【 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.
[Please, Neuvillette is far more agreeable than so many of the Family representatives he's had to deal with. Though they dedicate themselves to the Harmony, it does not lend itself to seamless collaboration in practice. A common cause can't always unite the differences of personality, but Sunday understood — at least back then — that each of them was necessary in order to work toward a common goal.
Here, there's almost a kind of freedom in being able to choose his own company.]
Then we have that in common. [Stuffy, awkward, proper bureaucrats that they are...] And no, not usually. I had — ah, certain standing that would have made it difficult to encounter such unusual situations. My days were quite regimented.
[Local control freak in recovery at your service. He laughs, more at himself, pulling on the starchy white shirt and buttoning it up with nimble fingers.]
I had a feeling something like this might happen eventually. Not so specific, but... equally out of the ordinary. I left my previous position, you see. What about yourself, Mr. Neuvillette?
[Maybe they don't need a weapon at all, Stelle... Consider...
Her enthusiasm is not infectious, though Sunday admires the energy at which she switches to this new task. At least he's managed to divert a more violent outcome. That should be considered a success, shouldn't it?]
I don't know that Mr. Yang would go to such lengths, but I suppose you're more familiar with him than I.
[What are you doing to your kids, Welt??? Still, he's obedient as he begins to check around the seats, not at all convinced he'll find anything.]
Is the partition something you could remove in order to get into the front seat? Perhaps you could start the car that way, as well, if there's a key.
[ She understands his reluctance and empathizes with it. Despite that, she doesn't have hang ups about the lewd acts themselves, just a setting that makes them a must. ]
Like sex specifically? I don't know. I know they want people from different universes to connect, but no one's explained why it's gotta be through sex.
Maybe sex is more efficient than a deep emotional connection?
[ There's a laugh there because he kind of knows what she means. He's been here for just a few days but the atmosphere is definitely... something. Yeah, he's picking up the vibes that this place is putting down. ]
I am new, yeah. I don't even have a card suit yet, still a wildcard. But I'm enjoying myself so far. More 'cause I haven't seen anything like this place before, I think.
And like, if anonymous sex counts, then the vulnerability of being with someone prolly isn't a factor. Besides, everyone's got their own perspectives on that.
[ some people (not her) have zero hang ups about sex. ]
I guess an impossibility energy farm is better than a sex energy farm, but it still doesn't answer the question of why it has to be sex. The system just seems inefficient in general.
[The effect of that whistle is immediate. A chill moves into the room with lowered temperature, cool on his skin, eyes darting to the slight gap beneath the door where a dark shape slips inside. He doesn't experience fear, exactly — and perhaps a large part of that is how cavalier this man, Wei Wuxian, is in response to it. It should be strange to trust someone he's only just met, but he suspects if he was meant any harm it would have happened by now. And... part of his desire to begin his journey was exactly this — an opportunity to experience a world he does not control.
So there's still some tension in him, that malevolence unlike anything he's felt in the shadow of either the Harmony or the Order, but it eases as soon as black-smoke hands reach to pour them tea.
Such a miraculous sight. A ghostly phantom bent to this man's will as one might coax a puppet. Naturally, his mind wonders how this could be abused, and if so... how would a deceased spirit experience that wrong?]
Oh. [It takes him a minute to stop staring in awe once addressed, lashes flickering. First, to the spirit, mirroring Wei Wuxian —] Thank you. [And he gathers the cup of tea into his own hands, feeling its pleasant warmth.]
Does that mean it could be dangerous if it becomes corporeal? Is it... more of a person, aware of its past life?
[Whatever happened last night, she didn't quite remember. All she knew was that she was tried and needed to find a place to sleep. Of course, she didn't respond to Xingqiu's actions and mumbled a bit. All she could say was how much she wanted sleep. It wasn't until he gently pushed him that she finally got up.]
...Has it already...?
[From all the drinks she had, it was clear she wasn't quite awake yet.]
[In the face of it now, the words are more difficult than he expected. They seem to sit in his throat, unpracticed, uncertain — all of his care and fine control washed away by the newness of their circumstances, how little power he has here to protect her.
She still trusts him, which is perhaps more painful than if she'd cast him out for his actions completely. He deserves condemnation, and yet she only turns forgiveness toward him, soft face and bright eyes and all the love in the world.]
Please don't — [a hitch, in that voice-that-isn't-his.] In the end, it will always be your decision. But... please don't give yourself to someone without certainty they will be kind to you. Good, to you.
