【 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 parking garage for all new arrivals. We aim to have all guests moved into their reserved rooms as soon as possible. We deeply apologize for any inconvenience!
All are invited to There Is No Tomorrow, a Phoenix Casino soiree to celebrate our beloved guests. The festivities will begin at 1800 hours on January 20th and end at 1800 hours on January 27th. Please look forward to 168 hours of delight.
In an effort to raise happiness and encourage better guest relationships, attendance is required. The house will assist guests that are too shy to appear of their own accord. Please note that black tie attire is mandatory. As always, we hope you enjoy your stay! 】
PARKING GARAGE
ANY CAR IN A STORM
PHOENIX CASINO HALL
WELCOME TO THE NEXT 168 HOURS
Phoenix Casino is a-flutter with activity and packed to the beak with guests. As a famously ever-changing space, the staff would be remiss if they didn't deck the crown jewel of the Golden Peacock out. The casino glitters from top to bottom, shining brighter than diamonds, rubies, sapphires, opals! Party-goers are shiny and glamorous with picture perfect makeup, fluttering gowns, and sharp suits. Card tables are packed and the slot machines are a-ringing as guests play, play, play! Prizes, luxury, booze, attractive people, it's the place that everyone wants to be at.
Those people being dragged inside by some invisible force...? Silly, they were so excited to come that their bodies moved before they realized what was happening. Those are struggles of joy and definitely not the casino's infamous ghost hands dragging unwilling guests to the party at the behest of the house. Look, they're literally hurling their bodies at the card tables with unrestrained glee!
All clocks indicating day hours and night hours have been removed from the casino. Once a guest has entered, their Watch will jam, making it impossible to keep track of the time. You don't need to worry about that tonight.
▶ 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 January event.
▶ 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. This month we also have an ongoing ATP / EMP where players can connect. Please feel free to utilize this for all of your peafowl needs!
▶ 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!
▶ 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.
( not all men have taken as well to being swaddled in luxury, to say nothing of being cramped into a backseat three shades too small to stretch out in. one such esteemed doctor happens to be in this particular boat— car— vehicle. the silken robe he's been bequeathed features a lovely fur collar held on by button (good); said buttons are also wound fast with the loose threads of neglect, keeping it from being easily removed (less good). this particular puzzle, mechanical though it may be, is a fair bit more interesting than the ambient yapping about the state of their apparent lodgings.
unfortunate, then, that ratio manages to look up at the exact time to make eye contact.
he's assuming it's something of the sort, anyway, beyond the shutters. on his end, he has no accessory to obscure the narrow stare he graces lighter with, tinged with disdain as it is. well. they're having a conversation, now. it'd be inappropriate to ignore him any longer. )
Is it that you'd prefer to be filthy? ( yikes. ) If you take issue with things being in good condition, then it should be easy to rectify.
You've gone through way worse, though. Being stuck here in the middle of nowhere isn't all that bad compared to what we went through in the City.
[ ishmael remains unflappable as she starts powerwalking towards... idk, anywhere but gregor's car of choice. the garage is insanely big, though. just how many people are are in this entire building? ]
Anyway, I don't even know where to go looking. There should be a security guard here or something...
[ They're such sweet words that they almost make his stomach drop. He wonders if he's said a little too much. It's not like who he is has changed since he decided to make the best of navigating this place, but ending up here, unadorned as he'll ever be and in the quiet cradle of someone's acceptance... it does serve as a reminder.
His fingers flex in his lap, thoughtful. Mitigating the ache of guilt twisting around in his gut. ]
Now that's something I don't hear very often. [ Half a laugh, breathy. ] I have quite a fearsome reputation back home, you know.
[Rude stops when Aventurine points out the obvious, wondering if the proper thing would be to get up and leave. But it would be a lie to pretend that he could do that at this point without seeing that he finishes everything he's started.]
I want that in writing. That I should just do what I want.
[Rude jokes, pausing what he's doing just for a moment to put two fingers into Aventurine's mouth curiously. He plays with his tongue to get his fingers wet enough so that when he removes them, they slide inside him easily, one at a time. Rude doesn't really know where or how he's learned to do any of this, maybe second hand knowledge from being curious or not interrupting when anyone wants to go into detail about their sexual encounters at work.
