[ as the days of october have grown longer and darker, hua cheng has been able to sense that the energy around the resort is changing—yin energy, growing colder and more malicious alongside the lengthening shadows of evening. when hua cheng one day steps off the elevator and feels the press of ghostly qi from all sides, it doesn't take him by surprise, just makes him laugh as he turns on his heel and heads immediately for the place where he feels the concentration of new energy most strongly: the morgue, tucked down a long and dilapidated hallway behind the broken wing.

and what should he find, behind the heavy doors of the morgue, but a fresh crop of new guests? mostly yang energy in them, although not really enough to make a dent against the overwhelming yin of the place. he walks up and down the aisles of the morgue, opening cadaver lockers and checking toe tags for increasingly embarrassing causes of death.

when one of the guests wakes, just as hua cheng pulls away from a quick check of their meridians to make sure they're still alive, he grins and hops a step back just in case they're about to come out swinging. ]

You've chosen a fine day to arrive in this place, [ he says, his visible eye flashing red. ] And with such a curious cause of death, too.

[ much later, bathed in the strange, pale moonlight of the moon that floats incessantly above the main golden peacock lobby, hua cheng wanders through the stalls in rookery to explore their wares. the smoke from the jasmine incense is irritating, making his eyes burn and his nose wrinkle—so it is slightly effective even on ghost kings, it seems. probably as good a walking advertisement as that seller is going to get.

despite the intent way his eyes rake over the wares on display on stalls and blankets on the floor, hua cheng isn't actually looking for anything to buy. what he's after are ghosts like him, presences he senses by vibe alone—souls that have been shucked out of their mortal hulls and set adrift in the halls of the resort.

they'll know him, probably, because when their eyes meet they should feel the resonance between them, the tell-tale tug of intrinsic attraction like two opposing poles of a magnet drawing closer. ]

I see your spirit has lost its way. [ by now hua cheng is familiar with the immediate pull of mild arousal; whether this partner is or isn't remains to be seen. ] Should I help guide you back to your body?

[ hua cheng does not look like himself.

the pouring of moonlight over his skin has triggered a transformation that hua cheng did not expect: that of his normal body into that of the land of the tender, his masculine frame replaced by the luscious, intentionally tempting curves of a young, seductive woman. his eyepatch is gone, so both of his blood-red eyes blink from under heavy lashes; his frame is smaller now, and his skin is soft and smooth, absent any of the marks or scars that might have identified him previously. (although it is likely that those who know him well will still recognize him, even like this.)

this should bother him—it would, normally, to have so little control over his own body, and to be transformed into one of the very things that had so terrorized his husband all those centuries ago—but the moonlight makes it difficult to think of anything other than how hungry he is, his body feeling hollow and ravenous as he wanders through the vale.

as he goes, a delicate perfume wafts from him, the scent of it enough to pull anyone into his influence. when it seems that he's caught someone's attention, he draws closer, running his fingernails lightly down their chest as he presses to their side. ]

You can't be spending your night alone, can you? [ a throaty, warm giggle. ] Wouldn't you rather have some company?

[ ooc notes:

raising a grave – i have dreams of these threads ending with zombie bites/scratches and fucking about it, but i'm also super happy to go gen as well and will absolutely defer to your preferences!

the fly who dreams of the spider – hua cheng is a ghost by nature, so i guess i'm figuring he can probably vibe with other ghosties either real or created by the resort. again open to smut on this one but fine with gen as well, if your character really does just want to be guided back to their body.

the paths of desire – the land of the tender are a tgcf-canon-specific monster that feast on men's blood and "essence" (either qi or cum probably). their natural forms are of bright red thorny flowers, but they transform into sexy ladies to do their feasting. hua cheng looks something like this, big titty goth gf version, although probably identifiable by people who know him unless it's more fun for them not to!

for people who breathe in the land of the tender perfume, i'm modifying the canon symptoms for smut game sexiness: it will start with a little lightheadedness and warmth in the insides, then touch sensitivity, then horniness!

also feel free to wildcard me with whatever, i am super open to anything! hit me up at maehwa or by pm if you want to talk anything out! ]