[They have not spoken of such things since they were children, when the world was vast and strange and beautiful in its limitless possibilities, before everything began to narrow and darken. He knows that his sister has been desired by countless others, and he has never asked if she has pursued that interest. He has no right to know those private intimacies. Yet at least while they're here, with their precious faraway childhood in mind — if she hasn't experienced what it is like...]
Don't wait until you have no other alternative. Don't let the House control this. It should be your choice, and you should be safe. Comfortable. All right?
( seems to be the kind of old man that wants to keep distance between himself and everything--at least from this cursory interaction, and he slides his elbow onto the table, his chin dropping into his palm as he waits. naturally the six eyes are happy to dissect all the information that they can about the depth of this guy's muscles, his stature, and the egregious scarring that seems to be prevalent across his skin. whatever it is this guy fights with, it's nothing like magic, or cursed energy: must be the standard fare, knives or guns or whatever else is at his disposal. at the thought, there's a brief pursing of his lips, displeased; he leaves that memory aside.
it's cheating to keep his pants on, but he'll figure that out in a second. instead, he waits to be beckoned, letting out a long, playful sigh before he pushes up onto his feet, both hands hefting up the skirt of his own dress a little, above his shoes, so that he doesn't trip on himself as he closes the distance. )
Is it just the zipper? Hm~.
( he puts himself at the other's back, reaching with both hands to start to tug either open side together--he gives one weak tug, and then another, and even goes so far as to hold the tops together while he reaches down to tug helplessly at the zipper, but--
there's a sigh, masked in a devilish sort of grin-- )
Sorry. Seems it's not gonna go up unless you take your pants off. Such a finicky thing, right~?
( it doesn't taste like cursed energy. he hasn't gotten that kind of read on the other, hasn't gotten that sort of feeling, and so it's impossible to think it: but what else would that be? a little shimmer of something terrible, he's sure, something that will be left to be handled at the table they're leaving behind; if it's that small, it shouldn't be hard to get rid of, but then he has to have the opportunity to get rid of it. instead, he's left with the bigger catch, the sheen of that helmet surface directed at him, and though he can't fully see what's beneath it, he has some idea thanks to his technique. even if he darts to the side, even if his gaze slides--he's not going to be allowed to get rid of it.
well, he's not the only sorcerer here. shouko and nanamin will feel it, if it's really a curse: he still doesn't think it is, but it's familiar enough that it makes him handle this situation with a little more care. he's not just up against some casual bully who wants to make his discomfort the whole resort's problem; it's something entirely different.
so he smiles, tilting his head instead. if he has to, he'll come back for it. for now: )
So you do think I'm cute. ( with another tilt of his head, like he's just been rewarded. ) Take off the helmet.
( it's not a request this time--made obvious by the way his grin stretches, a little feral, like he's ready for a fight if it comes to it. honestly, this might be the most fun he's had in this place in awhile; no one's even come close to being a challenge, but his new companion here is providing quite the conundrum.
another few steps back puts them on a trajectory towards the bar, though he does stop near an empty card table, devoid of guests, so that he can peel off his sunglasses, gently folding them up against his chest and reaching in to slide them into an inside pocket of his jacket. )
I wanna whisper right in your ear. Otherwise it's no fun.
( it's a cacophony of noise that means nothing, says nothing. a faint layer of gold painted so thinly the rust still shows underneath. ratio's lips thin into a sharp line, both from the assessment presented and the fact that he has little to add. none of the observations are particularly in-depth, but then—how much can even be said, from the backseat of a car whose lack of grime is more conspicuous than its presence would have been?
perhaps this is his cue to haul himself out, finally, brushing off dust that doesn't exist as he straightens on his feet. just two hoyo men, standing at the exact same approximate height because the models only come in so many sizes... )
While I would agree none of this is to our benefit as a whole, it seems there are still benefits to be had. For instance—clothing vouchers. ( he taps the watch. so it claims, anyway. ) Unless you'd prefer to stay lounging here as you are.
( one stiff breeze away from a category three incident. at least there's nothing of the sort in a parking garage, but who can say about the rest of the hotel. )
Hmm? [She hears the mumbling, and it's not the sort of moment or the sort of place where she should let this other woman expect that level of privacy.] Something else to say?
