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peacockstop2024-08-15 09:00 pm
goldmods) wrote in peacockstop2024-08-15 09:00 pm
TDM 05
【 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 in our KING SUITES for all new arrivals. We will endeavor to have all guests moved into their reserved rooms as soon as possible. We deeply apologize for any inconvenience.
As a token of our gratitude for your understanding, front reception has arranged for a GRAND FEAST to welcome our newest guests. The attendance of all guests is required. The house will enforce compliance.
Please note that rank-appropriate attire is mandatory. Guests found breaking social code may be disciplined. We hope you enjoy your stay! 】
ARRIVAL
DIVINE AWAKENING
All King suites have been set to the Heavenly setting for the comfort of these new Wildcards. To call this place a room feels like a misnomer; all of the senses scream that this is a real temple at the top of a crisp oceanside mountain. The only clue that this place isn't what it seems is the door in the distance. It stands dark against light, a stark rectangle distinctly out of place.
New arrivals aren't waking up alone. Reception would never expect their guests to wake up in a cold bed. All new guests will be waking up next to another Wildcard or a current guest snatched up from the hallways. Guests waking up in these heavenly King suites will wake dressed in sheer white tunics and togas that leave very little to the imagination.
GILDED CAGE
AN ENDLESS FEAST
Rugs and cushions have been laid out for low rank guests. All high rank guests have thrones and benches covered in crushed velvet and delicate linens. Wildcards have a seat of honor amongst it all, each fresh new divine lead to the grand dais for their own semi-private tent with daybed and eager servants.
Low ranks are carefully watched by security and wait staff. Some low rank guests may even be dragged in by resort staff to assist serving high rank guests and Wildcards. All high rank guests and Wildcards are revered and catered to during the feast. Low rank guests are expected to feed them, rub their feet, and comply with any whimsical demands. Any low rank guest that defies a higher ranked guest is at risk of being shackled, forced to scrub chamber pots, and other humiliating punishments.
PHOENIX CASINO
ALEA IACTA EST
The game tables are abuzz. Special games have kicked off in honor of the new godlings that are waiting to check in. Even here, those of different ranks are distinct from one another. The lowest ranks wear small slips of clothing. Some are even collared to show they belong to a particular royal or Wildcard. Royals and Wildcards dress luxuriously in thick robes and golden jewelry.
Game managers clap and encourage guests of all ranks to join in on the fun. While there are numerous card games, slot machines, and raffles happening around the casino, staff are promoting three events in particular.
BEAK
ENTERTAIN YOUR BETTERS
Beneath the open arena is a smaller closed arena and the warrior’s bunk. Warriors will find cold showers, rustic wooden benches, and training weapons available for their use. Deep in the earth is a grimy prison where servants who refuse to battle are thrown to wait for their turn. There are also cages where the hungry “animals” wait to go out and entertain the masses.
A long track rings around the perimeter of the arena. Gone is the standard green fuzz and white lines, replaced with stone and dust to elicit the real feeling of running beneath the hot Grecian sun. Foot and chariot races take place throughout the day.
TALON
SHOW OF STRENGTH
Servants that appear too fragile to handle mud wrestling have been conscripted into the oil bearer role. Their job is to slather the warriors in oil from head to toe, and otherwise prepare them for their matches in either the arena or in the pit. This includes styling their hair, tending to their wounds, and wiping the sweat off of their bodies if so desired.
The locker rooms that connect Beak and Talon have been fully stocked with first aid kits and luxury bathing supplies. Warriors that have won their matches get first pick, leaving the dirty towels and shampoo that smells like ass for the losers to sift through. Those sneaky ghost hands are having a field day, snapping rat tails at unsuspecting bathers and locking naked warriors together in the supply closet. Guests lacking vigilance may find their bottoms unexpectedly pinched.
INDULGENCE
DESIRES FROM THE VOID
Things begin to move around the resort. The forgotten and the old exhale a dusty breath. Like the hunger that the Wildcards woke up with upon arrival, as its heart begins to beat quicker, there is a tension in the air of those things hungering to feed. To join in, and indulge. To get what they want.
