【 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.
[ Looking at him, Lighter would believe that. It's not just effort that carves out a bearing like that — it's necessity. It's years of fighting your way to the top, though he'd hesitate to assign his scars to the ring. No, those came before. Probably much like his. But he's not so forthcoming with those silhouetted details, expression setting at a downturn. ]
Makes me dizzy. [ He admits, which sounds a little silly for a guy who looks like he does, but he figures if he should be honest about anything, it's his poor tolerance for certain liquids. ] There's not a lot of tea where I come from either, though.
[ High-brow foods and drinks don't tend to show up in the Outer Ring all that often, and even when they do, the quantities leave something to be desired. It's without much fanfare that he accepts the clothes, thinking better of refusing because them — what's the alternative? Stay naked? No, thanks. He notes it for later, keeping tabs on who he owes what. He's not keen on being indebted five times over. He slips into the pants first and then finally climbs to his feet, gratefully shoving the t-shirt over sun-loved scars. ]
I'm guessing this place does these little mix-ups to facilitate the whole card exchange thing. Haven't they ever heard of speed dating?
[ ^guy who has never regular dated let alone speed dated ]
[ Despite himself, he laughs quietly, reveling in the sensation of her skin and how it's so dissimilar from his own. ]
Now I've really gotta put my money where my mouth is. [ A little puncture mark made by well-worn grit, just to let some of the tension he'd felt breathe out. It's easier then, for some of that confidence to well into its place. His mouth follows suit, up to tender knuckles, the back of her hand. All the way to her wrist, the underside of which thrums with her pulse. It's a good feel, he thinks. ] Since you're so kindly accepting my terms.
[ Maybe he's not the best person to draw close to, but the idea of someone else wresting something so important from her for cards or money makes his gut burn.
Even loathe to make a decision, sometimes he does so. And sometimes, it changes his life. ]
That doesn't surprise me. Often, our minds develop responses under certain conditions. It sounds like you experienced a lot through your life. [A quirk of his lips.] So it's fine to relax a bit now. That, and it seems I have my work cut out for me. I'll make you a tea enjoyer yet!
[He gestures at Lighter to follow him to the kitchen. The resort did not skimp on a good breakfast for them to enjoy, though Wriothesley moves around the kitchen to make tea almost immediately. The movements show routine as though he isn't even thinking much about what he's doing. Even with the changes to his space, there's just something that comes with practiced ease. For Wriothesley, that's making tea.]
They'll do anything in the book. There was speed dating here and there as ice breakers, I've gotten locked into rooms, and half the food in this place is probably laced. The list goes on. [He turns to look at the other with a laugh.] Would you feel more at home if we were speed dating? I bet I can pull up some of the ice breaker questions they offered us before. Would that be better than just being handed a sex toy?
[ there's a hitch of breath in her throat as her eyes follow the path of his lips over her hand, fingers twitching gently in his grasp. her skin pebbles with gooseflesh, unused to this kind of attention but welcoming it anyway, if the flutter of her pulse beneath the delicate skin of her wrist is any indication. anticipation makes the flush on her cheeks darken, makes the ache in her chest sharper, and she finds herself thinking if she had spent less time in the cathedral back at the academy, would she have experienced this then? would she still feel like her heart is ready to burst from her chest; craving for more of his attention, even when she's already had it?
she has not known this kind of touch from a man who didn't want something from her—her body, her blood, or both. lighter can't know the significance of it, how freeing it is to be touched as she is herself and nothing more. ]
I think you already have, [ is what she shakily manages, swallowing down a soft sound when his lips inevitably find her pulse. she reaches out with her other hand to gently brush his hair away from his face, fingertips brushing along his jaw. ] But you won't hear any complaints from me if you feel it's not enough.
[Rude doesn't expect for Aventurine to move while he's rocking his hips up to shoot his load inside him, and he makes a mess of the other man, the insides of his thighs dripping with his release. His grip around Aventurine's cock slips as he realizes they'd cum at the same time, but he continues to stroke him through it, not minding the mess on his own fingers at all.]