[She leaves her kiss behind like a gentle but indelible brand, thumb sweeping over the warm mark remaining in the wake of her mouth. Even though her turn is over, Miko stays where she is, draped languidly over the back of the seat. Cheek pressed close, she watches with glittering eyes, awaiting the next move.]
( it's a little embarrassing to think this is the first time he's been bit like this in this place, and of all people, it's with shouko--not that he minds, but he imagines that even if he might be interested enough to give it a shot, she's seen him in all of his ugliest and prettiest moments, and might not be so keen to continue. something he doesn't blame her for, just as he doesn't blame the way the bite is actually harder than he'd expected, though not that hard at all; it makes him laugh, rocking forwards towards the table like he might just escape right away from it.
still, a game is a game, or whatever, and besides, she's after something that he understands--he might stand in her way, playfully, but he won't fully block her from getting something. )
You got a problem with my laundry, huh~?
( in a playful drawl, as he stretches his back further, angling his ass up as though to push it closer. )
It's not like I do it myself. You wanna come over and wash your clothes?
( pointedly, he is still not pulling his pants up. instead, he re-folds his arms against the edge of the table and hums. )
I wonder what else we could do with my pants down like this.
Does it? ( softly, like he has no idea--and of course, that means the next thing out of his mouth is: ) Ossan~.
( but he's smiling, despite himself, blue eyes locked in on the task at hand; now that he's gotten a better angle and better pressure, it's easier to keep going, to have more finesse with the way he slides the razor down, patient and slow, working the stubble down until it's barely a ghost on gladiolus' skin, and then mostly gone entirely. it's a little funny, when he leans back a little to admire his work: the only thing left is the hint of stubble over his top lip, and he grins at that, a little pleased.
if he thought he could get away with it, he'd probably for the sideburns, too, and take them down a little--but then he's also not fully convinced that they're really going to get into the women's lounge like this, at least not for awhile.
so his hand holds gladiolus' chin in place, and the other gently nips the razor down, trimming short the hair above his upper lip; once it's gone, he thumbs the razor off, reaching past gladiolus so that he can set it down beside him on the bed. )
Face test, Amciti-san. ( is he now going to say everything except gladiolus' first name? probably. ) Let's see...
( rocking forward, his weight pressed down into his pelvis, rubbed into gladiolus' thigh, he presses his cheek in against gladiolus' cheek; like a cat, he rubs down, sliding, brushing until he has to switch to the other side of his face, slowly rubbing and testing up the other side of gladiolus' cheek all the same.
then it's his lips, running from one end of his jaw, to his chin, and then the other end--and when he drags himself back, it's with a confident little smile. )
[ She's right there, draped against her, and it makes Red's heart start to race. A flush of heat that spreads over her cheeks. She rolls a shoulder and then turns her head slightly to try and catch a glimpse of her - and then she leans forward with a rush to pick up the dice and toss them.
Twelve. Ten.
Grind on genitals.
Red almost chokes. ]
...I'm not giving up a second one in a row. [ So she says, anyway. ]
( rather than immediately follow sunday's suggestion, ratio merely takes the time to check the watch: 8:14am, supposedly. unsurprising to discover he's slept in so late after an endless party, though it still feels no better even knowing the cause for it. thus does he acquiesce, sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed to sit up, and—
oh, what's this. he leans down, discovering none other than a pair of ducky slippers, perfectly placed and slightly tucked under his side of the bed. how convenient. yeah, he'll put those on. )
If you compare the state of our clothing, as it were—don't you appear to be the invader in this situation far more than I do?
( the eyemask is removed, carefully folded and placed on the bedside table. whether or not he'll actually return to this room remains to be seen, but it still wouldn't do to make a mess regardless. one thing they can surely agree on. )
Help me make the bed. ( he picks up one of the errant feathers here, pauses, and then lets it gently fall into the trashcan. mr. sunday, you're such a messy bedmate... )
Duchess Alice, then. ( with an exhale of his cigarette, the smoke curling just as his lips do--bemused, his voice continues in a drawl. ) Apologies for being in your company without the proper protocol, my lady.