And they’re coming out.
OOC NOTES
▶ BLANKET CW: Alcohol; aphrodisiacs; battle; blood; bondage; compulsion; costumes; discipline; dominance; drowning; dubcon; fears; fighting; food; hierarchy; humiliation; indulgence; kidnapping; noncon; paranormal; power imbalance; roleplay; servitude; stalking; submission; supernatural; terror; violence; weapons
▶ All characters on the TDM are WILDCARDS, which means they have not yet been assigned a card value. Suits will not manifest until characters are accepted into the game.
▶ All TDMs are game canon. This TDM acts as the game's August event. Changes to the above locations will ICly be present from August 15th - September 1st.
▶ 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 would be interested in a game invitation, you can note that in your comment header.
▶ If you aren't satisfied with these prompts, please feel free to check out our LOCATIONS to explore more of the resort!
▶ 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!
▶ Wildcard tokens from the GILDED CAGE prompt may be redeemed even if the newbie(s) in question do not join the game, but only for the small item reward; the token does not carry over to Game 52.
▶ 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 to relax and enjoy the end of your summer! ♥
▶ All characters on the TDM are WILDCARDS, which means they have not yet been assigned a card value. Suits will not manifest until characters are accepted into the game.
▶ All TDMs are game canon. This TDM acts as the game's August event. Changes to the above locations will ICly be present from August 15th - September 1st.
▶ 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 would be interested in a game invitation, you can note that in your comment header.
▶ If you aren't satisfied with these prompts, please feel free to check out our LOCATIONS to explore more of the resort!
▶ 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!
▶ Wildcard tokens from the GILDED CAGE prompt may be redeemed even if the newbie(s) in question do not join the game, but only for the small item reward; the token does not carry over to Game 52.
▶ 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 to relax and enjoy the end of your summer! ♥
II
Except now he knows one of the actors. Whether his familiar darkened eyes manage to meet Mirajs's or not, Charlie's quick to push his way into the dense, agitated crowd at the base of the stage. The price has already ticked higher than he'd like, but...
A bit of suggestion to stop bidding given to one competitor after another quells the fervor enough for him to afford the high-bid. When his prize is ushered to descend the side stairs, a jilted outcry jostles Charlie between broader shoulders as the throng eagerly cheers for their next chance at owning 'the divine.'
He splits from the group just as the first bid is cast, long stride stumbling to Miraj's side. Whether the hand Charlie puts to his shoulder is necessary for balance or just a presumptive gesture of friendship is difficult to discern. However, the sinister friendliness of his grin is the same as ever.] They uh... got you all done up, huh? [An obsequious gesture to the toga, finger tracing the vague patterning of Mirajs's markings in the air.]
All they gave me was this fuckin spot on my hand. [He flips his palm upwards, revealing the spade mark beneath his thumb.] But, eh, now we can stick together, right? You're the first guy from Chicago I've run into- [And oh, he sounds genuinely thankful for that.]
no subject
Not until he's directed offstage, at any rate.
Sure, the bidding had steadily slowed the longer it went on, but it had only stood to reason that funds might be running out, or while many were clamoring for a touch of the divine, there were sure to be other gods and goddesses on offer, better ones than this little slip of a deity who himself was refusing to engage to drive the price higher himself. But given just who won... well, the last piece fell into place, and it's not a stretch to think that the angered outcry from the loss was a result of certain deft suggestions crumbling away.
Not that that mattered overmuch anymore anyway.
Familiar sinister friendliness is met, as ever, with familiar sharp annoyance, though the outright hostility he stepped down the stairs with does seem to melt away... partially. Instead, it's replaced with the also-familiar hostility Charlie has seen time and time again, every time it gets back to Miraj that he's taken a new thrall.]
For your benefit, it would seem.
[He's lived the 'deities sent to serve you' song and dance before. Any worship here is hollow at best.]
...What do you mean the first?
[There are so many people here and you expect him to believe no one else is from Chicago? Really?]
no subject
And besides, he'd just done this guy a huge favor! Grateful or not, decorum demands some form of recompense - but he'll table that piece of the conversation for now.
