheel. Just as sparks begin to jump, Baptise spits his 'water' through it to reveal that the water bottle at his side is not water by any stretch of the imagination. Instead this clear liquid explodes into a ball of fire before these gulls, promising some singed down for their troubles.]

These are mine. Show's over folks. But, we could start a new one if you'd like to tango.

[Baptiste voice carries the natural projection and charisma of a showman. While he smiles, there is a glint in his eyes as he prepares a toast of flammable liquid again. The metallic click of the lighter's cap punctuates each unspoken word his manic eyes promise.

So is it really a surprise when a few missing feathers are begrudgingly regarded as a non-issue?

The firebreather offers the lifeguards a lopsided smile as they begin to disperse to return to more pressing matters such as a Group Caw - whatever that is. Baptiste works to twist the cap back onto his water bottle, eyes searching for the little sneak-thief that had shoved these feathers and the gull's ire onto him. If his eyes don't immediately catch someone, he'll whistle in hopes to attract the culprit back to the scene.]

[THe thief hasn't actually gone that far away. It's hard to miss that ball of fire, the 'fwoom' of ignition is far too familiar to Ali for him to overlook it. He's standing nearby, mouth open in shock as he stares at Baptiste.

Logically speaking, this man probably isn't a dragon. He had swallowed that liquid, there's plenty of liquids that can be used as accelerants for fire. All he would need is some way to make a spark- the lighter, Ali had seen the flash of it right before the flames- and that would make the fire explode out. But still, he's so surprised by it that he doesn't know what to say at first.]

Did you- did you breathe fire???

[The awe in the thief's voice only serves to preen Baptiste's metaphorical feathers. The man, ignorant to the fact that he was flaunting his party trick to an honest-to-god dragon, saunters over to the owner of that voice with his bottle of questionable liquid in one hand, while the other slips past his robe to slide out one of the feathers he had tucked into his waistband.

After closing the distance between himself and Ali, Baptiste drops the "water" bottle to the ground. A bright, if not mischievous, grin paints his features. His. Burnt Features.

The tip of the man's nose and chin bear the scarring of firebreathing gone awry long ago. His fingers play with the feather he'd been given, twirling the object between his fingertips.]

Sure did! [He winks.] Ever since some of those Seagulls threw me into a trashcan earlier, I've been jumping at the chance to show it off. What did you think?

[Ali isn't put off by those features. If anything, they make perfect sense: humans can't naturally breathe fire, so they would be more likely to be burned by fire accidents. It speaks to Baptiste's bravery- or possibly insanity- that he keeps doing it despite past accidents.]

It's amazing! I've heard of firebreathers before, but I've never seen one before! I'm surprised you didn't do it sooner if they threw you in a trash can though. They seem to be more of a hindrance than a help, don't they?

[Ali's human disguise is one he has perfected over the centuries, and his behaviors are human enough to go along with his looks. There are two things that he cannot cover up though. For one, while black hair is common among humans, his is a particularly dark black. And his eyes, though they have human-shaped pupils, are a deep red. He can hide his shape, but he can't hide the colors of his dragon form.]

[The earnest wonder that firebreathing coaxed from an audience never gets old. The stir in Ali's voice strokes Baptiste's ego such that his gaze softens as he turns to really get a good look at the thief. The entertain steps out from the spotlight only to be met with a pair of unnatural hues.

His brows raise. For a moment, the question of the gull-guards and their place in society is lost. Instead it is the red depths that pull his attention. He's seen red eyes before - though usually in the odious glare of a bloodsucker.

How many entities had been crammed into this place?

All the better of a reminder to hide his own occupation. A Hunter alone is as good as dead, after all, so it's best to simply roll with it. And as a man of theater, who would he be if he couldn't do just that?

The pause in his face and speech is only momentary before Baptiste moves himself along with a laugh. The feather in his grasp returns to its status as 'fidget toy.']

Well, I was caught unawares that first time. I usually have a pair of gloves that if I snap, [of course, he snaps to emphasize his speak] I can get a spark. But here, I had to bum a lighter off of an old man and steal some fluid from some tiki torches. A little ramshackle, but it's been getting the job done!

[The look in his eyes. The questionable MacGyvered method he's been reduced to has not daunted him. In fact, there's a clear thrill in his blue eyes are hold an unnatural brightness to them.

Ali hit the nail on the head with that first observation. This man was afflicted with the ever damning combination of both bravery and insanity.]

Which, it seems you've also been trying to get a job done, hm? Did you pluck these feathers out of our local Beach Hindrances for fun or...?

[Baptiste flicks the soft tip of the feather under Ali's chin, a lopsided smirk twitching on his lips. As he waits for an answer, his eyes trail to try and catch any other telltale signs from this being before him - fully expecting to find some clue as to what this person was. Though a dragon form is far from the realm of possibility in Baptiste's world as he operates under a more normal assumption for his line of work: that this guy was some sort of vampire.][/small>

Oh, so sort of like match strike paper?

[It's certainly a fascinating invention. A glove that can set off sparks large enough to start a fire...fascinating. Ali doesn't strictly need such a thing, but it's honestly not a bad idea to have on his person. It would be a handy way to disguise his use of dragon fire. He's already figured out how to concentrate it into his hand, so into the snap of his fingers shouldn't be too much more difficult.

He has to stop himself mid-thought though, because if he lets his mind get away from him then he'll be theorizing and drawing up plans for hours. The tickle of the feather helps drag him out of that too, and he shakes his head and rubs at his chin. That tickles a little.]

Ah, yeah, there's that scavenger hunt everyone is doing. One of the items needed was feathers, and I managed to steal some, but then the lifeguard started chasing me.

[He then pulls something out of his sleeve: a set of five feathers. The ones he had given Baptiste were just extras to serve as a distraction. ]

So, if you're playing, you can keep the ones I gave you? I should help you finish it, since you helped me out.

[The tickle of the feather accomplishes exactly what Baptiste wants: the other's attention once more. There is a satisfied smile that forms as he watches Ali rub at his chin.]

Yeah! Sort of like a match strike - but fine enough that someone touching the gloves wouldn't necessarily notice. [It was a fascinating invention. Not of his own making - instead the tinkerer of their troupe, Geronimo, had designed them just for 'fun.' It had been such a labor of love from her that Baptiste would have to find the-

Wait. The scavenger hunt? Confusion crosses the blonde's features before he is looking to his watch. He taps at the screen and after reading a few words simply pushes the screen towards Ali so that he could see the very different set of conditons Baptiste had received.]

Um. Wait. There are different ones? You're saying I got picked for this one specifically? [He looked like the kind of guy who had to coerce others to fill a cup with cum?! That's the impression he gave this pla-.... Okay, well maybe some questions were better left unanswered.]

[With that thought, Baptiste lets out a chuckle that could almost be construed as sheepish. The closest the man ever got to it, at least.] Well, I mean... I could keep them and trade them with someone, but you'd be doing something a bit different if you want to help me out.

OOC NOTES

Ali | OC | current player, new character

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III b - if you need another one

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