( what even is a duchess? he assumes it has to be something close to royalty, like below a king or a queen, but he's never learned much about history, and especially not the history of countries outside of japan--how would he have learned any of it? he technically 'died' before he'd gotten into much schooling that would divulge into the details of places other than his home. besides, his focus had been honed on other things, other people, other places for revenge.
the fact that she's not keen to explain herself in a way that matters is both telling and interesting. it's something beyond this, then, something outside of pretty titles or thievery or other methods of law breaking; but even so, it's that concept of 'something wrong' that pervades her lofty examples enough that he takes notice.
it means his smile is lifting, an almost devilish sort of grin, before he takes another drag from his cigarette. )
Stopped bothering with alibis. They don't matter if you never get caught, you know?
( a thoughtful tilt of his head. ) I'm a villain. Are you?
( his eyes narrow, but not in accusation: rather, he's curious, watching her face, brows lifting in playful expectation as he lets out another pulse of smoke. )
You don't look like the type that's gonna stuff diamonds into her panties and run away with them, or demand the banks empty their vaults into your purse. So it's something else. Something worse, maybe.
[ Keita is quiet, maybe unsure of his own natural ability that he wears without thinking. He's magnetic in his willingness to explore and try new things, brightening up the room with a simple, genuine appreciation for experiences. It's the kind of curiosity that fuels Seimei's excitement and makes his heart beat quicker, wanting to see just how far Keita will go with him. It's selfish, he knows that, but he still wants to pull the other man deeper into the world of magic. Keita can't possibly know how that fond touch, gracefully brushing one of his ears, almost has the fox wanting to reach out and wrap Keita up in a thread of magic and carry him away right there.
But they have a game to play, so instead Seimei sighs into the gesture and waves his hand gently to brush the feeling off. ]
Shouldn't you be afraid? I might get carried away and eat you.
[ Which Keita is free to take in any way he likes, according to the grin Seimei gives him. He still wonders if it's better to tuck himself away into the folds of a normal human, someone unextraordinary and easy to overlook. But with Keita's eyes on him, Seimei moves forward and wraps himself around the other man, leaving a playful kiss on his lips like a whisper before he moves back to take a turn spinning the roulette wheel. ]
I'm holding you to that, Keita-kun. You promise to play with me even if we don't get a big prize.
[ He doesn't wait for an answer before giving the wheel a turn. As it spins, Seimei hums to himself, singing a tune that can only be heard by himself and Keita. If the notes send a sensation of warm hands running up Keita's sides beneath his clothes and pull him into a phantom embrace with Seimei's breath at his ear, it's not noticed by anyone around them. The wheel slows and then eventually the needle lands on it's reward. Not the insta-prize, sadly, but the fleshlight. ]
Ah. Well, I guess my luck isn't as good as yours. Would you like to try instead? Maybe you'll really become my king.
( a question that has him blinking rapidly, his gaze cast out to scowl at the rest of the casino, instead. it's this place, anyway, that's put him into this situation, not the fault of the girl next to him, the stupid vibrator in his hand, or the couple that he imagines is going to get sprayed off the counter by the time the bartender returns. something they'll have to hear of secondhand, as he angles his steps away from the bar, and more into the flooded chaos of the rest of the party. she's still following him, which either means she needs the credits, needs the catharsis, or just needs to keep teasing him; his lips purse, almost like he's trying not to jut out into a pout.
there's a slow, shallow shake of his head. )
You're incredibly frightening.
( the bland, almost playfully distant tone likely clocks that immediately as a lie. )
I have no idea who you are, or why you want to help me, or if i'm going to touch your face and your little--your ear--your... ( his free hand lifts between them to give a little gesture with a slender finger, like he's drawing her wing there onto his own head with invisible ink. ) ...If it's going to slap me away.
( it's a joke. well, he hopes it reads as a joke, anyway, dry at his own expense; when they start to move through a denser crowd, he does at least lift up that arm between them again so that he can press his palm to her back, lightly, closer to her hips than to her shoulders. he doesn't want her to get yanked around or pulled out of his sight.
it's easy to make the next assumption, then-- )
Have you been called an angel? ( probably by literally everyone else in the resort, he's guessing. )
[He has no idea - despite constant surveillance - just how experienced Aerith is, and part of him - again, the one that puts her on that pedestal of being something, someone special - doesn't want to know. And doesn't want to think about what will be going on with her in this place. Fuck, Reno feels like he's about to have the time of his life here, but this doesn't feel right. Aerith's too good to get corrupted by this, and if that last bit of light would to dim as well ... He doesn't want to be someone who stains that kind of beauty.
Fuck, what is he even thinking?! Thankfully it's just a fleeting moment, and his mask is back in place as quickly as it might've slipped just there, and he puts his hand on her arm as she hooks herself in.]