With a half-hearted pat, pat, Charlie removes his hand from Miraj's shoulder: preparation for the gesture of speech.] The first! You and me, not even a kine from the city. Some of these people don't even know what Chicago is. [Frankly offensive and unbelievable.]
And you know, I'm not benefittin' here at all! I spent money to, what, talk to you? I can do that for free!
They've got their funny- [(Derogatory)] -rules here. You'd be servin' whoever bought you if it wasn't me. I'd say you should tell me thank you, but then you'd have to do it.
So. [He points, because oh he kinda wants to- Charlie swallows and shifts on his feet.] So remember that.
[He recognizes the look he's been given, so he adds.] You're not a thrall. At least, not mine. [There's an acquiescing head tilt towards the nearest glitzy pillar.]
no subject
If only you had to spend money every time you wished to speak to someone.
[...The thought is that maybe then the yapping wouldn't be eternal, but... no, that would just mean Charlie DiVincenzo('s thralls) would be perpetually broke.]
I see...
[Regrettably, Charlie does have a point. He is predictable, if nothing else, and if someone else had gotten the highest bid, there's no telling what he'd be made to do, so--]
Thank you. And before you're concerned, I was not made to say so.
[...Kind of. There's some lingering sense of obligation in the back of his mind to act as intended, and it was quite clear Charlie had wanted thanks, but this time it was of his own volition. Probably.]
Though you are incorrect - I am, unfortunately, yours until our time is through, whether you act like it or not. I suggest you don't.
no subject
brute force a conversationmake connections with a shared sense of home.In that way, Miraj is a comfort. He's also easier to navigate than the other primogens; the guy already dislikes Charlie. If he acts a bit of a tyrant, it won't be a surprise. Opportunistic as ever, Charlie looks at the man with a devious crinkle in the corner of his eye.
No playing nice with others to placate Miss May here. Just one shadowy ass to kiss.]
HAH! You better be glad I'm not one of those contrary types, eh? I won't, I wont... You're as free as you want to be.
But if you don't want to wander the place alone, I can give you a tour. [Don't believe him, his shit sense of direction hasn't caught up with this place yet.]
And hey- [He smacks his knuckles against Mirajs's shoulder lightly. Friendly!] -every time I come talk to you, I'll transfer you fifty chips, okay? [His tongue darts over his lip, some kind of twisted eagerness for this arrangement. It sound stupid... he almost misses stupid.]
no subject
Well.
Consider one shadowy ass kissed.]
You're not so complex I couldn't manage if you were a contrary sort...
[But in this case it is lucky enough - he doesn't have to play that game with him, doesn't have to dance around his words or couch barbs in niceties.
The surprises never cease. He's actually finding himself somewhat... grateful... to be at the end of Charlie's leash, as opposed to someone else's.]
You expect me to believe you've learned this place better than your own home? I'll pass on the tour, unless you find you need me to give you one. [Considering his own sense of direction is not, in fact, shit.]
But... for now, I have no need of your chips. [Though, if that all changes in the future, Charlie will be the first to know. Changing methods of payment, and all.] "Gods" have little use for money, you understand. [And here his expression shifts to one of pure exasperation. He doesn't want to ask Charlie for this. He doesn't want to ask anyone for this. It's stupid, and it feels stupid giving it credence with his voice, and yet...] Pay me with something they'd think is an act of worship. That's more useful right now.
no subject
Hearing a suggestion follow the rebuff is a surprise, one that registers clearly on Charlie's face when his smile returns, lips spread thin over teeth. The scene they're both forced to play is a ridiculous one - he acknowledges this with a knowing nod to mirror Miraj's exasperation - but it's served him well.
He rubs his palms together.]
You know, when I went to church, I didn't actually go to church. I just got left on the steps to fuck around with the other kids while the adults did whatever the hell inside. [Honestly, he regrets that - he missed out on so much gossip by throwing pebbles at the grumpy kid's head instead of listening to the old ladies 'fellowship.'] So just eh, don't set your expectations too high.