Scaring me?
[Considering their conversation at the start and also how it ended, he's not entirely sure which part he's apologizing for, but either way, Rude shakes his head.]
You don't have to do that. [But he brings his hand up to Aventurine's mouth anyway, his free hand spread across his lower back to keep him close even after they're not joined anymore.]
[Reno hums as he considers, then closes the distance to Aventurine. One hand slides up into the other's blond hair and the thumb brushes against the right ear, while Reno leans in towards the left.
He traces the curve of the shell with the tip of his tongue, following the curve until he reaches the lobe, sucking it softly between his teeth and curling his tongue around the dangling metal before bringing it back to draw small circles, eventually releasing it, but not without scraping his teeth ever so gently over the sensitive skin.
Well, the dice didn't say bite, but that's still a close enough gray area to licking, right?]
[ or another reason. whatever motivates lighter doesn't particularly concern leaks. isn't intimacy a kind of fight? he could logically come to that kind of conclusion. the kinds of physicality that leaks has experienced has left scars on him: some emotional, some not. that he hides them relatively well, though the kind of duress of being alone with another man... ]
I am. [ no point in lying either. he knows himself. he knows what he likes. ] I would rather be with someone who can show restraint.
[ someone who fights, someone who's used to that kind of adrenaline might try to chase it in any form. ]
Modesty is a good thing to have, no matter where you are.
[Scott, of course, worries about it. Well, maybe that's not the entirely correct term, but he doesn't simply let the topic drop. As he starts buttoning up his pants and waist wiggling as he gets used to the material once more, he prods a little more at Akira.]
Are they really fun? Maybe there's something like that at the arcade and I just didn't pay any attention to it.
[He's a big fan of the arcade and he wants to know if he might be missing out on something. It's one of the few places in this casino that he actually really enjoys, a place where he can feel like himself for a bit and not worry about sex. Plus some of those graphics on the new games are so realistic and the racing games are fun too.]
( no worries! the holidays were destroying me too, plus i got sick just recently, hope things are going better for you now! )
(in comparison, her five and almost six months soon of being there taught her plenty that she might not ever get used to the way things run in the golden peacock. the last time she participated in such things was over the course of october, but that wasn't something she'd talk about. not between certain events that happened and her being caught in the middle. a positive to that was texas managed to survive, not so much that she swore herself to secrecy at one point over certain other things that happened after colliding into the communal blood pool while the angry vampires were displeased by the sight of a mutt. if there was something, texas can use her words quite well. she's a natural at it when it counts (exactly like how lappland was though she is by no means theatrical like her) though that means little in how the resort works.
finding her way inside was by no means hard, but there was little surprise that he was not having that much fun, either. cellinia was by no means that sort of person who can read someone constantly, not unless one person in particular in her life counted by virtue of them being childhood friends. she does, however, like to think she's gotten to know ragna enough to tell her when he might or might not enjoy something. such as now. now that they're having to participate by "suggestion" of the house, which says enough in how both sides could take it.
they didn't need to worry much about the crowd pushing about their floating wine and drugs while up there, she'll take that as an excuse to relax. probably even see how others of their surprisingly mutual group are doing on their own.)
You seemed more tired than me, but not like a week of attending isn't draining on anyone that's unfortunate enough to be caught up in it.
(that didn't stop the small smile, later she'd take any gift he wanted to drop off after she did that. truthfully, that was how she's always been. texas was the thoughtful sort of person, avoidant of her problems perhaps, but that was still a part of her to desire to do something for friends. even going as far as to deliver the gifts herself, and she likely would have had she known about their relationship? gotten ragna and weiss something to match with, like she did hiyori and jun. her thoughtfulness could extend that far, after all. anyway, cellinia moved her platter in the middle of the table. she did invade his booth (though it wasn't much of one) while he was attempting to rest.
given they all by this point know how the house would spike the food, she didn't mind more sharing it. having to avoid food for a week would get dangerous. after testing it herself, they should be fine. the fact that they got along well was enough to help her with that choice whenever she looks over at the coffee offered. normally she prefers sweeter drinks when it's coffee, but she can manage a medium blend. that shouldn't be as bitter.
might as well enjoy their "break" before they get dragged into something or other again, knowing the house and it's whims.)