He twists his fingers just a bit, then curls them to feel around inside Aventurine, curiously prodding at a particular spot like he has no idea what that might do to a man.]
[ her tone is light, just like the rest of her, the gentle curiosity still present. she thinks she should be worried at that underlying threat, or at least be more concerned. but she also thinks that if he'd really wanted to hurt her, he would have already done so. mages are not known for their bulk, and she was always too soft, too pliant for the front lines.
besides, she recognizes the look of a guilty man, especially one who believes he's beyond grace and salvation; too bloodied and scarred for kindness, for tenderness.
slowly, carefully, her hand reaches for his, touching their fingertips together in lieu of actually holding his hand. ]
[ Now rescuer turned loyal steed, Lighter steers easily enough when given a good grip and a destination. Heavy footfalls on luxe marble take him through the crowd — slower and more straightforward this time, but no less adept at navigating through. ]
Don't mention it. It's better than — [ A shock of gasps and laughter erupt from a nearby group of people as another one of the floating patrons goes tumbling down into them. Luckily, it seems like they've all taken to making a bit of a game of it, but it looks. Handsy. ] ...well, you know.
[ Approaching one of the more secluded areas, Lighter considers the door a moment before bending a knee and getting his watch up against the keypad. Though he's pretty sure he's still been branded as a wildcard, it recognizes him as a guest and admits him. He clicks the door open on a dim and inviting space, all lacquer and velvet, gilt trays offering more private food and drinks. He likely will not be trusting those, thanks. ]
Alright, no more prying eyes. [ He bumps the door closed behind him. ] And I wouldn't worry too much about it.
[ His smile tilts, faint at the corner of his mouth. He turns his hand over, rough palm facing upwards beneath the draw of her fingertips instead. There's an idle curiosity in it, the loose curl of his knuckles. ]
I get the feeling you've heard it all before. [ Not a combatant, he thinks to himself, but there is a gentleness that comes from bearing witness to it that he's pretty sure is at play here. As for him, well. The proof of it is all over, glaring mistakes made even more glaring by the way his body bears them as scars and aches and tensions. ] Ah, well. It's not important.
[ His shoulder rolls very slightly. ]
It is nice sometimes though. Hearing things I usually don't.
[Raziel is quiet for a moment, considering the other woman's words.] ...I see.
Forgive me for prying. It is my duty to inquire about enigmas and mysteries, so naturally, I-- well, it doesn't really matter, does it? [She takes a breath and then gives the other woman a smile, even if it's a little thin and doesn't quite go all the way to her eyes.
It isn't just her duty, it's her nature. She is curious, and she wants to learn more. But, that seems to be where this conversation ends, even if it's a little frustrating.
Not that there aren't plenty of enigmas to still explore here.] W-well then! Where shall we begin?
Electricity? Hmmm... I think I've heard that there are airships that run similarly. Perhaps there's a member of the Grandcypher's crew who maintains it that way? I'll have to ask the captain if I can inspect the engine more closely next time... [Yeah she's just muttering to herself for a bit.
She closes the book with a thump and tucks it back into her robes. It... disappears despite there being no logical place for it to have gone.
She smiles.] My name is Raziel. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Troy. I appreciate your insights!
[An exhale, a long sigh.] ...nor where I'm from, to my knowledge. I suppose my knowledge of skydweller culture isn't quite as encyclopedic as I'd thought, though, so maybe it exists somewhere out there?
[How gloomy! Don't focus on your failures in Auguste! Raziel takes a breath, and smiles.] But yes! Perhaps we can play together and understand the local customs better, then?
[The nerve! The rudeness! The... way that she's just kind of swigging that hard liquor right from the bottle, wow, that's almost impressive.
But not impressive enough for Raziel to not grit her teeth, speaking through clenched pearly whites.] I am not... the help. [Ignoring that "sugartits" comment for now, too. Even if it is very true.]
Lord Lucifer assigned me to catalog mysteries and enigmas and the unfamiliar, and I have never seen anything like this vehicle before, so I am doing that!