[Said to a LaSombra. Hilarious. Charlie chuckles and starts walking.] I know you don't want a tour, but let's at least go somewhere not in the middle of the god damn room, okay? [Each faux celestial being has their own little alcove of pleasure, and Charlie thinks he remembers where that was. It's close. He was just there. How bad could this be!?
He makes a wrong turn or two, but due to the low difficulty of the roll and not any merit of his own, he'll deliver them both to the intended place. Charlie does manage to look a bit proud of himself about it, undeservedly, brows raised as he gestures for Miraj to sit in his raised seat.] You comfortable here, or you want to sit somewhere else? [Act of service- no. Act of worship part one, actually considering the deity's preferences.]
no subject
And the simplicity's boon shows itself once more in the acknowledgement that this farce they've been put into is a ridiculous one. It is. They may be forced to take it seriously to some extent - he'd hate to accept Charlie "freeing" him only to end up being pulled to his side the second the man finds himself desiring something or, worse, to end up back on stage because neither of them fulfilled the obligations of the auction - this time with the caveat he needed a stronger hand, or some such amendment to really ensure the expectations of the house were followed to the letter.
And, if anyone was adept at toeing the line of acceptability... well. He could have worse companions in this than Charlie.]
Worry not, I'm not the sort of god you neglected as a child. [Ironically, he is the sort of god used to being worshipped with praise and acts of service. Truly, time is a circle.
Still, whether they move into a little alcove or move to wander the facility, it matters not. What does matter is that he dutifully follows a half-step behind Charlie as he wanders... but makes no move to mask the wry smile noticing that he manages to get lost in the room, to say nothing of trying to navigate the space as a whole.
Declining the tour was a good choice.]
I am not... but nowhere else will be any better, so this will have to do.
[Ah. That was a bit too forthcoming, wasn't it? Well, time to hide how disconcerting the honesty was by focusing on getting settled...! For once any pointless yapping would be welcome, Charlie!]
no subject
He'll learn how to discern the elder's intent more clearly. Through worship, a fun new word for ass kissing.]
You're the type to complain, eh? I wouldn't have known- [There was gravity to Miraj's reply, but Charlie lets it fall away. He's satisfied enough to have heard it, and right after deciding to get to know the guy better.
He offers a surrendering shrug and quickly flicks his lip under his teeth before continuing.] You wanna tell me my fawning is no good too? You can, but if you don't tell me what you want instead you go no one to blame but yourself when you're not satisfied.
[As he chats he circles behind his seated partner, hovering hands over small shoulders.] I was thinkin a massage first. What do you say? [With just about anyone else, he would have put his hands on them immediately. A volatile Primogen, vocally uncomfortable in his role, gives Charlie reasonable pause with that step.]
no subject
But little glimpses into his actual thoughts on the matter here can be spun into the simpler act of stepping more fully into the role, or some other such paper-thin shield.]
My needs are meant to be met, are they not? They should be expecting complaints.
[So, no, he's not usually the type to complain, not really, but if deeper concerns can be brushed aside as haughty complaints, then all the better. No reason to think more deeply about it.]
As should you, if you're no good at this.
[More sharpness, more leaning on the existing distaste he has for Charlie. Let it be that simple.
Though the fact that Charlie does pause to ask if his plan is alright is... something. He's used to the man overstepping at every chance he gets, so the fact he doesn't this time is odd. Makes him wonder if he's let something slip, or if it's all just some part of the pretense of kissing ass.
Whatever the case, he does shrug the provided robe off his shoulders for the time being, letting it settle around his elbows and drape over the small of his back, all but permitting the suggestion without actually saying so.]
Will you be able to speak with your hands busy?
no subject
But there's something preciously demanding in those words, too. This recognition makes disregarding Miraj's chagrin easier than it already would have been. Charlie likes a brat, and through a willful lens, that's what his partner sounds like.
When someone wants something, Charlie uses the pretense of providing it to keep contact. He doesn't need that link here, their home is enough to keep them entwined. So that angle is disregarded too - what he's left with is... it's cute.
His smile twists into odd affection.
With silent acquiescence to his proposition, Charlie reaches to the side to dip his fingers into a gilded bowl of oil. He works them together, spreading slick over his palms.]