I'll take some, don't worry also, if you're hungry I tested it.
I'm not a woman... and I suppose if I were, I wouldn't have the same elegance and stamina. I haven't danced in a long time. It would take a lot of work...
[ Yes, he is thinking hard about it like a viable possibility. And then he just moves on to her next statement, smiling as he looks back at her flat expression with a tilt of his head. ]
That a good point! You should be cautious when it comes to strangers. What if we start with introductions and you decide later? You can call me Seimei. I was brought here too, and I have no affiliation with the owners of this place.
[ He cheerfully bows and then offers his hand to her like they're conducting some kind of first interview. ]
Yeah, heard that one before. [...] Do you really think that they do nothing but drain resources and make others suffer? And I thought I was an asshole.
[Evolution. Homo sapien superior. His words truly ring, resonating to something that feels so familiar, that Scott can't help but wonder if they're from the same world. Maybe he's a mutant too?? Someone that believed more in Magneto's rhetoric before he decided to chill for the time being. Of course it's not for certain, but Scott's always been adamant, jumping at the chance to find other people like him that he's been willing to risk that disappointment over and over again even when they say otherwise.
...Even if he's really unsure about this guy. He doesn't like pretty much anything he's said so far, but maybe that's more of a reason to dig into this. He wonders if that's what the Professor would do. Probably. He'd also know what to say. Scott's still so new to all this, being any sort of face for Xavier's ideals.]
It's not pointless. Saving people is never pointless. [He's holding tight on whatever patience he has, that self-control that he's started to learn. If he's a X-Man but has a bad day and decides to rip off his glasses to destroy a whole city block, then.....] And even if you don't care about the 'weak,' you'll just end up hurting people you actually care about.
[Man he should've bothered Raven or Hank for more details about what happened in Cuba. He's gotten the summary though.]
[ he wishes that he could have a husband like kizuna forever. something about how graceful and gracious he is, this kind of charm that has robin's head spinning despite feeling comfortable and table. that as they depart the chaos of the garage in favor of soft and smooth jazz that is more pleasant to the ears. ]
I know we can. [ snuggles a little tighter into kizuna. ] You're here, so... how can't I feel relaxed?
[ a light, gentle laugh follows. it's true. he hasn't felt this way in a long time. the tension in his body... it's certainly easing. ]
You've been okay, right? I'm sorry I haven't been a very good friend.
( it's aventurine's turn to wonder which he means - the subtle apology, or what he wants to do, to make up for something that has gotten way into his head. such is the way with aventurine, who needs clarifications and elaborations lest he overthinks and assumes the worst, each and every time.
still, he accepts the fingers, and laps at them almost pitifully, with a lingering unspoken apology in his demeanor, for getting rude dirty. it might be the overall nature of sex, but it doesn't mean aventurine isn't putting up pretenses, even here.
at least he hardly minds the taste of his own come. though he doesn't make a show of it, he still diligently gets rude's fingers clean, licking his lips once he's finished. )
You have a party to get back to, don't you, Mr. Handsome? We wouldn't want you to look messy to your suitors.
( spoken entirely in jest, though the true nature behind it is the dehumanization of aventurine. nothing rude truly needs knowing. )
( now that he hadn't expected, surprise briefly coloring his voice.
then again, from the various games laid out for them to dabble in for the duration of this party, along with what little of the opulent decorations he's been allowed to see thus far, perhaps the risk and reward that comes with making wagers is only to be expected for a place like this.
even so: )
I am not much a gambling man, no. You need not worry in that regard.
