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

[blastedass]

Bring it on, bastard! I'll murder you!

[Doesn't sound at all doubting either. Even if this guy seems to be more slotted towards "potential ally" leaning, considering they just beat the crap out of the gulls, and they're both prisoners here, Bakugo's not planning on making friends or getting close to anyone in this damn hotel. One or two people aside because he actually already knows them... Fuck.

He glances to the side when Ragna lifts his hand, half expecting some action, half curious if he's going to show him more of his power. Even with the glove on, that sliver of wrist beneath the garish red sleeve only shows more blackness, suggesting he's wearing something else underneath it. How the hell has he not dehydrated already? Two layers in this heat? Mah, whatever. Not his problem. If the idiot drops in the sand like a mummy, he'll leave his ass for the birds.

Not really. Hero.]

That was a tight spot? [Bakugo's tone drops to something taunting, a thumb jerked over his shoulder towards the fried chicken somewhere back there.] Laaame.

[Oh yeah. How to make friends and influence people 101.]

It's taken over a century to get society where it is now. When Quirks first started showing up, they were treated with suspicion and fear.

[belialedge]

[ MAN. If Ragna had his weapon here, he'd be making good on that offer right now. It feels like a challenge. ...It is a challenge. One that, there's a good chance he's going to answer since it's been a hot minute since he's had to exercise his own power or work up that old familiar sweat. Not that he wasn't used to working up one in a sex casino of all places by now. ]

Remind me to come track your ass down if you wind up getting shuffled in with the rest of us. I'll gladly put a punk like you to sleep.

[ Time to stick a pin in that little tussle for the time being. ]

Whaaat? That? [ He snorts despite Bakugo's inflection goading him into a reaction. This is one of those instances where his own form of retaliation was sheltering his own ego. ...What's left of it, anyway. God, this world and its people really have softened you up a bit, haven't they, Mr. Grim Reaper? ] Please. If you hadn't shown up, they'd be a pile of poultry and feathers right about now.

[ ... "Thank you, Mr. Hero". FDSLKAJ ]

Can't say I blame them. Humans by nature fear the unknown, whether what's coming is a good or bad thing. Where I'm from, you still got certain people being treated as less than second-class citizens and they didn't do a damn thing besides exist.

[blastedass]

[What, does the big bad man in a red coat need a weapon to fight properly? Excuse the meta for taunting him. Of course it's a damn challenge! Bakugo doesn't take any threat to him without retorting back at it! If it means shoving Ragna back into place and kicking his ass to get that superiority across, then damn right he'll do it! Not like throwing down with a strong opponent ever failed to excite him. Unless they're being obnoxious about it... (Look who's talking.)]

I'm not reminding you for shit. If you show up, I'll fucking slaughter you.

[Don't put the onus of this tussle on him! He'll start and finish the fight!]

HA! You weren't even landing a hit before I dropped in! [Then he got his ass into gear and owned the sea chickens! Don't think Bakugo didn't notice that, Mr. I Can Handle Myself. Though considering what he saw Ragna do, it's kind of a given the guy didn't need any help. Real question is why it took him that long to bust out his power. Maybe he was lazy... or liked the attention.

Ew.]

Hmph. We might not have that same ideology in the cities and urban areas, but one of my classmates came from a rural village where that kind of discrimination still exists.

[Shouji was almost killed as a child due to his Quirk.]

[belialedge]

[ Oho no. No weapons required here! ...the Blood Scythe was a valuable blade to him, being passed down from a man he would adopt his own name from. There's a very damn good reason that he has a penchant for holding back as much as he does, despite how angrily he can come off in a fight. Because every time he loses control, the world ends. Help. DSFLKJA ]

Oh goody. I'll show you the difference between you and me then.

[ And yet, as their conversation gradually begins to take a shift towards the lack of equality in their world, Bakugo's reaction to it all and his own perspective has the taller man lifting his brow. For a guy who talks so brutally and violently...he sure does seem to have a real issue with discrimination also. Beastkin and Demi-Humans were, for the most part, treated like trash. And for what? Being talking cats? Having animal parts like a tail and ears? Whatever they did with their lives was none of his damn business, but it also shouldn't be anybody else's either. That's the part that pisses him off. ]

Sounds like a whole buncha people that can go fuck themselves.

[ Heeey, he CAN say "fuck" unprovoked or outside the bedroom! The ESRB rating's got nothing on his ass here. ]

[blastedass]

[He wasn't the only one who held back; Bakugo has the power to kill (obviously) and yet he refuses to. Those damn seagulls could've been splattered all over the sand, blown to bits, fried into ashes, and yet they ran off squawking with burnt feathers, sand burn, and dizzy heads from tumbling around at best. BUT HE COULD HE HE WANTED!! ... is the intended threat. Work on your control then, dammit! With great power--!!]

Ha! Couldn't have said it better myself. Don't cry when you get shown up.