HAH! That's a good one- [The laugh was loud enough for everyone in the room to hear, though only a few tear themselves away from their pleasures to look at its source.] You're funny. You're real fuckin funny-
[He plants his hands on Miraj's back, squeezing shoulder blades. There is a pause before he speaks again.] I mean that. I'm not just sayin it to suck up.
[Another brief silence, it seems talking with his hands occupied is actually a little difficult. His touch is firm as he works shoulder, neck, and spine. There's strength Miraj will recognize as supernatural behind it, though not intentionally emboldened by the blood. Each squeeze and circle of the thumb is focused on the body beneath; he's actually putting a good deal of effort into this.
And he seems to enjoy it.] This, though, well... do you think the house sees butterin' up your boss and worship as the same? They should. It's the fuckin same- [Yapping resumes.]
no subject
But as pretenses crumble away and as they're left with odd twists of almost-affection born from a shared home (and left to sit ignored by the wayside, thank you very much--), the exchange grows easier, in a way. More casual by the moment.
Eyes suddenly on them takes away some of that ease, of course, though he does choose to focus on the moment of lingering silence when Charlie's hands settle on his back. Can he talk with his hands busy? It had been a bit of a barb at the suggestion at initiating casual intimacy, sure, but-- ah, there it is. It's possible, but difficult.
That, too, is a bit more endearing than it should be.
...And a fact filed away for later. Get May to invest in some handcuffs if his endless chattering proves to be troublesome.
Though as Charlie is actually putting effort in, he'll also surely notice that there's a rigidity, a tenseness in Miraj that betrays his clear attempts to allow the interaction to settle into something almost-casual. It would seem his discomfort here reaches further than the simple alcove being not to taste... or he's been carrying it for a while.
We can hope he assumes the latter, of course.]
It's close enough, I'd assume. They don't know I'm your boss at home, after all.
no subject
The way his hands glide along Miraj's skin stands in sharp contrast. He focuses where tension has settled, working his fingers deeper into tissue without comment for the source. He'd expected to find some stiffness - everyone carries a bit of rigidity in their body. That there's a bit more than he'd presumed is, once again, a cute quality.
Miraj takes things seriously. Everyone knows that. But he lets them weigh on himself - at least, that's the new conclusion Charlie takes from the coiled muscles beneath his hands.] Maybe they do now- [Jovial tone with a twinge of regret.
Though he wonders if its truly possible to keep secrets from this place.] Am I uh, satisfying you? [His hands sink lower as he seeks the man's waist alongside approval.] If I'm doin a good job, I'll do your whole body.
Just. Just know they like it here when whole body means whole body. [There's nothing overtly flirtatious about the explanation, just the usual brattish coyness Charlie possesses when he thinks something is ridiculous.]
no subject
Miraj takes things seriously. Miraj rarely takes a night off, and when he does it's only after much cajoling and some event that would be cause to force him to decompress. That he lets his responsibilities settle on him physically shouldn't be too much of a surprise, and he's more than happy to allow Charlie to use their shared connection to home to make assumptions as to why he's so tense.
And why it continues to linger stubbornly, even through insistent touch, even though the massage does, admittedly, feel nicer than expected. Cold hands in stark contrast to warmed oil, supernatural strength allowing him to press hard without much pain... it's almost enough to actually get him to begin to relax, ever so slightly.]
You are. [The annoying, nagging need for worship and affection ebbing away tells him as much, even if he was reluctant to acknowledge it, and there's little harm in admitting it out loud once asked.
He even nearly has the impulse to settle in further, to lean against the arm of the chaise and try to ignore that the whole interaction was contrived and forced.
But, of course, that's impossible. The reminder of what this place is like hits him like ice, and any tenseness worked out of coiled muscle returns in spades.]
I'd gathered as much. That was... the intent of the auction itself, was it not? [To force the new deities into a subservient role for a time. It wasn't lost on him that the existing dynamic he'd had with Charlie - and Charlie's own proclivities - had been all that had prevented some stranger from making their own advances and thensome already.]
Would... that please you?