[The Lucifer where she's from probably has a very different reputation than the one Panty knows.]
[nuke gw it's awful and i hate it but mama needs her blue papers
Raziel, for her own business, is caught halfway between wanting to ignore all the debauchery happening around her and her inherent, Astral-given fascination with the idea of how a place this wholly strange could function.
She twirls the pen in her fingers.] I've been trying to figure that out. You'd have to quantify things, wouldn't you?
A wager works because one can set specific conditions within the bounds of what everyone agrees upon. There are only so many sides on a die, and thus only so many possibilities. Within intercourse, things are much more unpredictable...
Perhaps you could time things? Or-- or award points, perhaps!
[ SHE'S NEVER SEEN THEM BEFORE OKAY so they are alluring to her in a way. just... not the guy wearing them, apparently. maybe.
she blinks at the makeshift frame, her face flat as she raises a brow. i too am going to make this short bc im lazy ]
Loopholes? I don't know... The rules seem foolproof to me. If you have sex with enough people, you'll get your wish granted -- assuming that it's even possible in the first place.
[ even an idiot would be hard-pressed to misconstrue such simple instructions. ]
[ To his words—to say nothing of the hand placed at the small of her back—Aerith raises a brow; when she laughs, it's a pleasant sound, but one lacking her usual warmth. ]
If you truly believe that I did those things out of spite, then you have a lot to learn about me, Mister Shinra.
[ After all, how can it be considered spiteful to avoid a security detail for which she never asked? As to bartering with Tseng... there was no way she was going to leave that little girl in the hands of her once-captors.
Despite her comment, though, and despite the cautiousness shadowing her every move so far, she accepts the halved canapé from him and eats it in turn; her nose wrinkles at the rich, unfamiliar taste. ]
Mm... I can imagine, if something as simple as fruit is to be considered dangerous. Not to mention the clothes... I spent the morning in something that left me practically naked, and now this...
[After Dan Heng gives him his recollection of events, Jing Yuan makes a thoughtful sound before stretching both his muscular arms above his head, brows creasing. No, he doesn't think...]
I was at the party as well. [His expression softens, understanding, even as some pink dusts the tips of of ears just barely visible in his mane of hair.] ...It is good to see you, regardless. I may have had too much to drink, so it's comforting that I had a trusted companion next sharing my bed.
[The general finally convinces himself he should sit up and start assessing the situation. He's certain that he and Dan Heng hadn't done anything to their knowledge. There's no evidence of it on his skin; stealing another quick (he lingers too long) look at the Astral Express's guard, it doesn't seem there's any sign on him either.
He moves slowly, shifting the blanket so that it remains over his lap as he sits up. Eventually, he has to press a palm down over his groin, holding the blanket there to keep from moving as he continues to shift across the bed.
He sniffs, the heavy smell of hearty food hitting his nose.]
[ her fingers pause briefly when he turns his hand over, almost as if she were caught in the act. but she can't pass up all that new real estate, lightly tracing the lines running across his palm with a finger. his hands are bigger than hers, rougher and calloused, but she likes how warm they are and how they remind her of home: a small church in the middle of winter; a kind priest who opened his doors to a mother and her daughter with nowhere to go.
he's right, though. mercedes' smile widens as her finger reaches the heel of his palm, tracing the same path in reverse. ]
Even if I have, it doesn't mean I wouldn't want to hear it again.
[ in combat, your medic is your priest, your confidant, and your saint. they know your blood type and your pain tolerance; they know what you dream about when you’re pathetic and feverish, calling out names in the dark. ]
I don't mind. But I hope that you'll be able to hear those things from others sometime.
( stelle should be an actress. robin knows some people if she'd ever want to get into the gig.
for now, it's a fleeting thought, something she'll bring up when they're back in penacony should that day ever come in that far off distance. after all, these dramatics have her beat when robin's brows shift that minute degree upwards as stelle leans in to take her by the arm without a single reservation spared for modesty.
no need for any of that here, after all. it jostles the shades from her face and makes her laugh at her own pause. )
Very cute, but... wouldn't you be the Silver Cowboy? Unless you're really meant to be riding him.