( he has little with which he would be willing to gamble away, and little worth risking it all for save the price of his freedom. )
( it's an easy change of subject, smooth and easy to follow. neuvillette sees nothing wrong answering this particular question. he is not the sort to pry, in any case. though he doesn't answer right away, letting the silence lull between them for a few breaths as he considers what would be most appropriate to say. )
Yes, I have. ( a small nod. ) We have worked together in a professional capacity for many years now, and I had been made aware of his actions in the Fortress of Meropide prior to that due to a mutual friend of ours.
( which sounds a little illicit when phrased like that. )
[ Xue Yang doesn't know what the distraction was and doesn't care. He lands on his feet, regaining his balance with practiced ease as he watches Vanitas stumble back into the machine behind him.
When that resentful energy builds again Xue Yang knows something is coming, and honestly the makeshift projectile is impressively creative despite how straightforward it is. He himself wouldn't have the strength to pull off something like that, but given that this person seems to be augmenting himself with said resentful energy, it's not too surprising to see it.
He ducks to the side this time, but his current loose clothing isn't as cooperative as what he's used to. The flowing fabric catches on the side of the machine and gives his arm a solid jerk, twisting it back for an instant. Seams give way before muscle does and a sleeve tears free of the rest of the garment, continuing on to join the mangled metal when it lands. There's a concentration of heat in his shoulder that Xue Yang recognizes as a potential injury to be wary of, but a quick check determines his fingers and elbow can all still move, which is enough for him.
A laugh slips out as he goes for another kick, this time at his opponent's legs. He knows this guy is stronger than him, but he doesn't know their relative speeds just yet. Xue Yang is still testing the waters for now. ]
[ A reaction there is. Xue Yang's pupils immediately dilate at the name as he looks the face over a second time.
Jin Guangyao, rather intentionally (though much to Xue Yang's dismay), had kept Xue Yang solidly separated from actually meeting Wei Wuxian. He'd sneaked a few glimpses of him from across courtyards or adjacent buildings those few times they'd both been at Jinlintai, but it was never long enough to study him, and certainly never close enough to hold a conversation. He knew all about him; of course he did; he'd deeply studied his techniques in life and his notes in death. Jin Guangyao delivered any scrap of information that might have proved useful for whatever Xue Yang was tinkering with at the time.
But he couldn't claim he'd ever be able to recognize Wei Wuxian's face. ]
Prove it.
[ Despite the bite in the words there's excitement in his voice; a hint of something that he can't suppress betraying that he wants it to be true. How would Wei Wuxian prove it? That's not Xue Yang's problem. Wei Wuxian is clever, clever enough that if this is truly him he'd surely be able to come up with something. This is definitely not at all an unreasonable expectation on Xue Yang's part. ]
[ A rough hand slaps across his own mouth to curb the scream ready to rip from his throat. The adrenaline of terror without any of the fear rockets through him, heart thunderous and fine hairs standing on end. This is someone he knows too well; a man doesn’t forget the first person to grab his dick. Genya stares, eyes large and adam’s apple quivering, at the culprit of a months long sexuality crisis who had then flounced off without taking any responsibility for it. It’s been a long time.
Yet here he is now. Inky hair falls across wheat skin and white sheets in dizzying contrast. The noise that rumbles from the other man hikes Genya’s pulse in a way that has him teetering toward the edge of the bed, putting distance between them. A strange emotion wells, one between wanting to touch him gently and choke the life out of him, a conundrum of temporary paralysis.
Pride won’t allow him to leave. It’s his room, goddamn it, and he won’t let some frighteningly hot guy send him running. Not this time.
One fluffy pillow rains down with hell’s (horny) fury upon the beguiling and haloed beauty. The compromise between tenderness and violence: beating him up, lightly. ]
Oi, oi! Wake up already, [ he doesn’t even pause before purposely butchering the other teen’s name—he can’t know that Genya’s thought about him so much that it’s been well-carved into his memory even after all this time, ] Getou Subooboo. What the hell are you doin’ here!?