[The question is a little quieter than it should have been, given how ridiculous it was clear Charlie thought the proposition was, and it comes a little faster than it should have, as well. Surely that can just be chalked up to the dynamic forced upon them by this place - sure, Charlie was sucking up by playing to the pseudo-worship, but that also wasn't the intent of the purchase, and something had, apparently, lost patience, or so it would seem.
But we can put the LaSombra brattiness back up as a shield.]
It won't help either of us if it wouldn't.
no subject
Silence only possible by forced supernatural subserivence.
But they're in a strange position, low rank and deity but owner and possession. Miraj's body stiffens and Charlie pulls his hands away to flex his fingers. Where there had been comfort, there's now an ache from knuckle to wrist. He places his hands back on the other's back, palms flat and fingers splayed.
He can feel the tension, but pressing it flat isn't enough.] Me?
[Charlie would normally be quick to offer an alternative to any sort of physical intimacy, but he pauses. His eyes trail along Mirajs's shoulders to lock with his. Charlie's appraisal is cold, detached from any connection such an act could form between them.
It won't. It'd be playing to the house, sure, but he'd rather preserve his sect, his kindred, loyalty.] That depends. [Dull, because two bad choices always put him in a foul mood.] Who's ass would I rather kiss?
Well, yours, obviously.
But I'm not sure that's gonna stay an option. You know me, I like to side with the big guy. [He lifts his shoulder and jerks his head to the side, indicating the general space of the Casino.] But I wanna stay with you. To help you. You're not the type to take someone else's bullshit in stride.
What I'm thinkin is- [He swipes his tongue along his bottom gum.] -I help you kiss some ass now, so you don't gotta do as much later.
[Ramble translation: Yeah we should probably fuck huh? Lame.
There's no coy attempt to twist words or persuade here - if anything, this one of the least enthusiastic pitches Miraj has ever heard from him.] You got a better idea though? I'm all ears.
no subject
Charlie's appraisal tells him everything his rambled train of thought doesn't.]
You'd be surprised.
[He can handle quite a lot of bullshit, thank-you-very-much, he just doesn't like to, and his usual position - admittedly, the only position Charlie has ever seen him in - allows him the leverage to not have to endure any bullshit he doesn't care to.
But he's not in such a position here. For all the airs put on about these new deities being the most important guests... well, all it took was this auction to twist that notion on its head, prove they were just as at the mercy of the house as everyone else.
So there were no good choices here.]
I suspect merely going through the motions will not end well for either of us.
[Neither of them will be pleased by the outcome, both of them will be punished by their strange markings, and they'll end up worse off than when they began. Amusing for someone, surely, but not a boundary he'd like to test if he could help it.
And yet, there are no better ideas coming to mind.
So he brings a hand up, biting idly at his thumbnail as he tries to think of something.
(And tries to settle with the idea of propositioning Charlie DiVincenzo.)]
Side with 'the big guy'. You've far more to lose by not doing so than I do, and you've helped enough already by doing this.
[A vague gesture to the little alcove to encompass him rigging the auction.]
Anything you could possibly want to do will be better than what anyone else would have expected, so go on. Play their game.
[A little bit more of that too-honest impulse has him biting his lip before he spells out anything worse.]
no subject
He doesn't even have to touch anyone - watching has been enough.
Now, though, he doesn't care to call someone over to act as a buffer. It's a rare opportunity be positioned to not only please but work in-tandem with a Primogen. Of course, the context could be better - but Charlie's an opportunist. He's keeping this one to himself.
Mirajs's assessment meets no argument - Charlie simply shrugs. Whether his offered approach is being redirected out of a sense of caution or desire, he can't tell. Sure, he expects Miraj to brush off a blatant offer to help given they're both still beholden to prestation, but its just as easy to believe he's over-suspicious of the Casino's lust.
There's an advantage in there somewhere, though raking his eyes over Miraj's body, Charlie doesn't see it yet.] That is so nice of you. Tryin'a pay me back? [He follows the gesture with his gaze, acknowledging the favor he'd already done.]