( idle, meaningless chatter as she takes off her glasses and tucks them into the low seam of her dress. no one gawks or gasps or points. there's a part of robin that feels like she must rise to the occasion, that she will have to work harder to reach this corner of the universe but... in a way, it's refreshing. freeing. but what does it say about her that she feels more naked without a disguise in a crowd than if she were, uh, actually naked.
besides that... it isn't as though her song could really bring much more joy here... could it?
who knows. the two very tall, very serious woman guards outside of the lounge look like they could use a smile or two though, especially next to robin's incredibly polished one as she tips her head up towards their faces to politely regard them. )
Hello there, good evening. May we duck inside for a quick shower?
( ... not together....... probably... she wouldn't be so bold (yet, unfortunately). )
Kabru. It's lovely to meet you. [ A skydweller would be someone who lives in the air, somehow? They don't have any flying technology where Kabru comes from, so he's going to assume they must be able to reside in the air due to magic.
He can ask more, but first, it looks like they are going to play. He points at the dice on the table near to her. ]
[ Having already explored some areas of the casino, he has a good mental picture of where the bar might be. ]
I see. Discharged from your duties in the meantime? [ He's making educated guesses. Now at the bar, he takes a seat, patting the seat beside him so that Troy can join him. ]
[ Between them both, he's actually in his underwear, so one would argue that he needs those blankets more than she does?? Still, with his people pleasing personality, he doesn't fight when they are snatched from him. The cold air hits his body soon after and he's only left with the reminder that he is, in fact, half naked in front of a stranger.
He isn't a shy person, so that doesn't bother him at all. What he is is someone who likes to put up appearances; someone who wants to come off polite and civil and approachable. This??? Is not it??? Most people he knows don't even know he sleeps in his underwear, and now, apparently, Ishmael knows.
Still, he cannot fathom making a lady (or anyone) uncomfortable, so he keeps his distance, allowing her to gather up all that hair of hers. ]
Clingy ...? [ No, he's never considered himself clingy -- 'Old'?! ]
[ nooooo the disappointment in his eyes are so palpable. normally ishmael wouldn't care about what most people feel, but the fact that he got a little bummed about it made her feel a tiny bit bad. damn. ]
Mm. It's the ocean, but we call it the Great Lake. I used to work as a sailor, that's why.
[ and she's going to end it right there, before they delve into anything deeper than that. she isn't ready to talk about the rest of it.
besides, they've got a game to play. she hurriedly takes a card, and the tower wobbles with the sudden movement. whew, that was close. ]
[ damn, he's so bushy. can't say she dislikes it, though. she may have relaxed in beowulf's massage, but she still has her guard up in other ways. ]
I'm just showing you basic human courtesy, is all. I don't think you should be too trusting to people either. Especially when practically everyone here is obligated to jump each other's bones for cash.
[ the guy's sweet, but that's going to attract people who'd want to manipulate him. trust her, she would know. ]
But, um... Thanks for the offer. I think you're the nicer guy than me, though. If I'm being honest, I don't really know what to do with that kindness.
Well, he hasn't tried to take his head, so he can't argue that necessarily. And he'd rather get along than fight -- what's the point of it when they're all trapped? While they have a common enemy, no reason they can't just... get along.
There's a grin at that offer though, challenging. "You think I'm backing out? Please. Not when there are chips on the line!"
So, fine, he'll step in, one hand going up to rest against the back of that green head as he leans in to find a good patch of skin. It's a little awkward, but he thinks he pulls it off, sucking at a nice patch of skin for a second, even if part of the clown wants to leave a proper mark behind.
This draft is cold as fuck so he's just gonna grab the sheets off the bed and wrap himself around it while standing. When's Ishmael going to realise she stole from him… will she even… damn. ]
Not in the strictest sense. [ a laugh. ] I'm saying it might be possible to skate by doing the bare minimum. I mean, it's one [ banana ] headband, what could it cost?
As much as a shirt, maybe?
[ staring at her. with a semi-amused, wry smile… ]
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