[Complete with knuckles cracking against one tough-skinned palm. There's a lot in Bakugo's world the young hero had to learn about once he stepped into U.A. The things he thought were what made a hero, the society he thought was mostly amazing, villains he thought were shitty petty trouble makers, so many things reality slapped him in the face about and forced him to look anew at and re-calibrate his understanding. Why does he tell Ragna this? Perhaps because a part of him is also trying to somehow sow the reborn idea of what a hero means to others who might be experiencing similar things.

Also because he bears a massive amount of guilt over his own hand in that discrimination. Not to someone who had a mutant Quirk, but someone who had no Quirk at all. Quirkless discrimination. True, his attitude also saw him mocking people with mutant Quirks, but in his usual childish superiority way, not deliberate cruelty like Shouji experienced. Yet discrimination is discrimination... and he has much to atone to Midoriya for.]

Che. It's not that easy. They'd rather fuck with the lesser than themselves. [He should know.]

[belialedge]

This might be the pessimist in me, but, I don't think you're gonna erase that kinda hate in people completely. Maybe throwing literal punches won't solve anything long-term, so...best that anyone who gives enough of a damn can do is stick up for them.

The worst feeling is powerlessness. [ A beat. ] Not just literally, either.

[ And why was Ragna telling Bakugo this? Because he certainly wasn't born like this. He wouldn't grow into the power that he has. In another life, maybe he would have been a Quirkless human. Or a "freak".

Whether he likes it or not, he's become a monster. His heart and visage was human, but what he was capable of... ]

[blastedass]

Who the fuck said I thought we could do that? Of course it's going to take two or three generations to wipe that shit out!

[Whether it's re-contextualizing how people look at villains and trying to prevent them from turning to villainy in the first place or trying to wipe out discrimination against mutant Quirks and Quirkless people, it's a society problem that takes way more time and effort than just changing the law. People don't work that way.]

But nothing's going to change if someone doesn't start to make a difference now.

[Bakugo falls silent when Ragna mentions powerlessness. Is that the worst feeling? He's not sure. It's certainly among the worst feelings. Guilt possibly being a hard runner up. Losing is related to powerlessness, so it's under that umbrella. In the end, he just gives a grunt if acknowledgement.]

You don't seem powerless.

[belialedge]

Well, let's just hope you don't stick around then. [ A beat. ] Not every wildcard gets shuffled into the deck here.

[ But who knows, maybe Bakugo will be another unlucky one and find himself with a rank and suit soon enough. Everyone's circumstances were different, but between being here and back home...living out your life in some sex casino wasn't preferable if you had more important shit to do back home. Something that he's already gleaned out of this punk. He's a bristly little asshole, but so was Ragna, really. He's mature enough to admit that he's like a cactus.

At the remark about not seeming powerless, his mismatched gaze flicks back down towards his right arm, giving the gloved hand a flex. It's still weird, not having his Seithr Regulator adorning the back of his hands. ]

No. Not anymore, anyway. It's what you wind up doing with that power that matters more though.

[blastedass]

I'll break out if they try to keep me here.

[He appreciates that offer of hope Ragna just gave him. But his determination to remain free no matter what happens refuses to back down from the potential decision. Despite his short time here, Bakugo now knows this place exists, the people here are captured, and the burgeoning urge to save them flares up. He's a hero, whether in this stupid sex prison or in the sprawling city of his world. Whether he can do anything about freeing them if he not in the hotel...

Of course he realizes some people might find this world a far better choice than their current lives. His own world is ragged and torn from war, his own life had just been snatched from the jaws of death, his body still bears the fresh scars of a wound that had been only just sewn up before he arrived here. Who the hell would want to go back to that when this world of indulgence and carnal pleasure opened its arms for them?

...

Someone who knows they have better things to do.

Bakugo glances down at Ragna's arm, eyes lingering on his hand when his fingers open and close. Something about that blackness, a power offered or forced on him, considering the man's choice of words.]

Aa. There's a lot of idiots out there that can't get that shit through their heads. [He rubs the side of his head in frustration.] Guess you're not one of them.

[belialedge]

[ Bakugo's aggressive optimism actually resonates with him. So when he says so plainly that he's going to break out if they decide to keep him here after all, it makes his heart sink a little further to have to be the one to tell him: ]

Wish I could say I had more faith, but I've been trying to unravel this whole place since I got here, to little end results...

[ And "breaking the world" wasn't going to work when the House had a proverbial chokehold on him. On his power. On the way the Azure Grimoire could just cause untold destruction if left unchecked. And yet, it's by that same token that the Grim Reaper finds himself in a way...grateful? It's a complicated relationship that he's come to form, knowing he has a place he needs to be, yet being given a chance to experience something entirely new. It's towing a line...between not wanting to so readily give up something he never thought he wanted or could ever have...and doing what's arguably the right thing and taking the chance if it presents itself to return home.