It's a two person game, you know. [He steps to the side, circling to stand facing the other kindred.] You're playin with me. [Briefly, he knocks his toe into the side of Miraj's foot.]
And I got an idea-
Let me have a bite. [His eyebrows raise, salesman voice returning with its jovial cadence.] You'll like it~! Get us started off right..!
[That'd really be paying him back, but Charlie won't draw attention to the fact.]
no subject
So he rebuffs. Charlie isn't wrong - there is suspicion there, but of both the casino and of Charlie's own over-willingness to "help".
Yes, it would be helpful, in a way, but at what cost?]
Owing you tends to be unwise.
[Sure. We can lean on paying him back, for this. It's a step, at least.
Charlie circles, sharklike demeanor reflecting the loan-shark tone that's returned to his voice, and it's all too easy to settle right back into the terse acceptance of his presence. Something more akin to whatever served as their normal, knocked askew by the environment.
He knocks his toe into his foot, and immediately after, Miraj tucks his legs up onto the chaise, leans against the arm, even rests his chin on his hand in a way that elongates his exposed neck.]
Surprised you didn't ask sooner.
[It may be really paying him back, but it's not outside the realm of what he'd be willing to do to do so.]
no subject
I can feed myself here, you know. There's lots of guys... well, I'll tell you later. [A short exposition this information is not, and Charlie's never been one to shirk a chance to eat. Miraj's rescinded limb didn't escape his notice, neither did the implication of stretching out rather than reaching for his partner.
The man's not comfortable with this. Charlie knows, he's been told as such. They've discussed it, but seeing the reality in the body is different.
He steps forward, but does not immediately initiate touch. Instead, Charlie takes a knee. Eye to eye, this could be a threat, but except for a momentary flick of the gaze, he doesn't keep contact. He's offering a gesture for comfort, where he can simply lean forward and find purchase with fang against neck instead of looming over or pressing limb into the chaise.
The only contact that comes from Charlie's approach is a light brush of fingertips to bare shoulder as he holds a hand up. Just a precaution to catch either of them, should the feeding and the casino's influence entangle to something overwhelming.
Like this, he bites down, nostrils flaring as the taste of potent, choleric vitae hits his mouth. A moment of suckling passes before the viscous fluid begins to coat his tongue, but when it does, Charlie's shoulders slacken to the pleasure of feeding.]
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And, well, continued conversation, clipped though it was, is a good enough distraction from what's to come.
Ultimately, he's not sure what to expect. Charlie's reputation precedes him, as does his habit of striking hard and fast to stoke heated feelings higher, but there's an awareness of his own distaste for this sort of exchange, and the continued pretense of status from home carrying over here - and he's content to keep hold of that as something of a shield, if nothing else.
A part of him is expecting a quick, rough bite, a looming presence, to be pinned to the chaise with both the supernatural sensations of being fed upon and the physicality of the act, but before he can even brace for such a thing, Charlie is kneeling, taking - and immediately breaking eye contact.
What could have been a threat - what would have been a threat to perhaps anyone else - is taken as the opposite, and is even met with something akin to confusion, as his brows knit together, watching closely.
The only contact is a brush of fingertips over his shoulder, and even that makes him tense at the anticipation of more that never comes. Instead, there's just the bite, a momentary sharpness that makes even Miraj gasp, quick and unsteady, before all that tight-wound tension of anticipation melts.
Paradoxically, without further contact he feels adrift in the sensation and actually reaches out somewhat, letting a hand loop over Charlie's elbow, touch just as light as the one to his shoulder. It's not quite an anchor, not really, but it'll do for now.]
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Now, though, the taste of Miraj's vitae forces him to inhale. As if he could taste it more acutely. As if he could pull more down his throat. But, despite how blatantly eager Charlie is to indulge, the feeding itself is a fairly gentle one.
It seems Miraj agrees.
Charlie's elbow shifts into the man's hand on instinct, seeking contact.
Showing deference to a Primogen is Charlie's priority, but physicality is his preference, and in this most base state of consumption, he lacks the awareness to temper himself completely. His fingers twitch, tilting forward to spread across Miraj's shoulder. Smooth skin, something to grab-
His palm seizes, hand retreating in sudden discomfort. Charlie disconnects with a hitch in his throat, glaring at his own limb as his tongue sweeps over the puncture holes in Miraj's neck.]