[ Nice. This is definitely how you’re supposed to treat people you have an angry, unwanted crush on. ]
[ No because he has manners!!! While an odd name, he says nothing about it. At this point, what hasn’t he seen? ]
Genya. [ … ] I’ve been here longer than some, shorter than some.
[ Time here is too strange to explain so he doesn’t try; he simply squeezes Sunday’s hand while whisking him away to the private rooms. The one the youth chooses is simply furnished, with only a daybed and lush carpeting that sinks beneath their feet. When the attendant inquires about what sex toys he would like for play, he asks for a comb. The attendant prompts him twice after passing over a handsome wooden comb, explaining they have a variety of dildos and restraints, but Genya shuts the door in the man’s face before he can finish praising the depths of their toy collection.
Genya sits on the edge of the daybed with knees parted, nodding to Sunday. ]
Make yourself comfortable and then sit in front of me.
[ While speaking, Genya carefully unbuttons his cuffs and then folds up crisp white sleeves to the elbow. Large knuckles, scratched and red, crack as he loosen his joints in a causal gesture. Veins cord up the back of his hands and along strong forearms, green hue blurring beneath wheat-gold skin.
Then, he takes up the lacquered wooden comb again, rubbing his thumb over its curved spine. ]
[They connect and then disengage, and for a moment, Yu feels very mildly unsteady on his own. He's getting used to it, but in a way, it feels more like a freefall than he'd like. Somehow it feels more uncertain, not having the ground beneath him. It's a feeling he doesn't relish.
At least the company is nice.]
"Lately," huh?
[Eyebrows lifted, a faint, amused smile on his face. He doesn't mean anything by the question, but it could easily be taken any kind of way. It's just that sometimes Yu's observations don't land with the humor he intends. It's dumb. He's dumb.
Anyway.
The rest is more interesting. There's something about Akira's answer that is both inspiring and familiar -- more chaotic than the declarations he's known to make, but no less dedicated. Besides, wouldn't it be interesting? The chaos that would invite. Sometimes you need to shake everything up to inspire a change. The two of them would know all about that -- though he doesn't yet realize they have that in common.
Tear it down. Take it for everything it's got. There's emotion behind that, in some way he can't quite parse yet. He could ask, but...that seems like rank 2 or 3 stuff, at least. For now,]
[ leona slowly sits up from his leaning position. he stretches up and out, crossing his legs, the tuft of his tail swinging around to curl up near his side. the beastman hasn't decided whether or not if it'll be worth it to try pouncing, even in a sign of playfulness--- he's not going to assume anything about the agility of a somewhat unassuming young man.
but he does know that looks can be very, very deceiving. ]
[hm. . . ! well, if Scott is genuinely interested—]
They can be, but they're not the kind of game you can find at the arcade. You'd need a console to play them.
[a curious tilt of his head, because now he cannot help but wonder how modern Scott's knowledge of video gaming is. from the sound of things, he seems familiar with the arcade. . . but not too much beyond that. good news for Akira, who now has the opportunity to introduce his new friend to a new hobby. his own interest in video games leans more retro, anyway. the modern stuff is fun, but nothing beats a good afternoon killing pixelated aliens in Star Forneus!!]
I get the feeling we might be able to pick one up at the shopping center, though. Let's look when we're done goofing off at the arcade.
[a hum as he shimmies outta his pajama bottoms and pulls on a pair of easy black slacks]
Edited (IM SO SORRY MY TYPOS) 2025-01-31 21:17 (UTC)
[ he's enjoying this more than he expected, and his expectations were, admittedly, rather high consider it's a card game. the man across from him is dreamy, determined in a not-quite-heroic way, with a face that thinks it's more subtle and stern than it is.
or, perhaps, he knows, given the way he reacts to his own card, immediately flustered and persevering seemingly in spite of himself. this is what the game is really about, he figures; digging into the discomfort of sharing secrets and personal promises with a stranger. he hadn't even asked his opponent's name, and here they already are, baring teeth and hearts on sleeves. it's a little romantic. ]
It's only easy if you have family and friends. I suspect the lonesome might prefer yours. [ his lips are feline, curled and curious as he reaches for another card. a trickier one this time, a few levels down and off to the side, a piece of a parapet that hopefully provides an easier question. ]
What is something unconventional that you find sexy in a person?