Don't mention it. So, watcha wanna do? Wanna grab a drink, or see what else this place got to offer?
Everyday's mostly the same, and the way back home doesn't seem to be in sight.
[ Sorry, she's just trying to be realistic here! Seeing as they've only just woke up though and she's found herself in bed with someone who's new, she figures she should try and inform him of just about everything she knows. ]
Coffee?
[ She tilts her head to the side curiously. He looks like a coffee person, so may as well make him a cup. ]
( that way of thinking was something reira wish she was strong enough to do. she did her best to push aside her pain, but it was times like these were her feelings would become far too much and soon she was letting it all spill out in one burst-
only to recover, rinse and repeat. it wasn't healthy by any means, but the more she was surrounded by others, the less likely it was to happen. for now though her focus was solely on hilda because it allowed her to recover from her own 'little' moment. as the compact came into her hands, she nodded in approval and reached out to hold hilda's hand. with the most empathetic face she could muster, she leaned in and hugged the girl unexpectedly. )
You've been through so much and yet you've helped me. I'm so grateful really-
Thank you Hilda, and I'm glad to hear you're okay here for now.
[oh, wei wuxian, ever the optimist. sizhui thought the same thing and then months turned into more months, then eventually a year and a year became two, so on and so forth. as it stands, being away from home for four whole years has been quite a journey, but he can't say that he regrets any of it because it has been a fun adventure and he's met a lot of great people during it.
here's hoping wei wuxian gets his wish though and is only stuck at the golden peacock for a few months rather than longer.
unsurprisingly, sizhui would probably choose lan jingyi as his first and wei wuxian and lan wangji as his second (because he can't and wouldn't choose between them, so they'd somehow have to all be together, clearly).
following the hair ruffling, he laughs softly, raising a hand to muffle the sound and cover his smile out of instinct.] Me too. [as for the card suit, well... he pauses for contemplation, lowers the hand to tap his chin then he explains as best as he can:] I still think it has something to do with groups we've been split up into, but different things happen to people within the suits. If that makes any sense?
[Matoba's smile tilts, approving and coy, at Wei Wuxian's response. Those who knew the natures of gods and spirits knew not to trust promises of power so lightly.]
I have been here for about a year's observable time, for what little reference we have of it. There is quite a bit to this realm and its exact nature that I and others I have discussed with do not yet have a full picture of, but the best and most sensible guess is that, in some way, our presence is adding to its power. Whether by being drained of it ourselves, or something that is generated by the "activities" that it so wants us to engage in.
I have my own ideas, of course. But that is not to say that the promise of "a wish" seems impossible. Merely that what form it takes will surely not be without a cost.
...As to those that have been here... [Matoba seems to chew on Wei Wuxian's request a moment, as if weighing in his mind what he'd like to give up.] There is something like a phantom bar. "Roost". You won't find it easily, nor its boss. But sometimes, he likes to come to us. Perhaps you'll come across him in a good mood. Bring a token of value to pay- or play- your dues with.
The other one is easier to find, but much harder to get anything useful from. I hope you like to eat.
[Satisfied with his answers, Matoba rolls up from his seat on the edge of the bed. The robe is loose enough that it falls in a loose drape over the lines of his body, and gapes a little to show an upper body far more trained than the rest of him when he raises his teacup to knock back what was remaining in the bottom. Drained, he drops it with a clatter back onto the serving cart, for room service to do what they will with it when they come to clean up the mess.]
Whether there is truly any victory to be had or not is something we will have to discover for ourselves, I think. But for the time being, I intend to amass resources. After all, it is better to have than have not.
[Matoba stands in the open space between the bed and the rest of the room, and deliberately considers Wei Wuxian. Someone skilled in reading and manipulating energy flows would be extremely useful to keep close- whatever form that might take. He ought to keep this one in mind... and maybe, figure out what that strange, negative energy about him was.]
For formality's sake- not that it means much here- Matoba Seiji, the current head of the Matoba clan of exorcists. We specialize in purification and extermination. If my business interests you, let's chat when you have a proper card.
[ Troy compliments, nodding gently with a mild respect. He feels his interest and opinion of Dan Heng shifting towards a positive end. ]
Speaking of friends, and before you ask your question. Are you alone here? The only one from your world? Because it seems I am. Can't say for sure if others have come before me, or if more from mine will show - I hope not.
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