Not that Bakugo needs to know this now, fresh to this resort as he was. He doesn't know a damn thing about the younger man beyond having a short fuse and what he can only hanker is a good heart under all that teenage rage. Huh. It feels like he keeps walking towards mirrors everywhere he turns for a reason. ]

Right... [ A beat. ] Anyway, you get a scope of the place yet?

[blastedass]

[Hearing that only screws Bakugo's face up in a snarl, lips curling and eyes narrowing beneath his arched brows as he throws a disdainful, angry look at the other man. First not fighting back against the seagulls, prompting the hero's interference, and now this bullshit?]

What are you, some kinda defeatist wuss? If you're gonna give up, then fuck off and die! [He slams his fist into his palm, cracking an explosion against his knuckles.] I don't care if they keep me here for years; I'll never give up getting everyone back home! The only time we lose is when we give up!

[He isn't stupid. There's writing on the wall here Bakugo can't deny. Going against some perverted conglomerate with more power than he's ever seen is an impossible ambition. But striving after the impossible is what makes going forward possible. Surviving each day, checking off goals, those are facets of life. It's going after what you don't have, learning to do what you can't do, that births improvement. So much technology was created by chasing impossible. So many victories came from facing against what could never be defeated.

That doesn't mean he isn't going to rage at being trapped, grousing over his predicament, and making life a pain in the ass for some people. Ragna's going to be one of those people if he keeps spouting off this kind of crud. Luckily for him, the man pivots to another topic and Bakugo pulls one arm across his chest to stretch the muscle.]

No. Beyond this shitty beach and waking up in the bungalow, I haven't been anywhere.

[Someone showed him how to access them map though, so he'll be looking into that later.]

[belialedge]

[ He wasn't looking Bakugo's way when that snarl twists its way onto the younger man's face...not until he throws that disdain directly his way. That's when he can feel it. The anger and frustration that practically permeates the hero as he tilts his gaze back to the spikier blond. He doesn't flinch when he slams his fist against his palm, the explosion crackling against his knuckles as it does, despite the fact his eyes widen in response. The words don't sting so much now, but he's not about to take it lying down either. Especially as his own fists ball up at his sides as he grits his teeth.

"The only time we lose is when we give up!" ]

Where the hell did you get the idea I was giving up?! I'm just warning your dumb ass that it's not gonna be easy! These assholes aren't gonna have their way forever.

[ You only lose when you give up... He wasn't giving up. He never did. ...And yet, all the same, he couldn't help but actually appreciate the aggression. He appreciated the swift proverbial kick in the ass. A reminder. Whether he'd found himself wallowing in complacency, slowing down, or just going soft...it's refreshing to see this kind of fire again. But he wasn't about to go and thanking him for that just yet. The guy has to get unlucky enough to be shuffled into the deck with the rest of them first. ]

Well, I ain't no tour guide, but if you don't wind up finding anyone else you know here...

[ Guess there's no harm in showing him around. The plus was that being a low rank meant not many people gave you the time of day! Less people to have to tell to piss off. The lingering offer holds on the table though. Later, perhaps. He's still contenting himself in getting a view of this faux ocean. One that he couldn't help but wonder how far it really goes out. ]

[blastedass]

[Ragna continues to flop back and forth between fighting and surrender. What the hell happened to this guy to make his fire so damn flickering? Aggressive and cocky during battle, willing to throw down with him over a few words, and then sinking into warnings and bad outlooks over the hotel around them. Experience is a bitch, life lessons smacked into your head, but that doesn't mean someone has to break under them! Why the hell does Bakugo even care so much? Ragna's not from his world, not an ally or a classmate, not even a pro hero. Yet it pisses him off when the guy talks like he's failed.]

YOU JUST FUCKING TALKED LIKE A FAILURE!! [Wish I could say I had more faith... That's not something you said if you haven't given up, dammit! Bakugo tosses a hard scoff into the air when Ragna tries to cover it up with an excuse.] No shit, idiot! If it was easy, none of us would be here! Don't tell me what's obvious!

[A villainous (slasher) grin spreads across his face at Ragna's retort.] That's more like it, bastard.

[Whoever's running this place, whatever's fueling it, they won't have their plans go off without a hitch forever. They'll get taken down one way or another. Even if they can't fight straight up for a while, so long as they don't sink into complacency and forget where they came from, that desire to be free won't vanish. Some people might call it stubbornness, foolishness, or even blind hope. He calls it determination. And an intense desire never to lose. Heroes win! That's all there is to it.

Including kicking weird warriors in their proverbial asses.]

Tch. Fine. If I'm stuck here, you're gonna be my fucking tour guide!

[Not because Ragna offered, but because Bakugo told him to! Yeah, that's how it all went down, didn't it. Settled, the blonde looks out at the ocean again. There's a lot of uncertainty right now, but he intends to be constant to himself. If that's the only thing he can control around here, so be it.]