...I'm gonna ask you a blunt question. [Voice off-kilter, too airy for its usual timbre.] So you know, I wouldn't normally. [To avoid prying, he means, though his perpetually sinister demeanor doesn't make that specificity clear.] But now- [His fingers stretch out, straining before he curls them back inwards.] -did you want me to touch you?
[The house stopped him, that much is obvious, but why? In servitude to a wildcard, but not to its lascivious purpose? He expects to be met with similar recourse if he avoids the call for sex, too, so getting tangled with a guy who doesn't know what he fucking wants would be a pain.
Like he said. It's a two person game.]
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And then Charlie is gone, suddenly, and his body pulls back instead of following after him, despite just how empty and adrift the lack of contact leaves him feeling.
In a mirror to the house punishing Charlie for touch, it seems to also punish Miraj for the lack of it - his marking shimmer brighter in the dim light, and he nearly misses the question asked of him for all the questions already swirling around his own mind. Had he done something wrong? Clearly he caused some displeasure, but what? And what could he do to fix it? He nearly reaches out to re-initiate contact himself, in some effort to fix it, but Charlie's own question does reach him, and does ground him just enough that he doesn't, choosing instead to pick it apart, to give an almost uncharacteristically
honest answer.]
I wasn't thinking about you, just now.
[He'd been... fine... while he was. But as soon as he'd retreated into the sensation of the bite, as soon as that had been coupled with further physicality, it seemed it had been a problem.
...So he'd been forced to give Charlie a piece that would, given what was already known of him, allow him to put entirely too much together.
Annoying.]
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Maybe that should make this place's blatant tugging on their strings a little less jarring - but it doesn't.
Because Charlie usually doesn't mind the security and comfort his domestication brings. Usually it doesn't come with the knowledge that he's being somehow digested by an inter-planar entity.
Still kneeling at Mirajs's level, his face scrunches, the moment of frustration passing as soon as the man answers.] Well that-
First of all, some people would be offended if you told them that.
-but that was probably the damn problem. I told you! It's a two person game.
Normally, the house doesn't mind one guy just watchin' with wanderin' thoughts while the other guy enjoys himself. [Speaking firmly from experience.] This time, you're a 'God'!
If you can think about someone else, I'm not doin' my job right. [Petulantly, he lets his forehead thud against the arm of the chaise. Miraj is levied with an expectant look, as if Charlie expects some kind of instruction for success.] The kiss feels good. Do you like it better when things don't? [His guess is a half-hearted one, probing for preferences from someone who doesn't want to be here any more than he does.
A belabored group project, the Ventrue Starts Coordinating.]
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[Some people would be offended - meaning Charlie isn't. To a point. Already, Miraj can see him trying to work out what would, well, work. Doing the coordinating Ventrue so love to claim to hate.
The question makes his own face scrunch.]
Not typically.
[Sometimes it was fine. Sometimes it was even necessary, to a point, but... those were extenuating circumstances, not encompassing the inclusion of one Charlie DiVincenzo, and was just as likely to set his mind off elsewhere as being bitten had.
Idly, his hand does come up to his neck, rubbing at the place fangs had met skin.]
And you don't like much of anything, so I can't just...
[It is accusatory, to an extent. It would be so easy to bend to what the house wanted of him to what the deific obligations had put on his shoulders, to this particular gilded leash was telling him to do if Charlie wanted anything himself.
So in a mirror to the petulant thud onto the armrest, Miraj flops onto his back with a huff.]
This shouldn't be so difficult.
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They'll have to find their fun together, too. And enough so that Miraj can keep his head on his fuckin shoulders about who he's with.
Charlie shifts from kneeling to sitting outright, one leg propped up and the other bent sprawled under the chaise.] Well, we gotta start somewhere- [His palm thumps against unoccupied cushion.]
How about you tell me somethin' you've never done before? That way, you ain't got no one else to think about if we do it together.
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