[ a pause, as he genuinely considers. when was the last time anyone asked him something like this? when was the last time attractiveness factored into any of what this resort tells them to do? ]
I like hands that are well taken care of. Manicured nails, no evidence of biting or chewing. Smooth skin, although some callouses are all right. Maybe even preferred. [ he gives a wan smile, flexing the fingers of his left hand. ] Perhaps it's a little ironic these days.
[ with just how long that contemplation draws out, he wonders if the plan to infiltrate and enjoy a chocolate fountain has been abandoned. it wouldn't be the first time they distracted each other—chemistry unspeakable, unknowable, yet undeniable. his hands are already moving to drag satoru a little further into his lap, broad and firm at slender hips that so often and so easily give way to him. the dress is definitely a change, somehow seems unbecoming for its length covering up long, lithe legs. but he supposes those don't look particularly feminine any more than his do, dusted with fine, white hair and taut with sinewy muscle.
then, snapping him back to the room, comes the dull buzz of an electric razor. confirming that it's only he who's so distracted—or maybe just stubbornly reluctant to follow through on this plan he really hadn't believed, even walking into the room to see satoru already dressed. ]
Gonna be worse as it grows back in.
[ but he lets him shave as he pleases, slow and unsteady. it occurs to him that it's a little funny they haven't already tried this, but they both know he's been so particular about it. and his hands are much more practiced than the way satoru traces along his cheek, sometimes pressing too hard, sometimes hardly pressing at all. he moves one hand from his hip, to gently cuff satoru's wrist, adjust the pressure, guide the angle as best he can without a mirror. ]
I'd like it more if it wasn't just to squeeze me into some dress and apron. [ but he's not really complaining, with a quirk at his mouth and dark eyes locked on satoru's face. ] Might need a little extra service afterwards anyway, or I'll give myself away anyway.
[ there it is again, that curious but welcome glimpse of something softer beneath the tough veneer. the thing that keeps her following at texas's heels as if she were a puppy, ears perked and gaze vigilant for some sense of welcome in return. she doesn't ask about the nightmares, but she'll listen eagerly if any hints are dropped. she likes that she can't quite get past that first layer except in glimpses (she wouldn't have stuck around her classmates so long if she couldn't stand the mysterious), and this week had simply sealed the deal on that. the endless parade of food and beverage they probably had no business partaking in, especially shouko and her lowly basement ranking. the absence of her pretty dress, traded sometime in the swirling end of the final evening for the plain undergarments she wears now, leaving her feeling only all the more like cinderella as she, too, claws at half-remembered dreams from the last several days.
she's lucky, in some sense, that she can repair herself; it means the headaches and hangovers aren't so bad, even if the aching still lingers like a ghost's touch (or maybe that's just where she'd hit her head). but repairing her body doesn't do anything to sort out the exaggerated, fabricated memories from the real ones—flashes of laughter as her arms had slipped around a slender waist to keep texas from biting anyone; hazier moments from dark corners illuminated only by the warped flashes of light through shot glasses.
she slides back onto the edge of the bed, one leg bent while the other dangles over the side. it's easy enough to accept the pack of cigarettes, tap one out, reach for a lighter to ignite hers before offering to share. she suppresses a smile at the guilty pleasure that she indulges shouko with a smoke despite her saying she'd cut back, whether they trade off or not. ]
Bits and pieces. I'm trying to hang onto the good ones and let go of the...weirder ones. I feel like it would've been worse if you hadn't put up with me for so much of it. [ she takes a long drag and holds it, eyes roaming over bedhead, a shirt buttoned but askew, debating the pull of the blankets that beckon her to be reckless about this for just a little longer. she laughs instead, a little nervous, a little dismissive, genuinely grateful. ] I was starting to get used to the guard dog—wolf—bit, though.
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